Biden His Time
As you may remember, four days ago, I posed a question: Is It Hillary’s Time? Had I shelved the piece for a day or two and posted it after Joe Biden indicated his inability to identify the century in which he was living and the state in which he was speaking and after his unsubtle race-baiting ploy, the piece would have had more purchase.
My conclusion, in any case, was that neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton was apt to be interested. It would, I noted, require the former to acknowledge, if only tacitly, a blunder, and it would require of the latter a willingness to sign on with the former. My view was that she is not well or at least that she is too worn out to go on.
There is now a report, as Rob has pointed out, that Valerie Jarrett met with Hillary two weeks ago to sound her out about the possibility of joining the ticket and that she demurred. It comes from Ed Klein, who was once upon a time editor of The New York Times Magazine, and who is the author of The Amateur. Among liberal journalists, Klein is not in good odor. Whether this is because he is unreliable or merely because he is critical of politicians that they revere I cannot say. But I could easily imagine Bill Clinton, who is the one who supposedly described The One as an amateur, leaking the news with an eye to taking revenge on the man who played the race card against him with such aplomb in 2008.
If the story is true, the President knows that he is in a pickle and really has contemplated tacitly admitting fault and dumping the Delaware Motormouth. That in turn raises once again a question I posed in my earlier post: Who else is there? If you follow the link above, you can study the list I came up with – which included luminaries such as Governor Moonbeam, John Edwards, Al Gore, John Kerry, Fauxcahontas, and the illustrious Howard Dean.
I fell short, I regret to have to say, in leaving off the list of possibilities figures such as Jon Corzine, former Senator and former Governor of New Jersey, who managed to loot the investment accounts of private individuals in an attempt to save MF Global and has been slick enough to avoid criminal charges; Eliot Spitzer, former Governor of New York, a man who knows a thing or two about tricks; and Anthony Weiner, an aptly named former Congressman from New York. Rod Blagojevich may be temporarily ineligible, but these men are available, and any one of them would jump at the offer. Not so long ago, let me add, they were all proven vote-getters. Obama needs a game-changer, and there is still time. Picking any one of these men would certainly alter things.
Sic transit Gloria.
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Feb '11
Re: Biden His Time
Bev Perdue is available. No rap sheet yet (not sure if that is a qualifier or disqualifier among the Ds). Though the rumors abound -- at least for members of her family.
She has the additional benefit with being on board in case elections need suspending.
Edited on August 17, 2012 at 9:52pmMar '11
Re: Biden His Time
Rumor has it that the dark horse candidate is Fauxcahontas. But that may be a racist rumor.
Jun '10
Re: Biden His Time
He might pick someone like Tom Vilsack. If he's just looking for something better than Biden, there are thousands to choose from.
Mar '11
Re: Biden His Time
I said it then, and I'll say it now: Jon Huntsman.
And when it doesn't materialize, I'll deny I ever said it.
Apr '11
Re: Biden His Time
How about another former NJ governor: Jim McGreevy?
Seriously, though, at this point the only prominent Democrat I can think of with any cross-over appeal is NY governor Andrew Cuomo, but I doubt he'd leave his job for the VP slot.
May '10
Re: Biden His Time
I think he would love to counter with another Midwesterner...Evan Bayh.
Bayh would say no. All this reminds me of a wonderful scene in All the President's Men when they talk about all the people who had been offered McGovern's veep spot after Eagleton had to bow out.
"He's offered it to everyone. It will be news when someone actually accepts."
It's a great trivia question that the man who finally accepted was destined to become more famous as Arnold Schwarzenegger's father-in-law!
Apr '12
Re: Biden His Time
How about the suggestion that has been made that Elizabeth Warren would be ideal for the job? After all, she and Obama both believe no one built anything except the government. :-)
As a business person, you can imagine how much I LOVE her and her ideas!
Jun '10
Re: Biden His Time
Bill Richardson managed to avoid prosecution in New Mexico after a pay to play scandal. I'm told he's tanned and rested.
Edited on August 18, 2012 at 12:00amJan '11
Re: Biden His Time
Funny. I really didn't see how this could help Hillary. So I pegged Jarrett as the source, because I thought she would want everyone to know that Hillary had ditched the party in its hour of need.
But Bill is another story.
Aug '12
Re: Biden His Time
You've forgotten the one person who would be a perfect fit for the job: Debbie Wasserman Shultz
Mar '11
Re: Biden His Time
Reading the names mentioned in this post and the comments underscores one point:
Republicans will soon embark on a long streak of winning elections.
Re: Biden His Time
I mentioned her in the earlier post alongside Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. There is someone else I forgot to mention, and I forget his name -- the last Democratic governor of California before the return of Governor Moonbeam.
Nov '11
Re: Biden His Time
I've been away from the computer for a few days:
The thing I noticed about Biden's "Chains Speech" is that he begins by saying that Romney is going to allow more freedom for banks and this is supposed to equal slavery.
"Freedom = Slavery" says Biden.
I'm not sure how much deregulation and changes Governor Romney wants to do in this area, but at this point Biden could have found anything to equal slavery.
To Biden and the Democrats, more personal responsibility equals more slavery, less government student loans equals more slavery, less immigration equals more slavery, less money for birth control equals more slavery, less money for unions equals more slavery, more school vouchers equals slavery, traditional marriage equals slavery, and less freedom for businesses, of course, equals more slavery.
Feb '11
Re: Biden His Time
Gray Davis
Paul A. Rahe
I mentioned her in the earlier post alongside Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. There is someone else I forgot to mention, and I forget his name -- the last Democratic governor of California before the return of Governor Moonbeam. · 2 minutes ago
Dec '10
Re: Biden His Time
What about Rahm Emanuel? He's got, what, six months of executive experience under his belt now, and I bet a quick exit from Chicago would look really good to him right now.
Mar '11
Re: Biden His Time
As long as we're trotting out all of the aging dinosaurs of the Democrat Party, why not Bill Clinton himself?
After all, he's a proven vote getter, he has executive experience, he can raise money like a madman, and he would probably jump at the chance to upstage Obama.
Dec '10
Re: Biden His Time
How about replacing "Back in Chains" Biden with "Chain Gang Charlie" Crist?
Apr '11
Re: Biden His Time
My goodness, how weak and thin is the Democratic bench. Their best people are out of office: Harold Ford, Bayh, et al.
Jun '12
Re: Biden His Time
how about an all Wisconsin VP debate? Tom Barrett is available...
In all seriousness, almost anyone would be better than Joe. Why does it rest completely on Hillary? Cuomo would be good, as noted above. Or Martin O'Mally. Sheesh...don't they have ANY bench?
Re: Biden His Time
Cutlass: How about another former NJ governor: Jim McGreevy?
· 48 minutes ago
How could I forget? Where do the Dems get these guys -- one after another?