On Monday, all three network morning shows gushed over Vice President Joe Biden meeting with left-wing Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren over the weekend, with hosts and correspondents excited by the prospect of a Biden-Warren ticket in 2016.
On NBC’s Today, correspondent Peter Alexander proclaimed: “This is the story electrifying the political world, especially for Democrats. Joe Biden...making a last-minute trip to D.C. over the weekend to meet with a woman that many liberals wanted to run against Hillary Clinton.” Moments later, Alexander added: “Warren, a darling among progressives, may be the second most prominent Democratic woman, trailing only Hillary Clinton.”
Following Alexander’s report, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd touted Biden’s strategy: “...he’s looking for a groundswell. You know, that's not there yet. And I think the hope in leaking out the Elizabeth Warren meeting, for Biden, is to send a message to progressives....he’s hoping that maybe hinting about Warren, ‘Hey, maybe she'll be a running mate’ type of thing, will create a groundswell.” Co-host Savannah Guthrie chimed in: “He’s trying to tell progressives, ‘Hey, I could be your guy.’”
On CBS This Morning, co-host Norah O’Donnell described Warren as “a favorite of the party’s left wing.” In the report that followed, correspondent Julianna Goldman declared:
Vice President Biden traveled from Delaware to meet with the liberal icon. One of the most visible women in the Democratic Party, Warren’s sway with the base could be key. A potential boost for Biden who has spent his career casting himself as a champion for working Americans.
A soundbite followed from former Biden chief of staff Robert Hoopes praising the Vice President: “You can't talk about the Vice President without talking about the middle class and his life-long advocacy for good jobs, good education, good infrastructure, civil rights community, gay rights community, these are things that the Vice President’s bee actively engaged in, in his entire career.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos noted Biden meeting with “influential Democrat Elizabeth Warren as he ponders a challenge to Hillary Clinton.” Correspondent Jon Karl promoted Warren as a “liberal firebrand” who “many on the left practically begged...to make her own presidential run.”
Here excerpts of the coverage on all three network broadcasts:
Today
7:07 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And now to the presidential race. A question on a lot of minds this morning, is Vice President Joe Biden inching closer to a run? A weekend meeting this weekend only serving to fuel speculation. NBC national correspondent Peter Alexander has more on all of this. Peter, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Is Biden Closer to a 2016 Run?; VP Meets With Sen. Warren Amid Clinton Email Scandal]
PETER ALEXANDER: Hey, Savannah, good morning to you. This is the story electrifying the political world, especially for Democrats. Joe Biden, at least according to his team, making a last-minute trip to D.C. over the weekend to meet with a woman that many liberals wanted to run against Hillary Clinton. And this morning, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Biden is increasingly leaning toward a run if he can mount a competitive bid.
Neither Vice President Biden nor Elizabeth Warren had to be seen for the message to be loudly heard. An hour-long private lunch at the VP's residence. The surest sign yet Biden is seriously weighing a 2016 run.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN [D-MA]: Are you ready to get out there and fight?!
ALEXANDER: Warren, a darling among progressives, may be the second most prominent Democratic woman, trailing only Hillary Clinton.
(...)
CBS This Morning
7:11 AM ET
NORAH O’DONNELL: And many Democrats are buzzing this morning about Joe Biden's newest move. He met privately with Senator Elizabeth Warren, who’s a favorite of the party’s left wing, and that left many people wondering if Biden is ready to join the presidential race. Julianna Goldman is at the White House with her latest reporting. Julianna Goldman.
JULIANNA GOLDMAN: Good morning. Well, the vice president asked for that meeting and it's the strongest signal yet that his deliberations are intensifying. Now over the weekend we spoke with one big Clinton donor who says that they're ready to jump to Biden if he gets in. They don't know where Clinton's e-mail story is headed and they're disappointed in how her campaign is handling it.
ELIZABETH WARREN: Are you ready to get out there and fight?!
GOLDMAN: Vice President Biden traveled from Delaware to meet with the liberal icon. One of the most visible women in the Democratic Party, Warren’s sway with the base could be key. A potential boost for Biden who has spent his career casting himself as a champion for working Americans.
ROBERT HOOPES: You can't talk about the vice president without talking about the middle class and his life-long advocacy for good jobs, good education, good infrastructure, civil rights community, gay rights community, these are things that the vice president’s bee actively engaged in in his entire career.
(...)
Good Morning America
7:08 AM ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We're going to move on to the race for president. And more evidence this morning that Vice President Joe Biden is serious about another run for the White House. He held a secret meeting this Saturday with the influential Democrat Elizabeth Warren as he ponders a challenge to Hillary Clinton. ABC's Jon Karl has the latest details from the White House. Good morning, Jon.
JON KARL: Good morning, George. This was a meeting between the two Democrats who could potentially pose the greatest threat to Hillary Clinton and the most intriguing sign yet that Biden may actually run. It was a hastily arranged political meeting between the two biggest Democrats not in the 2016 race. Vice President Biden left his vacation, Saturday, returning to Washington for a private one-on-one meeting with liberal firebrand Elizabeth Warren.
JOE BIDEN: Welcome, welcome.
KARL: The meeting, which requested by Biden, come as the Vice President is seriously considering whether to take on Hillary Clinton and jump into the 2016 presidential race. Many on the left practically begged Warren to make her own presidential run.
(...)
