Joe Biden to go on the road again as poll lead shrinks
With his poll lead narrowing, Joe Biden is ready to campaign in person after months of being hunkered down in his Delaware basement because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former vice-president will go on the road after the September 7 Labour Day public holiday in the US.
No itinerary has been set, but Mr Biden is expected to visit key swing states including Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Urban unrest and an aggressive performance by Donald Trump at last week’s Republican National Convention have cut Mr Biden’s lead by several points.
According to Morning Consult, Mr Biden now has a six-point lead over the president, compared with 10 points before the Republican convention.
Other polls have shown Mr Trump edging into the lead in two pivotal states: Michigan and Wisconsin.
The president, who has repeatedly mocked Mr Biden’s decision to remain in Delaware held an open-air rally in Manchester, New Hampshire last week.
Democratic strategists believe Mr Biden, who saw an uptick in his personal approval following the Democratic convention, needs to inject some energy into his campaign following last week’s Republican onslaught.
With Republicans gearing up to fight a “law and order” election, Mr Biden’s supporters took to the airwaves yesterday to accuse Mr Trump of fanning the flames of violence.
“Trump has been trying to incite violence this entire summer,” Kate Bedingfield, Mr Biden’s deputy campaign manager, said on Fox News Sunday.
Experts expect Mr Biden to take few risks over the next few months.
“Biden is in the position of still having a decent lead. The tendency is to campaign pretty conservatively,” said Christopher Galdieri, associate professor of politics at Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire.
“What you will see, unless there is a dramatic turn in the polls. He will make appearances to reinforce the same things he has been saying about racial injustice, policing.
“I think he wants to avoid taking the bait. Don’t expect Biden 2.0, expect him to hit the same message he has been hitting in person in swing states.”
Mr Biden’s campaign reboot comes against a backdrop of the bitterness between both parties intensifying.
In Pennsylvania, the fight has seen a surge in lawn signs being stolen as feelings run high.
Democrats in the state have adopted an array of tactics to deter the sign thieves including spraying them with glitter, which is impossible to remove, coyote urine, vaseline and honey.
