Politics –
Joe Biden Considers White House Run
Move over Hillary Clinton — Joe Biden may very well challenge you after all for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
Politics
For a while, it looked as if the boatload of Republican candidates would be the ones to duke it out amongst each other, while Hillary Clinton sailed practically unopposed toward the nomination and then smoothly into the Oval Office. Now, the Vice-President of the United States may very well be saying “Stop the coronation,” as he strongly considers his own run for the presidency.
Biden’s decision to consider a bid for the nomination reportedly comes from a deathbed promise he made to his eldest son. Beau Biden passed away in May from a long battle with brain cancer, but is said to have made a last wish that his father run against Hillary for President of the United States.
Joe Biden is understandably torn by the very difficult decision to either bow to the wishes of the Democratic Party and make history by producing the first female President of the United States, or to grant the final wish of his dying son.
The decision is also a difficult one for Joe Biden since he and Hillary Clinton are close, having served as pivotal partners in the Obama administration. Joe Biden is also at a strong disadvantage, since he would be launching a potential campaign extremely late, with Hillary and others far ahead of him in securing donors and supporters.
Republicans, however, are eager for a possible Joe Biden candidacy, believing his gaffe-prone reputation makes him a punchline and a pushover to beat. They also believe he and Hillary would beat up on each other so badly in a primary election, that it could leave Democrats with a weakened nominee come general election time.
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump made it clear who he would prefer to face in a general election, by pretending to like Joe Biden over Hillary Clinton. “She’s got a big problem with the e-mails and, obviously, her numbers are going down drastically, so somebody like Biden could probably go in and do very well and maybe win,” Trump said sarcastically.
If Joe Biden does decide to run, he would need to move quickly to build out a crew of field organizers and volunteers, sign talented operatives, as well as court local and national support from his fellow Democratic politicians. This would prove to be a rather daunting task with Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley already far along in the process.
“He’s a little bit behind,” said Tom Henderson, the Democratic chairman in Polk County, Iowa. “Most campaigns use summer to set up field staff and are ready to roll to organization in the fall,” he said. “If he waits too much longer, it’s probably going to be too late.”
Still, others are hopeful for a Biden candidacy. “I’ve had calls this morning from five major political people in South Carolina, two from Hillary people who would jump to Biden,” said Dick Harpootlian, a former South Carolina Democratic chairman.
Iowa state Rep. Bruce Hunter of Des Moines, who endorsed Biden during his 2008 campaign, said “there’s been a lot of unofficial groundwork — people like myself waiting for a decision before we do anything.” He added that Hillary’s email scandal and her struggles to demonstrate trustworthiness have created an opening for Biden.
“They’re definitely warning signs and probably do leave room for a candidate to come in and challenge her,” Hunter said. “And I think Joe’s always been the genuine article: Whether you like it or not, you know where he stands.”
Dan Pfeiffer, a Delaware native and former senior adviser to President Obama who has worked closely with Biden since the 2008 campaign, said he is skeptical of how seriously Biden is considering a run.
“Whether he gets in or not, I don’t really know,” Pfeiffer said. “Certainly if he does, he’ll be a legitimate candidate who has a great record and would be a great challenge for Hillary Clinton. But Hillary Clinton is well ahead of him, not just in the polls, but in the organizational work you have to do to win the nomination. She’s been organizing Iowa and New Hampshire for months, while he hasn’t been working the scene at all.”
“This would be very challenging,”Pfeiffer added. “But he certainly has more than earned the right to run if he chooses, but it would be a hard piece of business.”
Politics
The 72-year-old Biden’s friends and advisers are urging him to keep the door to a presidential campaign open. But if Joe Biden truly wanted to be president, he likely would have used the power and prestige of the White House and his close personal relationship with Barack Obama to set things up for him years ago. Biden could have been strategically placed out in front of administration policy, making Rose Garden announcements, and basically looking presidential. President Obama could have paved a golden path for him to the nomination, just as other presidents in history have done for their vice-presidents. However, this is not the case.
Like any father, Joe Biden is still grieving the loss of his beloved son. His decisions and considerations are rooted in his heart instead of his head, which is why this may be a good time for him to step back, take a long look at what’s ahead of him and decide smartly.
Does Joe Biden truly want to be President of the United States for the next 4 years? Would he be satisfied by blocking his friend, Hillary Clinton, from becoming the first female POTUS? Or would his candidacy merely be to fulfill an 11th hour emotional promise to a dying son?
Think long and hard, Joe Biden. But in the end, you know what you must do.
If he's still mourning his son I think this would be a bad idea. I read somewhere else that some of his friends think if he runs and loses it would ruin his legacy. They're all just too scared to tell him the truth and hope he works it out for himself. Joe's been a good soldier but he should pass on running for president.