So Rob Reiner just said if Biden is elected, we're right back on the world stage.

[gateley]

(On Chris Matthews)

We have to remember we have to heal our relationships in the world -- who better than Joe (and I THINK I'm being pretty objective when I say that, but... )

As leader of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, he has established relationships and trust abroad.

I like the idea of him as Potus for one term, and let the VP get her chops and take over in 2024.

[hlthe2b]

1. I agree...

I think Biden would go for that too.

[gateley]

4. Well, none of them asked my opinion

in 2007 and 2016, and I doubt they'll listen to me know. But WE know we're right.

[DemocracyMouse]

40. No offense, but by "WE" do you mean the Democratic establishment?

Can "we" talk about an evolving establishment please? Certainly a mix of old and new would match the old and new of OTHER world powers. They're evolving too. We need to think about our Democratic principles synergizing with democracies around the world.

[gateley]

48. It was more general than it read, apparently.

It was just a cheap slam against Republicans. I'm not speaking for anybody.

[Demsrule86]

61. Can we talke about winning the 2020 election...consider that the house was won by mostly

moderates.

[TwilightZone]

2. Makes sense. Look at our standing in the world when he was VP vs. now.

Night and day.

That being said, any of our candidates would return some normalcy to the world and improve our standing. It would be impossible not to.

[gateley]

5. I agree -- I have faith in any of them. He's just got the history and

established relationships on his gig on the SCFR and as VP.

[TwilightZone]

8. Agreed.

He already has extensive experience at that level.

[DemocracyMouse]

43. Biden has been out of touch with a lot of domestic issues.

I've shared my concerns with his policy team when Obama was in office.

For example, he blamed the rising cost of higher education on the high pay of a tiny fraction of star faculty. He had no idea that higher education in the US was suffering from a doubling of administrative personnel (to run all those "efficient" computers) and a gutting of Phd. pay and general agency. Our universities are rising in tuition and losing the oversight of intellectuals. It's a huge problem rarely addressed. The increasing exploitation of adjunct sweatshop labor is only half the problem – the rise of academic bureaucrats is insidious.

[Demsrule86]

62. There will be a primary and if Biden wins...then as the Democratic nominee, we need to vote

for him. The point is he won't be the nominee unless enough Democrats vote for him and we have to accept the outcome and support the nominee. I will admit that I dislike Sen. Sanders but if he is the nominee, I will vote for him work my butt off for him.

[WheelWalker]

12. Any of our candidates, perhaps. But winning is paramount.

[Mr.Bill]

44. Lets face it,

if we elected Bullwinkle the Moose it would improve our standing in the world.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. Joe would make a fine President... but, I'd prefer someone who didn't vote for the IWR to be running

foreign affairs.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[WheelWalker]

10. In my opinion he has far more positives today than negatives from yesterday.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

14. I don't dispute that... actually, hoping Joe jumps in the race.

He would contribute a lot to the debate and has a decent shot at getting the nomination, along with Bernie.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[gateley]

15. Well put. nt

[gateley]

13. I'd prefer Joe hadn't voted for the IWR -- and

I think he said felt that way too. There were only a few who weren't caught up in the fear after 9/11 and saw it for what it was and my hat is off to them in all sincerity (I'm looking at you, Bernie

I think most of those who voted yea regretted it later after learning the truth. I've heard (I don't remember where) that the reason many of them voted for the continuing resolution was they were threatened if that if they didn't, funding to protect the troops would cease. Not sure how accurate that is or if the WH could even determine that. I put nothing past Cheney and Rumsfeld, though.

Not making excuses, but I always try to walk in anther's shoes to try to understand their motivation, give them the benefit of the doubt. Except for Trump. Fuck him.

I would be happy with ANY of our current candidates. I'm pretty impressed.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

17. I hear ya... fair statement.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[forgotmylogin]

35. I'd prefer Biden as Secretary of State with his foreign affairs knowledge.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

49. Bernie would be wise to consider Joe to be his SoS.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[WheelWalker]

6. Precisely. Biden for the Second Reconstruction

[CrossingTheRubicon]

7. The free world would breath a sigh of relief.

Putin will be pissed. Hence, expect the Russian "specialists" who will attack our party and our nominee.

[Gothmog]

9. Joe Biden could restore our place on the world stage

[Hortensis]

11. Rob Reiner makes a good point.

Can't get on board with a one-term fantasy, though. That would only happen if his health failed, not as part of some retire-the-old-fart deal, and whoever became our next president would have to win election just as he would. I could see a strong, involved VP partner shouldering an increasing share of the duties if needed but none of the presidential-level decisions or authority.

[gateley]

20. You make some good points.

But I didn't view it as a retire the old fart deal, but rather as someone with the experience and relationships to help us heal, then rest from his labors.

The VP would have to win the election anyway, I just think the 4 years would help people get to know her and feel confident in her abilities and judgment.

It's going to be an interesting ride!

[Hortensis]

24. Makes sense. But I think the possibility is implicit

when older candidates choose notably younger running mates.

At least among Democrats, our VPs have also become increasingly involved in presidential-level activities, like Biden himself. Any VP for warm-fuzzies Uncle Joe should be redoubtable and reassuringly younger and I'd hope would have a whole list of important accomplishments after the first term.

Which would put us right where you were imagining if needed.

[oasis]

16. Let's go Joe.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

21. What's taking him so long?!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Hortensis]

29. Maybe letting the noise generated by others piling

in to quiet a bit. Obama's VP is the party leader everyone's waiting for and looking to: will he run or won't he? There's no passing moment this statesman needs to grab before he has to run after it.

[oasis]

30. Dunno, but I do know this, there is no way he'll NOT run this time.

Take that to the bank.

[shanny]

18. Not at the top of the ticket. SecState would be fine.

[EndGOPPropaganda]

34. Agreed. Warren or Booker would be good.

[handmade34]

19. my money's on Biden

https://www.americanpossibilities.org/

[elleng]

22. HI, gate!!!

[gateley]

23. Hiya, pal!

Be seeing you here (if I last) and "there".

Still loving your pics, by the way, I just never tell you even though in my mind i'm always thinking "oh! I want to tell Ellen how much I like this..." You'd think I have a life or something.

[elleng]

25. Thanks! Happy to see it ALL!!!

A LIFE???!!!

[Lisa0825]

26. Joe - Kamala FTW

[gateley]

28. I think they would make an incredible team! nt

[Control-Z]

33. That seems to be the ticket 90% of DU

gets excited about! I know I would love that ticket.

[R B Garr]

38. Yes, absolutely the best so far!

Would love it. ♥️🙏

[smirkymonkey]

64. That is kind of my dream team right now!

I think they are our best bet.

[defacto7]

27. That's exactly as I see it at this point.

[R B Garr]

31. Absolutely agreed 100% with everything you said.

It’s great to see vocal people like Reiner stepping up about getting our global relationships healed. There would be no one better than Biden for that. Reiner is promoting stability, familiarity and experience with Biden.

👍💯

[LakeArenal]

32. Biden four his full term.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

36. WOW - that is great. You can't get much more left than Reiner, can you ? Gately,

you are exactly right. He's the mentor ! We honor age, wisdom, experience, decency and match him with the next generation ! Only problem I see is that if we don't win back WI, MI and PA (or substitute state) we have to flip Texas (trump approval at 41%). I live in Texas. The number one bigotry in my experience is a bigotry against women. Joe might be able to pull it off - but a progressive female would hurt dramatically. Progressive of any gender would. Texas probably wouldn't even be in the ballgame if Trump wasn't effin with the border people.

[gateley]

41. I like that -- the mentor!

Texas is a toughie, I agree. But stranger things have happened... just look who's in the White House!

[PatSeg]

37. Yes, a very good point

Right now, I can picture a Biden/Harris ticket, though I could change my mind numerous times in the coming year.

[gateley]

50. Me, too! nt

[PatSeg]

54. It just sounds so good!

Can't have another two white males ticket. I won't choose a candidate depending on race or gender, but we have such great contenders, there's no reason not to have a woman and/or a minority.

If Joe was to run and get the nomination, I am 99.9% sure, he would pick a woman running mate.

[bigtree]

39. that's also true for any of the leading Democrats

...there should be consideration of where Biden would lead us.

He's been a foreign policy hawk over his political career, and folks might want a new approach to foreign policy and military engagements that Biden and the Obama administration represented and practiced.

[gateley]

45. I don't think "hawk" applies to Joe's foreign policy approach.

I think he always preferred diplomacy which is why he had such good relationships with so many of the world's leaders who would generally communicate with Joe before contacting Rumsfeld during the Bush administration (talk about a hawk!)

He advised Obama AGAINST buildup in Afghanistan but Obama followed the recommendation of the Pentagon.

I don't understand why you view him as a hawk.

[bigtree]

51. admittedly, he softened as Obama's VP

...but he's not aligned with much of what I've been looking for in the last few decades.

No time right now to cut-and-paste and debate on this thread, but mine isn't a new or solitary view of Joe's FP.

Here's an account that I've gone through which I mostly agree with:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-zunes/bidens-hawkish-record_b_214873.html

[gateley]

52. Interesting piece --

Although it's certainly not a hit piece, I think it's written from the stance that Biden IS a hawk. Not disputing the facts, but I guess I interpret some of them differently.

I'm not going to debate, anyway. I wouldn't change your mind (nor would I desire to) and you wouldn't change mine and I'm fine with anyone having a different opinion than I do. I just honestly never viewed him as a hawk, I still don't, and just curious as to why you did.

I don't want a hawk, but I don't look at Biden that way.

Honestly, thinking of any of the candidates (or in Biden's case, potential candidate) I think we'd be in pretty good hands with no trigger happy fingers itching to engage.

[bigtree]

58. Biden's presidential enough

...

[gateley]

60. Bwah!

If I'm getting the reference...

[Dem2theMax]

42. I've said it before, and I will say it again,

I want the candidate who has the most experience, who can put our country back together, to win.

It is going to take a massive amount of work to undo the damage that has been done by Trump and his evil minions. We need someone who can hit the ground running, who does not need to take time learning how to be the president.

And although I have not declared my choice yet, I think Biden is the only one who fits the bill. Hillary too, but she said she's not running.

[gateley]

46. I think you put it perfectly - I agree. nt

[Laura PourMeADrink]

55. He's the antithesis of trump. Decent, honorable,

traditional, kind, family guy, experienced. And he won't even have to say that. It will be immensely obvious.

[left-of-center2012]

47. agree

[pnwmom]

53. I think they would be thrilled with any of our top candidates.

They would welcome Kamala, Jay, Julian, Corey, Joe, Amy or one of the others with open arms.

[Cha]

56. Joe Biden was an Excellent VP to Pres Obama

and I'm sure taught Obama a lot. They left great friends. That says a lot about Joe to me.

Mahalo, Gately.. Welcome back to DU

[MFM008]

57. I like Joe but

I will support the nominee.

[ancianita]

59. With Jay Inslee elected we can be right back on the world stage again, as well.

Inslee most progressive and best experienced progressive in the Democratic Party.

[BooScout]

63. Ummm, If Captain Crunch was elected we'd be back on the world stage...

I'm just sayin, lol