Joe Biden "Will Not Be Bullied" By Clinton Campaign Into Deciding On Run

[Purveyor]

A close confidant and longtime advisor of Biden's who spoke to him recently says that Biden, as vice president, feels he has earned the right make a decision about his political future on his own timetable.

"He (Biden) really does not care about John or anyone else," the source said, referring to John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. "He does not like bullies and will not be bullied. He has never really been part of the Democratic establishment and could care less about it." Podesta told multiple media outlets last week that it was time Biden made a decision about whether he's running for the presidency.

Former top adviser to President Obama, David Axelrod, seemed to agree with Podesta. After pointing out the filing deadlines that come up in November, he said he thought "particularly within the Democratic community there's a growing impatience with this period of reflection," he said in an interview with John Dickerson on "Face the Nation" Sunday."

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton was also asked whether it was decision time for Biden. "Whether you are encouraging or not, there comes a time where a decision has to be made. And certainly I'm not in any way suggesting or recommending that the vice president accept any time table other than the one that is clicking inside of him," she said on CNN's "State of the Union." "He has to make this decision."

According to the confidante I spoke with, there is a part of Biden that has always regretted closing the door on a bid in 2004, when John Kerry ultimately became the nominee. That was the year, in Biden's mind, that he had the best shot at winning not just the nomination, but also the White House.

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http://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-will-not-be-bullied-by-clinton-campaign-into-deciding-on-run/

[restorefreedom]

1. clinton's advisors should take a page from their candidate on this one

whatever she feels, she said the right thing about this being his decision and on his timeframe. podesta is a petulant brat who thinks he is the boss of everyone. it is getting really time for him to stop talking about this issue. it just looks desperate.

[edgineered]

2. Bullied by the Clinton campaign. Just can't image that happening.

[sabrina 1]

6. No one was supposed to run against Hillary. It's almost as if they view her as

an incumbent president who shouldn't be challenged.

He should run if he wants to but the Party is letting him know he will get no support from them.

What that means is he will not have any help with financing. I read today that if he runs, he will have to pay for AF2 eg.

So yes, they are bullying him.

[edgineered]

9. It is amusing to see supporters of the largest and most highly financed

political machine minimize and subjugate all in its path. It is my belief that they, the supporters, are blind to the incredibly overt tactics of those orchestrating the effort. It must dishearten them that the restraints of net neutrality had not been in effect prior to this election cycle; equally so the failed cable monopoly. Keeping the electorate uninformed and compliant is proving to be more costly and time consuming than they would have liked.

Should things go as the power brokers plan, everyone should set up a table in the parking lot of their polling place and hand out pencils (not saying I will not vote for the D nominee)

[DURHAM D]

3. Oh brother.

Joe running to the press reminds me of LBJ. pitiful

[elleng]

4. 'He has never really been part of the Democratic establishment and could care less about it."

"He does not like bullies and will not be bullied.'

!!!

[MADem]

18. He's been in on the ground floor for the past seven years.

I think he's whining, here.

Joe has been a fine VP. He's run for POTUS x 2 and tanked miserably. He talks too much, he's a bit "loose canon-ish." It's fun in a VP, not so much fun in a POTUS.

He'll do what he wants, but if I were advising him, I'd cut this idea off at the knees.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. Google Joe Biden

Google Joe Biden and see how much of the speculation he might run is fueled by the Republicans and ask yourself why.

[MADem]

40. Well, they love to stir the pot....but they are so ham handed

they usually end up either burning or spilling the stew!

[PatSeg]

37. You'd have hard time

convincing a lot of people at DU that is true. This is not exactly Biden-friendly territory!

How are you?

[elleng]

39. I'm fine, PatSeg; you?

and yes, I'm aware of the 'issues,' but DU often misses the forest for the trees, imo.

[PatSeg]

42. Very good

After all these years, I've learned to take a lot of DU with a grain salt. There was a time when I took it much too seriously, especially during primary season.

A bunch of the old Biden group gets together on Facebook where we can talk more freely about Joe without all the predictable attacks. Meanwhile, we are pretty excited about the possibility of Joe getting into the race.

[CoffeeCat]

5. Joe has never been part of the.

...Dem establishment. Since when?

Love Joe Biden. So happy that Obama chose him as VP. However, he's pretty "establishment."

Something about this whole Biden thing is just flakey. He might run. Then he's doing public appearances as if he's been campaigning for a while. It's obvious the the Dems cleared the field for Hillary to run and be the nominee. I get that. The party apparatus feels that this is her time.

I don't get what Joe is doing.

What does Joe do to the dynamics of this race. Does he take more votes away from Clinton or Sanders? Maybe the answer to that question is why he's in the equation at all.

[sabrina 1]

7. The 'scientific polls' have been including him in every poll. Why? Are they working for

the Dem Party, trying to gauge what would happen if he did run?

I lost all respect for those polls which are supposed to give a picture of those RUNNING when they began looking like they were working for the Dem Party.

[CoffeeCat]

10. It's strange that he is in those polls...

...and who does he hurt or help by being in those polls?

[sabrina 1]

11. It's hard to tell, some people won't say they are supporting someone who isn't running. But

enough will, to give those who analyze these things an idea who he might take the most votes away from.

So far, he hasn't really hurt Bernie who continues to trend upwards. Hillary however as every one knows, has been trending down as more and more people get to know Sanders.

But if you take Biden out, she does better. So with Bernie likely to gain more support as he becomes better known, and Biden in the race, she definitely is the one he will hurt most.

And if calculate that he is likely to get more support if he is actually running, which I think is the case, then you could see why they want him to stay out.

[Volaris]

13. That assessment helps clarify, thanks Sabrina 1

Are Vice Presidents term-limited?
If he's not ready just yet to stop being functionally useful to the running of the country, but also maybe sort-of thinks he doesn't want to run 100%, can he be someone else's Vice?

Because I think he's done a very commendable job, and by all accounts even when he disagreed with an Obama decision, he did his job and didn't complain or get all butt-hurt like a lot of Lesser Men would have. He's got class, that one, and I for one would have no problem with his sticking around to keep helping, as he hasn't worn out his welcome yet, not by a long shot.

But if he has to get promoted to keep helping, then I guess we'll see what we'll see...

[sabrina 1]

41. I don't know about VPs term limits. But he could play some other role

SOS eg, It's interesting that just a few weeks ago Biden gave a talk in which he stated that the #1 issue in this campaign MUST BE to get the money out of politics.

He sounded like Bernie Sanders actually. He went on to say that if the people WANT to do it, they do have the power.

He stated that it has a 'corrosive' effect on our system and told the audience that if you like someone like ME no one can be trusted who is being funded by big money.

I am paraphrasing this but he was adamant about this and told his audience they needed to make it THE most issue because 'until we get that done, nothing else can be done'.

I wondered about that speech, if he was intending to run. Did it mean he would do what Sanders is doing?

Now I'm thinking that perhaps he was already being pressured by the Dem Party to stay out and being told that he could not raise enough money because Hillary was going to be backed by the party and would be getting the money needed to run.

And then at another event he met some Bernie Supporters and told 'Vote for Bernie, he's a good man'.


Have to check that question about the VP though!

[Tipperary]

8. I agree with this.

I like Biden and certainly would have not minded to see him enter the race, despite my support for Hillary. I do not think anyone should "bully" him, but I think that is a bit of hyperbole when one is talking about the vice-president of the United States.

That all said, I think his continued waffling is becoming tiresome. I wonder how much is even coming from him, however, and how much is the damn media trying to stir up crap. I do hope he has the good of the party in mind and operates from that place.

He really needs to make a decision soon.

[ohheckyeah]

12. It hasn't even

been 6 months since his son died. My Dad died less than a month before and my siblings and I get why he's "waffling". There are still times our grief takes our breath away and we have trouble thinking straight. How much more for someone who lost a child?

[Tipperary]

14. I completely agree. I love the man and honestly think he should NOT be making this decision at this

time. He is dealing with unimaginable grief and he needs the time to work through it. I feel deeply for him.

Unfortunately, the election cycle grinds on and waits for no one. The indecision will not help him either if he does finally throw his hat in the ring. I hope he makes whatever decision brings him peace.

I lost a parent two years ago and believe me, the grief has not lessened. One just becomes more accustomed to its continual presence.

[ohheckyeah]

15. I'm very sorry for your

loss. When I say that now it's very heartfelt. This is the first really close to me death since my grandmother's death 40+ years ago.

If Joe runs he has my vote. Selfishly, I hope he runs but I wonder if he can be emotionally ready. Yes, the time he'll have to decide draws close, but he's smart. If he jumps in he'll have things in place for his run.

"It's a big fucking deal."

[Tipperary]

16. That is my fear too. About him being emotionally ready.

I am a fan of his from way back, despite my longtime support for Hillary. I would certainly be interested in his ideas if he were to run.

Thank you for the condolences and I am also sorry for your loss. It is very difficult. It was my first family death other than grandparents of years ago also. Be good to yourself and take care of each other.

[stevenleser]

32. You're #8 and #14 are exactly where I am. In my ideal world, Biden would have declared...

... four months ago and we would have had a Hillary/Biden race with two great and viable candidates from which to chose.

I think I still would have preferred Hillary although I really like Joe a lot.

At this point it's really too late. I have no idea why Biden is even considering it anymore. To build an infrastructure in all of the caucus states for instance, while getting all of the filings and all of that done AND raising the amount of money you need is virtually impossible now.

[Tipperary]

35. I know. I think it's too late, and might even be harmful to the party at this point.

I have this feeling he is going to announce however.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. Then perhaps he shouldn't run at all, and end the speculation.

My dad died when I was fourteen. My maternal grandfather died when my mom was nine months old. My mom, who I was a caregiver to for twelve years, literally died in my arms of cardiac arrest.

[ohheckyeah]

26. How horrific and painful

for you. I'm very sorry for your loss.

I think Joe wants to run but isn't sure either he or his family is emotionally ready. I think he will decide soon.

[murielm99]

22. Got it.

My son in law died six months ago. We still can't handle it. We have to function, but it is not always easy. It is always there.

Stay strong, dear. Hugs.

[ohheckyeah]

25. And the same to you.

I'm sorry for your pain and your families pain over the loss.

[MADem]

19. Maybe he's chewing up the news cycle.

If the pundits are talking about HIM, they're not talking about other stuff.

It could be a distraction game.

Hard to know what's in his head. The best politicians can fool the hell outta people.

[CoffeeCat]

34. I sometimes wonder if this isn't a DNC device...

...used for many purposes. As you said, to suck up media energy. To affect the polls. To siphon vote away from Sanders (However, it's unclear to me who Biden hurts/helps the most).

Something is goofy about this. For Biden to suggest that he's not a party insider, is well--laughable.

I love Joe, but he's just as inside as Hillary Clinton is.

Sounds like he may be trying to run as an "outside" as Sanders is. The left wing of the party (and Sanders supporters in particular) will not buy that at all. The centrists in our party may swallow that line, and that may be enough people to gain him a good chunk of supporters.

I would have no problem voting for Joe in the GE; however I prefer Sanders to be our nominee. However, suggesting that Biden is an outsider is a bit too much malarkey for me to handle. He's a foreign-policy genius and a proponent of women's rights and gay rights. Love those things about him. However, he's a DC-insider for sure!

I still haven't figured out what exactly is going on here, but we may be seeing a bit of kabuki theater.

Sometimes that whole, "We're history's actors" thing seems to apply to *some* Democrats too.

[MADem]

38. A stalking horse.

Who knows? We'll figure it out through the long lens of history, I guess...

[Demeter]

17. wtf?

This party is so f*****, the leadership is wigging out over this man, who isn't going to run, and even if he did, wouldn't stand a chance of a snowball in hell of winning. No way to run a ball game.

[BlueCheese]

20. Joe Biden became a senator in 1973.

He served there for 36 years, and has been Vice President for the last 6.5 years. And he wants to claim he's not part of the Democratic establishment? Really?

[Kentonio]

24. "He has never really been part of the Democratic establishment and could care less about it"

The anti-establishment candidate persona is very popular this year it seems.

[orpupilofnature57]

28. No wonder what caused that .

[orpupilofnature57]

27. I thought that was the whole idea, a diversion from Bernie, " Establishment " is the subliminal

message .

[BootinUp]

29. Seems doubtful he will run especially if there are filing deadlines are next month

But thats just my guess.

[bigtree]

30. all we need

...another candidate's supporters playing victim of their own paranoid imagination.

[Android3.14]

31. Bully. That is the term

Bullies stand with Hillary. I don't want a president who has the support of bullies.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

36. That is why a certain group of posters have been virtually driven from this site.

Bully. That is the term
Bullies stand with Hillary. I don't want a president who has the support of bullies.

That is why a certain group of posters, the lion's share of whom do not support Hillary Clinton, have been virtually driven from this site and some of them have received threatening letters at their homes.

The most odious and contemptible bullies are those who do their bullying under the cloak of anonymity. And, verbal bullying can be just as pernicious and detrimental to the target as physical bullying.

[Blasphemer]

33. Sounds like he's feeling the heat and is surprised

Perhaps expecting to be given a lot of leeway in terms of having time to make up his mind. That is simply not realistic. Not deciding before the debate was a grave error - I felt this way before the debate occurred. The one benefit of the Trump sideshow is that people are paying more attention to the election early on. The debate would have been the perfect moment to establish himself as a candidate, introduce his platform, and differentiate himself from the others. The truth is that not being there really popped the Biden balloon. The Democrats displayed their competency and outshone the GOP by miles - a major candidate had to be there. Jumping in now just underscores that he missed his window of opportunity. With all due respect to the reason for his delay, I think it is fair to now question the viability of a run initiated now.