At this writing, the contest for the Democratic nomination has narrowed to a two-man race between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, with Biden now the clear favorite to be the nominee. Either man would be a historically unprecedented choice in multiple ways. In Biden’s case, that cuts to the heart of his candidacy.
Consider the central theory of the Biden campaign. Biden is the quintessential “old warhorse” candidate, a guy who has been a prominent figure in his party forever but who never excited anybody enough to get to the top before now. He first ran for president 32 years ago; he was first elected to the Senate 48 years ago. Democrats had a variety of other, more exciting options (the radical Sanders included), but the fear of Trump, the prospect of throwing away their shot on Bernie, and perhaps the flight-to-safety effect of the coronavirus have all conspired to swiftly consolidate the non-socialist vote behind Biden.
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