+ Beto as VP is even better

did you forget?

has been ongoing. You also forgot Hillary received 3M more votes.

governor seat was stolen.

your all powerful comments sound naive and like something trump would say.

run an old white man. No matter how much I love and respect Joe (and I do!), the newly inspired young and multi-ethnic/cultural voters will see it as a giant stab in the back by the establishment (which it will be!). Ronald Reagan was 69 when he was elected. Jesus-tap-dancing-Christ, Joe is 76! Worst idea that I've heard lately. We have to get this crazy bullshit out of our minds, and fast. Secretary of State is the fitting and proper place and honor for him.

we can thank the Electoral College. Any Russian collusion would not have mattered if we chose our POTUS by popular vote, as we do all other elected officials.

Because if we run a not very qualified person run they will what??? Go easy on them?

Except, post hoc ergo prompter hoc is a fallacy.

In some polls Trump was more likable. That won't be the case with Biden, he'll enjoy likability numbers easily 10-20 points higher than Trump.

Biden runs for one term. Then Harris for two terms with Beto as VP. Then Beto for two terms with whomever. Then I die happy...

....and as a matter of fact, given what I've seen so far, I can't even pick a potential running mate for him. I've got a few maybes, but someone needs to step up and distinguish themselves from the general crowd. I'm sure someone will tell me that I don't know what I'm talkin about, but hey, it's my opinion, which I am entitled to have.

That never occurred to them but all 5 Dem adults liked it.

But I also love Biden/Beto and Biden/Klochabar

The Dem bench is loaded with quality!!

And Adam Shiff will become the next senator from CA.

He'll make a great Senator!! (If not a Cabinet Secretary) Too bad that this is not a great time to be an old white guy with that demographic table pretty full already with Biden and well...., with Biden.

I'll vote for whoever has the D behind their name in the general.

And enthusiastically at that. The Dems have a very deep bench!! I would say not a clunker in the bunch, but there are two or three I would rather not see on the ticket, but I really don't think they will be. They are probably just angling for a Cabinet position which would be fine. Overall, best collection of candidates in my lifetime.

The way he laughed at Sarah Palin every time she made some lame comment during the 2008 campaign, Just WUNNNNNNNderful! Really was a brilliant way to put her in her place as the simpleton she was (and still is).

He was The Wise Man and she was just The Fool.

=========

No, thanks.

He's not the candidate for a post MeToo world.

movement won't survive if it is used against decent men like Biden. Biden is one of the good ones. I should add it was bad enough that Franken was lost for no reason...I was pretty angry about that...although I have let it go.

as being much too snuggly with women and girls he's only just met. The looks on the female's faces tell the story.


This is from The Guardian, a progressive paper in the UK.

Joe Biden and why Touchy-Feely Men Should Back Off.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/22/joe-biden-touch-stephanie-carter-uninvited

Why is there a recurring problem with men and female personal space? One would have thought that “personal” would say it all. But it’s as if some men interpret this as, “Cop a feel, whenever you like.” As was evidenced by the behaviour of US vice president Joe Biden. While Ashton Carter was being sworn in as defense secretary, Biden placed his hands on the shoulders of Carter’s wife, Stephanie, for around 20 unspeakably tense seconds, whispered into her ear, and finally let her go.

While this was going on, Stephanie Carter had The Look that most women would recognise. The look that said: “Sweet Jesus, he’s touching me. Stay calm.” She was visibly cringing, but trapped by circumstances. She could hardly yell, “Don’t touch me!” at the veep during a public ceremony. Then there’s the hideous automatic all-too female slide into coping mode – the inbuilt conditioning to keep the peace. Ms Carter should have been enjoying a special moment in her husband’s career – not enduring the clammy grip of a handsy political silverback, whose position in life suggests that (despite all the apologists for “his generation”) he’s intelligent enough to know exactly what he’s doing.

No. I would offer that we do not need a second tier guy...I think it is great he served his country. That being said, let's do the next thing, not the last thing... this country needs women who are not on the take, not beholding to the powers that be, and capable of not doing the last thing some guy said they should. Biden is yesterday... he has not said or done anything since leaving office... that is abandonment, not a parliamentary courtesy.

with innuendo and name calling. None of this scorched-earth nonsense in the 2020 primary please.

Unrec

be able to push around. He gives as good as he gets. I think Trump will be intimidated by him.

I hear what you're saying. But, for one thing, I don't think people care much about the IW now. Many voters don't remember it, even.

That would make him nearly a decade older than her when she ran for president, so not really the same age at all.

So it's nine years.

I have no issue with this...hind sight is 2020...everyone was deceived.

Too old in my book.

They're all about the horse race and WHO instead of WHAT our government needs to do. Let's have a serious debate on policy and see who emerges with the necessary leadership and qualifications to get the job done

I won't even begin to consider who gets my support until 2020.

Nothing wrong with knowing someone's history & whether you think they'd be a good fit for an elected position.
It tells you WHAT they will likely do once in office.

But I do agree that our elections need wholesale reform. My ideal is just a little more radical than most.

Along the lines of,
- no paid advertising.
- position statements on issues posted to a single, gov website.
- prescheduled actual debates w/ predetermined structures
- same, but as meetings with the press instead of a debate chair & with follow up question structure in place.
- along with all affiliations & endorsements
- clear lies prosecuted as fraud

Nearly every facet of our elections is highly dysfunctional. It's a circus.

I've got issues with Biden, as I'm sure a lot of people do, but if he wants to run, let him run and we'll see what happens. I'm keeping this limited, however, to current actual party members.

He has great foreign policy experience and is a direct connection/successor to a very popular President Obama.

Biden is very popular. Later I’ll link to his appearance on Ellen’s show where she begs him to run (hands clasped in prayer). 🙏. Phone typing so can’t do it now, but you can Google “Ellen Biden appearance” and should be able to find it. Biden is popular and has been No. 1 in the polls. Looks like people are looking for stability and experience, not empty/angry demagoguery.

I don't like the posts about how so and so shouldn't run because they're too old, or because we need a {insert preference here}, or his initials are BS, whatever. Let everyone run. If you don't want them, don't vote for them. No one should be the arbiter of who someone else can vote for.

But call out Biden, Sanders, and the others for refusing to pass the torch and you get your post hidden for "bigotry" (whatever that means).

Yes, the forum which frequently allows millennial bashing, in which they're attacked as lazy, entitled slackers, is suddenly up in arms when someone dares to say that octogenarians shouldn't be president.

When you're used to privilege, equality feels like oppression.

Let him run, and I’m sure she will be brought up.

There is a world of difference in the cognitive abilities between someone who is 70 and 80. The body breaks down significantly in that ten year gap alone.

It's just a fact of life. I believe Ron Reagan once noted how much older and slower his father was at the end of his term (when he almost 78) than at the beginning of it (when he was a few weeks away from his 70th birthday). And Biden would begin his term older than Reagan was when he LEFT office.

Each person is different. Some people are sharp as a tac at 90 while others have experienced mental decline at 60. Let's judge each person by their abilities, ok?

Yeah, poor Boomers. Must be really shitty occupying the lion's share of the highest political offices in the Party. I don't know how they get through the day.

He seems like the logical alternative to Biden with less of the baggage.

Leaving Beto and possibly Hickenlooper as the victor

He has every right to run, but losing will take some prestige from him.

on a level playing field. Biden already made some high school statements about kicking Dotard's behind. This will be the behavior that is expected.

In my opinion he should run

just not as a candidate for president. It will be a crowded field but I doubt he'll win. The progressive caucus is largest in congress telling corporate dems it's a new day, new blood is needed. But Biden is always welcome and loved but I want to hear from other candidates at debates who will address the issues progressives have brought to the table like Medicare for all. income inequality, pre-Reagan tax rates when we were so prosperous and ceos made only 30-50 times what lowest paid employees made instead of 500 -1000 times; accountability is responsibility, we need climate change to be #1 in dealing with EPA, pollution and renewable energy. Not talk...action...now. What does Biden want to do? What has he attempted to do? Same with all our candidates...and we have the best

For whatever reason, he's not been able to make it through the primaries. He was lucky that Obama chose him as VP (and I'm not disagreeing with the choice, I thought he was a good VP). But he lost in 1988 and he lost in 2008. Would he have won in 2016? Hard to say, he was coping with the death of his beloved son, and I don't think his heart was in it.

another Obama. I don't see another Obama in the roster of wanna-be's. Yet.

It's true that Biden isn't progressive. The Democratic Party has changed over the years and moved left, I think. Making it far left of Biden. I'm not sure that Biden would push healthcare for all or anything that's bold. But maybe he would. I haven't heard him speak on his current thinking.

I think he could win.

As I said, I haven't heard his views on things in a while. It can't be argued he's not experienced, at least. He could handle almost anything, I think.

Walking in to the chaos that trump leaves behind.. if your house is ransacked by robbers while you are away, who knows what it looked like before the robbery? Biden and Obama.

He’d hopefully rehire many of the great staffers and even cabinet that Obama had chosen.

Obama did a great job recovering economy the last time, and was respected internationally. Obama in a high level or informal advisory role, perhaps, not actually VP.

Last edited Tue Jan 8, 2019, 12:36 AM - Edit history (1)

I like Uncle Joe just fine. I think he did an excellent job as Veep. I think he did less well as a Senator and I think running will bring all of that back up. Two real low points? Anita Hill / Clarence Thomas. The credit card bankruptcy bill.

I think he should have run last time--I think he would have beaten tRump--but perhaps he deferred to Hillary. I also think his time is past. He represents a return to the status quo ante, and that is simply not good enough. My two cents.

eta: Charles Pierce agrees: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a25782295/joe-biden-2020-democrats-divisive/

btw: he brings up the two things I objected to, and adds a third: Biden's support for Clinton's horrible crime bill. In short, minorities, women and anti-oligarchs will all have issues with Biden. This is the right candidate at this time? No.

He's got too much baggage. Does poorly in presidential campaigns. Of course he can run, if he wants, it's his last hurrah, and he has a sizable ego so he probably will. But I won't waste my primary vote on him.

None of this "let's elect the best person" crap for you! Life is easy, when you narrow down the choices to an age range, a race, and a gender.

I mean, have you heard him speak a number of times, know his views on things? I'm waiting to hear that. I must admit I get a bit of the feeling from him that I got from Obama. Not exactly like my reaction to Obama, which was immediate and definite. But seeing and hearing Beto on tv made me take notice and think, "I hope he runs on a national level. I'm likin' what I see and hear."

As for Biden, I haven't heard his views in a while. But he's certainly experienced and likable. Unlike others, I think that likability is a key component of getting elected, usually.

My mom from Texas.
I have listened to Beto speak. Lots of smarts, wit, quick on the take.

Obama also met with him and said he recognized a lot of himself in Beto. That is really the clincher for me.

And many folks hate to be reminded, but neither Biden or Beto have connection to the Al Franken debacle. That to me is important.

PS I’m not interested in responding to any back and forth on Franken and will not respond.

I agree w/you on the Franken thing.

I hope to hear Beto speak. I saw him on Bill Maher's Real Time. I saw him on tv a couple of times. But that's it. I was impressed. I could tell he was green, but I thought he had that "it" factor that is charisma, that natural leaders have. But I didn't see him enough to really know for sure.

Biden is Biden. We all know him. He's experienced, very competent to handle anything and anybody (even Trump). So I'm okay with him, but I think many Dems won't go for an older white man. I'd like to see a woman, too, but it's more important to have the right person who has experience, I think.

I was hoping a Governor would step forward, but hasn't happened.

Then there's Tom Steyer.

It is damn near impossible to catch lightning twice in a bottle. Usually, although there are exceptions, like Richard Nixon, who can win on the second time around, it is very difficult to do. I think some Democrats are still living in the Obama world. It's a new reality.

We have the better. And we potentially have a plethora of high quality choices.