Joe's Not Doing Re-Election Events But Look Who Is
President Biden's re-election campaign is set to kick off this summer with an appearance from the first lady.
Jill Biden is going to be making her first solo campaigning outings of the current presidential election cycle in a three-day fundraising series in cities across the New York Tri-state area and California.
The Pennsylvanian-born English teacher is set to head to four events, including two in California's Bay Area, in order to help the president's re-election campaign, Democratic National Committee, and state party committees.
Biden will be joined by fellow former congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, in Los Angeles to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Giffords Law Center, an anti-gun rights nonprofit founded by the former Congresswoman. Mrs. Giffords was shot in the head back in 2011.
The First Lady has become well-versed in the art of formal public speaking since President Biden's decades of public service, visiting close to 40 fundraisers and campaign-related events throughout the fall of 2022.
However, Biden has also found herself in the middle of criticism, making statements that didn't garner the reaction she expected and was even accused of being insensitive to Latinos in her comparison of their diversity to breakfast tacos. More recently, she came up with the idea to have the losing NCAA Women's Basketball team join the winning team for a White House visit, an idea that received some backlash.
Nevertheless, the 72-year-old has been described as one of the most likable and relatable aspects of the Biden campaign. Her warmth and approachability are said to reflect in her speech, and her "teacher's wisdom" is appreciated by many.
"As a teacher, she knows how to listen and single out people that she thinks needs extra attention or extra conversation," said Bob Mulholland, a Democratic campaign strategist.
Doug Heye, a Republican strategist, commented that generally, a President's spouse is well-liked by independent voters, and he warned about the potential consequences of criticizing her, saying it could "backfire".
Steve Westly, a Bay Area venture capitalist, claimed the First Lady is the "most genuine, sunny, warmhearted, kind person you're ever going to meet."
Elizabeth Alexander, a senior campaign adviser and former Biden communications director, reaffirmed these claims, saying that, like in the past, Jill Biden would be a "formidable presence" on the campaign trail.
With the 2024 presidential election just over one year away, we are undoubtedly going to see often more of the relatable and genuine Jill Biden, encouraging Americans everywhere to prioritize voter turnout at the top of their to-do list.