When former Vice President Joe Biden (D) launched his presidential campaign last week, he said he didn't asked President Barack Obama for an endorsement. He said he made the decision because he wanted to earn people's vote, not rely on Obama's popularity.
It looks like Biden's is suddenly rethinking that strategy.
The Biden campaign on Monday released a new video called, "America: Anything Is Possible." The video includes a montage with a voiceover from President Obama's January 2017 Medal of Honor speech about Biden.
"Joe's candid counsel has made me a better president," Obama says in his speech. "He could not have been a more effective partner in the progress that we've made."
Specifically, Obama highlights the issues Biden has championed (in Obama's words):
• Revitalizing manufacturing.
• Making college more affordable.
• Marriage equality.
• "It's On Us" campaign against sexual assault.
• Violence Against Women Act.
• Ending gun violence.
"That's Joe Biden: Resilient. Loyal. A patriot," Obama says.
According to a report from CNN, the Biden campaign is going to utilize Obama in the coming months to prop up their candidate, even though Obama said he won't endorse a candidate at this point in the election.
The Obama team was well aware that the Biden campaign was going to use the former president's glowing words about his vice president as part of its rollout, a top Democrat familiar with the matter told CNN.
Biden's team briefed Obama's advisers of their rollout in advance, including Tuesday's video — and other things that are still to come.
One key objective of Biden's rollout is to wrap himself in as much Obama glow as he can, and there was no objection from Obama to any of this, the top Democrat said.
Biden's team needs to make the decision: are they going to run solely based on the fact that Biden was Obama's vice president? Are they going to utilize Obama or not? Biden says he doesn't want Obama's endorsement but he's going to utilize the former president's words to prop himself up.
Pick a side. Use Obama or don't.
Run on your record or not.
Run on your ideas or not.
But seriously, put your money where your mouth is. Don't say one thing and then do another. Voters aren't as stupid as you're making them out to be. They will see through your shenanigans. They will see through your fancy music and generic video footage to see that they're trying to take advantage of them and their votes.
Do better, Joe. Do better.