Biden is in the midst of the most intense period of his political career. But if he can weather the storm, he might escape unscathed, the architect of President Barack Obama’s victory told The Daily Beast. “If he makes it through the next two weeks without congressional leaders trying to force him to resign, I suspect he will be the nominee,” Axelrod said. Axelrod has been relentless in his criticism of Biden, calling him “out of touch” for his insistence on staying in the presidential race in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. Never a fan of Obama’s advisory group from the start, Biden was particularly upset by Axelrod’s months-long doubts about the president’s re-election campaign. “If he makes it through the next two weeks without congressional leaders trying to force him to resign, I suspect he will be the nominee,” Axelrod said.