Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti argued Wednesday that former vice president Joe Biden has shown he doesn't have a vision for getting into the 2020 race.
During an appearance on Fox News's Special Report, Continetti contrasted Biden's actions in recent months to those of former president George W. Bush leading up to his own presidential run.
"I'm thinking about George W. Bush in 1999. We all knew he was gonna run for president. He was preparing a run for president. The announcement was formal, but he spent the months ahead of that formal announcement bringing experts to the ranch, giving big policy speeches at noted think tanks, laying out markers for an agenda for his eventual campaign," Continetti said.
"What has Joe Biden done?" Continetti asked. "He's issued this iPhone video. He's speculated in the New York Times that maybe he will pick Stacey Abrams to be the vice president, which she then rejects and says I'm not running for No. 2. They float in the New York Times that they're worried that he won't be able to raise enough money to compete with Bernie and Beto. And now apparently the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is a money powerhouse in this Democratic primary. I think Biden has wasted his time in the run-up to an announcement, and he has serious policy work to do if he actually does get into this race."
Continetti also discussed the video Biden released on Wednesday which addressed allegations from several women that he made them feel uncomfortable by invading their personal space.
"Look, you can make a human connection without sniffing somebody's hair," Continetti said. "And I think that is Joe Biden's problem. The video highlighted all of his weaknesses. His voice seemed frail. The production value's poor. He wasn't framed very well. He was very pale and he confesses that social norms have passed him by, which means he's out of date. Which is exactly what Democrats are worried about him entering the race. This is another bad moment for Biden in several weeks of bad news. It makes me wonder whether he actually will pull the trigger and enter the race."
Biden promised to be "more mindful about respecting personal space in the future."
Lucy Flores, a 2014 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Nevada, alleged last week that Biden walked up behind her, smelled her hair, and awkwardly kissed her head without her consent. At least three other women have made similar accusations against Biden.
Despite recent stumbles, Biden continues to lead in Democratic primary polls, averaging just under 30 percent of the vote.