黑料社

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa聽 鈥� Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff are both from New Jersey. They married politicians who have been in the national spotlight for years. And now they鈥檙e building a team as the better halves of the Joe Biden campaign.

Biden and Emhoff have rapidly become two of the campaign鈥檚 most prolific surrogates, engaging in in-person campaign events and virtual fundraisers at a pace that often outmatches their spouses at the top of the ticket.

While Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have spent their days campaigning in key states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida, Jill Biden and Emhoff have had nonstop schedules of virtual fundraisers, constituency-focused events and trips to important but less high-profile states like Virginia and Maine, where Jill Biden visited this week.

They鈥檝e campaigned together more than their spouses have, visiting New Hampshire earlier this month and Iowa over the weekend. And in a joint interview this weekend, they said they鈥檝e begun to build a partnership that will help the campaign and a potential Biden administration.

鈥淒on鈥檛 you think the American people love seeing people in government who respect one another and are friends with one another?鈥� Jill Biden said as she campaigned in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday.

鈥淓specially in this time of the pandemic, and it鈥檚 such a divisive government that we鈥檙e living in now, this chaos of Donald Trump鈥檚 America, I think people are looking for people who are strong to come together to lead this country forward. And I think the four of us are going to show that.鈥�

Emhoff and Biden spent the day touring damage from the recent derecho that hit Iowa, helping a group of volunteers clean up a park hit by the storm and speaking at a drive-in rally later that afternoon.

Emhoff said every interaction they have with voters they take back home to their spouses, to help them better understand the challenges confronting Americans.

鈥淲hether it鈥檚 vets or health care or all these issues that are important to people right now, we鈥檙e out here listening, and we鈥檙e literally going right back to Joe and Kamala with these notes from the field. So it鈥檚 just the more we can do things together and experience this together, the stronger they鈥檙e going to be,鈥� he said.

It wasn鈥檛 their first time campaigning together 鈥� the two hit the trail earlier this month in New Hampshire, where they held events focused on health care and veterans.

The participants included Billy Shaheen, husband of Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. He said he had a three-hour dinner with Emhoff and Harris back in January and came away impressed with them both.

鈥淒oug is going to be great. He鈥檒l be a great second gentleman. He鈥檚 a good balance for her. He really supports her,鈥� he said in an interview.

Their busy schedules reflect in part the traditional strategic role of the spouses on a presidential campaign 鈥� essentially doubling the campaign鈥檚 footprint, amplifying its core message and expanding it to broader constituencies.

Jill Biden has become one of the campaign鈥檚 main surrogates for Latino outreach and, as a teacher herself, often holds events focused on teachers and education. Emhoff, with his network of deep-pocketed donors as an entertainment lawyer, has done fundraising for the campaign and headlined a number of Jewish outreach events.

But the pace also reflects what鈥檚 perhaps a more urgent imperative for a political spouse in the age of Trump, when Biden himself has made an explicit argument that 鈥渃haracter is on the ballot鈥� this fall.

Connie Schultz, who鈥檚 campaigned for her husband, Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, and wrote a book about what it鈥檚 like to be a political spouse, said Biden鈥檚 and Harris鈥� spouses are their best messenger on that front.

鈥淭hey help humanize these people at a time when I think the public is looking at character a little bit more than they otherwise would have,鈥� she said.

Indeed, at the drive-in rally in Cedar Rapids this weekend, Brian Johannesen, a 32-year-old musician, said he felt it was 鈥渋mportant to get to know the better halves of the candidates.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see the other side of the team 鈥� it gives you more confidence in who they are as people,鈥� he said.

While their joint appearances may be helpful for the campaign, they鈥檙e also laying the groundwork for what could be a fruitful working relationship in the White House. Jill Biden had a close working and personal relationship with Michelle Obama, and the two frequently appeared at public events together and worked on veterans鈥� issues throughout their eight years in the White House.

Emhoff and Biden declined to share details on how they foresee their relationship affecting their roles in the White House. But they鈥檝e been 鈥渂onding,鈥� Emhoff said, since the primary, when he would chat with Jill Biden backstage before events, and Joe would put his arm around him and ask, 鈥淗ow are you doing, kid?鈥�

When Harris was chosen as Biden鈥檚 running mate, the Bidens called Emhoff鈥檚 parents and then his kids. Jill Biden said it was clear they 鈥渞eally had a strong sense of family,鈥� and from that moment, 鈥淛oe and I just knew right then that this was going to work.鈥�

鈥淭his was going to be a really strong team because we value the same things,鈥� she said.

Emhoff said he鈥檚 learning from Biden every time they campaign together. While he鈥檚 joined Harris on the campaign trail throughout her career, and campaigned for her during the Democratic primary, he took a leave of absence from his job, and the pace and number of events he鈥檚 doing as part of the presidential ticket is new. Jill Biden has made sure to call and check in on him after a busy week.

鈥淚 lived what he鈥檚 going through. It鈥檚 like, all of a sudden, your life changes so incredibly. It鈥檚 such a journey, and every day is different,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e gone through that 鈥� and I want to make sure Doug鈥檚 OK. Because it鈥檚 hard. It鈥檚 hard being thrown into the spotlight.鈥�

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