Biden super PAC uses heart wrenching ad to implore, 'Joe, run'


Everyone is tapping their toes waiting to see if Vice President Joe Biden is going to declare a third campaign for president, but perhaps no one has made their impatience more public than the Draft Biden super PAC. On Wednesday, Draft Biden began running a national, 90-second video ad in which viewers hear Biden talking about the death of his wife and daughter — a snippet of his Yale University Class Day address last May. The ad features pictures of Biden both at work and with his family, including images of his late son, Beau:
"My dad's definition of success is when you look at your son and daughter and realize that they turned out better than you," Biden says. "And they did."
"We are on the cusp of some of the most astonishing breakthroughs in the history of mankind — scientific, technological, socially," Biden continues. "It will be up to you in this changing world to translate those unprecedented capabilities into a greater measure of happiness and meaning, not just for yourself but for the world around you." The words "Joe, run" appear on the screen before asking for a donation to help keep the ad on the air.
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The super PAC likely needs it, too: According to Politico, Draft Biden claims the national ad cost six figures. And while it's an elegant video, there's only one flaw to their plan — you probably don't want to watch it much more than once if you want to avoid blubbering every time it comes on.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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