Why does anyone want Biden, for God's sakes?

[Ken Burch]

He's exactly like HRC on the issues.

He makes gaffe after gaffe.

He's a detached insider.

He's owned by the credit card industry.

He dissed and dismissed antiwar activists at college, while never questioning our presence in Vietnam at all or ever doing anything himself to try and stop that war.

In the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, HE HUNG ANITA HILL OUT TO DRY.

What's to like?

[tularetom]

1. What's to like? His name isn't Joe Clinton, for one thing

Other than that, not a great deal.

[liberal N proud]

2. I don't see that a little choice is bad.

It's not like there are 16 Democrats.

[jeff47]

3. Perhaps they like his vote to overturn Roe? (nt)

[elleng]

4. He's very likeable,

and he's anything but detached.

About Vice President Biden's Efforts to End Violence Against Women

On June 20, 1990, then-Senator Joe Biden introduced the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the United States Congress. This act was a landmark piece of legislation that changed the way our country responded to domestic violence and sexual assault. VAWA changed law enforcement practices, improved the criminal justice system, and created a network of services for victims. The bill established new federal crimes of interstate domestic violence and stalking, doubled penalties for repeat sex offenders, and sparked the passage of laws at the state level to protect victims. Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, rates of domestic violence have decreased by over 50%.

As Vice President, Joe Biden has continued to advocate on behalf of women. Upon entering office, the Vice President appointed the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Lynn Rosenthal. In this role, Ms. Rosenthal advises the Vice President on the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault, serves as a liaison to the domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy community and promotes collaboration across federal agencies. This interagency approach to reducing violence against women has resulted in an unprecedented level of coordination among federal agencies.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/1is2many/about

[roguevalley]

21. voted for the war, wrote

the patriot act, makes his secret service guards pay rent to stay in the house on his property, his credit card shilling is enough for me. I think he's past his time. Go home and stay, Joe. I also remember when you plaigerized. Then, there were also strokes if I remember back when too.
Joe Clinton made me laugh out loud.

[6chars]

26. people have warm feelings about him

he breaks out a smile at the right time and tears at the right time. he makes gaffes but doesn't seem to mind and then he makes fun of himself. his story of pushing on when his wife and child were killed in his first month in the senate at age 28 moves a lot of people, and burying his son this year adds to the sympathy. i think a lot of people if you hooked them up to a machine would indicate positive responses to the name Joe Biden.

[ibegurpard]

5. No clue

I know of absolutely no one who is excited about him.

[Fred Sanders]

7. Maybe you need to get out more often! On the day he declares you may not need to.

Biden entering is seen by some at DU as helping Sanders by hurting Clinton....to answer the OP question.

[roguevalley]

22. that I can get behind. In the

end you don't want him either then.

[KeepItReal]

6. Don't get it twisted, Ken Burch

The polling only said that Biden scored higher in Popularity/Likeability.

Vice President Biden comes in 3rd after Sen Clinton (#1) and Sen Sanders (#2 with double Biden's %) in Democratic Primary Voters in those same polls.

Some folks on DU are not telling the whole story.

Everyone loves Joe Biden as a person, they just don't vote for him in the Dem Primary.

[creeksneakers2]

17. Many candidates get a bump

when they announce they are running.

[bigwillq]

8. Beats me. He's as stale as Hillary, imo.

Joe Gaffe? No, thanks.

[Travis_0004]

9. His name is Clinton or Bush

Thats a good start.

The only thing that matters is if he wants to run. If so lets here him debate and I will make up my mind. More choices are a good thing.

[RobertEarl]

10. He is establishment

Other than that, and the possibility that Hillary gets emailed out, he's got nothing.

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. No one does. The corporate controlled MSM does. n/t

[SheilaT]

12. Here's my take.

A lot of people don't like Hillary. A lot of people haven't heard very much about Sanders. And O'Malley and Webb, God bless them, are just not making any kind of a dent in anything.

Because Biden isn't running -- at least not yet but I don't think he is going to run -- he's an unknown. An unknown with a lot of name recognition and a strong likeability quotient. If he really were to declare, things would change pretty quickly. Maybe a lot in his favor, maybe not. But at the moment, a fair number of people want an alternative to Hillary and Bernie, and Joe is a convenient choice.

[Jim Lane]

19. I agree. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Biden's biggest plus at this point is that he's not in the race. If he decides to run, he'll get an initial bounce, but then he'll come in for the level of criticism that's normal for any prominent candidate. How would he be faring a couple months into his campaign? His poll numbers would probably be lower than they are now.

[Jack-o-Lantern]

13. He is a good and decent man, he won’t run, a little kindness here wouldn’t hurt.

[elleng]

27. Thanks for the request for kindness, Jack.

I'm with you on this.

[cprise]

14. He's an old guy with white hair, like Bernie

If the DLC had a potential candidate with the last name Sanders or Sanderson or something like that, he would already be preparing to declare his candidacy.

More than that, however, is the fact that he IS so much like Hillary on the issues. That's a plus to the corporate establishment.

[DavidDvorkin]

15. To hold onto the White House.

[Hydra]

16. As others have said, the DLC is nailbiting

They need to keep the presidency or at least make sure a Looney Lefty doesn't get it and a Bush does- if they don't, their only claim to relevancy dies.

I really don't think they foresaw how many people REALLY don't like their policies. They ought to get out more and quit hanging with the Bushes and Trumps.

[creeksneakers2]

18. Joe polls best against the GOP candidates

I want a candidate that can win the general election.

[roguevalley]

23. for now he does but when

people remember anita hill and all the rest, old Uncle Joe from Scranton is going down.

[olddots]

20. gee he is really popular and presedenty looking

he isn't tooooooo left wing and you know he isn't from a Jewish background ( like just saying )

Yup he is a perfect status quo safe as milk don't rock the boat guy .

[sabrina 1]

24. The Establishment wants to have someone they can rely on in the event that Hillary

keeps losing support. I doubt Biden would do any better.

However, I will say this, IF he runs, judging by some of the things he's said lately, re the Money in Politics eg, 'it's the number one issue that MUST be fixed before anything else can done', will he take Corporate Funding after making such strong statements about it, and also, he told some Bernie supporters to 'vote for Bernie, he's a good man'. So either he's having regrets about his own capitulation to Corporate entities, or it was just him saying one thing, as he has done in the past, and doing another.

[Bonobo]

25. And his name sounds and looks like "Bin Laden" if you say it fast and squint!

He could never get elected with that name.

P.S. I agree with you on the OP.