In a period of national isolation, one of Joe Biden’s most consequential campaign moments—dual endorsements from Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders—came from his proverbial closeness with the two influential leaders.
Now he’ll have to figure out how to maximize the goodwill.
Before Biden’s rout in South Carolina, the exclusive backing of Biden from Obama and Sanders seemed like political fantasy. Indeed, while the first-in-the-South primary served as a springboard to the former vice president’s eventual track to the nomination, the past 48 hours crystallized his role as the party’s uniter. On Wednesday morning, he further cemented that role with an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). But it also raised questions about what to do with the mileage when large spectacles like rallies are a thing of the past for the foreseeable future.