The center isn’t always the best place to be, especially in a party primary cycle. Nor, says my most cynical self, is Joe Biden especially well-known for clinging to principle over party. But in this case that’s exactly what he’s doing … and in this case he’s absolutely right.
So naturally, on Thursday, Biden turned, tucked tail, and ran.
Oh, well -- that's the danger of the news cycle. Any op-ed piece can become completely irrelevant within days, hours, or even as it's written. I'll be OK :)
Biden, on the other hand, just inflicted major damage on himself. It's one thing to throw chum in the water and get the sharks circling your boat. It's another thing entirely to strip naked and dive in after the chum when the inevitable feeding frenzy ensues.
He had a correct position.
He had a position most Americans seem to agree with.
He had a position that further distinguished him from the Democratic primary pack (who were all polling well behind him already).
He had a position that at least seemed to be a matter of long-held principle.
And he folded like a cheap tent after 48 hours of whining from the very people he was beating like red-headed step-children.
Now, to be clear, I was never going to vote for Joe Biden. I'm not a Democrat and among other deal-breakers I know (not well) and like someone who spent years in prison for putting on a concert because of Biden's evil brainchild, the RAVE Act.
But if I was a Democrat, and if I had been leaning toward Biden, I'd be looking for someone else to lean toward now. Someone with a spine, perhaps.
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