Joe Biden holding ‘virtual fundraiser’ with Nikki Fried Wednesday

Biden, Joe - bunker
FDR's fireside chats came via radio. Biden wants to do one by internet.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is coming to Florida, virtually, for a fundraiser in late April featuring a virtual fireside chat with Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

Biden is in position to win the Democratic nomination by default since his last rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, dropped out Wednesday. Biden is turning to internet chatting and fundraising in lieu of actually noshing, imbibing, and glad-handing with supporters in Florida because of the coronavirus crisis and social distancing mandates.

“In light of the current situation, the campaign is announcing a virtual fundraiser to comply with public health official recommendations,” reads a notice sent with an invitation to supporters

The Florida fireside chat virtual fundraiser is set for April 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Access to the fireside chat will cost $1,000. Logging in as a sponsor or fundraiser co-host requires $2,800 or $15,000 respectively.

“I hope you are staying healthy. In these unique times, we are preparing for an unprecedented campaign in more ways than one, and it’s critical that we build the resources we need to defeat Donald Trump, even in the face of the current crisis,” the note reads.

“As such, we will be hosting a virtual fundraiser with Vice President Biden on Wednesday, April 29th, moderated by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried. Can you join the Vice President to hear from him about dealing with the current crisis, how he would be the leader we desperately need right now, and his plan for the future?” the note asks.

Biden and his campaign and the Democratic National Party are rethinking everything about a national campaign since the coronavirus crisis effectively ended in-person campaigning. That began about a week before Florida’s March 17 primary, which Biden won in a landslide, taking 62% of Florida’s Democratic votes, to 23% for Sanders.

Biden canceled two Florida events leading up to the primary, replacing one with a virtual town hall, and has not appeared at a Florida event since going to fundraisers in the fall.

Scott Powers

Scott Powers is an Orlando-based political journalist with 30+ years’ experience, mostly at newspapers such as the Orlando Sentinel and the Columbus Dispatch. He covers local, state and federal politics and space news across much of Central Florida. His career earned numerous journalism awards for stories ranging from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster to presidential elections to misplaced nuclear waste. He and his wife Connie have three grown children. Besides them, he’s into mystery and suspense books and movies, rock, blues, basketball, baseball, writing unpublished novels, and being amused. Email him at [email protected].


7 comments

  • FoolMeOnce

    April 9, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    If the Democrats were honest with themselves and everyone else, they would admit that Joe Biden has mental problems and is not fit to be President.

    But, the hatred for Pres. Trump is so intense and pushed daily by the media, they don’t care who they elect, just so long as Trump is gone.

    Biden, if elected, would have to be propped up and probably have someone else to pull the strings. Lip sync would not be out of the reality.

    If we don’t wake up, we will have an “empty suit,” as President.

    Good luck with that.

    • Ocean Joe

      April 29, 2020 at 9:07 am

      The last ’empty suit’ president was W Bush, who read ‘My Pet Goat’ while Cheney ran the show, including the Iraq fiasco and the nonresponse to the mortgage meltdown and the Great Recession. You probably voted him twice, right? If Biden wins it will be like Gerald Ford. Not great but the recovery can begin and the confederate flags can be put away again. So while you make a good point you fail to mention that Trump (who I voted for) is the craziest president in American history. There’s good crazy, and bad crazy. Climate denying and removing the deep water oil drilling safety standards…that’s bad crazy.

  • Palmer Tom

    April 29, 2020 at 12:28 am

    But Trump is totally rational and never misspeaks. Right.

  • Harold Finch

    April 29, 2020 at 8:42 am

    How absolutely frightening that Ole Fricasseed Fried who’s claim to fame is as a Pot lobbyist, and winning an election by a fluke, is now in a national democratic leader. God help us!!!

  • Tara Reade

    April 29, 2020 at 9:23 am

    I believe Tara Reade.

  • GWPCONCRETEMAN

    April 29, 2020 at 12:58 pm

    The United States of AMERICA is under a FEDERAL NATIONAL EMERGENCY ORDER along with the STATE OF FLORIDA is under a STATE EMERGENCY ORDER, however our State Agricultural Commissioner is campaigning with FORMER VP BIDEN during a WORLD WIDE PANDEMIC….. The Marijuana Industry should very proud that one day our country will be STONED, BROKE and FOREIGN CONTROLLED. Have we forgotten the FLIP FLORIDA BLUE MASTERMINDS love DRUGS…….. GOD BLESS AMERICA. Semper Fi

  • Solutions

    April 29, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    Hope he stays awake. Maybe get some meth from Gillum?

Comments are closed.


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