Biden Blasts Buttigieg in Battle of Candidates with Surprising Swings

At the beginning of the 2020 election, it would have been safe to say that few would have been able to predict the threshold that we’ve just crossed.

Back when the field was larger, (believe it or not), it was assumed that former Vice President Joe Biden would be cruising toward the nomination with very few hiccups along the way.  After all, Biden had the Obama connection, as well as a slate of centrist views that would allow him to gather midwestern moderates who may have grown tired of the tumult that the Trump presidency has brought to Washington.

Furthermore, Democratic observers weren’t all that concerned about Mayor Pete Buttigieg having any real shot at the nomination.  He was too young, a bit too wordy, and he had little experience outside of his mayoral tenure in a mid-sized American city.

Boy, were they all wrong.

This week alone, Biden tanked in Iowa, effective putting his campaign on life support, and Buttigieg is now polling at the top of the heap with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

These developments have the Biden campaign going on the attack.

After what has been a mostly affable Democratic campaign, Biden’s team pulled off the gloves and targeted the 38-year-old Buttigieg with a withering digital ad that pits Biden’s decades of experience in public life against that of the former mayor.

The ad makes liberal use of popular former President Barack Obama in a belittling rundown of the ex-mayor’s small-town issues and also takes a swipe at his troubled record with African Americans.

It shows Biden helping pass the Affordable Care Act while Buttigieg installed decorative lights under city bridges; Biden helping secure the Iran nuclear deal while Buttigieg negotiated lighter regulations for pet chip scanners; Biden helping save the U.S. auto industry while Buttigieg “revitalized the sidewalks of downtown South Bend” with decorative brick.

During Friday night’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire, Biden repeatedly attacked his colleagues on the grounds of their lack of experience, but did so in a flustered, verbose manner that left much to be desired by the left’s supporters.