Why didn't Joe Biden show up in California?

[MineralMan]

Well, that's easy. He doesn't have to show up for that convention, but others felt the need to. Why? Because California is going to be a crucial primary state on Super Tuesday.

Long after everyone has forgotten the Democratic Party Convention there, and after the long list of candidate moves to campaign in other states, Joe Biden will come to California and hold meetings, fundraisers and rallies in LA, San Francisco, San Diego and Silicon Valley. He has the funds to do so and will show up there at a strategic time to boost his support in that state.

He didn't need to go to California this early in the campaign, but he'll be there when the election gets closer. He'll also be in the other states before their primaries. Right now, he's "biden" his time and watching those with single digit poll results scrambling to show up wherever they can get some media attention. In California, several candidates had to fight for that attention at the same time.

But, we'll see him in all of the states. Not necessarily right now, though. Instead, he'll show up at opportune times when people's attention is more focused on the presidential primaries. He can afford to wait, it seems.

[George II]

1. I think his appearance at the Human Right Campaign Dinner in Ohio was more important.

[MineralMan]

11. I agree with you.

I don't think anyone who did go to California boosted their campaigns by doing so, really.

[mahina]

2. I'm sure you're right, that's their strategy but

I don’t think ducking that convention helps him at all. It seemed little timid honestly, not an attribute I’d ordinarily think of with respect to him.

[MineralMan]

3. I don't see how he would have benefited from it, really.

He's doing other things regarding the campaign right now, like planning for a major push later, when people are more interested.

I don't know, but I think it might be a good move.

[Peacetrain]

4. When a group boos our candidates..

personally is not a group to go to .. whether they like your or not..I disagree with a lot of our candidates on their take on any given subject..but would never boo them.. glad Biden did not go.. that was just rude

[George II]

6. Just because he didn't attend doesn't mean he ducked it. That's an unreasonable characterization...

Not all the candidates were there. Biden felt the Human Rights Campaign dinner was more important. We could say that 22 candidates "ducked" the dinner in Ohio, but that would be just as unfair.

There are lots of events to come this summer and fall, and not every candidate can attend every event.

[Demit]

7. Biden will appear at at least 3 fundraisers in the Bay Area later this month.

He might not have been in California last weekend but his advisors were, setting up fundraisers.

"...Biden advisors, Symone Sanders and Cristobal Alex, gathered Sunday with more than two dozen bundlers — people who raise money from high-dollar donors — at the San Francisco home of Sandy Robertson, co-founder of private equity firm Francisco Partners….

At the private gathering Sunday, Biden’s advisors and the financiers agreed to hold at least three fundraisers in the Bay Area, according to attendees who described the details of the event on the condition of anonymity. The events, which will feature Biden himself as the marquee guest, will all be at the homes of established Biden supporters. There was also talk that Biden’s wife, Jill, would be a featured guest at one of the events.

There is no firm timeline yet for the events, but Biden will be in the area soon. CNBC first reported on Biden’s allies setting the stage for a San Francisco-focused fundraising tour that will also include a stop in Silicon Valley and is expected to take place at the end of June."
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/03/joe-biden-aides-meet-bay-area-fundraisers-as-he-skips-convention.html

[rgbecker]

25. He'll do great if he can avoid the public and the press.

If he sticks with his bundlers, financiers and fundraisers he'll secure the nomination and then can concentrate on beating Trump.

[CentralMass]

26. :-)

[shanny]

31. Yes doing fundraisers is totally the same

as meeting the rank and file party members. I can feel the groundswell of grassroots support from here.

[MineralMan]

35. He'll be doing both things.

He already has been.

[Demit]

44. Well, as he said to the donors & bundlers at the Phila Comcast gathering in April,

"you're the folks that brung me to the dance."

[mcar]

8. Ducked?

He was speaking at the Human Rights Campaign. How is that ducking?

[mahina]

18. Okie dokie

[The Genealogist]

27. I think it is incorrect to say he "ducked" this convention.

It isn't like he went on a hiatus or vacation or something. He spoke at an important HRC event. As a gay man, this means something to me.

[highplainsdem]

5. He made the right decision. Why should he show up where he could expect some badly-behaved Sanders

supporters to boo him or chant "Bernie! Bernie!" as they mindlessly and/or rudely did when Barbara Lee was talking about Kamala Harris?

[George II]

9. Exactly - they booed a half dozen of the candidates AND other speakers, too. So much for....

....the Unity Pledge!

Plus some were passing this out to convention attendees (Glenn Greenwald, RT, TYT?):

[jberryhill]

29. That's some funny shit right there

That's a piece of art.

What I like about it is that because it says "beat Donald Trump" in large type, any criticism of the fact that it then promotes a parade of trolls can be countered with "So you're pro-Trump, eh?"

That dynamic works here at DU with regularity.

And the reason it works is because people think that "trolls are pro-rightwing". So anything that criticizes a wolf in sheep's clothing pretending to be on our side, is accused by simpletons of being trolling.

[MineralMan]

10. Another thing is that some of those who were in CA for the convention

won't even be in the race by Super Tuesday. Why argue with people now who won't be part of the real campaign?

[LibFarmer]

23. Did Bernie condemn his supporters for doing that? nt

[George II]

30. Nope. Didn't even mention it.

[Liberty Belle]

12. He skipped CA's Dem convention in 2008 too, the last time he ran for President.

There were 8 Democrats running. The other 7 all showed up including Obama, Clinton, Edwards -the frontrunners at the time-- and several lesser known contenders.

He should have shown up especially after missing last time -- he looks afraid to face CA delegates, bad news.

[MineralMan]

13. Hmm...wasn't that the year when he was nominated as VP?

This is not 2020. This is 2019. There will be another convention in California in 2020. Biden will be at that one, I'm quite sure, but as the poll leader.

This early campaigning with 24+ candidates is not really going to have much of an influence on most voters. But, it's the only chance some of the candidates have at all to get noticed. Still, it didn't seem to do any of them any good, though.

[shanny]

32. Hmmm...was he nominated by voters for that position?

I must've missed it.

[peggysue2]

14. He went his own way

By attending the Human Rights' Dinner, Biden made an individual statement about his concerns and interests. Granted, he has the luxury of following his own counsel because everyone knows who he is and he's been running a solid lead. But when candidates go their own way, they also tell you what they care about. For Joe Biden, it's about the dignity of people, how we all deserve dignity and how when one individual or group is maligned, all suffer because our freedom and rights are connected to those of everyone else.

Biden's overall message: We're in this together! We will fail or succeed together. It's an anti-Trump, very pro-Democratic message.

Because that's who Joe Biden, a true-blue Democrat, is running against: Donald Trump.

[MineralMan]

15. Well put!

[Cha]

17. Mahalo, Peggysue.. Well Done!

[peggysue2]

20. Thanks, MM & Cha

I think were lucky to have Joe Biden in the mix. I really do think this is his moment to not only serve as POTUS but to right the Ship of State and put us on a solid course for the future.

[Cha]

16. Biden chose to be at the Human Rights Convention..

Vice President Joe Biden was the first sitting Vice President of the United States to express his personal support for marriage equality and helped lead the most pro-LGBTQ administration in our nation’s history. After leaving office, Vice President Biden has continued to champion the rights of LGBTQ people in the United States and globally through the Biden Foundation, which built on the Bidens’ lifelong commitment to advancing equality, including fighting for equal treatment, inclusion, acceptance, dignity, and justice for LGBTQ people.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=137353

Also..

Alexandra "Alex" Gallardo Rooker, acting chairwoman of the California Democratic Party, said at one point during the event, however, that she and Biden spoke last week and the former vice president said he had already committed to the Human Rights Campaign Dinner on Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio, and therefore could not make it to the convention.

Biden, Gallardo-Rooker said, assured her that he would visit California "many times."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/02/politics/bernie-sanders-joe-biden-california-democratic-convention/index.html

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=138226

Thank you for your OP, MineralMan

[JI7]

19. im in California and most of us don't care for that convention

[Blue_true]

21. I agree. His campaign has been the most strategic so far, followed by

Buttigieg, Warren and Harris, but those three are trying to catch up with Joe and have to make earlier moves, but that Warren rally in Oakland was damned impressive.

[LibFarmer]

22. The California convention has been hijacked

by fringe groups anyway and that is not how the Democratic electorate in California votes.

The convention endorsed DiFi's fringe opponent in 2018 and DiFi destroyed him in actual polls.

[MineralMan]

24. Yes. Although I wouldn't use the word "hijacked."

The way the system works there, with regard to that convention is that it's easily manipulated, since few Democrats show up at the county caucuses, which is where delegates to the state convention are chosen. All you have to do is get a couple of dozen people on your side to show up and you're in.

That's one of the reasons that convention isn't taken seriously in California politics. Everything there happens around the primaries, not that convention.

A similar thing happened in Minnesota in 2016. Our precinct caucuses had a disproportionate number of Sanders supporters show up and vote. My precinct, for which I was the chair and caucus leader that year, went 2-1 for Sanders. There were 50 people at the caucus. A more typical number for that precinct was less than 10.

After that election, the Minnesota system was changed to primaries for presidential races. There will still be caucuses to select delegates to the state senate district convention, but they won't matter when it comes to selecting delegates to the state and national conventions. The primaries will decide that representation, based proportionally on results.

[quickesst]

28. "Why didn't Joe Biden show up in California?"

He had a more important and far worthier engagement to attend. As far as future California engagements, I believe there's nothing more to be added to your own clear and concise statement. Well done.

[shanny]

33. I have the impression Biden is avoiding

giving speeches and appearances in order to protect his position. If he's your candidate, that's probably fine with you. If he isn't, it isn't. From where I sit it looks like he's riding on Obama's coattails and that feels like a cop-out.

[MineralMan]

34. I doubt that very much.

He's being strategic in his campaign. When you have a solid lead, there's no need to follow the lead of those who are not.

[shanny]

36. Yes, he's protecting his lead...as I said.

To me, that indicates a sense of vulnerability.

[MineralMan]

37. A wise move, I think.

Does he feel vulnerable? Doubtful.

It's very early. He doesn't need to generate attention to build voter recognition. Many of the other candidates need to do that at this early stage.

It's going to be a long campaign. Strategy and timing will be a very important factor in it.

If you're polling in the single digits, there's a great deal of urgency in your campaigning. If you're leading the second-place candidate in a field of 24 by double digits, not so much. Right now, only the most interested voters are paying any attention to the Democratic primary race. Most people couldn't care less at this point.

Sometime this Fall, people in general will begin to start thinking about their states' primaries. In the meantime, there are some debates coming up. Some primary voters will watch them. Most will not. Frankly, most people don't bother with voting in primary elections, even in a presidential election year.

There's no need for Biden to feel vulnerable right now. Clearly.

[shanny]

38. Maybe he remembers his previous campaigns. nt

[MineralMan]

39. Yes, I'm sure he does.

How long did he serve in Congress? Long enough to have been in many elections. He's a veteran of elections.

Watch how he handles this campaign and the General Election campaign. It'll be very educational, I think.

[shanny]

41. Posted without comment

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1862849

[MineralMan]

42. And replied to, also without comment.

[Honeycombe8]

43. Oh, dear.

That's a surprise.

[LibFarmer]

40. Meh