Joe Biden Campaigns in Iowa: ‘I Don’t Need an Obama Endorsement’

Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he doesn’t need an endorsement from former President Barack Obama. Biden is campaigning in Iowa on his ‘No Malarkey’ tour. Some on the right have made much of Obama not endorsing Biden, even though an endorsement would be inappropriate at this stage of the primaries.

Biden was asked if he would want Obama’s support of the field came down to just three candidates.

“No, because everyone knows I’m close with him,” Biden said. “I don’t need an Obama endorsement.”

Biden went on to suggest that he played a vital role as Obama’s running mate, helping him make key connections in the Democratic Party.

“I was the one who was sent in,” Biden said. “And the reason was, because all the polling and data showed that I had those relationships with the base of the Democratic Party as well as African-Americans. And so I did as many African Americans events as Barack did.”

Biden has been a Democratic stalwart for decades and certainly has connections in the party. He’s also polling well among African Americans, who are a key demographic. But his apparent distance from Obama has become a talking point for his opponents.

Obama will likely endorse whomever becomes the Democratic nominee in 2020, so it’s hardly surprising he hasn’t weighed into the race yet. Biden is also trying to differentiate himself from Obama while magnifying his legacy as VP.