Shaun KingVerified account

With that said, I believe Joe Biden is the most conservative & problematic candidate now officially in the race. In the 70s he fought against integration. In the 80s & 90s he fought harder for mass incarceration than any single Democrat. In the 2000s he voted for the Iraq War.

The best years of Joe Biden's political career were the 8 years he spent as Vice President of the United States. And that's mainly because he didn't get to set the agenda himself. When he sets the agenda - it has consistently been for more war & more jail. Period.

When I survey Biden's political career, I find it deeply problematic that he has to start out with an extensive apology for being wrong on some of the most important votes of the past 40 years. And that we have to believe those wrong votes don't actually represent him.

Here's Joe's pitch. Listen, I know I was wrong on integration, mass incarceration, Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas, and the Iraq War - but I'm from Scranton, have folksy charm, and Obama likes me. Therefore trust me on the things I've been wrong about my whole political career.

I am disturbed by anyone who says some version of "Let's not talk about the political voting records and stances of the candidates." The single GREATEST indication of what you will fight for (or against) tomorrow is what you fought for (or against) before you ran for office.