David Axelrod calls Biden's polling resilience 'the strangest thing I've ever seen in politics'


Everyone's waiting for former Vice President Joe Biden to fall, but it just hasn't happened.
Former Obama adviser David Axelrod, who has been critical of Biden's Democratic presidential campaign from time to time, acknowledged he's just not convinced the former vice president will tumble as anticipated.
"So many scenarios here are dependent on this idea that Biden is going to collapse," he told Politico. "But he continues to have pretty strong appeal to African Americans and to working-class whites."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Axelrod mentioned Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), and billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as candidates who could theoretically take some of the middle ground in the Democratic Party away from Biden, but he ultimately dismissed all three as serious contenders.
"So the Biden thing is the strangest thing I've ever seen in politics because the guy is up there in the air and everybody is just assuming he's going to come down," he said. "There is kind of a Mr. Magoo kind of quality to the whole thing but he's still driving, you know? He's still moving forward." Read more at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Quiz of The Week: 11 – 17 October
Quiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Can bullfighting win over young Spaniards
Podcast Plus, is online fandom inherently unhealthy? And is Putin’s economy running out of gas?
-
Heirs and Graces: an ‘enthralling’ deep dive into the decline of nobility
The Week Recommends Eleanor Doughty explores the ‘bizarre fascination’ with the British aristocracy
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections
-
News organizations reject Pentagon restrictions
Speed Read The proposed policy is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest move to limit press access at the Pentagon
-
Trump declares end to Gaza war, ‘dawn’ of new Mideast
Speed Read Hamas freed the final 20 living Israeli hostages and Israel released thousands of Palestinian detainees
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents