What if Biden Enters?

If Biden does indeed enter the race, it's not going to be easy for Clinton to launch a full-frontal assault on his record as vice president for the past two terms. This would mean attacking the administration in which she once served.

And that would expose a rift that neither Democrats nor their surrogates in the media want to reveal. It's been clear for some time that President Obama and those loyal to him, such as White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, have no desire to see Clinton succeed Obama and that they would much prefer Biden. The best way to ensure a "third term" for this president is to elect the vice president.

So the safest path for the Clintons to take to destroy Biden would be to reach all the way back to his long career in the Senate. We'd surely hear about how he allowed Anita Hill to be treated during the Clarence Thomas hearings makes him a sexist, and how his efforts to put more cops on the street makes him a racist. It would get ugly.

Ironically, the same asset that helped make Biden an attractive pick as Obama's running mate -- namely his appeal to white men in the working-class "lunch bucket" demographic -- could soon become a liability. It used to be considered a good thing that Biden understood the concerns of blue collar white men. The Clintons will paint it as a sign that Biden is out of touch with a country that is increasingly diverse.

Already we've seen it reported that it was Biden who leaked the story to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd about how his dying son, Beau, asked him to run for president. Dowd's column in effect helped fuel speculation that Biden was running and made him appear sympathetic. But the revelation that he might have been the source of the leak struck some Democrats as craven and opportunistic. Someone spilled those beans -- to smear Biden.

How low will a politician sink to defeat a rival? Keep an eye on the Clinton camp. We may be about to find out.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.