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The Spectacle Blog

Will Joe Biden Stay on the Ticket?

By David Weigel on 1.8.09 @ 9:00AM

I'm not as convinced as Doug at the disposibility of Joe Biden. First, it's not right to say Biden was "chosen at the one moment when [Obama's] candidacy seemed in danger." Obama picked Biden right before the Democratic convention, when he was leading McCain. The only moment of true danger was that two week period between Sarah Palin's convention speech and the economic meltdown. Indeed, that's when we first started reading silly "Hillary will replace Biden on the ticket" stories.

Second, we always see these sorts of takes in the weeks before a party takes power—remember Tim Noah's much-linked and quite boneheaded "time to dump Pelosi?" article, right after John Murtha lost his majority leader bid (for which all non-redneck Democrats must still be grateful)? When it comes from the Weekly Standard, the magazine that did the most to push McCain to pick the Alaska Albatross as his VP, I shrug. Terzian's arguments are mostly cant—did Colin Powell or Condi Rice "solicit advice" on foreign policy from Dick Cheney? Well, then. Dick Cheney must have been a weak VP!

As to whether Obama will dump Biden in 2012... eh, I read too many "time for Bush to dump Cheney" stories from 2001 to 2004 in order to take that seriously.

I'd give Biden a year or so in the role before I read an assessment like this. For now, I suspect a lot of those Politico-driven "Biden to give up powers" and "Biden won't lobby Senate" stories were false flags. It's just impossible to believe that the fourth most senior senator will twiddle his thumbs and dream of retirement when his party's led in the Senate by a bumbler like Reid.

View all comments (8) | Leave a comment

Donna Hughes| 1.8.09 @ 10:27AM

Joe Biden LEAVE the ticket? Hahahahahahaha!!! You conservatives must be hard-up for things to speculate about!! He's one of Obama's best assets! You people have tried to make Joe into a fool and a joke, which he is NOT, but apparently you are beginning to believe your own crap!

Dai Alanye| 1.8.09 @ 12:05PM

Biden is of marginal intelligence and prone to speak before thinking. No profound analysis is needed—for those reasons he will be a weak VP.

MEG| 1.8.09 @ 12:15PM

Biden will be an exceptional VP. When he "speaks before thinking" he's generally telling it like it is sans the political spin. I appreciate that and hope that "flaw" isn't tamped down in his new role. His experience and relationships with world leaders, as well as his standing/popularity among the Senate and Congress members, will be an asset to the Obama administration.

notmypresident09| 1.8.09 @ 1:06PM

Donna, Donna, Donna, We all don't know Joe intimately like you apparently do. You must be excited to be going to the VP Office instead that dirty old Senate Building. Don't worry, I'm sure he will leave his wife for you. They always make the right decision.

Donna Hughes| 1.8.09 @ 6:44PM

notmypresident09,
I volunteered for Joe in Iowa in the primaries and spent time around both he and Jill and Beau and many other members of their family. Jill is, as Joe says, drop-dead gorgeous, and a real sweetheart of a woman. They only have eyes for each other so get your dirty little conservative mind out of the gutter!

Principia| 1.11.09 @ 5:53AM

Awww...notmypresident09...petty little cheap shot at Ms. Hughes, which tells me you haven't got anything. tsk tsk...but someone like you is, well, small and petty. Ms. Hughes is spot on in her assessment. And Mr. Biden is indeed brilliant, speaks honestly, and the best decision PE Obama made. Biden brings multi-layered experience to the new administration along with exceptional integrity. We're fortunate to have him in any capcity. Now notmypresident09, you stay classy.