A few weeks ago, back in late July, a diverse crowd just short of 5,000 gathered just outside of New Orleans for a Bernie Sanders campaign stop. If someone would have told political observers a year ago that thousands of Louisianians would show up to hear a speech by a 74-year-old socialist from Brooklyn, they probably would have told that person they’re crazy; Louisiana has proven itself to be one of the reddest of red states in recent years. And yet, here we are.
Further, the political juggernaut that is Bernie Sanders has only continued to grow. A new poll released today shows Sanders passing presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Iowa, the state where the nation’s first presidential primary will be held.
Sanders edges Clinton 41% to 40% in a new survey by Quinnipiac University, overtaking the former secretary of state as she continues to be dogged by questions about her use of a private email server when she was in public office. Sanders trailed her by 21 points the last time Quinnipiac surveyed the field two months ago, and that margin has more or less held in surveys in Iowa throughout the summer — until recently.
Sanders is also beating Clinton consistently in polls in New Hampshire, where the nation’s all-important second primary will be held. In a CNN interview today, Wolf Blitzer asked Sanders if he’s stunned to be beating Clinton. Sanders’ response: “Yes, I’m stunned.” Watch the interview below.
Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl about a possible run by vice president and America’s lovable grandpa Joe Biden. He’ll be a guest on Colbert’s new CBS show tonight and a Time piece out today reports that Biden is torn over whether or not he should run.
The 72-year-old Vice President is mulling a late entry into the race for the Democratic nomination that he has twice sought before. He has solid—and growing—support in polls of Iowa and New Hampshire Democrats. A super PAC has started lining up backers just in case. And he’s doing campaign-style events Thursday in New York, including a stop on Stephen Colbert’s newly rebooted “Late Show.”
But Biden is telling friends that is having a tough time deciding on a run. A question they keep hearing him ask is whether he has “the emotional fuel” for a run. The grief over the loss of his son weighs heavily.
Biden’s schedule says he is running. Thursday took him to New York, where Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has her campaign headquarters. Biden was making stops to talk about crime with Loretta Lynch, the Attorney General, and about minimum wage with New York Mayor Andrew Cuomo, a Clinton backer. He was then joining Colbert for some off-the-cuff conversation—an advantage he has over the more cautious Clinton.
The sorrow in Biden’s voice, however, says he is not running. “If I were to announce to run, I have to be able to commit to all of you that I would be able to give it my whole heart and my whole soul,” Biden told members of the Democratic National Committee. “And right now, both are pretty well banged up.”