# Is Joe Biden a viable/likely candidate for President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 14, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488 "2015-06-14T05:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/21 "2015-06-15T13:00:05Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Biden only gaffes in the traditional sense: he tells the truth. He tells you what he’s thinking. He’s incapable of lying, not a bad trait in a leader. Although often inconvenient for him and those around him in power. One thing a Biden administration would not be good at is spin. Thank goodness. Spin and messaging are the bane of the Republic. _ **A** _ bane, perhaps. If anyone wishes to insist that there can be only one bane of the Republic, I’m going to submit that it’s the Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/22 "2015-06-15T15:22:49Z")
I don’t think so-he is showing signs of senile dementia even now. His stupid gaffes are one thing, but do you want a senile old man in charge of the US military? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/23 "2015-06-15T16:32:32Z")
We managed to live through it once. And even if senile, if Biden _were_ to become the Democratic nominee, he would _still_ be preferable to ANY Republican. ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/24 "2015-06-15T17:58:54Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Eh, he did tell a Democratic politician in a wheelchair to stand up so people could get a better look at him, and when he met the Irish Prime Minister on St Patrick’s Day, he made a joke about not allowing anybody wearing Orange in the room, which annoyed Irish Unionists. He also, at one point, insinuated the former Irish Prime Minister’s mother was dead, when she wasn’t. > > He also called the recently deceased President of Singapore “the wisest man in the Orient”, which, while not really a gaffe, annoyed the people who don’t like the term “Orient”. Anyone who spends a great deal in public will make the occasional blunder - more so if you go off script as he tends to do. So many pols are so tightly scripted when in the public eye nowadays, but if you were to compare him with another politician out there in his mold I doubt the percentage of gaffes he makes would be that much more… ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/25 "2015-06-15T20:14:07Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > _ **A** _ bane, perhaps. If anyone wishes to insist that there can be only one bane of the Republic, I’m going to submit that it’s the Republicans. I was thinking more in line of things that everyone does. One thing that strikes me from reading old news stories is how much more direct our government was and how much less obsessed they were with consistent messaging. I realize the TV media age changed some things, but it’s gotten ridiculous. Biden would be a throwback in that respect. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/26 "2015-06-15T20:32:25Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Biden only gaffes in the traditional sense: he tells the truth. In a word, [no](http://www.factcheck.org/2011/10/bidens-flint-fiasco-continued/). In two words, [hell no](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/bidens-absurd-claims-about-rising-rape-and-murder-rates/2011/10/20/gIQAkq0y1L_blog.html). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/27 "2015-06-15T20:48:58Z")
That just proves my point. When he tries to lie it’s so outlandish that no one believes him anyway. He’s really, really, bad at it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/28 "2015-06-17T20:58:38Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Entirely fiction, eh? > > [Complete List - Top 10 Joe Biden Gaffes - TIME](http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1895156,00.html) Let’s examine that list, shall we? **“Off-Color Approval”** - Biden muttered “this is a big fucking deal” to Obama during an embrace at the ceremonial signing of the Affordable Care Act. - my assessment: if you think this a big deal, fucking or otherwise, you’re an idiot. **“No Need to PANIC, EVERYBODY!”** - Biden expresses concern about travelling in “confined places”, i.e. aircraft, during a swine flu outbreak. - my assessment: I’m not sure if the contagion risk is all that elevated (no pun intended) during air travel, but meh. Later, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs commented, “If people felt unduly alarmed for whatever reason, we would certainly apologize for that.” Gibbs should have said “If people felt unduly alarmed for whatever reason, they should grow the fuck up.” **“Joe Biden’s Stimulus Stumble”** - Biden, about the 2010 economic stimulus package: “If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there’s still a 30% chance we’re going to get it wrong.” - my assessment: that’s not a gaffe, that’s refreshingly realistic. It is indeed possible to do your best, indeed do as well as you possibly could, and still fail. That’s _life_, and anyone who hasn’t learned this yet is either an overly indulged spoiled brat or a fucking idiot. There’s more, but I think I’ve gone over this list before and I seem to recall that only one or two instances were particularly gaffish. The rest were either misunderstood or disingenuously over-reacted to. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/29 "2015-06-17T21:35:44Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > …and at this point it’s probably too late, barring death or scandal for Hillary. Stop being such a tease! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/30 "2015-06-17T22:24:17Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Let’s examine that list, shall we? Yes, Let’s. •A “Stand Up” Slipup Telling a wheelchair-bound state Senator to “Stand up”. •A Dubious Compliment Referring to candidate Obama as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” •Diversity in Delaware? Suggesting that one cannot go into a 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts without an Indian accent. •Much Ado About … A Lot Plagiarism and inflating his academic record, which torpedoed his previous Presidential run. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/31 "2015-06-17T23:40:10Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Yes, Let’s. I admit I got bored after the first three, but there are ten items in all, and you’ve only listed four. So are those four the ones you consider gaffish, out of the ten? Anyway, aside from possibly his age (and it’s worth noting that his father and mother lived to be 87 and 93), I don’t see a problem with Biden making a run or possibly accepting a cabinet post in Hillary’s administration. His “gaffe” reputation is overblown, and even calling it that is generous. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/32 "2015-06-18T00:25:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > He does not have foot-in-mouth disease. That’s when you say things you didn’t mean to. His “problem”, such as it is, is that sometimes he says _exactly_ what he means. “A gaffe occurs not when a politician lies, but when he tells the truth – some obvious truth he isn’t supposed to say.” – Michael Kinsley ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/33 "2015-06-19T02:03:37Z")
> [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](#): > > No because he is too far to the left Is Biden any leftier than Obama or Clinton? ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/34 "2015-06-24T20:12:37Z")
I would like to see Biden run. I would only vote for Hillary if she was running against Trump. I would likely vote for Biden over several of the current Republican candidates. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/35 "2015-06-26T16:20:23Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > I would like to see Biden run. I would only vote for Hillary if she was running against Trump. Why? On what basis do you distinguish them? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/36 "2015-06-26T23:33:05Z")
Um, honesty? Better connection with everyday Americans? Not using your office and fame to cash in? ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/37 "2015-07-02T16:27:26Z")
Joe is such a real guy, extremely likable, and could be the guy who would get congress to work together. Obama genuinely loves the guy, he’s a mensch. I could definitely see Obama’s base picking up the mantle for Joe. 72 years isn’t insurmountable. He seems to be very fit. And truly, Hillary doesn’t have his charisma. But his family tragedies… I can’t even imagine. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/38 "2015-07-02T17:11:03Z")
Since I think of Joe as a pretty decent and selfless guy, I think his decision will be based on whether or not he thinks he would be a better Democratic standard-bearer than the other candidates, and so I think he may hold back until there’s any sign that Hillary is having problems. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/39 "2015-07-02T19:59:53Z")
Here’s a crazy thought: how about Biden for Hillary’s VP? Unprecedented, maybe, but allowable, AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488/40 "2015-07-03T15:18:42Z")
> [@](#): > > But in recent days, speculation has begun to soar. New York businessman Jon Cooper, a former Obama fundraising bundler now working on a draft effort to get Biden into the race, told the Monitor Thursday that he puts the probability of Biden running at 80 percent. > **[Will Joe Biden run for president? Drumbeat picks up.](https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2015/0703/Will-Joe-Biden-run-for-president-Drumbeat-picks-up)** > > A former Obama fundraiser, now finance chair for Draft Biden 2016, puts the probability that Vice President Joe Biden will run at 80 percent. And the latest poll shows Mr. Biden slightly ahead of Bernie Sanders. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-joe-biden-a-viable-likely-candidate-for-president/722488.md?page=3)