Everybody Wins as Soon as Biden Runs?

There is a lady politician. As a former first lady, she has taste for power. She believes she is different from rest of us normal people; she is authoritative and arrogant. She has a lot of secrets, and that strains her relationship with the media. She is a master of political games, and her will to victory goes beyond our imagination. Don’t fret; I am not talking about the current president of Korea.* I’m talking about Hillary Clinton, who’s running to be the next president of the United States.

The American media has been rather blasé about Clinton’s absolute dominion over the Democratic presidential race. Even Bernie Sanders (an independent), while showing an admirable display of chase, cannot bridge the gap between Clinton and him quickly enough. The media wanted something flashy and dramatic. Hence, they obsessed over the end-of-the-line circus performance of a narcissist, Donald Trump, a Republican candidate with no chance of winning whatsoever. It’s natural for people to crave junk food now and then over a flavorless, but actual meal.

But the Democrats started to season their food as well. The rumors of Vice President Joe Biden running for the office have crept on us. Some discussions even put former Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of State John Kerry into this “boring” Democratic race. While Gore and Kerry immediately denied such speculations, Biden hasn’t ruled out the possibility just yet, planning his next move thoroughly. Another major contender now jumps in this chase that is dragging on.

During the eulogy delivered for the recent shootout in the state of Tennessee, Biden called the deceased Marines “sons,” sympathizing with many Americans that day. They also remember Biden recently lost his eldest son, former Attorney General of Delaware Beau Biden, which made his remarks all the more touching. Biden’s consideration for his potential third run for the presidency is known to be influenced by his late son, who tried to convince his father to run. Many of his supporters also remember that 43 years ago, he lost his first wife and a daughter in a traffic accident.

But this is not to say the people’s affection for Biden is purely out of sympathy. Democrats still vividly remember how he skillfully handled Paul Ryan during the 2012 televised debate, aiding Obama’s re-election immensely. Throughout his career, Biden has built an image of a friendly next-door neighbor, sometimes making bad jokes and mistakes, becoming “Uncle Joe.” In other words, people find Biden charming and sincere, but they can’t do the same for Clinton.

Then, just how much of a competitive edge does Biden have? Compared to Clinton, Biden’s support base is much weaker. He can’t differentiate his policy from hers either. It is also unsure just how much campaign funding he can raise at this point against Clinton, who has already amassed $68 million. We can’t find any distinctive characteristic that can overcome the brand of “the first female president of the U.S.” Biden’s resume also looks less impressive compared to Clinton’s, and he is five years older than her. Hence, Carl Bernstein, the legendary journalist who made Nixon resign, suspects that he will run on the promise of a single-term presidency.

In conclusion, other than his irresistible human charm, Biden doesn’t really have anything on Clinton.

Can Biden Be the Savior in the Democratic Primaries?

Why, then, does Biden even bother, and why do Democrats want it so bad? It’s because of Clinton’s character. The party leadership is unsure about her. There might be more unforeseen obstacles before her other than her hitherto revealed weaknesses. Should her health become an issue again, and the “socialist” Sanders become the only alternative, the Democratic leadership will be in one of heck of a pickle. Therefore, the Democrats are in dire need of insurance, and for the same reason, the party’s top donors are welcoming Biden’s bid for presidency as a means of diversifying their investments.

It’s not the greatest thing for a candidate to dominate the qualifying match, let alone the main match. A fierce competition validates the player’s skills and capacity. It certainly benefits the candidates themselves, the party, and of course, the media who make their livings on this procurement demand** known as the presidential race. Whether Biden wins or loses, the current vice president’s declaration of candidacy can bring about constructive competition, the election of a sufficiently validated runner, the creation of media hype over the primary, benefiting everyone in the party, and increasing the possibility of retaining the White House.

Of course, the biggest beneficiary of Biden’s run is Sanders. Clinton and Biden largely share the same support base, and Sanders just might direct himself a drama where he overcomes the gap between him and Clinton. Biden hasn’t yet officially announced anything, but he will rouse the attention of the world and increase tensions for some time. Then, he will officially announce it.

Frankly, Biden’s bid for run has been rumored for few months now. But the timing with which this rumor begins to take solid shape and realize itself is most curious.

The Justice Department’s “Emailgate” investigation, which refers to Clinton’s use of her personal email server during her time as secretary of state, became a legal scandal. This is the inflection point where things have changed. Recently, the FBI obtained the server in question, which Clinton had fiercely refused to release via numerous legal/political attempts, when Clinton “voluntarily” gave it up.

A poll in early August shows that 52 percent of Americans believed that “Emailgate” needed to be investigated by the DoJ, and 38 percent believed Clinton was hiding something. Voters hate “politicians who see their electorate as idiots” over any “idiot politician.” Even among Clinton’s staunchest supporters, there are not that many who believe her to be honest and purely good. As a former secretary of state, her edge is not her respectable integrity, but her extraordinary cleverness.

The “mainstream” Clinton is definitely nervous. No one can be sure where the FBI investigation will lead. The Lewinski scandal, which turned Bill’s lame duck into a “dead duck,” was also revealed by a special prosecutor who was investigating something entirely unrelated.

The U.S. Department of Justice has the trust of the public in its neutrality and fairness. Therefore, obviously, the Democratic Party needs Biden as crisis management, and this will make the presidential race a more interesting “drama.”

*Translator’s note: President Park Geun-hye, after losing her mother during the assassination attempt on her father, former President Park Chung-hee, was considered the “acting first lady” of the Blue House (the South Korean presidential residence/office) for the remainder of her father’s presidency.

**Translator’s note: A common saying in Korea, “procurement demand” refers to the list of items needed by an (occupying) military force. It is a reference to postwar Japan’s economic revival during the Korean War, as well as South Korea’s economic boom during the Vietnam War. In both instances, the economy experienced a short but large-scale boom aided by massive demands made by the wars waged elsewhere.