Biden banks on Pennsylvania to frame 2020 ‘unity’ pitch

PHILADELPHIA — Joe Biden is betting on Pennsylvania.

He was born in Scranton, earned the nickname of “Pennsylvania’s third senator” while serving in the Senate, and will base his campaign headquarters in Philadelphia.

As he capped a three-week campaign launch tour with a rally Saturday in Philadelphia, Biden said he chose to be here for a reason.

"Why do we begin in this place, Philadelphia?” Biden asked a crowd of thousands of supporters. “This was the birthplace of our democracy.”

If Biden were to become the Democratic nominee for president, Pennsylvania could be crucial in taking back the White House from Republicans. President Donald Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2016, a feat that helped him smash through the Democratic “blue wall” in industrial states and secure a majority of electoral college votes.

The former vice president is quickly making inroads here. He not only is headquartered in Philadelphia, but made his first official campaign appearance at a union hall in Pittsburgh and hosted a big-donor fundraiser in Philadelphia.

Biden recited the famous words from the Declaration of Independence, “we hold these truths to be self-evident,” words he said served as a foundation for the American ideals of equality, equity and fairness.

“America didn't live up to that promise for most of the people, for people of color, for women,” Biden said. “But we are born of an idea that every single solitary person in this country — given half a chance no matter where you start in life — there is not a single thing they cannot do if they work at it.”

Early polls are also showing that Biden would beat Trump here in a hypothetical 2020 match-up. In a survey of Pennsylvania voters, Quinnipiac University found that Biden out-polled Trump 53 percent to 42 percent. About 60 percent of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania say that Biden has the best chance of beating Trump, followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, at 6 percent.

In his remarks, Biden characterized himself as a foil to the current president.

“If the American people want a president to add to our division, to lead with a clenched fist, closed hand and a hard heart, to demonize the opponents and spew hatred — they don’t need me. They already have a President who does just that,” Biden said. “I am running to offer our country — Democrats, Republicans and independents — a different path."

But it’s a message of unity that Biden is banking on to serve as his ticket to the White House.

“Some say Democrats don’t want to hear about unity. That they are angry, and the angrier you are, the better,” Biden said. “Well, I don’t believe it. I really don’t. I believe Democrats want to unify this nation.”

Even though he’s only technically been in the race for a few weeks, Biden has already broken far away from the pack of the 22 other candidates who have declared they are running for the Democratic nomination.

Biden’s strong name recognition has helped him lead in every national poll taken since he announced his candidacy in April. He’s also established wide early-state leads in New Hampshire and South Carolina, while lapping up endorsements.

Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine