Biden Crosses Delegate Threshold to Become Presumptive Democratic Nominee

Photo Courtesy of NPR

By Jeremy Perillo

As the United States continues to battle a pandemic and cope with mass protests across the country, the contentious 2020 presidential election likewise continues to evolve, nearly five months away from election night. Former Vice President Joe Biden secured the required number of delegates on June 5, becoming the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee.

Biden moved one step closer to officially become the Democrat’s official presidential nominee as he crossed the threshold of 1,991 delegates and is awaiting the party’s national convention in mid-August. Because many states postponed their primaries due to the initial COVID-19 breakout, the long-awaited contests have received special attention as states adapt to complete their voting before the August conventions.

As the nation grapples with the pandemic and profound racial tension, voters have been taking notes as President Trump responds; recent polls show Biden significantly preferred to the incumbent. Trump’s approval rating has fallen to -12.7 percentage points among registered or likely voters, down from -6.7 points on April 15, according to FiveThirtyEight estimates.

Considering the former vice president’s success in the polls alongside recent gaffes Biden has made as he reemerges in public from his coronavirus-induced hibernation, former Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe said that his strategy going forward should be to remain in his basement. 

“People say all the time, ‘Oh, we got to get the vice president out of the basement,’’ McAuliffe told the Norfolk City Democratic Committee. “He’s fine in the basement. Two people see him a day: his two body people. That’s it. Let Trump keep doing what Trump’s doing.”

Given Biden’s limited public appearances and the negative headlines he has already encountered, including his declaration that African-Americans who support President Trump “ain’t black,” Democrats are hoping Trump’s actions will cost him the election in November. The reality of Biden hiding out in his basement is unrealistic, especially as Trump begins his campaign rallies, a crucial avenue that allows Trump to convey political rhetoric to his base.

Biden and his campaign will need to counterbalance Trump’s insults and off-the-cuff remarks, while at the same time avoiding gaffes similar to Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” as Biden tries to invigorate his base.

Another big step in Biden’s campaign will be his announcement of his vice-presidential candidate, expected around August 1. The recent death of George Floyd as well as the ensuing protests have cast additional pressure onto his selection in order to lead a disenfranchised and diverse party. 

Having decided earlier on the campaign trail that he would be selecting a woman, many commentators and political experts have been analyzing the various candidates for Biden to choose as his running mate. As the United States struggles with the coronavirus, an economy tanked into a recession, and nationwide protests over the state of American race relations, Biden will need to choose a candidate who will boost his rapport with voters especially given recent events.

Regardless of current polling or recent events in the United States, November 3 is still five months away, and a lot can happen between now and then. For perspective, Trump was impeached roughly five months before the writing of this article, and a lot has certainly been pushed into the purview of many voters’ minds since then.