Democratic front-runner Joe Biden does not need any gaffes at the November primary debate, as much of his debate performance thus far has centered around mistakes that supporters of the other 16 candidates have interpreted as his lack of fitness for the presidency. Either to break the ice or condemn him to a night of many oopses, his campaign staff flubbed an email about six hours before Biden took the stage at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta to make his case for the nomination.
Around 3 p.m., Biden’s staff sent out a fundraising email with the subject: “Did I make you proud?” The message begins: “I’m leaving the fifth Democratic debate now. I hope I made you proud out there, and I hope I made it clear to the world why our campaign is so important.”
The early send-off may prove to be advantageous for the staff of the next-leading candidate, Elizabeth Warren. “We need more than plans,” the email states, which refers to the many policy white papers the Massachusetts senator has debuted so far in the race. (It can’t be too much help, however, as Warren was the target of other candidates’ critiques during the October debate for her plan to pay for health-care reform. As a front-runner who recently shifted her health-care policy, she is certainly prepared with a defense against Biden’s prospective attack.) Around 4 p.m., the Biden campaign apologized, emailing supporters with an “Oops” in the subject line.
Most likely, the email will be yet another trivial detail in the punishingly long primary process. But if Biden does gaffe up the fifth primary debate, an email boasting of making his donors proud won’t be a good look.
