Former Vice President Joe Biden knew he would be an easy target during the Democratic debates last week. But he wasn’t prepared for Sen. Kamala Harris’ (D-CA) personal criticism over the busing issue.
“I was prepared for them to come after me, but I wasn’t prepared for the person coming at me the way she came at me,” he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo in an interview that aired Friday. “She knew Beau, she knows me, I don’t– anyway, here’s the deal … the American people think they know me and they know me.”
Biden says he wasn't prepared for Kamala Harris attacks during debate pic.twitter.com/b7DOTILzPH
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 5, 2019
Harris has been criticized in recent days over her walk-back of her position on federally mandated busing to desegregate schools. During the debate she lambasted Biden for his record on the issue, invoking a personal story about her own experience participating in the busing program as a little girl.
But earlier this week, she walked back her support of the program, arguing it is one of many “tools” for desegregation.
How can he not be prepared for attacks if he knew he would be a target?
President Biden knew Russia had designs on annexing many former Soviet satellite nations, but he just wasn’t prepared for Putin’s military incursion into (fill in the blank)."
Sounds like Presidential timber to me…
Timber!!!
I think he’s playing for sympathy, believing that voters will see Harris’s attacks as too harsh
In some ways this is moot because I don’t think Sen Harris will be the nominee. However, she decided she was going nowhere ‘playing nice’ so she chose to take a personal shot at the front runner. Given that she already seems to be retreating from her debate position it might not have been a smart strategic move. However, having assumed virtual front runner status she will probably be the main target in the next debate. As someone who thought VP Biden shouldn’t run in the first place, I always viewed him as a flawed candidate. His former commanding position in the race surprised me but his tactical mistakes don’t. His potential fall may not be so important, but it is important that whoever is the eventual winner of the Dem primaries doesn’t end up severely weakened and damaged goods going into the general election.