On Wednesday, Biden decided he needed to take matters firmer in hand. He released a seemingly homemade video of himself, laying out his views on connecting with voters emotionally and even physically, and vowing to “be more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space.”
“In my career, I’ve always tried to make a human connection — that’s my responsibility, I think,” Biden said. “I shake hands, I hug people, I grab men and women by the shoulders and say, ‘You can do this.’ ”
But he added: “Social norms have begun to change, they’ve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it. I get it. I hear what they’re saying.”
The two-minute video amounted to a tacit admission by Biden, 76, and his aides that they needed to take more action than they had since Friday, when a former Nevada assemblywoman, Lucy Flores, published an essay in which she described Biden touching her inappropriately and kissing her on the head in 2014. On Tuesday, two more women told The New York Times the former vice president’s touches made them uncomfortable.
Though he has not yet announced he would seek the 2020 Democratic nomination, Biden is widely expected to join the race soon. He began his video in a manner that suggested his entry is just a matter of time: “Folks,” he said, “in the coming month I expect to be talking to you about a whole lot of issues, and I’ll always be direct with you.”
Reaction to the complaints about Biden’s behavior has been divided, and that carried over to his video address Wednesday.
Alicia Garza, a prominent progressive activist, said on Twitter she was “disappointed” with Biden’s statement and called it “mealy-mouthed at best.”
“Try this,” she added, “I’m so sorry that my actions had this impact on you. I will do the work to be better and do better.”
Several female Democratic lawmakers said they were happy to see him addressing the matter more fully.
“I think he needs to listen, and he’s committed to doing that,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.