MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle: ‘Biden is Ronald Reagan’ in Contrast to the Democratic Field

MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle has said that former Vice President Joe Biden is like Ronald Reagan in the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates. Speaking on Morning Joe, Barnicle compared Biden favorably to the Republican president who defeated one-term President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough was discussing the accusations against Biden’s son, Hunter, which have been promoted by Republicans. Scarborough said that while Biden needed to find a way to put the issue to bed, voters in Iowa cared more about other things.

“But whether you’re talking about this or the $56,000 that Elizabeth Warren made every year over 30 years or whatever the hell it was that Mayor Pete did for whatever consulting firm, I mean, people’s eyes glaze over,” Scarborough said.

“They want to know can I afford to send my kid to college? Am I gonna still have healthcare two years from now? A I gonna be able to pursue the American dream over the next five years or is it dead? And is this guy gonna bring this back together? Those are the questions Iowans are gonna be asking.”

“Not just Iowa, all over. New Hampshire, South Carolina, everywhere,” Barnicle said.

“First, he does have to come up with a 30-second, one minute statement that he can put this thing away that he can refer to going down the road,” he said. “But the second thing have the people who go to Biden rallies are ordinary people like ordinary Americans all over the country.”

“And guess what? He has one thing that separates him from the pack, I think, and it is that there are two kinds of people at his rallies. People who really like him and people who want to like him. Which is critical. And if you look at Joe Biden, Rev [Al Sharpton] , you know, take this in the right way. If you look at him in contrast to the field, Biden is Ronald Reagan. People like him and they want to like him. People liked Reagan –  it’s a huge thing to have.”