Democratic lawmakers are concerned the party is 'overconfident' about Biden's chances

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Some Democratic lawmakers, like Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), are feeling pretty good about former Vice President Joe Biden's chances against President Trump in November's presidential election, Politico reports. Brown predicted a Biden victory nationally and in his own battleground state, which he said would "mean an Electoral College landslide."

Polling at the moment does seem to suggest Biden's in a strong position — he's leading or within striking distance of most battleground states. But other Democrats are urging caution. They remember, after all, what happened in 2016. "I'm not confident at all," said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who is close with Biden. "I think the easiest way to ensure Trump's re-election is to be overconfident. Too many Democrats are looking at national polls and finding them encouraging. Too many Democrats assumed that Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in and didn't vote or didn't work."

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Tim O'Donnell

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.