Every political blog and website that I read has been buzzing with talk about Joe Biden. The reason, I suppose, is not hard to understand. Mainstream, big money Democrats are watching Hillary’s gaffes and scandals pile up and her popularity plummet, and they’re starting to think that they need a new candidate. Enter Joe Biden.
But can anyone imagine him actually winning? Biden hails from Deleware. Deleware is an uninspiring state. No one hates it, but no one dreams of moving there or plans to take their honeymoon there. Joe Biden is the Deleware of politicians. No one thinks he’s the worst politician in America, but no one’s enthusiastic about him. He’s run for President before, and gotten single-digit support every time.
After all what has Biden done? How’s he going to build a winning coalition? Woo blacks by calling Obama “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy”? Impress educators by saying, “It’s a three letter word: jobs. J O B S. Jobs.” Speak to America’s growing multiculturalism by explaining that “You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking”? Shore up his policy cred by saying, "“If we do everything right, there’s still a 30% chance we’re going to get it wrong”? What’s Biden got?
I could add, he also has some extremely hardline “law-and-order” initiatives under his belt–expanding federal death penalty, mandatory minimums, police militarization. Stuff that might sell better outside a Democratic primary in 2016, than in one.
It’s perfectly legitimate to discuss Biden’s qualifications for President, but throwing in those quotes as de-legitimizing him is pure political hackery, as everyone not buried neck deep in the Right-Wing echo machine knows. Nobody, but nobody thinks there is anything mean spirited about any of those comments unless you get your news and opinions from Hannity and Limbaugh. The other 80% of Americans roll their eyes when that tired old saw is thrown out.
Donald Trump has said a dozen things in the past 24 hours that are legitimately mean, racist, and sexist and you couldn’t find a supporter who cares a whit, and that’s 40 or 50% of Republicans.
It is the flip side of “honesty” though. He says what he thinks without looking at it and editing it first. Unfiltered and off the cuff. That is honest of him and he does usually mean well. And historically it destroys him on when running for national office.
Biden is a sitting VP. If you want an Obama 3rd term, he’s the most logical choice. He’s honest to a fault, he comes from a humble background and never got rich off his office unlike some people we won’t mention.
Yeah, but look at the kinds of craziness that has come out of overly honest candidates’ mouths in the last couple of cycles. Back when most politicians were polished, Biden seemed like a loose cannon. But stand him up next to Donald Trump, GWB, Ted Cruz, Todd Akin, etc. and his gaffes seem pretty mild. He’s a guy who says what he thinks and none of it is truly outrageous, just sometimes headscratching.
Biden is special because he doesn’t pretend to be moderate. He actually is. I’d bet that most politicians harbor some strange views but know enough to avoid saying anything important until it’s well polled and focus grouped. But Biden’s mind doesn’t actually seem to harbor weird ideas. Because if he did, we’d probably have heard them out of his mouth by now.
None of those other guys are running for the Democratic nomination.
Yes he could beat Trump and Cruz. GWB said stupid things but rarely hateful ones that I recall.
But he would be running against Clinton and the compare/contrast is to her having learned that even an honest laugh can be harmful. (The Cackle.) She considers everything she utters three times before it gets past her lips, and it shows as wooden delivery and as less honest. For many it is that sort of trade-off. He’d be more “honest” and have more that does him in as a result … even though he is probably a true good guy.
He seems to have been more done in by his inability to fundraise, plus his timing. Seriously, did he really expect to have a shot in a field in which Democrats were enamored with Obama and Clinton?
But now he’s VP. The money will come. Plus he’s been in two national campaigns where his words could have sunk the campaign but never came close to doing so.
Right, and the fact that this has started before he has even declared that he is running is reason enough for me to want to see him run. Anyone who can scare the opposition that much has something going for him.
I have to admit, I’m not a big Biden fan. He means well, and Obama says the VP has been a trusted and valuable advisor, but I think he’s just a shoot-from-the-hip gaffe generator with no gravitas. I expect I would spend his entire term rolling my eyes at his latest goofy pronouncement and the subsequent “What he meant to say was…” cleanup effort by White House staff.
