Biden 2016? Just Say No Joe.
Vice President Joe Biden will be 70 in 2012. He will be 74 in 2016, when he might consider running for President, at least according to what he allegedly told some Democratic donors at a fundraiser recently.
Democratic contributors said [Biden] alluded to the possibility during a fundraiser Thursday in Cincinnati while talking up the Obama administration. The reference itself was described as a vague, off-the-cuff comment. But the upshot was clear: He hasn’t ruled out a 2016 run. “When the words came out of his mouth, I thought, ‘Well, that’s interesting,’ ” said one attendee who asked not to be named.
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Two guests said Biden was responding to a question about what he liked about being vice president when he briefly wandered into the topic of his own political prospects, speaking extemporaneously in typical Biden fashion. He said that while people don’t think he would run, he could seek the nomination, according to one of the guests. He didn’t give a year, but the guest assumed he was talking about 2016.
“The words were something to the effect of, ‘Yes, I might seek the nomination,’ ” the guest said. “He certainly didn’t rule it out.”…
When it came to his future, Biden was basically saying that his next step is a long way away and a variety of things would affect his decision, including his health, the guest said. “It was not an aggressive statement,” said the longtime supporter and fundraiser. “If anything, it was more contemplative.”
Vice President Biden will not run for President in 2016. He probably waxes nostaglic about the prospect, and that is all this was. Or he was keeping the speculation going so that he doesn’t ever become a lame duck as Vice President. Regardless, he will not run. His health or age could be an issue. He may want to spend more time with Jill and his grandchildren. He may want to finally remove that shadow from Beau.
But the biggest reason is that the 2016 Democratic primary will be a wide open event, much like 2008 was in the beginning, with many candidates competing, regardless of whether the Vice President is in the race or not. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. Delaware Governor Jack Markell. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Montana Goveror Brian Schweitzer. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe. North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill. Ohio Senator Sherrold Brown. And I haven’t mentioned Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yet, who, despite her frequent pronouncements to the contrary, I think will run.
And while Biden will have more cache this time as a sitting Vice President, the margin for error in a field that full of rising stars is nil. And the Vice President needs much more room for error than that. No, Joe knows that the Vice Presidency is his swan song. Unrealized dreams may make him wistfully speculate from time to time, but it is nothing more than that.
I’m struck by how the Democratic field you envision for 2016 absolutely crushes the 2012 GOP field.
For that matter, did you see the polls showing Dennis Kucinich crushing Palin in a head to head match-up? Hilarious.
Well, the GOP field will be much better than the 2012 field. I think they will have Chris Christie (if he is reelected in NJ, and that is a big if), Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist (if he is elected next year to the Senate), Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, New Mexico Governor Susanna Martinez, and former Virginia Governor and 2012 Vice Presidential nominee Bob McDonnell.
Does anyone really think that Jeb Bush could seriously run? i know this country is stupid and has a short memory but REALLY?! jeb BUUUUSSSSSHHHHH!!!
Yes. He won’t win. But he will run.
If his idiot brother could win, Jeb can win. I would not bet against short memories and stupidity. GWB won after 8 years of Democratic peace and prosperity.
The best insurance against a return to a Republican White House is a Clinton-style economic recovery. Unfortunately we didn’t go back to the Clinton tax rates, so we didn’t get the Clinton economy. We kept the Bush tax rates so now we are stuck with the Bush economy.
Joe could both run and win. I hope he considers it seriously.
The Democrats will not nominate a woman for the top spot. That field of governors (worthies all) run a strong risk of being caught in the backwash of the slow recovery (no one ever phones their Senator to complain about unemployment numbers) and have almost zero name recognition outside of wonk circles.
I hope he’s taking his vitamins.
I have a funny feeling that Jack Markell is going to run. If he does, he’d make it a race.
I too have that funny feeling that Jack Markell will run.
“Joe could both run and win.”
I wouldn’t vote for him. He’s a big enough tool already.
Well, Governor Markell has a few years to do the kinds of things governors do to set that kind of run up. But Delaware doesn’t even have a regional base. If you run from Alabama, you run from The South. If you run from Massachusetts you’re running from New England. The Del-Mar-Va peninsula just doesn’t have the same cohesion, politically.
I don’t say he won’t run. I just think he’s a long-shot, even in this field. And he should get his buddies at Fisker to sponsor a soapbox derby or something. This whole “car-making” thing is a little theoretical, so far.
I’m sure Joe loses sleep about disappointing you, Geezer. 😉
Won’t Joe be age 100 by 2016?
You’d be surprised. His biggest goal in life is getting Beau elected Senator, and I’m opposed to that, too.
I don’t see Gov. Markell running for President merely on the basis of a was-Governor-of-Delaware profile. That would be virtually meaningless nationally and Gov. Markell seems too realistic for fantasy.
Now if he could become a federal Senator for Delaware first, then I could see him running for Prez. But how would that happen?
A wonky, nerdy, slightly charisma-challenged but nevertheless innovative, hard-charging Delaware governor running for president, putting the power of his ideas on the line in an open field of candidates?
It’s been done. See: du Pont, Pierre S.
Yeah, but du Pont is ego maniacal. Markell is not.
Markell would smoke duPont in a charisma-off. (That sentence JUST HAPPENED!!)
Markell is not charisma challenged. He may be short and balding, but he’s got charisma.
Agree with DD. The man can talk, and be inspiring. The problem will be getting anyone someplace they’ll hear him.
And what’s Markell’s platform for 2016: I cut taxes in the highest brackets, I cut a $95 a month grant to the poor, I approved more economic development grants and loans to companies that were already in Delaware.
Go Jack, there’s a place waiting on the GOP ticket.
I have been saying “No Joe” for more than 30 years. You can ad “No Bo” to that also.
Who is Bo? And what does “ad” mean?