Biden Campaign Begins Adjusting To New Uncertainty In Campaign, NYT

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Sat Oct 3, 2020, 12:29 AM - Edit history (1)

'Biden Campaign Races to Adjust to New Uncertainty in Campaign.' Joe Biden tested negative for the coronavirus and planned to go ahead with campaign events. But President Trump’s hospitalization injected new volatility into the race a month before Election Day. By Katie Glueck, Thomas Kaplan & Sydney Ember. The NY Times. Oct. 2, 2020.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. tested negative for the coronavirus and pressed on with in-person campaigning on Friday, as President Trump’s hospitalization with the virus seismically altered the race and threw the government into upheaval. Mr. Biden flew on Friday afternoon to Grand Rapids, Mich., where he delivered remarks about the economy and emphasized the dangers of the pandemic. In a preview of how the former vice president may discuss the developments in the days to come, he cast his opponent’s positive test as a vivid illustration of the public health risks at play, but offered Mr. Trump wishes for a speedy recovery. His campaign also moved to take down negative ads.

“This is not a matter of politics,” said Mr. Biden, who revealed that he had been tested twice on Friday. “It’s a bracing reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It’s not going away automatically. We have to do our part to be responsible.” Biden campaign officials and allies said Friday that the Democratic nominee planned to continue in-person travel, though Mr. Biden acknowledged canceling an additional stop later Friday. “Based on the crowd size and an indoor — it was concluded by the docs that best not to do it,” he said.

Mr. Biden had refrained from holding in-person events for months as the nation struggled to confront the virus. He had only recently — and cautiously — begun to campaign on the ground consistently in key battleground states, amid concerns from local Democrats that he had not been visible enough. But Mr. Biden’s team now believes it has developed a good model for campaigning safely in battleground states, defined by mask-wearing, social distancing and carefully planned gatherings that limit the number of attendees. While Mr. Biden does not always wear a mask when speaking, he did in his remarks Friday.

“The vice president has been very responsible from Day 1, treating this pandemic with the seriousness with which it should be treated,” said Rep. Cedric L. Richmond of Louisiana, a national co-chair of Mr. Biden’s campaign. “There’s no reason for him to change what he’s been doing because he’s been doing it in a safe and appropriate manner.” The Biden campaign also announced that an important surrogate, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vt., would proceed with an in-person, distanced rally in New Hampshire on Saturday. Mr. Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, campaigned on Friday in New Hampshire and had several stops slated for Saturday in Minnesota.

Mr. Trump, for his part, has held large-scale rallies and has often played down the risks of a virus that has killed more than 208,000 people in the U.S., while he and his campaign have mocked Mr. Biden over the precautions he has taken...

More, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/politics/joe-biden-virus-trump.html



- Vice President Joe Biden prepares to travel to Grand Rapids, Mich. from New Castle, Del. on Oct. 2, 2020.

[msongs]

1. if trump is miraculously cured by monday as if he NEVER had it, Joe's ads can

resume their normal schedule

[appalachiablue]

2. Certainly