Joe Biden Plans 2 Campaign Rallies In Pennsylvania: Reports

Former Vice President Joe Biden is reportedly expected to make a pair of campaign stops in Pennsylvania this week after announcing his 2020 presidential bid.

Biden plans to make the announcement early Wednesday, The Atlantic first reported. Numerous outlets have since reported that this announcement may take place in Charlottesville, Virginia, a symbolic choice following the deadly incident at a 2017 white supremacist rally that is often held up as one of the darkest moments of President Trump's presidency.

From Charlottesville, the preliminary plan has him flying to Pittsburgh for a rally, and then to Philadelphia for another rally, possibly on the Art Museum steps, reports state. Nothing has been set in stone, and the timing for these events remains unclear, sources caution.

The announcement, if it does indeed occur Wednesday, will bring an end to years of speculation regarding Biden's future political ambitions. That speculation well predates the Trump presidency, as Biden had also considered running in 2016 before ceding to party wishes that Hillary Clinton be the candidate.

Biden will join a packed Democratic primary field as the preliminary favorite, though his lead has grown thinner in recent months. According to an average of polls over the past three weeks from RealClearPolitics, Biden currently sits at 30 percent, leading Bernie Sanders (22.5 percent) by 7.5 points. After the two elder statesmen of the field there is a significant drop to Beto O'Rourke (8.8), Kamala Harris (8.5), and the rest.

To supporters, he's not only the most experienced candidate, he's also the most level-headed and pragmatic. He's developed a reputation for working across the aisle through decades in the Senate, and he's not afraid to anger the outliers of his party if it means compromising for a greater good. Yet despite strong support from the middle of the party and its establishment, the 76-year-old surely has his detractors on the left. There are plenty who think he is too much of a centrist to respond to Trump, while others point to his advanced age. If elected, Biden would be the oldest president in American history; three years older than 73-year-old Ronald Reagan when he was elected for a second term.

It's noteworthy that two events are planned in Pennsylvania immediatley following his official announcement. Biden has close ties to the region, as a native of Scranton, former U.S. Senator in Delaware, and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where the Penn Biden Center has been launched.

His campaign announcement video will reportedly draw on footage taken in Scranton, drawing on his working class upbringing — possibly targeted at President Trump's base. Dating back to last fall, he indicated the importance of Pennsylvania to his potential run, saying then, "If I'm running for president, I'll be here a lot."

Support for Biden among Democrats in Pennsylvania stood at 28 percent, according to the most recent poll from Muhlenberg College.

Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen is planning a fundraiser at his home for Biden on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has also endorsed Biden, indicating local establishment support that could prove vital in both the general and primary elections, given Pennsylvania's importance as a battleground state.

Clinton defeated Sanders in Pennsylvania in the 2016 presidential primary, while President Trump's key victory over Clinton in the Keystone State helped propel him to the White House.

2020 marks Biden's third campaign for president, following failed bids in 1988 and, of course, 2008.