Should Biden enter the race?

[DanTex]

I'm on the fence about this one, but I might be leaning in favor. Here are my thoughts.

On the positive side, it gives us another strong candidate. And, although Biden surely doesn't like to think of himself this way, it also gives us a solid plan B in case something drastic happens to Clinton's campaign.

Another good thing is that Biden would be there on the campaign trail lauding Obama's accomplishments. Obama has been a great president, and it would be good to having someone out there forcefully reminding the American people of that. The GOP is going to run against Obama no matter what, and it's good to be making the pro-Obama case early and often. We can't let the public forget that Obama saved the nation from the catastrophe that the last GOP president created.

Third, if he runs and doesn't win, the fact that he has been out there on the campaign trail meeting voters would make him a more effective campaigner for Hillary during the general. Or, conversely, if Biden comes out on top, he will have a great supporter in Hillary.

On the negative side, it could lead to a long drawn-out primary battle and leave us in a weaker position against the GOP. Particularly if Biden and Clinton start getting into it and going at each other. And also, I don't think Biden would be quite as strong at the top of the ticket as Clinton, although I would be happy with either one of them.

What do other people think? Does having another strong Dem candidate in the mix outweigh the potential costs of a long drawn-out primary?

[leftofcool]

1. I have no problem with Joe in the race.

All of your points are good ones. I am not sure about a long drawn out primary though. I think if Joe joins the race, he will stay only until after Super Tuesday and if Clinton was way out on top, he would bow out and support her.

[still_one]

2. I don't like Joe, and for me it because of the way Anita Hill was treated during the Thomas

Hearings

His involvement with the bankruptcy bill, and prison bill do not add any favors with me either

However, in the end he will make the choice regardless of what I think

[cascadiance]

3. If it splits Hillary's votes away from her and helps Sanders win, then maybe a good thing...

... but neither Clinton or Biden will help this country make the necessary changes to fix the problems of growing oligarchy that is plaguing this country. We need someone that strongly speaks out against things like the TPP trade agreement, and wants to fix things like student debt (instead of pushing a bankruptcy bill which solidifies it by prohibiting bankruptcy on student debt).

Both Biden and Clinton have run before. America felt that Obama provided a better solution and "hope" that they didn't in earlier primary elections. And Obama also showed to us that we really need a candidate that speaks strongly their own opinion and doesn't back down from it to people who really want change, and not the false promises in so many cases that Obama gave them in 2008, and that a candidate like Clinton is hesitant to speak out on, nor has been as consistent over the years with her stances on issues (if she even takes them most of the time without a poll or talking to her donors).

[Hortensis]

15. Umhm. Who is your "maybe a good thing" GOP candidate for president?

Perhaps Bernie will still catch fire nationally and we'll have President Sanders. His supporters should be considering backup preferences, though, for which Republican candidate they'd like to see in the Oval Office if they can't have Bernie. Both Rubio and Cruz are running as "outsiders" on the hard right, so perhaps they would appeal?

[cascadiance]

18. I would like Bernie as the candidate so that we can LESS LIKELY have a GOP president...

Since most Americans (not just Democrats) don't want corporate cronies to continue to be president. That's why Trump has so much support from the GOP, since he's the only one not taking other people's money, even if the xenophobes also gravitate towards him.

But Bernie can beat him with his strong stances on that as well as the TPP and other issues like H-1B, where Hillary would lose to Trump on those issues for what most Americans want, and then we'd get the rest of his baggage too!

So it is a matter of having a good president on the issues AND having a president that caucuses with the Democrats that is important, and that is why Bernie as the nominee makes the most sense for us.

[Hortensis]

22. I like to think it could be so, too. We'll see.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Yes. i wouldn't vote for him but it would split the Decaf Dem vote.

[whatchamacallit]

5. Unless the fantasy of Biden entering as part of some kind of Hillary/Joe tag team is true

I would think most Hillary supporters would hate it. He will strip votes from her.

[WheelWalker]

6. Yes. He's my first choice. Always has been.

[cascadiance]

19. You must not be a millennial with tons of college debt...

who are totally SCREWED by the bankruptcy bill that Biden pushed in the Senate that won't let them use bankruptcy protection to forgive their college debts that have them debt slaves now.

[WheelWalker]

26. Politics in America is the art of making sausage. I enjoy sausage immensely.

[cascadiance]

27. I guess some millennials will be able to buy some sausage...

... but not much else. And I'm sure they don't care for their inability to buy much else either!

[WheelWalker]

31. Some people have bad fortune... others make bad choices... sometimes it's both, one leading

to the other. The demand for sausage remains high. You can't make sausage without seasoning, and everyone has a preference for their taste.

[cascadiance]

34. Translated: Some people are rich and some people aren't...

So that the latter is born in to "bad fortune", and don't really have much choices. And some people in the first group don't see how the latter has to live, and come up with rationalizations to explain how they deserve what they get...

[WheelWalker]

35. Now that you mention it, my dad did always say that credit is for those who don't need it...

Accordingly, I live frugally and only borrow when I know how I'm going to pay it back. Poverty is my most significant asset. I believe I shall reach my preferred goal to die penniless and debt free.

[hrmjustin]

7. No.

[SheilaT]

8. The only good reason for him to enter the race

is to make the media happy. They'd love a third "strong" candidate, and it would make the ultimate nominee a bit more uncertain for a while longer. Heck, with any luck at all, he'd do well enough in the primary system to lead to a brokered convention, which would have most media types in a constant state of orgasm.

Don't forget how in 2012, the media was happy as the proverbial pig in shit that for some months there was a new front runner for about three weeks at a time, making the true Inevitability of Mitt that much less depressing, and making the primary season much more interesting to cover.

While individual reporters probably do care who the eventual winner is, as a profession all they want is a good story. And Joe the Avuncular Enters the Race is a good story. Or even, Will Joe the Avuncular Enter the Race? That's a good story for a while also.

From their point of view it is extremely unfortunate that O'Malley, Webb, and Chaffee clearly don't have any sort of chance in the race, and that as it stands now Inevitable Hillary is only mildly affected by Sanders, or so they think.

Just to be clear, I'm a Sanders supporter who thinks he'll go all the way/

[Hortensis]

9. No. We already have a strong front runner with very similar positions,

and Biden would have to attack her to take support away, to the detriment of both their chances to win the general.

For those who really want a male establishment candidate, we already have one. Martin O'Malley's male, white, 20 years younger than Biden and an inch taller, with, notably, a good record of progressive accomplishment that he would be able to run on, and without Biden's baggage. VP Biden could campaign for him.

[treestar]

10. I thought no, but you made some good points

not so sure now. We have that tradition of two terms and then switch, so we really need to justify a third D term, and talking Obama's terms up would be desirable.

[cascadiance]

21. Tell us more why you like Obama's TPP being ready to be passed now!

It would be interesting to hear the details on how this will help most Americans not in the 1%!

[saturnsring]

11. is he awaiting our decision to make up his mind?

[restorefreedom]

12. don't mean to equivocate,

but its really up to him and family. as for the strategy of it all, i don't think it matters. if he gets in, it will speed up hillary's freefall, making it biden v sanders. if he doesn't. it will be clinton v sanders until hillary drops out, hopefully before super tuesday or not long after.

addendum...joe is prone to speaking his mind rather freely, so that could make things really interesting.

[Cali_Democrat]

13. Right now we only have one serious candidate running for the Dem nomination (Hillary Clinton)

Well I guess we have two if you count Martin O'Malley, but for some reason he's just not gaining any traction.

Biden would provide a decent alternative to Hillary.

[whatchamacallit]

14. Lol!

Cool GIF of Obama brushing Hillary off his shoulders... and they say Bernie supporters are whack...

[Armstead]

29. Ever so cute

[oasis]

16. No.Why divert attention away from the Dem top three?

Joe had nothing to add.

[upaloopa]

20. Why isn't Biden a plan B for Bernie?

I never understand why Hillary would cause a need for a plan B.
Biden is not going to run. The only reason he is in the polls is to dilute Hillary's numbers. The MSM needs a horse race.

[cascadiance]

23. And according to poll number trends, this could be more of a horse race than 2008...

... with Sanders now AHEAD of Obama at this point of the race in the polls as noted here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/128056418

[Shrek]

24. Yes! n/t

[bigwillq]

25. Yes (nt)

[Armstead]

28. Gore 2000 -- The Sequel

[mwrguy]

30. YES

[WI_DEM]

32. It's a free country if he wants to run he can.

[Peacetrain]

33. If he wants to and is up to it.. why the heck not?

If any candidate is going to fold because of an extra challenger in the primary/caucus season.. they will not make it in the general..