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Former Obama/Biden MT state director of students: Biden should not run in 2020

Posted at 9:00 AM, May 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-01 11:00:34-04

KALISPELL – A Flathead man who worked with former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden while backing their campaign, does not back Biden in the 2020 election.

Nathan Kosted says he has always been interested in politics and in 2007, his interest was put to the test as he became Montana’s state director of students for Obama’s campaign, helping elect him to office.

“I was brought onto the campaign when they came to Montana during the primary in 2008. I was able to meet then-senator Obama and introduce him on stage,” explained Kosted.

Kosted reprised his role in 2012 when President Obama was reelected to office and has a few fun stories about being on the road with the pair.

“He took a photo with me and even asked me, he pulled the camera aside and said ‘is this a good enough photo do we need to take another one’?” Kosted recalled.

“I was so nervous. It was blurry but I didn’t say we should. I’m talking to the United States senator running for President I was like ‘yeah that’s fine. Thank you’.”

Nathan Kosted
Nathan Kosted was Montana’s state director of students for Obama’s campaign, helping elect him to office.

While Kosted fought for Obama and Biden then, he doesn’t believe Biden should run for President in 2020.

He told MTN News that Biden voted for the Iraq war and NAFTA — which encourages trade between North America and it’s three major economic powers — which he says aren’t forward thinking ideas the country needs right now.

Biden ran for office in 1988 and 2008, and Kosted says with an already strong Democratic pool, he believes Biden will only set the country back further.​

“We can move into the 21st century again, instead of being dragged back into the dark ages,” Kosted said.

He stressed that Biden was only Obama’s running mate and his career cannot be defined by his time occupying the White House.

Facebook and Google say Biden went on an online advertising spree after jumping into the race last Thursday.

Since then, he has spent nearly $800,000 on digital ads.