Draft Biden movement launches emotional ad ahead of first Democratic debate
A new, emotional ad from the Draft Biden movement urges Vice President Joe Biden to jump into the 2016 Democratic presidential campaign in 2016.
{mosads}The Draft Biden super-PAC’s clip, “Joe Biden: My Redemption,” premieres on NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday morning, according to The New York Times, before airing again on CNN ahead of the first Democratic presidential debate next week.
The clip features audio from a speech Biden gave in May during Yale University’s commencement ceremony. The emotional address touched heavily on a 1972 car accident in which Joe Biden’s first wife Neilia Biden and his daughter Naomi were killed.
“Things can change in a heartbeat — I know,” Joe Biden says in the address. “My dad’s definition of success is when you look at your son or daughter and realize they turned out better than you — and they did.”
The minute-and-a-half-long ad then ends with a plea: “Joe, run.”
Biden’s speech at Yale took place days before the passing of his son Beau Biden who died in May after a prolonged battle with brain cancer. Reports emerged earlier this summer that Beau Biden urged his father to make a final Oval Office bid in his honor.
Draft Biden’s new commercial comes amid growing skepticism toward Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. Clinton’s voter enthusiasm is gradually eroding amid controversy over her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of State.
Draft Biden now hopes the clip convinces Joe Biden that entering the 2016 race is in his best interest.
“I really don’t know if he’s going to run,” Mark Putnam, the commercial’s creator and a former Biden campaign aide, told The Times.
This report was updated at 9:48 a.m.
Read more from The Hill:
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed..
