Biden's boosters race to lock up Democratic donors
Vice President Biden's backers, racing to line up financial support for his possible 2016 bid, say they are gaining traction among the Democratic fundraisers who helped secure millions for President Obama's two White House campaigns.
"There will be a deep reservoir of support for the vice president should he enter the race," said Jon Cooper, a Long Island businessman who raised $1 million for Obama's presidential bids and serves as finance chairman for Draft Biden 2016, a super PAC laying the foundation for his candidacy.
The Draft Biden officials say they are on track to raise $2.5 million to $3 million in the next few weeks. That's far short of the $67 million Hillary Clinton and affiliated super PACs have drawn this year from her deep donor base. Add to that Clinton's big lead in creating a ground force in early voting states and the string of endorsements she's secured, and it's clear the vice president faces huge hurdles.
Even so, the chance that Biden could enter the race has roiled Democratic fundraising world. Some Democrats, alarmed by the ongoing controversy over Clinton's use of a private computer server as secretary of State, are searching for Candidate B. Others say they want to recapture the excitement of the spirited 2008 campaign, in which Clinton, Obama, Biden and clutch of other well-known Democrats battled for the nomination.
"A lot of folks are nervous because there isn't an obvious alternative to Secretary Clinton," said David Garrison, a Nashville lawyer who raised money for Obama's campaigns.
Right now, Garrison is inclined to back Clinton whom he described as the "most electable" candidate in the field. But if Biden entered the race, he said, "it would be a harder decision."
Is there an opening for Biden? "I don't know," he said.
Biden's every move sparks attention. He's met with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, an icon to his party's progressives, and Bob Bauer, who served as top lawyer in the Obama campaign. After Labor Day, he plans to gather with top Democratic fundraisers at his official residence, The Washington Post recently reported. On Sept. 10, Biden will appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Biden's aides did not respond to interview requests. But Biden himself last week told members of the Democratic National Committee that he was assessing whether he had the "emotional fuel" to make a third presidential bid following the death of his son, Beau, in May.
"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, and right now, both are pretty well banged up," Biden told DNC members, according to CNN.
Cooper signed on the Biden effort in July. Last month, Joshua Alcorn, who served as a top adviser to Beau Biden during his tenure at Delaware's attorney general, also joined Draft Biden. Super PAC officials say more than 210,000 people have signed their petition, urging Biden to enter the race.
The flurry of recent attention has made Cooper's job easier, he said. More bundlers are returning phone calls. To date, nearly half of the 30 or so Obama fundraisers whom he has lobbied in recent weeks are committed to Biden should he enter the race, including a few who currently are backing Clinton, Cooper said.
Biden's cheerleaders argue that the rise of the blunt billionaire Donald Trump among Republicans shows voters crave straight-talking candidates, even one prone to gaffes.
"He's straight-talking with intelligence," supporter Shiva Sarram said of Biden. "He's genuine. You know what you are getting with Joe Biden."
During the 2008 campaign, Sarram helped raise $400,000 for Obama during a single luncheon at her home in New Canaan, Conn. Sarram, who runs a foundation that supports children affected by war, said she stands ready to do the same for Biden "There's a whole army for him that's ready to go."
In another potential boost for Biden, wealthy hedge-fund manager Jim Chanos recently pledged his financial support to the vice president, telling NPR that he would make a "great president."
Clinton's supporters cast doubts on Biden's chances of prevailing in a primary fight that has been underway for months.
"Every sitting vice president thinks about running," said Steve Elmendorf, a Washington lobbyist who is raising money for Clinton. "I'm not sure there is a financial base or message rationale … for him nine months into the campaign."
"Everyone likes him and respects him," Elmendorf said, "but I think it's just too late."