Well for one it almost killed him. Thankfully for Joe he was forced to pull out of the race as a result of a plagiarism scandal, thus saving himself from what could have been more of a disaster. It was literally that bad. A three and a half month horror show.
Joe Biden circa. 1987 Source; ABC News
So let us backtrack to 1987, re-adjust our Walkmen and examine the sequence of events in context. In 1987 Ronald Reagan was nearing the end of his second term and the Democrats were relishing a chance to capture the White House. It was looking great for them - Reagan was limping through the Iran-Contra Scandal, the economy was over heating (the market would crash in October of the year) and George Bush looked too bland to be President.
Senator Ted Kennedy, having decided that a revisit of Chappaquiddick was too much, had turned down a decision to run and the leading Democrat in his wake, Gary Hart, had been gutted by supposed ‘Monkey Business’ on board an appropriately named yacht with femme-fatale Donna Rice.
It was Gary Hart’s race to lose in 1988 which he managed to do very well on his own with some assistance from Donna Rice Source: CBS News
Biden entered the race in June of 1987 shortly after the Hart withdrawal and like his current run he attached himself like a mini-me to a former Democratic President. In 1987 it was John F Kennedy. Today it is Barack Obama. Indeed in his opening speech, with an irony, around self-interest that still resonates, he called forth the ghost of JFK with these words:
"For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism over common community. For too long as a nation, we have been lulled by the anthem of self-interest. For a decade, led by Ronald Reagan, self-aggrandizement has been the full-throated cry of this society: 'I've got mine so why don't you get yours' and 'What's in it for me?' ... We must rekindle the fire of idealism in our society, for nothing suffocates the promise of America more than unbounded cynicism and indifference." Source: Biden Joins Campaign for the Presidency
However he was not purely idealistic. Biden’s platform championed domestic oil production and was resolute in going after other countries for unfair trade practices. If this sounds like Trump. It is hardly a surprise. Joe is notorious for changing his position to fit the political wind.
At the time Biden had raised more funds than any other Democratic candidate other than Michael Dukakis and until August of the same year it looked as though he had something to offer.
Then as the Brits would put it, the entire shebang went ‘tits up’. His lead pollster Pat Caddell, seemed to be loggerheads with several other members of the campaign as the nomination bid struggled with a defining theme, that included an ill advised Pepsi Generation take. That went off about as well as New Coke.
Biden was not a Beltway favorite (how times have changed) and was derided for his long winded takes on key issues (although not necessarily bad habits). His campaign though would finally derail with the Kinnock Controversy.
Neil Kinnock was the Labour Party leader in the UK most noteworthy for losing the 1987 General Election to the Iron Lady herself, Margaret Thatcher. In May of 1987 Kinnock delivered a speech in the run up to the election that Joe Biden seemed to like so much that he was accused of plagiarizing it for his own campaign. He was called out for this in the August 2017 Democratic Party debate opening up a floodgate for other accusations.
Neil Kinnock Source: BBC
Reports came in accusing Biden of plagiarizing other speeches from Hubert Humphrey and both Kennedy brothers. It was simply too much. Joe was now on the ropes with an investigation opening up.
Later on it was revealed that Biden had indeed credited Kinnock for the original speech however it was too little too late. There were other examples of plagiarism. His campaign was damaged. It also didn’t help that as part of the investigation into the plagiarism charges his university grades were revealed and it was found that they not very impressive.
By mid September Biden was done. He withdrew and then offered a profound message for the future.
"I've done some dumb things, and I'll do dumb things again.” Source: Joe Biden's Campaign Gets Caught Plagiarizing Again
In that he was spot on.
Joe Biden announcing his withdrawal. Source: C-Span.
However the lingering effect was not yet over. In February 1988 Biden suffered two brain aneurysms forcing him to undergo critical surgery. His life hung in the balance but thankfully (and with a nod to US healthcare) he recovered after several months of convalescence. There is sincere speculation that the stress of the 1987 campaign took a tremendous toll on him and indeed the situation may have been worse for his health had the campaign continued.Biden Resting After Surgery For Second Brain Aneurysm
Perhaps it was a campaign too soon for Biden. As we all know he bounced back from this setback but the presidential run in 1987 and his flirtation with the Oval Office was by no means his finest hour. Will it haunt him today? Some believe it will. It certainly spoke to his credibility. Flashback: 'Biden Admits Plagiarizing in Law School,' 'Academic Claims Inaccurate'
Sources and Additional Reading
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