# Swap Biden for Clinton? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 16, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667 "2012-08-16T13:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/21 "2012-08-16T16:47:33Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > Doesn’t the Constitution say the job would go to Boehner? Now that would be ugly. If Biden resigned from office, yes. If he didn’t resign but had to leave the ticket and Obama needed a new running mate, someone like Hillary or Tim Cain could get an offer. ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/22 "2012-08-16T16:50:16Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > Doesn’t the Constitution say the job would go to Boehner? Now that would be ugly. As far as I know, the “Order of Succession” only applies to the President. If both Obama and Biden resigned/died at once, the Presidency would go to Boehner. Otherwise the VP choice is up to Obama (and has to be confirmed by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/23 "2012-08-16T16:54:56Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > If Biden resigned from office, yes. If he didn’t resign but had to leave the ticket and Obama needed a new running mate, someone like Hillary or Tim Cain could get an offer. Nope. [25th Amendment.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) Witness one [Spiro T. Agnew.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_Agnew#Resignation) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/24 "2012-08-16T17:12:19Z")
> [@CloudTectonics](#): > > Don’t know about y’all but I’ve been seeing so much of this kind of speculation lately. Most recently here… > > [http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/today-day\_650058.html](http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/today-day_650058.html) Wow, the President is holding a closed-door meeting with the Vice President and Secretary of State. You’ll pardon me if I don’t yell “Stop the Presses.” And [McCain’s offering advice to the Obama camp now](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79763.html?hp=l8)? Yeah, cuz he’s proven himself to be so good at presidential campaigning. Actually, I half suspect McCain’s rooting for Obama to win. As it stands right now, McCain as a decorated war hero, lost to a black guy with a Muslim name and very little national experience. If I were McCain, my only condolence to that would be if Obama went on to be the greatest president we’d seen since Lincoln; would kind of take the sting out of the loss. But if Obama’s only a one-termer, well… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/25 "2012-08-16T17:40:33Z")
I don’t think Obama needs Biden anymore, but he certainly doesn’t need Clinton. If Biden wants to turn in his dinner pail, let someone young take over the post in preparation for '16 (Tim Kaine)? ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/26 "2012-08-16T17:57:26Z")
John McCain has clearly proved that he should be the LAST person offering anyone advise on a VP selection. ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/27 "2012-08-16T18:09:32Z")
The White House will be sticking with Joe Biden: > **[Obama to stick with Biden as veep](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/presidential-campaign/122669-obama-to-stick-with-biden-as-veep/)** > > President Obama has no intention of getting rid of Vice President Biden as his running mate, the White House said Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/28 "2012-08-16T18:30:56Z")
The other thing is, will Biden be the clear front runner going into the Democratic primary in the election after this one? If HRC doesn’t run (and I think it likely she won’t), then who else? He needs to hang onto the #2 slot if he wants to be first in line for the #1 slot in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/29 "2012-08-16T18:37:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The other thing is, will Biden be the clear front runner going into the Democratic primary in the election after this one? Biden would be older then McCain was in 2016. And he doesn’t really act like someone whose gunning for the nomination. I suspect he’ll call it a career after his time as VP is over. And with the pressure of running for office or being part of the Administration off, he can start telling the press what he _really_ thinks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/30 "2012-08-16T18:45:04Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Biden would be older then McCain was in 2016. And he doesn’t really act like someone whose gunning for the nomination. I didn’t realize that. Time to go, Joe. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/31 "2012-08-16T18:49:18Z")
Another reminder: we endured years and years of debate about Bush and Cheney doing the same thing, and it never happened because being VP was the apex of Cheney’s career and because dumping a VP would be a huge problem for any candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/32 "2012-08-16T19:40:13Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Cheney’s not to everybody’s right? Oh, I didn’t know machinery was eligible. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/33 "2012-08-16T20:22:21Z")
> [@Engineer\_Dude](#): > > The White House will be sticking with Joe Biden: > > [http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/presidential-campaign/243983-white-house-says-obama-is-sticking-with-biden-as-running-mate](http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/presidential-campaign/243983-white-house-says-obama-is-sticking-with-biden-as-running-mate) “Asked about McCain’s remarks Wednesday, Carney said: “One place I would not go for advice on presidential running mates is John McCain.”” ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/34 "2012-08-16T21:22:48Z")
There’s no way Obama could do this and not come off looking terrible. ---
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/35 "2012-08-16T22:05:50Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Any time the Dems get campaign-strategy advice from Sarah Palin, I think it’s pretty safe to dismiss it. She’s an idiot, and she hates everyone to her left and to her right. Also below her and above her. What about Todd Palin and John McCain? ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/36 "2012-08-16T22:08:50Z")
I think she’s okay with people inside of her. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/37 "2012-08-16T22:32:25Z")
FYI, Bill Keller suggested this in a [January column](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/opinion/keller-just-the-ticket.html) in the New York Times. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/38 "2012-08-16T22:53:04Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > FYI, Bill Keller suggested this in a [January column](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/opinion/keller-just-the-ticket.html) in the New York Times. And he was ridiculed for doing so by just about everybody in the political universe. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/39 "2012-08-16T23:01:21Z")
Why does this subject have to come up every election cycle. Presidents don’t drop their VP. It reflects poorly on their past decisions and its an incredible stupid political decision. The VP isn’t some name they pulled out of a hat. They have political obligations to stand by them. Biden is an incredible smart politician and volunteered to leave a very comfortable senate seat to take the job. I find it highly unlikely he didn’t have some guarantee Obama would stick with him provided he brought his political capital to Obama’s side. Biden didn’t just hop on for the ride he brought experience to the ticket. I doubt Obama could have won without him. Many people had concerns about Obama’s lack of experience, things might not have gone so well if Obama grabbed a freshman governor for the VP slot. Biden is gaff prone which could very well be intentional or the reason to bring him on board to begin with. In our modern media world, the VP is a rodeo clown. They use their position to get attention. Either to take heat off the President or to bring trial issues up to see how they play before risking the President. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667/40 "2012-08-17T01:51:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Biden is gaff prone… Is he, really? I mean, I keep on seeing people mentioning how incredibly gaffe-prone Biden is, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone actually mentioning any of those gaffes themselves. What, specifically, gaffes has he made? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swap-biden-for-clinton/631667.md?page=3)