Biden: Hey, you know who might have been a better pick for VP than me?
posted at 5:33 pm on September 10, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Say it with me. Eagleton.
And so, with this, the number of Americans who don’t think Hillary would have been a smarter pick stands at one. Serious question: If Palin aces the Charlie Gibson interview and McCain bounces out to, say, an eight-point lead, does Obama decide that Biden needs to spend more time with his family, swap in Her Majesty, and launch the gender politics clusterfark to end all clusterfarks? It’d have to be done before the VP debate on October 2; they wouldn’t want to miss the chance to draw the contrast with Palin and cement the substitution in the public’s mind by not having her in place already for an event as high profile as that. Even more serious question: If Obama’s imploding, why would Hillary agree to come aboard? Better to let McCain finish him off and then skip to the nomination in 2012. Still more serious question: If McCain had chosen Palin before Obama picked his own VP, is there any doubt who the choice would have been? And the most serious question of all: What is this tool doing telling audiences Obama should have gone with Hillary? Is there any conceivable strategy behind that? A feeble ploy for the PUMAs, maybe, or just Biden being Biden?
Update: Biden said repeatedly during the primaries that Obama wasn’t qualified to be president. Turns out he was right:
Barack Obama’s judgment was that Joe Biden was the best possible vice presidential candidate.
Joe Biden says he’s wrong.
This was Obama’s first major decision as a would-be president.
He got it wrong.
Update: “I don’t think Palin would be seeing these kind of gains if Hillary was on the ticket… When Obama picked Biden, it gave Republicans an opening, and they are taking full advantage of it… The question is: How long will it last?”
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unseen on September 10, 2008 at 6:34 PM –
With a wrench?
Better tighten up them ol’ nuts, Barry, Jesse been looking for you!
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 6:37 PM
OPRAH “I just crapped my control tops off!”
marklmail on September 10, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Where can I lay down some money on “Biden suffers serious health issue”?
rockhead on September 10, 2008 at 6:13 PM
NOT TAKING THAT BET AT ANY ODDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SDarchitect on September 10, 2008 at 6:40 PM
So Biden’s at what? Three bloopers in the last 30 hours? One every 10 hours? How many hours in 56 days?
CanadianGuy on September 10, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Forgot just one factor, the biggest of them all, Michelle Obama.
Entelechy on September 10, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Is Biden the first to throw himself under the bus, or did someone else beat him to it?
Bishop on September 10, 2008 at 6:41 PM
With a wrench?
Better tighten up them ol’ nuts, Barry, Jesse been looking for you!
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 6:37 PM
Yeah could you picture it BHO with a wrench and Palin on time with a M-16. Say game over if that happened…but you can feel the envy in his statement. I mean it just come off the page at me.
unseen on September 10, 2008 at 6:41 PM
LOL… I could just see the out takes…
Barry says “which end of this wrench thing do I hold?”
Romeo13 on September 10, 2008 at 6:41 PM
ahhhh yes, lets jump up and identify the more qualified person. I can see the slogan, VOTE FOR OBAMA…Even though he did chose a more qualified running mate.
mindhacker on September 10, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Okay, we get one gaffe per day out of this guy and the Messiah. Love it!
carbon_footprint on September 10, 2008 at 6:43 PM
It’s so simple.
Obama, on the first, and most important decision, picked the old, thinking foreign policy was the numero uno and only issue.
McCain, on the first, and most important decision, picked the young, knowing that “change”, but not the kind Obama is talking about, is what’s on the voters’ mind.
The country went “Wow”.
McCain/Palin should start to attack all in Washington, from both sides.
Entelechy on September 10, 2008 at 6:44 PM
Hillary Clinton turned Barack Obama down on the vp slot when they met in June.
carbon_footprint on September 10, 2008 at 6:45 PM
The RAT wants to jump ship; he sees that it’s going down.
Zoltan on September 10, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Eagleton!
jawbone on September 10, 2008 at 6:45 PM
So, you get paid for doing absolutely nothing…
To quote Grand Pa Simpson..’I figured the Democrats were back in charge’…
BigWyo on September 10, 2008 at 6:46 PM
Intrade: Obama down 3.5, McCain up 2.0.
Heh.
Jaibones on September 10, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Defense is not a pretty position.
Entelechy on September 10, 2008 at 6:47 PM
If he were to try this, he might as well walk around with a sign attached to his back that would read, “I will do anything…ANYTHING!!…to win this election!”
surrounded on September 10, 2008 at 6:48 PM
BLOWMENTUM!
wildweasel on September 10, 2008 at 6:48 PM
The Democrats are putting the word “free” in front of everything Big Wyo. Free! Do you know what that means? IT COSTS ME NOTHING!
Chuck Schick on September 10, 2008 at 6:49 PM
Dude. Pretty far stretch.
Jaibones on September 10, 2008 at 6:49 PM
Looks like the McCain/Palin Iceberg did more
damage than we all imagined,don’t forget,SarahCuda
radioed Biden,and advised that the bow should hit
direct on,being that Palin is experienced in the
extreme cold,but,Oooooooooooooooooh NO,Obama wouldn’t
listen,sumpin about more experience or sumpin!!!
Now,as the Hopey/Changey/Biden ticket takes on water,
Obama is calling for a ‘Pilot’ to guide them in and
out of icebregs,while his Liberal campaign is sinking
fast!!
The ‘Pilot’ would be Hillary,yet Team Obama is sinking
fast!
Thats what you get from ‘Inexperienced Obama’!!!!!!!!
canopfor on September 10, 2008 at 6:51 PM
Defense is not a pretty position.
Entelechy on September 10, 2008 at 6:47 PM
A fragmented defense looks far less pretty.
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 6:52 PM
I hope it’s under the radar; otherwise, they might try to do something about it.
I think Hillary smirking behind Michelle’s back will be enough to wait until 2012….I can’t say that I blame her.
ex-Democrat on September 10, 2008 at 6:53 PM
I certainly hope so – whatever credibility he has left is then gone – game over.
labrat on September 10, 2008 at 6:56 PM
Add lipstick to a sexist? Still a sexist ticket. Not ready to lead women.
econavenger on September 10, 2008 at 6:56 PM
Who would have been better than Biden?
Geez. Talk about a hole with no bottom.
__________
RJGatorEsq. on September 10, 2008 at 6:58 PM
QTF
ballz2wallz on September 10, 2008 at 6:59 PM
+1
labrat on September 10, 2008 at 6:59 PM
I think we might see the world’s first double-Eagleton.
progressoverpeace on September 10, 2008 at 7:01 PM
Stand up. Stand up, Chuck.
CanadianGuy on September 10, 2008 at 7:03 PM
The wife proposed an interesting strategy that appeals to my inner Machaivelli: She says that Biden will drop out and cite his health as a reason. He will claim that he already suffered two aneurysms and, out of love for his country and respect for the Obama campaign, does not want to place the United States in jeopardy if he should fall ill while in office.
He’ll step down amid cheers for his sacrifice.
Obama will select a woman running mate – perhaps not Hillary – but a woman nonetheless.
Dems will cheer and heave a sigh of relief.
Obama will ask why McCain does not step down, given his precarious health.
The Despair-O-Meter™ will fall to 2.5
ManlyRash on September 10, 2008 at 7:08 PM
Would end up with black voters furious at Obama’s demotion and enough of them would stay home to lose election for Dems. The Dems are stuck with Obama.
And likely with Biden. Even if he had a “health problem,” I doubt Hillary would want to sign onto a sinking ship.
Wethal on September 10, 2008 at 7:09 PM
All this Eagleton talk made me think of this – “The luxury edition has so much more eagle. It saddens me to think of you missing out.”
Ok, ok, I will stop with my dorky cartoon references.
lobstress on September 10, 2008 at 7:11 PM
Interesting, but whom would he choose, and how would he explain why it wasn’t Hillary? If he chose Sebelius of Kansas, it would look like a “Me, too!” pick of another woman governor.
Wethal on September 10, 2008 at 7:12 PM
Which was the reason the SuperDs gave it to O’Bambi in the first place.
But I’m still LMAO over the image of Hillary smirking at Michelle the witch while Barry flounders. The schadenfreude will be palpable.
Jaibones on September 10, 2008 at 7:14 PM
Stand up. Stand up, Chuck.
CanadianGuy on September 10, 2008 at 7:03 PM
“Stand up, for God’s sake will somebody stand up!!!
I’m thinking of that old Twilight Zone episode, “It’s a Good Life,” with Obama as the little boy, and Biden as the drunk neighbor….”You’re a bad man, Biden, a very bad man!”
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 7:15 PM
It won’t be Hillary, because she has her eye on 2012. It may very well be Sibelius, who is also a governor. So what if it looks like a “me too” pick…the elites will be delighted, because Sibelius would have flushed Trig down the toilet.
And the media elites would immediately drop any coverage of Sarah’Cuda to give their full attention to Slaughterhouse Sibelius.
Sh!te…my own Despair-O-Meter™ just dropped three notches.
ManlyRash on September 10, 2008 at 7:17 PM
I think Maxine (nationalize oil) Waters would be a perfect choice.
labrat on September 10, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Wow…:mouth agape:
Some clown on DU speaks of some super secret announcement coming from BO….Might there be shall we say?????
Change?
CBarker on September 10, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Back before Sarah Palin’s convention speech, when the media was nine-deep trying to derail her in order to deal a deathblow to the Republicans’ campaign, Slate ran an interesting article detailing exactly what’s involved in replacing a nominated candidate for veep. The focus is on the Republicans, for obvious reasons, but the article also mentions what the Democrats would do in a similar scenario.
They note that the committee’s decision would presumably be a rubber stamp, but these are Democrats we’re talking about; things could get much more interesting…
Well-Armed Lamb on September 10, 2008 at 7:22 PM
Does anyone actually believe that any of the other Democrat contenders would accept a VP slot now? At this point?
Would be akin to purchasing a ticket on the Titanic after it hit the iceburg.
Take a look at the polling, and the trends. One more week or so of this Gaffolympics and Obama’s stuttering attempts to bring gravitas to his campaign, and those trends will be solid movements toward McCain. This one is going to make the Democrat 1984 and 1988 campaigns look like electoral landslides.
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 7:24 PM
You need to change your screenname to Sybil :)
BillH on September 10, 2008 at 7:24 PM
Biden jumps on Intrade.
Heywood U. Reedmore on September 10, 2008 at 7:31 PM
At this point, is there any Dem who has any kind of aspirations for a national career (Congress, Presidency) who would want to sign on to the leaking ship S.S.Obama? Would the national exposure on the ticket offset the downside?
Obama needs someone to inspire the troops, as he appears to be uanble to use the old Obama Magic. At the same time, he probably doesn’t want (and Michelle wouldn’t want) anyone who would outshine the Messiah.
It would also probably have to be someone with some foreign policy background. That’s the reason for the desparation pick of Biden.
Wethal on September 10, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Uncle Joe’s goin to the cornfield?
SuperCool on September 10, 2008 at 7:38 PM
I think I know what this ticket needs….
a man who will firm up the areas where Barry is weak, a man who will be Yoda to Barry’s Luke…..
Rev. Je$$e Jack$on
sven10077 on September 10, 2008 at 7:39 PM
If they had cameras and reporters covering the Titanic, I’m sure you could have found people who wanted to get on it, even as it was sinking.
progressoverpeace on September 10, 2008 at 7:48 PM
I don’t have enough popcorn for this theater…
Ozprey on September 10, 2008 at 7:48 PM
Then again, maybe this is Biden’s way of trying to beg off the ticket…
Sorry Joe, Hillary won’t save you and Obambi now, not when she’s got everything to win by you two tanking in November:
Control of the party though the “I told you so!” factor, the inevitable Clintonista Purge of “traitors” (people who compile enemies lists generally have loooong memories and lack mercy) and a mortal lock on the Dem nomination in 2012.
Take your beating like a man, ya sorry mo’.
SuperCool on September 10, 2008 at 7:48 PM
labrat on September 10, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Maxine Waters??!! Michelle’s head explodes taking half of Southside Chicago with it. Beautiful! Whatta way with words.
Even Bambi’s new wrench cannot save them.
+1
Caststeel on September 10, 2008 at 7:48 PM
Dodd is the perfect sort of lunatic to take the VP slot after Biden. His cluelessness would actually work for him.
progressoverpeace on September 10, 2008 at 7:49 PM
SuperCool on September 10, 2008 at 7:38 PM –
Joe-in-the-Box and all…
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Yeah, I’m pretty sure Biden hopes Hillary will replace him, but I give it a snowball’s chance in Hell.
m064404 on September 10, 2008 at 7:53 PM
labrat on September 10, 2008 at 7:18 PM –
Maxine Waters??!!
(She’d accept…in a heartbeat.)
South Central meets the South Side?
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 7:54 PM
It could happen. When you know you have the media on your side, you can justify anything.
WisCon on September 10, 2008 at 7:56 PM
The rumors are flying fast and furious at DU (as usual); now they’re saying a story will break that McCain suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease. Something to do with his prescriptions. Supposed to break on ABC News.
But of course. Don’t all elderly Republican men get Alzheimer’s?
They are brick-batting Governor Palin over there left and right. And there was a thread about Obama joking about the pig controversy on Letterman (tonight’s show, I assume).
My God, these Democrats act like an unsupervised room full of juvenile delinquents.
capitalist piglet on September 10, 2008 at 7:56 PM
My God, these Democrats act like an unsupervised room full of juvenile delinquents.
capitalist piglet on September 10, 2008 at 7:56 PM
Act?
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 7:57 PM
Should I be worried because that makes perfect sense to me.
Or that it might work.
mad saint jack on September 10, 2008 at 8:00 PM
wow – go Biden go
defendfaithandfamily on September 10, 2008 at 8:07 PM
I doubt a switch will happen. I can give you 21 million reasons. Unless of course, Barry’s planning on cutting a large check. Never stand between a Clinton and money.
How would the MSM treat this? “She only got picked because she’s a woman”? OR:
“Fantastic pick”
“Great Stratagey”
“Outstanding Choice”
“Dems on a roll now”
GarandFan on September 10, 2008 at 8:15 PM
sorrry but still laughing my head off over this. Wow I knew he was dumb but not this dumb
unseen on September 10, 2008 at 8:15 PM
Can someone point me to any experience that Hillary Clinton might have that would make her more qualified for the office of Vice President than Biden?
Yes, she compares favorably to Obama, but all she has is essentially one full term in the Senate, and being married to a Governor and President. Has she been responsible for anything (that didn’t fail)?
Now, I could say, truthfully, that Hillary Clinton is more qualified to be president than I am. But Biden?
Count to 10 on September 10, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Biden cannot bow out for “health reasons” if he still wants to run to keep his Senate seat. Wouldn’t his “health” be equally compromised there?
onlineanalyst on September 10, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Count to 10 on September 10, 2008 at 8:26 PM –
There is a subtle beauty in it all. Two first term Senators…telling America they are the most qualified kids on the block…
Regardless, this election needs to end up with a wide wide margin between winner and loser.
60-35 McCain-Obama might work to end this years’ long “he ain’t my President” crap we’ve been hearing over and over again from the Left.
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 8:32 PM
Message to team Obama:
Yes, that WAS an iceberg we just hit.
wildweasel on September 10, 2008 at 8:32 PM
The only consolation prize would be NObama/Michelle/Hillbilly arguing over every single little minutia every minute of their entire reign.
Domino on September 10, 2008 at 8:34 PM
I just have this image of Biden leaving the house in the morning headed off to work with this bus simply following him around the whole day.
highhopes on September 10, 2008 at 8:48 PM
Drudge just picked it up LOL.
lorien1973 on September 10, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Can such a maneuver work this late in the game without looking like complete desperation?
Biden was clearly a weak pick but crawling to Hillary now would just look…. bad.
Yakko77 on September 10, 2008 at 8:54 PM
Would dumping Biden be the ultimate Flip-Flop???
mad saint jack on September 10, 2008 at 8:55 PM
Nope, media would call it “bold” and “unprecedented”
lorien1973 on September 10, 2008 at 9:00 PM
OK, since we’re having fun with fantasies, here’s mine:
- Bambi begs Hillary to be his VP.
- Hillary agrees.
- Joe gets “sick” and quits.
- Hillary then stabs Bambi in the gut and twists the knife while looking him straight in the eyes by interrupting the announcement AFTER he says Joe is stepping down but RIGHT BEFORE he names her as replacement–she takes the mic from him and says “And I could not be more pleased to endorse Barrack’s new running mate, Senator Evan Bayh!”
By then it would be too late for him to not dump Biden, he would know that she was not taking the job, and he goes down in flames.
Now THAT’S entertainment!
JustTruth101 on September 10, 2008 at 9:18 PM
I don’t think Palin would even be on the ticket at all if Obama picked Hillary. Not picking Hillary is what doomed Obama’s campaign.
eyedoc on September 10, 2008 at 9:30 PM
I sense a Geraldine Ferraro comeback!
Little Boomer on September 10, 2008 at 9:39 PM
Little Boomer on September 10, 2008 at 9:39 PM –
Not on an Obama ticket, that’s for sure.
coldwarrior on September 10, 2008 at 9:43 PM
It’s just Biden being Biden. It’s why we love him so…
CliffHanger on September 10, 2008 at 9:53 PM
I hoping 4-8 years. Hopefully longer.
I’ve been saying for a long time that the Dems might try a Torricelli-Lautenbergy switcharoo! Might happen under the guise of “party unity”.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on September 10, 2008 at 10:08 PM
One has to love the fantasy VP pick league. Shall we all choose our teams and fight it out in a virtual election?
unclesmrgol on September 10, 2008 at 10:22 PM
Would the voters he’d pick up by switching to Hillary offset the voters he’d lose because of his obvious panic?
Jim Treacher on September 10, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Makes a weird sort of sense. If it’s going to happen, it would be in a couple of weeks, just long enough to see if the Palin bounce holds up.
The scenario:
Biden gracefully prepares his way out now “for the good of the party” in case the polls stay the same or worsen. It’s no loss for Biden, if he’s on the ticket, they lose anyway, and he leaves a hero. Similar logic for Obama. If he loses, he goes into Democratic oblivion, joining Gore and Kerry. His only payoff is to take a chance, and half a loaf is better than nothing.
Hillary accepts the role of VP with a massive deal that makes her something like a co-president. It needn’t even be a backroom deal — in fact, Hillary would probably insist on announcing what role each would play in the new administration. The Dems wouldn’t mind this rather cynical adjustment any more than the Toricelli switch, and neither would the press. The “good of the nation” is at stake, after all.
If there isn’t a meltdown by McCain, or they can’t find a scandal to hand on Palin, they could go for it. I’ll bet they’re polling focus groups right now.
The media and the Democrats don’t really care how they win, they just want to win. I think Obama is nearly desperate now. With the Howard factor, he probably figures that he could be 6-8 points behind. Could he swallow his pride and cut a deal with Piaps? How much is he ideologically driven, and how much of this is his ego? How would he explain this to Michelle?
Hm.
Aardvark on September 10, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Obama will casually switch Hillary for Biden just like they switched Darrens on Bewitched. Nobody will notice.
sibobr on September 10, 2008 at 10:55 PM
Of course that’s it. They’ve seen the 20+ point swing in the support of female voters and they’re just showing their desperation again, in some attempt to beg the Hillary supporters. Weak.
RightWinged on September 10, 2008 at 11:15 PM
Its only September 10 and Barry has lost his groove.
Let’s hope he never gets his groove back.
*****************
Apparently, he has a problem dealing with strong women like Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton.
He starts saying and doing stupid things.
*****************
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Stella_Got_Her_Groove_Back
slp on September 10, 2008 at 11:36 PM
lol
JustTruth101 on September 10, 2008 at 11:56 PM
If this were the WWF, Obama would, out of nowhere, brain Biden with a chair. Then, as Obama stood over him in the middle of the ring, Jim Ross would yell, “My God….that’s..that’s HILLARY’S music!!!!”
(If you ever watched ‘rasslin’ as a kid, you get this.)
groovecake on September 11, 2008 at 12:45 AM
Wow, their internal polling must be really bad.
This sounds like concession speech. “Obama might have had a chance if he’d picked Hillary.”
And it this can’t be helpful? I mean should the Vice-President be publically critizing Obama’s judgement.
Next, Obama wil say, “Okay you were right Hillary had a better chance to win than I did.”
petunia on September 11, 2008 at 12:47 AM
Would it really be possible that after Obama had to get rid of his first VP Democrats would vote for him? I’m thinking that would show how totally unready Obama is.
Then I realized. Democrats don’t really care that Obama isn’t qualified to be President. They don’t care about foreign policy or the war or the economy.
They just want to win.
They just want to beat GWBush.
Hopefully there are enough sane people left that it doesn’t matter what Obama does.
petunia on September 11, 2008 at 1:00 AM
(If you ever watched ‘rasslin’ as a kid, you get this.)
groovecake on September 11, 2008 at 12:45 AM
LOL! Thank you for the laugh. I do get it…… A sense of humor is a wonderful gift. I needed to laugh.
sheebe on September 11, 2008 at 1:06 AM
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