John Dickerson: Biden and Clinton should not feign poverty

06/26/2014 12:00 AM

06/25/2014 5:57 PM


This bit is a long-standing part of Biden’s shtick, but was interpreted as a dig at possible presidential rival Hillary Clinton. The former secretary of state has been having trouble talking about her considerable wealth, ever since she described herself as “dead broke” upon leaving the White House as first lady.

It’s hard to know what motivates Biden to zoom down a rhetorical byway. His comments on Monday were particularly strange, given that the vice president’s disclosure statements show that he does have a stock portfolio, though it is owned by his wife. But even if that’s the case, Biden probably couldn’t help himself. Politicians find the poor-man routine so irresistible because it can be effective.




Biden and Clinton are courting danger when they embroider their hard times. Dislike of phonies is a gut instinct. Clinton had just bought $2 million homes and signed an $8 million book contract at the time she said she was “dead broke.” Though Biden may not be as wealthy as others in his cohort, he is obviously set for life and as a long-serving senator was always on a far easier track than a struggling middle-class family.

Fellow feeling is not the only thing voters take into account. Liberals have long wondered why voters have put social issues above economic ones in certain parts of the country. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., had a compelling story of his family’s struggles after his father died, but that story competes with his promotion of a budget plan that shreds social safety nets. Former Sens. John Edwards and Rick Santorum failed as candidates, even though they were able to connect to middle-class voters through their humble roots stories. Biden and Clinton failed, too, for that matter, but since the economy is going to dominate the next election (as it always does), more stories about pocketbook struggles are inevitable.

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