Why We Will Never Elect a Joe

Biden’s (and the Columnist’s) First Name Is Just Too Average for a Nation as Aspirational as Ours

As California’s March 3 presidential primaries approach, I survey the field of candidates and ask myself: Will this country really accept a president who makes history, a president who breaks longstanding barriers of bigotry, a president who challenges our deepest biases about the identities of our leaders?

In other words, are we ready for a president named Joe?

Former Vice President Joe Biden is often described in campaign coverage as a safe, traditional choice among Democrats. That’s profoundly wrong. Sure, Biden does not have to confront centuries of American patriarchy like Amy …