# A Poll on Biden **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 16, 2020, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946 "2020-04-16T20:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/41 "2020-04-17T13:04:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > If Warren didnt have a republican governor, so we’d lose a dem seat in the senate, she’d be a good candidate. Biden/Warren 2020: Who wants hard candy? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/42 "2020-04-17T13:21:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > If Warren didnt have a republican governor, so we’d lose a dem seat in the senate, she’d be a good candidate. Would it? If [this site](https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vacancies-in-the-united-states-senate.aspx) is correct, there’d be a special election: > [@](#): > > 145-160 days after vacancy occurs. If a vacancy occurs after April 10 but on or before the 70th day before the regular state primary, the office shall appear on the regular state primary ballot. If a vacancy occurs after that time, the office shall appear on the state election ballot that November. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/43 "2020-04-17T13:35:06Z")
I would have expected a lot more “Biden was my first choice”. I mean, obviously someone in the party likes him. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/44 "2020-04-17T13:42:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I would have expected a lot more “Biden was my first choice”. I mean, obviously someone in the party likes him. The feeling I had was the Biden was only the first choice of 20-25% of Dems. But he was a far greater number of peoples acceptable choice. I think the support for Hillary was probably about the same in the end but with a lower number of acceptable choice. It looks like Biden wasn’t even 20% for Dopers, but I don’t think that is much of a surprise. This board runs to the left overall. Bernie, Warren & Booker had a lot of support. Also a lot of people legitimately worry about Biden’s age. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/45 "2020-04-17T14:03:47Z")
I think Biden provided a good safety candidate for a lot of people so they could put their support on someone else in the crowd. If it had been just 2-3 possible candidates Biden would have been at the top of the list for more people, but maybe not the last man/woman standing. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/46 "2020-04-17T14:05:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So, in WW2, with a Choice between Chamberlain or Hitler, you’d pick no one, since both are just as bad? > > This isnt a choice better Good vs evil, it is a choice between the \*end of democracy as we know it \*vs a OK guy who isnt perfect. I’m going to step in and declare this out of bounds. Let’s make this thread about the polling and discussion and leave the frantic cries about other’s preferences out. Or at least keep them at a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/47 "2020-04-17T14:10:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I would have expected a lot more “Biden was my first choice”. I mean, obviously someone in the party likes him. Well, we skew white, Gen X and pretty lefty. You gotta take that into account, my friend. We ain’t most of Biden’s key demographics. For me? I’d say I’d have been happy with Mayor Pete, Harris or Warren. But Biden will be acceptable for me except for my inherent pissed-offedness about having to vote for one more goddam boomer. But I’m in the ‘True Blue No Matter Who’ camp. A new President may be an unknown quantity but the current one is a KNOWN quantity and I sure don’t want more of that. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/48 "2020-04-17T14:35:57Z")
I chose #1, because he’s who I expected to actually vote for in the primary and general election (and did in the primary), although I’d have preferred Pete Buttigieg, but he dropped out prior to my chances to actually vote. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/49 "2020-04-17T14:50:55Z")
I thought Biden should have run in 2016 when he was at the peak of power and popularity as the second in command of a popular administration. I know his son died so a grieving process was needed but the cynic in me if I was advising him would have been to run and do it for his son. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/50 "2020-04-17T14:54:11Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Well, we skew white, Gen X and pretty lefty. You gotta take that into account, my friend. We ain’t most of Biden’s key demographics. > > For me? > > I’d say I’d have been happy with Mayor Pete, Harris or Warren. But Biden will be acceptable for me except for my inherent pissed-offedness about having to vote for one more goddam boomer. > > But I’m in the ‘True Blue No Matter Who’ camp. A new President may be an unknown quantity but the current one is a KNOWN quantity and I sure don’t want more of that. Biden is not a boomer. He would be our first (and last) silent generation president. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/51 "2020-04-17T14:58:22Z")
I knew that would pop up definitionally, but talk to him, see how he functions. It’s like my mom - born in late 44 - telling me she’s not a boomer despite her tye-die wearing, hippy and disco ways. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/52 "2020-04-17T15:29:25Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I would have been fine with any number of Democratic candidates. I kinda wish Biden hadn’t run, so the voters would have not had him as the “eh, he’ll do” choice. Instead, we would have had to coalesce around someone new. I feel that the fact that people turned to Biden indicates we weren’t finding a new face to coalesce around. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/53 "2020-04-17T15:36:56Z")
In many ways except his age, he was the candidate with the best chance to win. His rust-belt appeal to flip back those states Trump won over Hillary is very strong. His appeal to African-Americans is very strong, stronger than I thought based on the large turn out for him in the primaries and polls from that community. Then the sadly small turnout of the youth vote for Sanders showed that his candidacy was weaker than I thought. Sanders of course also suffered from age. Finally Biden plays well with Seniors and may well take Florida & Arizona, this would be a big set-back for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/54 "2020-04-17T16:23:02Z")
There is no scenario in which I’d vote for Trump. I thought Biden was the Dems best chance at beating Trump all along. Sanders would have been an unmitigated disaster. I can likely live with Biden as POTUS, but I’m voting third party. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/55 "2020-04-17T16:37:35Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > There is no scenario in which I’d vote for Trump. I thought Biden was the Dems best chance at beating Trump all along. Sanders would have been an unmitigated disaster. I can likely live with Biden as POTUS, but I’m voting third party. So, if I’m reading this correctly, Trump is terrible and Biden is okay, but you’re voting for a third party which helps the \*terrible \*and hurts the _okay._ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/56 "2020-04-17T16:41:27Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > So, if I’m reading this correctly, Trump is terrible and Biden is okay, but you’re voting for a third party which helps the \*terrible \*and hurts the _okay._ But keep in mind, he’s a Republican refusing to vote for Trump at least. That was me in 2000, voting Green over Bush/Cheney. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/57 "2020-04-17T16:49:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Hardly invalidated. It is a decent sampling of thise board. > > Yes, and there are 66 Million for voted for the democratic candidate- who are watching trump and the GOP falling apart right in front o f their eyes as we speak. Eight million of those 66 million were in California. Take out the 8 million Dem votes AND the 4 million Rep votes from California, and Donald Trump is the popular vote winner in the other 49 states. I would trade a million of those California votes for 25,000 votes in Michigan, another million for 50,000 votes in Pennsylvania, and another million for 30,000 votes in Wisconsin. Those are the voters I’m worried about looking for a reason to justify their votes for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/58 "2020-04-17T16:55:26Z")
I liked Cory Booker and then, when he dropped out, switched to Elizabeth Warren. Very sorry neither of them went the distance. Joe Biden, for all his many flaws, is 'waaaaaaaay better than the incumbent, and I will certainly volunteer, donate and vote for him. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/59 "2020-04-17T17:06:23Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > So, if I’m reading this correctly, Trump is terrible and Biden is okay, but you’re voting for a third party which helps the \*terrible \*and hurts the _okay._ > [@What\_Exit](#): > > But keep in mind, he’s a Republican refusing to vote for Trump at least. > > That was me in 2000, voting Green over Bush/Cheney. Not exactly. I’m not a Republican. Stopped identifying as such when Bush the Younger took us into an unnecessary war. By this board’s standards, I’m fairly conservative, but most of those graph your ideology type tests will place me only slightly right of center. I cannot vote for Biden because of his support for an assault weapons ban and other anti-gun measures. If he wins, while I likely will not agree with all of his policies, I can at least accept that he’s a reasonably decent man. Put another way, If Biden wins, I will no longer have to be ashamed of POTUS. And rely on control of Congress remaining divided to prevent anything too radical from getting enacted. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946/60 "2020-04-17T17:12:49Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I cannot vote for Biden because of his support for an assault weapons ban and other anti-gun measures. You can, but you choose not to because, apparently, you believe guns are more important than all the other issues (including general decency) Biden is better than Trump on. You are free to make this choice, but why on earth would you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-on-biden/851946.md?page=4)