Biden who will be 76 years old this year is on quote saying he didn’t have the steam to run in 2016. Okay, you have to respect that, he’s old.
If he were to win Presidency, Biden would be 78 years old at the time of his swearing-in. At that age, you have to wonder if he’d even live out his first term and doubt he would do so in his second. Would he have the energy needed past 80?
I like Biden far more than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. On paper he might be able to take back Pennsylvania, however, the general Democratic base of votersmight have issues with him as was a hawk on Iraq, authorizing to use force, and has a history on abortion rights. A bit gaffe-prone too, and he was never very good in a debate unless the person across from him was Sarah Palin.
“Gaffe-prone” is now an obsolete term as far as I’m concerned. Biden is a bit rough around the edges but these days that’s a strength, not a weakness! I think Biden could get it done, honestly. His VP choice would be critical. It would need to be someone who could counterbalance his age and his “insider” status. Also, on the campaign trail, he’d need to shut up about guns, one of the issues he’s consistently made ignorant comments about (the whole “buy a shotgun” thing was widely mocked by a lot of gun owners - yeah, a shotgun is actually a good weapon for home defense, but gun owners don’t like being told what firearms they “don’t need.”) Not saying he can’t push for enacting more gun control once he’s President, but he ought to shut up about it during his campaign.
First, linkee? Looking to see who else was on the list and how they did I can’t find it.
Biden and Trump are age contemporaries, within 3 years of each other, and given the standard of Trump I’d dare say Biden would be the healthiest president ever. The steam last time was not age, his son had recently died.
That said frontrunner at this point means little more than name recognition. Sanders has to be up there too and he’s two years older yet.
Most of the likely (and likely wide) field are not too well known yet and they have time to make their splashes - or not.
That said if which of the more well known names run or do not run may impact fundraising potential for the lesser known ones and alter their courses.
I’m looking at the likes of Sherrod Brown or Amy Klobuchar to run and to make a splash in the first primaries thereby becoming known. But give it until at least past midterms eh?
Maybe gaffe prone is obsolete now, but his words on gun control, abortion, and Iraq are fair game and at odds with many in his base.
If Biden is the equivalent of the Democrat’s " great old hope " , it just shows how weak the field is. You have to assume he’d raise money better than anyone, so that is a plus for him. But I don’t think he’d do well in a debate with Trump. He’s a flawed old candidate, but unlike the others he’s known with a name on a national level.
Being the front runner in June 1018 does not mean a lot. If we are talking about being the front runner in January 2019, that is a different story.
Joe is a beloved avuncular character. His heart is two sizes too big. Great guy, a man of conviction and morals. The only reservation I have about him is his age. I think in 2020 we’re going to want a president that we think is a good person, which is going to play well for him. I don’t know if he’s going to run but if he does that’s where I put my money. If he gets the nomination, I’d like him to skip the debates. Why go toe to toe with a guy who lies like a rug? There would be no policy discussed, just endless venom from that prehensile rectum that Donald calls a mouth.
But let’s be serious. It’s early. Next January, you’ll start seeing those exploratory committees, those trips to Iowa. Then we can start to measure the candidates against each other.
“Front runner” at this point is pretty meaningless, both since it’s so early and since no one has a significant polling lead (which Clinton had, very clearly, over her Democratic rivals early in the '16 campaign cycle).
As to whether it’s a “weak field” or not, the opinion from a Trump supporter who quite clearly is contemptuous of Democrats doesn’t tell us anything. The '16 Republican field seemed pretty weak to me and many other Democrats, but we were wrong. I don’t trust any predictions made this early as anything more than guesses.
Thank you. So not a poll, an opinion piece, declaring him as frontrunner, based on resume, name recognition, so on … in order to say why he’d be the not best choice.
If he did this, Donald Trump would do something like have a series of speeches where he pretended to debate Biden with some kind of stand-in, or an Eastwood style empty chair, or some other publicity stunt - which the media would lavish attention on, because of course they would - and Trump would use this as a chance to basically relentlessly imply that Biden is a pussy for not debating him, and his base would eat it up.
What Biden needs to do, is debate him, and be the brick wall of all brick walls. Never lose his cool. Never rise to the bait. Never look weak. Draw from that reserve of steely Irish machismo and smooth sarcasm, throw in plenty of cockeyed looks and bemused smirks, and above all, be that brick wall.
Just the mental vision that this scenario is generating in my mind’s eye, is filling me with a sense of hope and excitement. Imagine how voters would respond if it actually happens.
You may be right, but I think that presidential debates have jumped the shark. The average voter is too stupid to decide whose policies are better, it’s just a battle for sound bites and gotcha moments.
The field is weak, otherwise, a retired politician nearly 76 years old would not be the front-runner over those actually servicing in office.
As for Trump himself, one of this greatest strengths is that blinder types underestimate his resolve, ability to campaign on the road, get his message across, and take a political punch from the media. He has a vision, communicates it and sticks to his message whether you agree with him or not.
Democrats have a tougher time being honest with their intentions, for example they may not like Trump’s tax cut, but who out there will openly say I’m going to raise your taxes? Or they might be for racial quotas but won’t say it. Or they might be all right with illegal immigration as long as they think they are future Democratic voters, but ignore the problem they create. See my point? Republicans will shoot down racial quota’s and address illegal immigration in a more up front way.
Once I saw the number of crowds Trump was drawing, I knew he’d get the nomination over Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, and John Kasich, three heavyweight governors from Florida, Texas, and Ohio, andtop senators such as Curz. Even if he had less money and very limited ground support. He beat the Clinton Machine in the end.
Following politics for a while, a senator who has served many yearsis at a disadvantage as there is too much on record. So Iiandyiiii, the Dem’s best shot will be an unknown type. But he or she will need to be famous, and a good speaker with a very thin Barrack Obama like the record to examine on the national level. I don’t see any of those types in the running right now. If you do, list their names. If you can’t list their names with the above criteria, perhaps I have a point. Oprah is not running, but if she did would be a front runner, another sign at a weak field.
The more I think about this, the more I’m actually fucking psyched about it. Also, the more I see Republicans posting on FB about how stupid of an idea it is, the more I’m thinking that it’s a good idea.
I don’t think that Biden’s age is a negative. I know there will be a lot of talk about his age. People are forgetting something: “age=wisdom” for a lot of people. They’re forgetting something else: the elderly are a critical voting bloc.
And Biden seems to look better, and tougher, for his age, than Trump does for his. I do not see his age as hurting him. And I also think he has the necessary sense of humor and ‘persona’ to become a meme the way Trump did. Remember those articles from The Onion basically parodying Biden as being some kind of rock-and-roll stoner dude? Those articles were hilarious. They would become major memes immediately.
He may be a good man compared to the present guy, but lets not make him out to be the second coming. Biden had to quit his first run because he was found to have plagiarized a speech, and had some academic mis-characterizations. Do I think he’s a horrid guy? No. But I think he’s undisciplined, and I’m probably more concerned about that than I am that he lifted a speech. Not a fan of that, for him or the current occupant.
Non-sequitir. For one thing, served VPs of popular 2 term Presidents are almost always party front runners. For another, “front-runner” is nearly meaningless this early. It tells us nothing at all.
Yes, you adore Trump, and you actually believe the things Trump says about himself. We know this already.
Not surprisingly you have no actual insight into what actually motivates Democrats, or even our positions on actual issues. No, I don’t see your point, because you’re just throwing out right-wing radio fantasy-land pablum.
I don’t take your word for what the “Dem’s best shot” will be. We’ll see. It’s much too early for such predictions, and I see no reason to play such silly games with an adoring Trump fan with obvious contempt for Democratic politicans and voters.
You should; pick the person you want, not go opposite of who the other side is mocking.
78 is old. A major difference from Trump who was 70 years old when sworn in. Trump is a tireless type, who doesn’t sleep a lot and has a lot of energy, always up for a tussle if needed.
Most people will think Biden’s age is an issue. How he’s going to be at 80? And at 82 will he seek re-election? His VP pick would be extremely important.
I doubt Joe has the stamina to win a hard primary and the general election.
Do I think Biden will become the nominee? Not really, I’m just surprised at this point in time he’s the front-runner.