Joe Biden Probably Announcing Presidential Run Later This Month
Could the Democratic race get any less libertarian?
Did Bernie Sanders' "surge" help bring about a Joe Biden moment in the race for the Democratic nomination? There have been a number of articles in the last week about the "Biden Moment" and why the vice president should jump into the race. Last month, a Bloomberg poll found Sanders within 7 points of Hillary Clinton, as close to a non-incumbent presumptive nominee as we've seen since the last time she ran. That poll included Biden among the options. Without Biden, Sanders polls far behind Clinton. It's still far better than Martin O'Malley and Jim Webb, who are both announced candidates polling low single digits, but it's not a sign of a competitive race. Sanders still polls behind Biden, who hasn't announced whether or not he's running.
An Obama fundraiser interested in raising money for a Joe Biden run says Biden's team is indicating he's more likely to run than not. The Washington Times reports:
"They have given increasingly strong signals that Biden is going to throw his hat in the ring," said New York businessman Jon Cooper, a top bundler for President Obama's 2012 campaign who has been testing the waters with fellow bundlers for a Biden run.
"I'm as confident as I can be that he will be entering the race," he said.
A Draft Biden campaign emerged in March, focusing on Iowa, where the first contest of 2016 is held.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's David Shribman points out how a Biden run could improve Hillary Clinton's prospects, writing that Biden "is five years older than she, thus removing the age issue. And he is still a member of the administration, thus removing the notion that Clinton is the candidate of a third Obama term."
Whether or not Biden runs, it's going to be difficult to distinguish the policy positions of the candidates for the Democratic nomination. Clinton's started to distance herself from some positions of the Obama Administration—most notably the trans-Pacific trade deal, but neither she nor Biden are really going to be able to distance themselves from the defining aspects of the Obama Administration, domestically or in foreign policy. They'll have to defend Obamacare—or call for even more government involvement in healthcare, as Sanders has done—and sell the Obama foreign policy of intervention as non-intervention. In this, most of the Republicans are eager to help. Portraying Obama's foreign policy forays, largely continuations of the Bush era school of thought, as something different than what the interventionist Republicans propose, helps both sides turn small differences in foreign policy into the actual debate. In that way it also helps keep actual ideas about non-intervention and managed disengagement out of the conversation.
The Democratic race, so far, has been a contest of adopting the most populist economic rhetoric, of sounding like Bernie Sanders without wearing the socialism on their sleeves. And while foreign policy has so far been misrepresented or ignored, civil liberties issues like the war on drugs and police abuse haven't been taken up substantively either. Could Joe Biden help there too? In the more than forty years he's spent in Washington, Biden has been awful on drugs and policing, pushing for more stringent enforcement of the war on drugs and flooding communities with police.
If he picks up momentum, maybe these issues can take a more appropriately central stage in the Democratic race. That doesn't mean, of course, it's any less likely for Hillary Clinton to win. She didn't support gay marriage until three months ago but has co-opted the issue since then, erasing her long history of outright opposition to gay marriage. Whether or not Biden runs, and irrespective of how full-throttled his support of the Democrats' long war on drugs will be, there's no reason to think Democratic voters won't ignore the policies of the past, and present, for partisan rhetoric about the future.
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Oh goody. Fun times ahead. Maybe we can fund a Joe Biden vs. Chris
Christie old-timey wrestling match for our amusement.
That wouldn’t be that amusing. Biden would probably get lost on the way to the ring. If they did manage to start the match, Christie would be sucking so much wind that the first five rows would pass out from oxygen deprivation. Now, those two vs the Road Warriors…
I just want to see Chris Christie dressed like Gorgeous George.
Joe Biden has the appeal of a limp dishrag, so he could be the ubiquitous jobber whose sole purpose is to get beat up.
I’d like to see him dressed as Curious George.
I say bare-knuckle boxing. If it doesn’t go at least 50 rounds we’ll demand our nickels back.
So we have a serial liar, a socialist and now a plagiarist seeking the D nomination?
Someone’s gotta tally all the “free” goodies they’re gonna promise people. It’s going to be a pandering of epic proportions.
With Biden you have all three in one package.
“Stand up Chuck! Everybody stand up for Chuck!”
OMG PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE
Seconded. Seconded. Seconded.
I Third. The motion is now on the floor.
*Purchases shares in popcorn companies*
Yet, another old, white person. I thought the Democrats were all about diversity.
He’s a Delawarean-American.
You can’t go into a 7-11 in Delaware without having a bit of a Delawarean accent.
Remember when John McCain was too old to be the president?
“Could the Democratic race get any less libertarian? ”
Could the democrat party?
Yes. Just start at 0 and work backwards.
Run, Joe, Run!
A Trans Am in every garage… a grow room in every basement. This is the president our republic has been waiting for.
A shotgun by every door!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIdKIM2btoA
Turns out the Democrats are the party of old, white, men.
Does there exist a potential Democratic candidate that would make the race ‘more’ libertarian?
Ron Wyden?
a little bird told me the draft Biden campaign may be a Hillary org…
“She didn’t support gay marriage until three months ago but has co-opted the issue since then,”
Hi Ed. Enjoy your nap?. You can stop fretting about gay marriage now. The Supreme Court settled that a few days ago. You can move on to other matters.
In the category of Most Self-Unaware Article, I give you Salon:
How Politico became a GOP stooge: Republicans want to destroy Hillary Clinton?and the media is helping them out
Holy fuck that is a massive steaming pile of derp right there. Apparently it’s considered uncouth for reporters to actually ask the frontrunner for the presidency any questions.
And then I looked at the comments and quietly resigned myself to the realities of human stupidity.
Sudden, are you not aware that if you have any doubt that Hillary Clinton should be heralded as the next Emperor of All the Known Universe you are obviously a sexist, racist, Republican.
Everyone knows that the media and Hollywood has been controlled by conservatives for generations.
I can’t wait for the Biden vs Trump debates.
We are, indeed, on the brink of Idiocracy.
I think he has a good chance. He’s not articulate, but by all accounts he is clean. My biggest worry is that a grueling campaign will divert his attention from the duties of his current position as Vice President.
“by all accounts he is clean.”
Give him a few drinks then leave him in a room with your wife.
“This democratic primary is brought to you by Geritol, Metamucil, and Depends.”
*applause*
Bottom stories of the day.
He’s the Champion the Mellenialians have been pining for.
Grow a beard Joe!
“And he is still a member of the administration, thus removing the notion that Clinton is the candidate of a third Obama term.”
Look everybody!!!! We found someone worse than Hillary! Now will you shut up so we can begin the coronation!
Hillary’s not the candidate of a 3rd Obama term, she’s the candidate of a 3rd Bill Clinton term.
It’s starting to look like the dead end days of the Soviet politburo old age home.
Seriously, the Blue Quayle?
Does Joe still have his “double barreled shotgun”, the one he would “fire into the air”? I wonder?
Just in case you thought the Republicans had a monopoly on clowns.
Obama term 3
/answering rhetorical question