Former Vice President Joe Biden has learned from his mistakes in previous attempts at winning the presidency and has shown discipline in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told Politico in an interview published on Monday.
Emanuel, who leaves office on Monday after his second term, said it’s “way too early” to endorse a 2020 candidate but stressed that Biden is “focusing on [President Donald] Trump, ignoring Democrats and not making a mistake where his prior lack of discipline in prior races" comes back "to haunt him. He’s learned that lesson by being disciplined.”
The problem for Biden, who has much more political experience than any of the more than 20 other Democrats running for president, is that “expectations are here,” Emanuel said with his hand high in the air. “For Mayor Pete, Beto and others, expectations are down here.”
Emanuel said the concerns of progressive activists about Biden’s record are proving overstated, stressing that voters are “focused on winning. And whoever can help them win, that’s their ideology.”
“All the activists are missing that voters are pragmatic," said Emanuel, who was President Barack Obama’s first chief of staff from 2009 to 2010 after serving a six-year tenure in the House. “Activists aren’t pragmatic. “That’s what Joe Biden has shown. He’s shown that Democrats want to win.”
Emanuel gave his own example as Chicago mayor with what he considers the unrealistic expectations of progressives.
Even after achieving a $13-an-hour minimum wage in Chicago, “I got yelled at for not getting $15 - meanwhile, Illinois was at $7.25,” he said. “I would just say to the left: It explains sometimes why you don’t win.”
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