Joe Biden is looking for an assist from the public in punching back at his Democratic primary rivals’ criticism of former President Barack Obama, with a questionnaire sent to supporters Thursday.
During the debate in Detroit, some of the candidates claimed ObamaCare was inadequate and they blasted the former president’s immigration policy as punitive for deporting too many illegal immigrants.
“Last week, Democrats criticized President Obama’s record at the Democratic debates. So now we’re conducting a study asking all of our supporters one question: What did you think of President Obama’s historic presidency?” the Biden campaign asked in the fundraiser questionnaire.
Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president and has sought to capitalize on his ties to the first black president, said he was taken aback by the friendly fire directed at the former commander-in-chief. Obama remains a very popular and revered figure among Democrats.
The Biden survey is far from unbiased.
Before directing supporters to a link with the questions, Team Biden says in the email blast, “The Obama-Biden Administration passed Obamacare, led the world on combating climate change, and saved our economy from the brink of disaster. That’s a legacy that we should celebrate and build upon (kind of like what we’ve been saying all along).”
It then says, “But we want to make sure we have everyone’s input on this.”
The first question asks for a yes or no answer as to “Do you think President Barack Obama was a great president?”
The second query: “Do you agree with the decision of some Democrats to bash Obama’s accomplishments on the debate stage?”
Respondents could answer either “No, Democrats should focus on fixing the mess Trump has left” or “Yes, I think it was fine.”
The third question asks, “What successes of the Obama-Biden Administration are most important to you?”
It asks respondents to check all that apply, and includes: Passing Obamacare, Fighting for marriage equality, Leading the world on fighting climate change, Steering us out of an economic recession, Championing gun violence prevention, and “Other — there are a lot more.”
Respondents are also asked to write a summary on what Obama “means to you.”
And then there’s this self-serving rhetorical question: “President Obama said picking Joe Biden as his Vice President was `the best decision he ever made.’ Do you agree or disagree that Joe Biden was a good Vice President?”
The kicker includes a request for a donation starting at $5: “Joe Biden spends his time on the campaign trail talking about the successes of President Obama and how he was an amazing president. He knows that to move forward we can’t attack President Obama’s legacy, we need to protect it and build on it. If you agree and want to elect someone that will further the work President Obama started, will you chip in today to send Joe Biden back to the White House?”
