The stickiness of Joe Biden

IT WOULD BE too much to describe Joe Biden’s “No Malarkey” bus tour through Iowa this week as a desperate measure. Despite much negative commentary on his candidacy, the former vice- president continues to lead the Democratic primary field in national polls. With strong support from African-Americans, who like his loyalty to Barack Obama and don’t love his rivals, he is also ahead in second-phase primary states such as Nevada and South Carolina. Yet in Iowa and New Hampshire he is now trailing Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. And as few candidates have lost those early states and still won the nomination, his eight-day, 650-mile tour through icy Iowa had a lot riding on it.