David Axelrod on Wednesday panned the first television ad from a group urging Vice President Biden to jump into the 2016 presidential race, describing it as "tasteless."
The Draft Biden super-PAC's emotional ad uses audio of Biden talking about his two sons and how they helped him find a purpose in his life after his wife and daughter were killed in a 1972 car crash.
The 90-second spot shows black-and-white photos of Biden with his family, including his elder son Beau, 46, who died in May after battling brain cancer.
“Things can change in a heartbeat — I know,” Joe Biden says in the ad. “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 spot then ends with a plea: “Joe, run.”
"Am I alone in finding this Draft Biden ad tasteless? It's powerful, but exploitative. Can't believe he'd approve," Axelrod tweeted, linking to an article about the ad.
I dunno about tasteless, but I think they've milked this tragedy to a point where it's starting to feel manipulative and -- dare I say it -- inauthentic. I'm guessing that it means he's going to get in, though. I find it hard to believe that this didn't get the thumbs up from Biden. It sure feels like one of those "re-introduction" roll-outs to me.
Whatever. He has a right to run if he wants. The voters will make their decision. But the Hamlet act is getting really old. And I hope he's ready for this.And this.And this.And this. I don't know how many people in the Democratic party are anti-abortion, outsourcing free traders but it looks like that's his constituency.