Biden's Edge in Iowa Is Soft, and 'Poor Kids' Gaffe Helps Show Why

[left-of-center2012]

Joe Biden campaigns with the air of a future Democratic nominee. But Iowans say they aren’t going to just hand him a victory. With just under six months to go until the Iowa caucuses kick off the party’s presidential nominating process, the former vice president leads in every poll of the state’s Democrats and has strong -- but not dominant -- fundraising and field operations there.

But while many voters say they like him and would choose him if the caucus were held today, they can nonetheless see themselves ending up with another candidate. Polling makes him the front-runner but, Iowa Democrats say, support for him is still soft. Biden’s longwinded speech at the Iowa soapbox this week and several verbal gaffes -- including suggesting that “poor kids” are as smart as “white kids” -- don’t help his cause.

“I don’t think it’s inevitable that he will win,” said Michael McCandless, 63, a retired corrections officer from West Burlington said this week during a Biden campaign stop. “There’s some good candidates out there, so a lot of things could change.” Still, he said, “Right now he’s definitely at the top of my list.”

“This is basically half time. We’ve had six months of pretty intensive campaigning, we have another six months ahead of us, and Biden is ahead at half time,” said veteran Iowa Democratic strategist Jeff Link. “But it’s the fourth quarter that matters.” Even Biden, 76, acknowledged that point, telling a swarm of reporters at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, “It’s way early on. I know the polls have me ahead by 10, or 12 points to the next person, but it’s early. It’s real early. I plan on being here to earn the vote of Iowa.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-edge-iowa-soft-poor-181325262.html