Last edited Mon Sep 28, 2015, 08:02 PM - Edit history (2)

Biden couldnt start ripples in a bird bath.
Sanders has what it takes, and he is taking it.

But that 40 % in middle.. have to draw off at least half of that number to get elected even if your or my candidate carried the entire base..

And that is his wheelhouse..( VP Bidens')

If he gets in .. things are going to get much much tighter.. that is for sure

Policywise, he and Clinton are fairly identical, and neither are like Sanders. Among voters who simply pick their candidate based on things like 'who is most visually appealing', or just flip coins, he might draw away a few Sanders voters. But the vast majority of Sanders voters aren't choosing him because they like his wild hair. He's winning them over in his policy speeches. The vast majority of folks who would choose Biden over Sanders were probably never going to vote for Sanders anyway.

Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton have really had the field to themselves basically.. it has been a hard slog for Gov O'Malley.. (who may make some great moves once the debates start).. but it will definitely tighten things up on everyone..

and our primary debates, who in your view are low information voters?


I find that most people who care about primary elections generally are not low info voters, that is probably why we generally have lower turnout than in the general election.

Many people across the spectrum simply vote because their parents taught them to vote, consider they have a civic duty to vote, but don't really pay attention beyond the tv ads or headlines, or things they hear at the watercooler.

And I would disagree that the reason for lower turnout in generals than primaries is a matter of 'info' - or at least that that's the only reason, or even the main one. For many people the only time their vote will matter might be the primary. If you're in a solid blue or red state, the winner of the state in the general is pretty much guaranteed, and your individual vote means diddly squat. Roughly 40 of the 50 states will be essentially 'no contests' going into the general. Heck, by the time general voting starts, it might come down to 4 or 5 states. You live in California? Guess what, the Democrat is going to take your state. And I don't even need to know which Democrat or which Republican. So you have more incentive to vote in the primary than in the general.

It would be a serious game changer.

Still not convinced he is going to run, to be honest, but outside of here, it would make for a big shakeup.

game changer for everyone

Right now, I tend to look as those numbers as undecided.

Is he pulling 17% of Democrats or 17% of people period?

I've been assuming Dems —



I know that someone here on DU can provide that polling data.

Biden has major issues with me - known for his sponsorship of the Bankruptcy Act and the RAVE Act along with his Iraq War Resolution. He's disqualified in my eyes.

and usually gets the nom.

a lot will depend on whether people want that obama third term and how much the progressive message of bernie and om resonates vs the establishment 3rd way policies of clinton and biden

He only got one term. LBJ was re-elected in '64, but withdrew from '68 race. Truman took office in '45 when FDR died, and was re elected in '48.
So really, in the past 70 years only three VPs were elected. Two were incumbent Presidents having assumed office when POTUS died. None were elected POTUS more than once, although Truman wasn't permitted to run again. Not a good track record for VPs... Governors seem to do much better.

that the veeps traditionally get the nom but as you point out often lose the ge

i still don't think his heart is in it

He was VP under Ike, but lost in '60. He won in '68 and '72, but wasn't the VP at the time.

And of course Ford didn't get re elected after assuming the presidency when Nixon resigned, and Gore didn't win due to SCOTUS. I don't think being incumbent VP is any advantage, probably the opposite.

he has a tough road ahead if he decides to do it

will split the third way vote and sanders will rise

FIFY

Thats some crazy talk right there.

taking away much from Sanders. And it's getting kind of late in the day for Biden to toss his hat in the ring.

all this hemming and hawing is getting old. Make a friggin decision already.

Hillary would lose some support.

and has been all along. All the matchups against the GOP are Hillary vs and Biden vs. Very few matchups done with Bernie.

I think that could make a lot of low-info/not paying close attention people believe he's running.

... won't change the building Revolution or likely even slow it's momentum. Senator Sanders will eat VEEPs lunch on the issues, just like he does Clinton's. Biden, like Clinton is in the pocket of the banksters, maybe more so. I suggest he enjoy a comfortable retirement.

IIRC in the polls I've seen split both ways, about 30% come from Bernie and the other 70% from Hillary.

Bernie is drawing an entirely different demographic.

I'm the person here who's been in the room with him. This is not someone who plans to run.

Neither one of them excites me. I hope the nominee is someone not named Clinton or Biden or Obama.

the one that chewed up and spit out Paul Ryan at the VP debate, could make a serious run. I am just not sure he can muster that energy right now. I think he would score well with Reagan Democrats and more moderate GOPers in a general, but I still think his entry would pull more support from Hillary than Bernie in the Party in the primary.

Biden Rises. Go Joe.