John Kerry endorsed Joe Biden this week. John Kerry, the former senator from Massachusetts and Obama’s Secretary of State in his second term as president, is an old friend and colleague of Biden’s so it might not have been too much of a surprise. What was a surprise was how poorly the endorsement was rolled out.

No doubt, John Kerry was brought out for an official endorsement during Biden’s “No Malarkey” bus tour in Iowa as a play for the undecided, older voters in more rural spots of the state. I don’t know what kind of reassurance an appearance by Kerry would bring but there you are. You’ll remember that Joe Biden was brought on to the Obama ticket in 2008 for his foreign policy experience since Obama had none. To see Biden and Kerry together just looked like two old men past their expiration dates in politics.

Politics is about possibilities, and the future, not the past. Voters are looking for inspiration and hope for the future. Sleepy Joe and Winter Soldier Kerry just aren’t really inspiring, if you ask me. I realize I’m not their audience. Kerry was able to reminisce and talk about winning the state caucus in 2004, though pundits didn’t think he would win. Biden would like the same outcome. As the polling stands today in Iowa, however, Biden is in fourth place at 16.3%, according to Real Clear Politics. In first place is Buttigieg at 24.0%, followed by Sanders at 18.3%, and Warren at 17.7%. This is Biden’s third presidential run. The voters in Iowa, especially the older ones, already know him. If middle-aged voters yearn for the days of Obama, they may see Biden as a possibility but mostly the younger ones are interested in the socialists running.

Joe Biden has been historically wrong about foreign policy throughout his political career. Kerry’s record is just as bad, especially given his involvement in the disastrous deal with the Iranians. I just don’t understand why he chose or courted Kerry’s endorsement and why now for the timing. Maybe he was trying to counter the slap in the face he received when three people from ObamaWorld endorsed Pete Buttigieg this week – Reggie Love, Austen Goolsbee, and Linda Douglass. Ouch. Remember, Mayor Pete is currently in first place in Iowa.

I think Biden is on the way out unless he can really turn things around. I know that nationally he is still at the top. He’s ahead in Nevada and South Carolina, too. So far, though, the longer he is in the race, the more he looks like he doesn’t have the stamina or mental chops to stay in. He’s 77 years of age but not a young 77 mentally. He often looks confused and forgets exactly where he is – as when he spoke as though he was in Vermont while campaigning in New Hampshire. He is short-tempered with reporters and this week proved to be short-tempered with potential voters, too. He called an 83-year-old man a liar and told him he’s too old to vote. I don’t even know what that means but it wasn’t something a candidate says to a voter. Most of all, Biden has been unable to craft an acceptable answer to the questions he is beginning to receive (finally!) about Hunter Biden’s place on Burisma’s board. Biden simply feigns ignorance or he becomes agitated by questions.

Joe Biden was supposed to be the safe choice for the non-socialist wing of the Democrats. Then he got out on the campaign trail and everyone found out he’s not just ‘good old Joe’ making mistakes in his speeches and answering questions from the audience. Now it is questionable how long he’ll survive on the campaign trail. Moderate Democrats were so alarmed that Mike Bloomberg jumped in the race and he’s in 5th place at Real Clear Politics.

The Kerry endorsement reminded the far left of his past votes in favor of the Iraq war, along with Joe’s.

But Kerry and Biden don’t want to acknowledge a historic tie that binds them: Both men were important supporters of the Iraq war, voting for the invasion on the Senate floor and continuing to back the war after it began. Over the years, political winds have shifted — and Biden, like Kerry, has methodically lied about his support for that horrendous war.

The spectacle of Kerry praising Biden as a seasoned leader amounts to one supporter of the Iraq catastrophe attesting to the character and experience of another supporter of the same catastrophe.

The Kerry endorsement didn’t seem to increase Biden’s crowds in Iowa. Over the course of Biden’s eight-day tour of the state, he boasted of crowds totaling 2,000 people, all totaled. Both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have drawn huge crowds, especially in the more populated areas of the state. Bragging about garnering a total of 2,000 seems a bit desperate, doesn’t it?

The campaign says the timing of the endorsement had to do with the argument of experience and electability, given Buttigieg’s rise in the polls. It was a bit of a slap at two candidates from Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren and Deval Patrick. If by chance, Warren ends up as the nominee, the endorsement will be a little awkward for Kerry.

Kerry made calls to some Democratic presidential candidates on Thursday, giving them a heads up that he was intending to endorse Biden, a Kerry aide told CNN. He made calls at least to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. It is unclear whether he called other candidates.

“I don’t endorse lightly,” Kerry said. “Joe and I both got into public service to make our country fairer for people and make the world safer. I’ve watched Joe do exactly that as a senator, statesman, and vice president.”

The timing of the endorsement was determined by the Biden campaign, a Biden adviser said, as the campaign continues to make an argument of electability and experience. It’s also part of the Biden campaign’s effort to try and slow South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s momentum in Iowa and beyond.

Kerry vouched for Biden, saying he can take the country back to the way things were before Trump blew everything up. I don’t think, though, that Americans are longing for more pallets of taxpayer dollars heading out the door to Iranians who use that money to purchase weapons and increase their nuclear capability to kill Americans. That is the first example of past leadership from Kerry and Biden that comes to mind. The protectors of the status quo lost in 2016. If this keeps up, they will lose again in 2020.

Proud to head back to Iowa tomorrow to campaign with my friend Joe. I’m not endorsing Joe because I’ve known him for so long, but because I know him so well: he'll be ready on day one to put back together the country and the world that Donald Trump has broken apart.

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) December 5, 2019