US elections

Biden's sloppy launch may cost him

Biden has run for president several times before. Each time, he didn't come remotely close to earning the nomination. Polls show — for now, anyway — that he is best positioned to beat President Trump, making him the safe choice. But safe choices don't tend to do well in these situations — think John Kerry, John McCain, Mitt Romney or Jeb Bush. 

Then there's the matter of what the Democratic Party, and arguably the media, increasingly doesn't want: old, white, establishment. The establishment part is especially important, because one could argue the past two presidents elected were anything but establishment, in Trump and former President Obama. Both men were seen as outsiders. Both were sent to change the status quo of Washington.  

Unfortunately for Biden, he's the most prominent example of a living, breathing establishment politician.