His campaign on the line, Joe Biden goes missing in New Hampshire

[Baclava]

NASHUA, N.H. - Outside the castle-themed Radisson Hotel where Joe Biden has been staying, his campaign bus was parked and ready for events.

But on Thursday, just five days before the crucial primary here, the candidate was nowhere to be found.

Biden spent Thursday gathered with his top advisers at his home in Wilmington, Del., seeking a reset and perhaps a last-ditch effort to save his candidacy, beginning with a debate Friday night. He held no public events.

In one troublesome sign for the financially strapped campaign, it canceled nearly $150,000 in television ads in South Carolina, which votes Feb. 29, and moved the spending to Nevada, whose Feb. 22 contest follows New Hampshire’s. The move seemed to acknowledge that Biden’s campaign cannot sustain a continued run of bad news.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/his-campaign-on-the-line-joe-biden-goes-missing-in-new-hampshire/ar-BBZJV2R

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Pete on the rise, again

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

1. Last ditch effort?

Some of the lines are just laughable.

[James48]

26. Yes.

If Biden comes in fourth twice more, he’s finished.

I’m with Bernie.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

30. And let's say Bernie is crushed in the south?

Is he finished?

[James48]

46. Maybe.

It depends.

If Bernie wins NH and NV, and loses in some southern states, he is still viable. Bernie’s task is to place well. If Warren drops out, I think most of those vote go to Bernie, not Biden.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

48. A split of her votes

Some Warren supporter's still not happy about last debate.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. Just retooling and changing strategies

Smart and prudent move on his part.

[world wide wally]

3. We are suicidal

[UniteFightBack]

22. +1000

[MontanaMama]

40. Yep.

Doing the MF’s work for him.

[Bucky]

69. Don't be. We have plenty of fine candidates

With a total of 28 candidates having enter the race, there was bound to belots of them dropping out along the way. So cheer up and just decide who your second favorite candidate will be. The key is, we all need to come together before the convention and the general election.

[wisteria]

77. Biden is my only choice. No second.

[Bucky]

91. Okay. But after he loses the nomination I hope you'll consider voting blue

Democracy could really use your support.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

4. I hope to see stories like this

On Warren, Sanders and mayor Pete after South Carolina.

O wait those would be excuses

[wisteria]

78. Exactly

[TexasTowelie]

5. He took off on Thursday to prepare for the debate tonight.

He also probably reexamined where he stands in the polls in South Carolina and didn't see the need to spend money for advertising there. The media is trying to add a narrative on every move each campaign makes.

[thesquanderer]

27. re:"He also probably reexamined where he stands...in SC & didn't see the need to spend money there"

I doubt that, because after Iowa, 538 for the first time said Biden and Sanders had about an equal chance of winning SC.

I think he needs to make sure he doesn't come in fourth in all three pre-SC contests, because if he does, he is more likely to lose SC. So in a way, spending in Nevada is a way to shore up SC.

[TexasTowelie]

54. I think people are placing too much emphasis on what 538.com says.

However, I do believe that it is a strong strategic move to move the campaign ads to Nevada to strengthen his position in South Carolina as you stated in the final paragraph of your post.

[wisteria]

83. I agree with both of your comments

[wisteria]

79. I don't see Sanders winning in SC at all.

[thesquanderer]

90. I don't really see it either, but it's probably worth allowing for the fact that 538 might be right,

and that Biden's and Sanders' chances are closer than you'd think. So it might be wise for Biden to allow for that possibility and try to defend against it.

[emmaverybo]

86. Silver re-calibrated based on Iowa. The polling still suggests Biden has a strong lead there. But

Silver is now doing predictive polls, taking away Biden’s numbers and throwing them to Bernie. Pretty willy nilly stuff to this layperson, but fits his algorithm. He’s doing it for several states.

[brooklynite]

31. All the other candidates at tonight's debate were in the field yesterday.

Biden has acknowledged things didn't go well in Iowa. No need to "add a narrative" when it's provided to you.

[TexasTowelie]

56. I'm sure that Biden is comfortable with his decision.

There is never a shortage of micro-managers in the media or on the Internet.

[wisteria]

80. He needed time to re-evaluate his strategy

He isn’t going to win in NH, he has been doing a lot of events there.

[Recursion]

6. This is the third time Biden has done this

I do not know why the man is congenitally incapable of closing a primary campaign, but he simply never is able to do it.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

8. Hmm

Yea ok

[Zeus69]

9. I don't know why...

Candidates who have absolutely zero chance at the nomination (cough), don't check their ego and drop out.

[Recursion]

11. He's probably about to. Now, back to my complaint

This is exactly the point in the '88 and '08 primaries where he choked, and he's not showing signs of having learned.

[Zeus69]

12. Good to know.

Too early in the process to declare "he's choked"

[Drunken Irishman]

21. Let's not distort facts...

Biden didn't choke in 2008. Biden was never a viable candidate in 2008. That's like saying Michael Bennett choked in 2020. That race was dominated by Hillary and Obama - with John Edwards getting the rest of the buzz.

1988 is a valid criticism of Biden but he actually bowed out early in that race and then had life-threatening brain aneurysms where he was given 50/50 survival prior to surgery.

I am disappointed with Biden, too, but it's not fair to point to 2008 as a choke job. No candidate not named Hillary or Obama was going to win in 2008.

[UniteFightBack]

23. I didn't even know he ran in 2008. nt

[Recursion]

85. SNL called it out brilliantly. He and Chris Dodd showed up to a Halloween party

both dressed as Spongebob.

"Yeah, it's almost like we... cancel each other out."

[Cuthbert Allgood]

37. Perhaps 12 years from now they will say "he was never a viable candidate in 2020."

Who knows.

[Drunken Irishman]

42. I know...

To compare Biden's 2008 campaign to 2020 is ridiculous.

Biden was never remotely close to being the front-runner in 2008. He routinely received 3% support nationally.

Ultimately, Biden, like Warren, saw their support collapse at the wrong time. I think, for Biden, had the caucus been a month ago, he likely wins Iowa. For Warren, had it been held back in October, she likely is the front-runner right now. But both saw their support dwindle and their front-runner status completely damaged and now both need a strong showing in NH to have any chance at making it beyond Super Tuesday.

[Recursion]

45. OK, fair, I forgot about the health scare in '88

That's a good point. I also was a Tsongas fan in '92 and felt like he shouldn't have bowed out, but then he did end up dying during Clinton's term, so there's that.

[MontanaMama]

41. Yikes.

“Congenitally incapable”.

[wisteria]

81. I disagree

He has more at risk now. And, he has been the prime target of Trump and the a Republicans.

[CurtEastPoint]

7. "On the line?" WHAT BULLSHIT! Stop posting this shit.

[Baclava]

10. Are you passing out the approved list of what people are allowed to post?

[Voltaire2]

13. Yes from now on we can only post

about how Republicans will never vote for a socialist, or why yet another billionaire is our best choice.

[Baclava]

14. Bernie vs Bloomberg is the new hotness trend

[UniteFightBack]

24. But millionaires are a -okay. nt

[mr_lebowski]

57. It is a difference of 3 orders of magnitude (1000x) ... just saying ... nt

[Voltaire2]

59. Maths is hard

[ahoysrcsm]

87. Make the Billionaries pay, Let the Millionaires stay.

The chant writes itself.

[Scurrilous]

36. Post anything you want. Clutter the place up with fake news retreads.

Just don't mind if we point and laugh. "Look, they're posting that dumb shit from yesterday."

"They fell for it too."

[Voltaire2]

63. Wapo, NYT, Boston Globe: all fake news?

They've all run similar stories about the disarray in the Biden campaign.

Where is the real news we can get the truth from?

[Scurrilous]

15. Probably tired of people posting shitty corporate spin/news. We all are. This gets tiresome.

.Earlier someone posted that Biden didn't
seem to have any local events coming up in New Hampshire. It does appear that he is taking some time to prepare for the debate tomorrow night.

I just received this about upcoming events:

Feb 9 - Hampton, NH: GOTV Event with Joe Biden, 11:30 AM, Ashworth by the Sea

Feb 9 - Hudson, NH: GOTV Event with Joe Biden, 3:15 PM, Alvirne High School

Feb 10 - Manchester, NH: GOTV Event with Joe Biden, 5:45 PM

Feb 11 - Nashua, NH: Primary Night Event with Jill & Joe Biden, 8 PM, Radisson Hotel

There may be more to come.


https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287481996

[Baclava]

16. The Washington Post is false news now? I can't keep up

[Scurrilous]

19. I fixed the title. LOL

He's preparing for the debate. And anyone can call his office and confirm his whereabouts if they are concerned.

It's obvious to everyone that Biden has been designated this cycles Edwin Muskie. They like taking out front runners. It goes over big in meetings w/ ad execs. 'Look we changed 'history!' Google Muskie, it's wild. Nixon dirty trick + asshole media = Muskie out/McGovern in and landslide GOP victory in '72. Good times.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

38. Is he the only one debating?

Because the other somehow managed to both prep and make appearances.

[Scurrilous]

50. Call his office in NH.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

52. Don't really care. It's the flaw in your argument I'm point out.

They all debate tonight. He's the only one not making a NH presence.

Or are you claiming he's going to crush everyone tonight with his extra 8 or so hours of prep?

[USALiberal]

34. Lol, nervous? Nt

[Baclava]

62. Like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.....lol

[wisteria]

82. I agree

[Autumn]

17. I think he's done. nt

[sheshe2]

74. Agree. He's done.

Bernie barely made the top over a complete unknown. Mayor Pete. Bern has been campaigning for five straight years. Part of that time was in a high profile race. He is a well know face and very vocal. He barely squeaked a win in Iowa of all places.

Sad, this was his last chance.

[Autumn]

89. Keep your hope alive.

[mcar]

18. Last ditch effort?

Iowa was a clusterfck. NH is a tiny, mostly white state. But if Biden doesn't win both big, his campaign is doomed? What ridiculous framing.

This whole primary system reeks.

[Scurrilous]

20. He's preparing for the debate.

[mcar]

32. I hate how the media is handling this

[Scurrilous]

33. Biden is the new Muskie.

He'll be okay.

[Bradshaw3]

43. You do know that Muskie went down in flames, right?

[Scurrilous]

47. Yes. Because the media said he was crying. It was horrible what they did.

And then Muskie the front runner dropped out, McGovern got the nomination and we lost in a landslide.

I think of Muskie now, there some parallels with Biden and the way the media feels that its their job to cull the herd.

Nothing changes. LOL

[Drunken Irishman]

25. I have no problem with Biden shifting ad money to Nevada...

And I don't see that as necessarily the campaign being financially strapped.

But Biden needs to really go full-throttle on the trail in New Hampshire. There's no coming back from a fourth-place finish in NH, especially if he drops below double-digits. I get the optics. I'm sure Biden's campaign has conceded any hope of winning NH has gone out the window, and that throwing everything in NH, and coming up short, looks bad. But no one is going to give Biden a pass, even if he pulls back from NH, if he finishes fourth. They're not going to excuse that away with a, "well he barely campaigned there..."

He needs to make a play for the strongest possible finish or he's finished.

[James48]

28. He can still pull it out- but

It is NOT a cakewalk.

Let’s see how he does in New Hampshire and Nevada. If he doesn’t place first in at least one of those two, he is in trouble.

[ahoysrcsm]

88. I think Sanders will make it in New Hampshire and Nevada.

Why you hurtin' on the Bern? Just because he lost Iowa to a Mayor, doesn't mean he can't continue to the next race.

[BlueIdaho]

29. I'd like to see a second source on this. nt.

[USALiberal]

35. A 5 second google search returned this.....

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/joe-biden-lays-low-ahead-crucial-hampshire-debate/story?id=68814352

Next time try it

[BlueIdaho]

44. Thanks...

This article paints a very different picture.

[oasis]

39. Biden is solid. I get it that the MSM has a few wobbly Dems in a dither.

Joe gets it too, but he is unshaken and will take care of his business doing it his way.

Thank you.

[Scurrilous]

49. Amen.

[wisteria]

84. ++++++++

[Satch59]

51. The death march from the media is insufferable...

The attention span is being whittled down to a snapshot: 1 caucus, 1 poll, 1 gaffe and it’s all out gloom and doom.

I still think Biden is the right candidate to appeal to a wider group but I’ll support who ever is the nominee with all my might. I just wish the media would give some breathing room to the process...it’s so disappointing to watch the media set the narrative. We are in such dangerous times with this administration and I fear the media will help in blowing our chance to do this right.

[flamingdem]

65. THIS - Let's not let the media decide our future!

Disgusted with the spin

[Scurrilous]

73. This is the stupid role the bored media plays while slouching through those little boring states

I read where there are 2700 media people there. It's crazy. All in one place with nothing to do. So they play cut the field. So far no one has dropped out and its making them mad. It will get worse after NH. Watch.


Game.

Link to tweet

[apcalc]

53. Joe will be fine. He knows what he is doing. Stop .

[cilla4progress]

55. I just have a gut feeling

that Joe's not really in it. He's a willing warrior, but not really a happy warrior. Just my gut.

Guy's been through so much...and it never ends. Fucking republican cult.

[Kentonio]

66. The sick bastards trying to frame his son probably hasn't helped.

Must be hard to focus fully on the race when GOP scum are attacking your family 24/7.

[cilla4progress]

67. Exactly.

As was their intention.

[Scurrilous]

72. LOL

You're gut sounds remarkably like a CNN pundit.

[IndyOp]

58. He will most likely drop out. He is decent to his core and he and Obama created a model

of Pres and VP that all future administrations must implement - the days of VP as the person who makes speeches at places the Pres doesn't want to have to be is a thing of the past.

I could rewatch Obama giving Joe the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction ceremony 100's of times.

I will be sad and angry to see Joe step aside. It has just never been the right timing.

[UniteFightBack]

61. It actually was the right timing, hence the whole impeachment thing and this has worked out

very well for dump. He certainly is getting what he wanted and it all went according to plan in the end. Impeachment was well worth it for him.

I find this frankly a lack of loyalty that all of us did not IMMEDIATELY rally around Joe Biden after dumps corrupt shakedown occurred. Makes me very sad that people can't see the writing on the wall and yes

WE ARE SUICIDAL. I am feeling every fucking hair on fire right now....all of them.

[Scurrilous]

70. No one plays that game anymore.

He's the national leader 7 points ahead of Bernie.

Link to tweet

[stonecutter357]

60. good let's go Joe !

[NBachers]

64. I just sent a hundred bucks to Joe's "doomed" campaign.

[Scurrilous]

71. He is 9 delegates behind.

[Sugarcoated]

75. I've been giving monthly since he announced

Auto donate...he's my guy💚

[wisteria]

76. This story is two days old, and misleading.

Biden was in meeting with his staff, reorganizing. No one was fired, positions were shifted around.

Biden isn’t going anywhere.