General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat are the odds that Biden is the VP for second term?
While what Obama did was long past due, it's no secret Biden pushed the issue ... think he'll retire to spend more time with his family for the second term?
Would it make a difference to you if the ticket were Obama and ____________ vs. Obama and Biden?
cindyperry2010
(846 posts)josephslaton
(33 posts)Biden isn't going anywhere
Tikki
(14,557 posts)fine man there....
Tikki
rox63
(9,464 posts)Ticket will still be Obama/Biden 2012.
cthulu2016
(10,960 posts)If Biden is alive and well in August he's the VP
polichick
(37,152 posts)If not Biden, Hillary would be the interesting choice.
DJ13
(23,671 posts)Changing VP's now would be a sign of weakness that the GOP would love to pounce on.
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)you never know.
Anyway. Interesting to ponder - I've heard people talking Hillary to prime her for 2016. Also gets Biden who does sometimes jump the gun out of the way...
madinmaryland
(64,933 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)I doubt that's the case. Biden looks to be in good health still, so I'm betting he'll be VP for a second term.
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)Just something interesting to think about. I do think presidential politics is Machiavellian and if Obama's team thinks Biden is prone to misstatements or letting things slip that then pushes the administration into a position it doesn't like, Biden might need to head the World Bank (or something like that, I know the position was just filled).
Arkana
(24,347 posts)Geez, what is it with the conspiracy theories?
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Warpy
(111,261 posts)However, anyone who scares the far right loonies into keeping Obama alive is fine with me, whether the fright is justified or not.
The last thing the Koch boys want is a Biden presidency after an assassination. Biden is honest and he will ruin them.
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)nt
marlakay
(11,468 posts)say Obama was going to come out for gay marriage in August, so Joe just made it come out faster.
Maybe he thought, Obama going to do this in a few months anyway so I might as well say what I think.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,698 posts)What Biden said wasn't a gaffe or an off-the-cuff remark; it was a trial balloon. He knew exactly what he was doing, and the WH did, too.
Biden will stay on the ticket. And he should.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)like in the cartoons. So, 100%
madokie
(51,076 posts)What he said was no gaff, it was what he thought not what he wanted the President to think.
Get real
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)Don't get all riled up.
madokie
(51,076 posts)Who knows why I even added that. Not me for sure.
sorry, My apology
Peace
aquart
(69,014 posts)This is DU. We aren't political amateurs.
sad sally
(2,627 posts)Clinton is leaving the Sec of State seat open. What if Joe Biden, because of his fierce loyalty to Obama, is given the position he's always wanted - Sec of State, leaving the VP seat open. Obama needs a VP who can bring some electorial votes to the party come November. Enter junior senator Kay Hagan from NC, the only woman who beat another woman (Dole) in the Senate and liked by NC. Just a "what if."
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)Thanks for your thoughts. It's nice to have the idea discussed rather than just shut down.
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)(Love him as VP, too.)
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)Next question.
cloudbase
(5,516 posts)He will.
or
He won't.
Narrows down the longest odds.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)That surprise is supposed to come out to garner convention excitement and bring a massive audience to Obama's acceptance speech! So don't say a word about this topic.
Especially not the part about how a woman on the ticket will be a lock! We don't want Romney picking Palin to try to stop that!
cynatnite
(31,011 posts)fishwax
(29,149 posts)I'd say the odds are somewhere between 99 and 100%. Anything is possible, but I don't think Biden's remarks were necessarily off message for the administration.
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)While "all's well that ends well", you still want to have a VP you know isn't going to steal the march.
I love Biden. But he might be too impulsive for this administration.
fishwax
(29,149 posts)It's not as though Biden even called for a change in how the administration would handle the issue--he faintly signaled that such a change was possible, but refused to confirm it. It's not that he forced Obama's hand--there's no real reason Obama couldn't have waited had he wanted to--so much as his remarks and the positive reception of those remarks gave him an opportunity to do what he did yesterday. Biden's response didn't seem particularly impulsive to me. It seemed well thought out and carefully articulated.
Maybe it's true that Obama's team had no inkling that Biden would be asked about gay marriage when he went on Meet the Press three days before the Amendment One vote, but I doubt it. Maybe his team was blindsided by Biden's answer, which reiterated that the president sets policy before offering that Biden himself was "comfortable" with gay marriage, but I doubt it. Either of those would demonstrate a woeful lack of preparation.
As much as I doubt either of those possibilities, I'd be exponentially more shocked if it turned out that Obama was going to dump Biden for answering a question about his personal views on marriage equality by saying "The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties."
Dropping Biden for that would be atrocious.
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)but I received a bumper sticker that says Obama/Biden and I am waiting until it is a sure thing before I put it on the car.
longship
(40,416 posts)1. Is there any doubt that Joe Biden likes being VEEP? From all appearances he's having a whole lot of fun doing what he does best.
2. The apparent friction between Obama's and Biden's styles is an incredible asset to both the presidency, and especially the campaign. Regardless of whether this week's announcements were orchestrated or not (Obama said it wasn't -- I believe him), both Obama and Biden are smart enough to know that it is a null sum game whether it's done now or in September.
Actually, I think that everybody in the White House probably is already admitting that this ended up being a very shrewd move that happened by serendipity. More importantly, it very well might show them a way forward that will increase their chances for victory in November.
Obama and Biden are an incredible team. I like everything I see about them right now. The Republicans are undoubtedly very worried about this right now. I assure you!
skamaria
(329 posts)If Joe chooses not to run.
polichick
(37,152 posts)Rachel is so smart - she and the prez would be well-matched and make a good team!
mrmpa
(4,033 posts)The VP reminds the President of what the Democratic Party has long upheld as their beliefs. When things get foggy for the President, the VP jolts him back to the true roots of the Democratic Party.
PatSeg
(47,446 posts)Historically it is very rare for a president and vice president to have such a good working relationship and Obama has relied a great deal on Biden's experience and expertise.
I don't think Biden "pushed" anything. He was asked a question and he gave an honest answer, making it quite clear he was speaking for himself, not the administration.
bowens43
(16,064 posts)WI_DEM
(33,497 posts)Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)If so, maybe reconsider calling yourself "liberal".
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)It's a risk you run, when you present an idea, that someone may think your idea is stupid. But you know, that's just like, their opinion, man.
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)necessarily lead to productive or interesting conversations.
My opinion is that the comment was rude and unproductive.
Conversation tend to die off pretty rapidly when dismissed as stupid. Tends to limit the free flow of ideas.
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)If the worst my argument gets is "that's stupid", I'm not really fazed by that (mostly because it isn't much of an argument, not because it isn't "civil" . Calling your opponent stupid is another matter. For what it's worth, I think it was a fair question, given the President's recent comments about skis and what not, but for me the answer is pretty clear.
DFW
(54,384 posts)Probably no less, either.
Stinky The Clown
(67,799 posts)JI7
(89,249 posts)apples and oranges
(1,451 posts)Greybnk48
(10,168 posts)He's not going anywhere, nor should he. In regard to your question, it would not be ok with me if Joe was "dumped." It would be a real problem. But if it was completely his decision, I'd be ok.
mojitojoe
(94 posts)Biden has done nothing to be ashamed of. He's been a good vice-president.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)so there is a possibility that Hillary goes to VP in the next term.
I put the odds at:
65% Biden stays
35% Hillary becomes VP to set up the succession
Chan790
(20,176 posts)If they were going to make the change to set up a successor, they'd choose someone who might be capable of being elected who could benefit from the spot on the national stage. I don't think she can win...and I don't think she'd benefit much if at-all from the VP nod even if she could.
who?
Also, some on the left have already started agitating for a liberal in 2016 and we're not backing down. The next Democratic nominee after Obama had better be a good bit to the left of both Obama and Clinton...or Clinton had better disavow her economic centrism. We've had enough of this "we have to nominate a moderate for electability" shit; we're taking the bus left.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)but I would give that less than a 10% chance of happening because there are many variables. But it fits the pattern:
Reagan - Reagan - Bush - Clinton - Clinton - Bush - Obama - Obama - _________
I think Hillary Clinton has the best chance of becoming the first female POTUS of anyone alive today.
Chan790
(20,176 posts)It's becoming an aristocracy at this point where the same small groups within the parties keep cycling the Presidency between them.
Hell, let's run a Kennedy. There aren't any prominent ones right now but they've got the name to be immediately viable. At least it's a change of pace.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)Did you see the Obama/Biden signs last week?
This whole thing is beyond ridiculous and a waste of bandwidth (of which I am also guilty in replying). Short of a MAJOR medical issue, God forbid, Biden stays. And it is a wonderful thing taht he does.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)Nice try.
Thanks for playing.
Drive through.