Joe Biden’s campaign sets tortoise-like pace, renewing concerns over age

Joe Biden certainly took his time officially jumping into the 2020 presidential race, and that sort of consternation seems to be pacing the campaign itself.

Biden, who is 5+ years the senior of President Trump, has raised concerns over the course of campaign, (and long-brewing potential campaign), regarding his advanced age.  That, coupled with his inclination for bizarre gaffes and creepy behavior toward women stand in stark contrast to the youthful and progressive appearances that the democratic party like to keep.

There are now worries that Biden’s age could be playing a factor in just how aggressively he’s campaigning.

…here’s former Vice President Joe Biden’s agenda for the holiday weekend, according to his campaign: “Joe Biden has no public events scheduled.”

Those seven words are becoming familiar for the Biden team. Aside from a campaign swing right after announcing his candidacy, Biden has kept his head down while his rivals rush from state to state to state. Even when he has held public events, they have included only a handful of questions from voters or reporters.

The light public schedule reflects the unique position of his campaign, advisers say: With near universal name recognition and high favorability ratings among Democrats, the former vice president does not need to introduce himself to voters like nearly every other candidate. And as the leader in early polls, he can attract media attention without splashy events.

This isn’t a foolproof strategy by any means, and political observers have questioned whether this obstinance will resonate with early primary voters.

Voters in the early primary states – especially Iowa, with its caucus system that rewards on-the-ground organizing – want to see the candidates personally and often. And there is the danger that Biden’s schedule could reinforce a word President Donald Trump is already using to describe his candidacy: sleepy.

Biden’s campaign says that’s not going to happen. “I have zero worry that any voter will leave a Joe Biden event with doubts about his energy,” said Kate Bedingfield, his deputy campaign manager. “They’re going to see it everywhere he goes.”

Biden has long been framing the 2020 election as his to lose against the incumbent Trump, marketing himself largely as the de facto nominee.