Joe Biden drinks boba tea at stop on 2024 presidential campaign
February 14, 2024
President Joe Biden was filmed enjoying a bubble tea as part of his 2024 presidential campaign strategy, eschewing large rallies for intimate visits to places like local businesses.
Biden enjoys boba: On Monday, Biden was stopped by reporters as he was walking out of an Asian American-owned bubble tea shop in Las Vegas while carrying a boba drink.
“Donald Trump says he’s ready to debate you right now. Do you accept?” a reporter asks Biden in a video of the visit, before another journalist chimes in, “He wants to debate you ‘immediately.’”
The president then breaks into a laugh and replies, “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too. He’s got nothing else to do.”
Biden’s shade at Trump comes during his two-day visit to Las Vegas, where he reportedly spoke to hospitality workers who managed to prevent a strike by reaching an agreement with six hotel casinos.
What is Biden’s strategy?: Biden has reportedly adopted a strategy of holding small-scale events in his bid for re-election in November, visiting shops and homes. This approach reflects a shift in media consumption toward platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
For instance, his recent visit to a Cook Out restaurant in North Carolina, captured on TikTok, garnered millions of views and showcased his personal interactions with voters. His campaign sees value in these smaller engagements, especially with less politically active demographics such as younger and more diverse voters. While Biden will still hold larger events, the focus is on showcasing a different side of the president and amplifying his message through personal interactions shared on social media. This aligns with the Biden campaign’s recent decision to join TikTok as a way to appeal to young voters.
Biden’s advantage: Democratic strategist Teddy Goff, known for his work with the Obama presidential campaigns, highlighted to the Associated Press that in today’s media landscape, political campaigns must compete not only with each other but also have various forms of entertainment and viral videos to gain people’s attention.
Goff emphasizes the importance of authenticity for candidates, as audiences can quickly lose interest if they sense insincerity. Biden’s strength in personal interactions, or “retail politicking,” is seen as a key advantage over Trump, with the campaign aiming to leverage these moments to connect with voters. According to Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Rob Flaherty, organic viral moments also carry more weight than campaign-generated content in shaping public perception.
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