Ground Game: Biden visits NH today where he has no organization

Ground Game
Ground Game
Published in
3 min readFeb 25, 2015

Here’s your morning briefing on presidential primary politics, from James Pindell of The Boston Globe.

Vice President Joe Biden returns to New Hampshire today, completing a circuit of other stops in Iowa and South Carolina this month.

Biden is scheduled to receive an award and give a speech at the University of New Hampshire School of Law in Concord and then address college affordability at Manchester Community College.

While the visits to early primary states might be an attempt to inject himself back into the conversation in the Democratic presidential primary race, he has a lot of work to do before he becomes a serious contender. Yes, his dismal poll numbers in early primary states have been well documented, but it is also worth remembering that in New Hampshire there is basically nothing left of his 2008 political operation. His campaign chair went to jail. His top staffers moved to other states — one is a Massachusetts state representative. There is a bright spot: One Biden supporter in 2008 is now the New Hampshire House minority leader.

Popping this morning:

Clinton: ‘Crack every last glass ceiling’ by Phil Rucker of the Washington Post:
Clinton’s appearance before 5,000 female leaders in the heart of Silicon Valley’s technology industry left no doubt that she will run for president again. The overwhelming favorite for the 2016 Democratic nomination, Clinton said that she would announce her campaign ‘in good time’ and that she was nearly finished checking off her pre-campaign to-do list.”

Dan Quayle set to co-host super PAC fundraiser for Jeb Bush by Matea Gold of the Washington Post:

“The March 3 reception for the Right to Rise super PAC will be held at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort, just outside Scottsdale, [Ariz.], according to a copy of the invitation obtained by The Washington Post. Bush is billed as the event’s “special guest.” There is no specific cost to attend, but the invitation stresses ‘contributions encouraged’.”

Numbers of the day: 25 and 4

A new national Public Policy Poll shows that all the attention paid to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker lately, some of it quite negative, has helped Walker surge. He now leads the Republican presidential field in the national poll with 25 percent support, up 11 percentage points in a month.

Meanwhile, the same poll found that Kentucky Senator Rand Paul was at just 4 percent. Just six months ago Paul was being hailed as the most interesting politician in the country, and now, at least, he isn’t all that interesting so far down in the pack.

New Hampshire chatter: Fiorina Is Quietly Making an Impression in New Hampshire by Scott Conroy of Real Clear Politics

“Recent conversations with plugged-in Republicans across the state reveal a consensus that Carly Fiorina — the former Hewlett-Packard CEO — is positioning herself well as a potential dark horse White House contender capable of making a serious run.”

Iowa chatter: Did Trump hire a top Iowa GOP operative? Brietbart quotes a well-known Iowa radio host saying New York businessman Donald Turmp hired Chuck Laudner, who was a key aide there for Rick Santorum’s campaign in 2012.

South Carolina chatter: Jeb Bush to visit SC next month

“Bush will visit Greenville, Columbia and Myrtle Beach during a swing through the South’s first presidential primary state on March 17–18, a source with knowledge of the trip told The State.

“The Republican, the son and brother of presidents, will attend a March 17 breakfast for the Upstate Chamber Coalition and a March 18 fundraiser for the S.C. House GOP. No events in Myrtle Beach have been announced.”

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