- Cedric Richmond said it would be a “political malpractice” for any Democratic candidate to deny Biden a campaign visit.
- “If you don’t want Biden, that’s dereliction of duty,” he told The Washington Post, referring to the president’s policy victory.
- Biden will become more active on the campaign trail as the midterm elections approach.
As vice president, Joe Biden was one of the most popular Democratic surrogates, and he made frequent trips to rural areas of the Rust Belt, where his popularity surpassed that of his then-boss, President Barack Obama.
For candidates running in areas where Democrats have fallen out of favor with many voters, Biden’s presence provides them with a prominent national voice that can rally party loyalists and appeal to a broad electorate.
However, with Biden now serving in the Oval Office and experiencing months of moderate approval ratings, some Democratic candidates have emphasized support for the party’s legislative moves while also distanced themselves from the president on the campaign trail.
Cedric Richmond, a former Louisiana congressman and former director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, recently spoke out against the idea.
As Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act, which would provide record funding to fight climate change, as well as a $52 billion chip financing bill and last year’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, Democrats Encouraged, senior DNC officials are skeptical that any member would hesitate to show up with the president on the campaign trail.
“A lot of these things, and Democrats have been trying to achieve them for a long time,” he told the Washington Post. “Who doesn’t want someone who can finally do it to campaign for them?”
“If they’re reluctant, I think it’s political malfeasance. If you don’t want Biden, that’s malfeasance,” he added.
Richmond went on to say he believes Biden will have a strong campaign schedule ahead of the fall midterm elections and dismissed the notion that the candidate is trying to distance himself from the president.
“If every time someone undervalues or excludes Joe Biden, we have a dollar and we can pay off the national debt,” he told the paper. “You’re going to see his numbers go up, you’re going to see the achievement happen. That’s what voters want to see – if I’m a candidate, I’ll stick with it.”
In an interview with CNN last month, Richmond said the party’s attacks on the Biden administration were “as stupid as Donald Trump.”
In interviews with reporters, Democratic candidates are often asked if they welcome Biden’s visit, a question many skipped, emphasize They are hosting local competitions.
But continued shifts in Biden’s approval ratings in the coming weeks could dramatically recalibrate some candidates’ views on potential presidential campaigns.
