CNN’s Van Jones said during the New Hampshire primary coverage on Tuesday that it is “sad to see” where 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden has landed in the primary race so far and that Biden’s “weird strategy” “is going to blow up in his face.”
‘It’s a very weird strategy’
Jones said Biden is using a “rope-a-dope” strategy, where although he lost significantly in Iowa and New Hampshire he comes back based through support form African-American voters. Jones said it might work, but it could also backfire in a major way.
“But it’s a very odd strategy,” Jones said. “It’s a very weird strategy.”
Yep, #Joe2020 Biden may have a corner on Black votes for a moment. But their watching him lose in Iowa & NH and saying “wait a minute, he’s gonna need White votes too”. His bet on a SC firewall may Backfire! #Biden #BernieWinsNH #Trump2020 https://t.co/4I5KsxaLET
— MPacker (@NewsTalkPD) February 12, 2020
“And I don’t know if he knows, African-Americans, actually are watching TV tonight, and see you can’t get white votes,” the CNN pundit continued. “And the reason that African-Americans liked Obama is he could — Obama could get some white votes, too. And so, it’s a bizarre kind of thing. It’s a sad thing.”
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Will Biden’s Strategy Ultimately Fail?
Jones continued, “For me, I got a chance to work for Biden in the Obama White House. There’s nobody who’s got a bigger heart. There’s nobody who cares more. There’s nobody who understands the pain of ordinary people more. It’s sad to see where he is in this campaign. But this strategy, I think, is going to blow up in his face.”
Biden’s speech Tuesday night from South Carolina did seem patronizing on some level. The former vice president led, and led hard, with acknowledging that his campaign believed minority votes would ultimately determine the race and that his poor showings in the heavily white states of Iowa and New Hampshire did not accurately reflect his chances.
The Black vote in South Carolina could be a firewall for @JoeBiden or it could be fire-wall-paper. That will be revealed in South Carolina. #CNN #NHPrimary pic.twitter.com/FtKNbN1z1T
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) February 12, 2020
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Black Voters in South Carolina Will Know What Happened in Iowa and New Hampshire
But Jones is right, that black voters in South Carolina no doubt are aware of the results of Iowa and New Hampshire, and Biden’s inability to get white votes could sway their own voting decisions for that state’s upcoming primary. It’s simple logic.
Joe Biden’s strategy could indeed blow up in his face.