Weird way to reintroduce Hillary, but the notion is understood.
5
Re: "...A voter asked Joseph R. Biden Jr. if he’d consider choosing a Republican as his running mate. “I would, but I can’t think of one now,” Mr. Biden responded..."
I've been voting since I was old enough to do, so; If asked by one of these neo_nazi_supportive 'conservatives's' about my, ('Never chose any Republicans'), voting habits, I could quote / paraphrase V.P. Biden! {chuckle}
4
C’mon man.
We can do better for a candidate than someone with one foot caught in a time machine set for 1970.
11
Finally, Biden admits that he is really a Republican in disguise! One would have thought than after 2 years of being vice-President in the Obama’s presidency that was continually obstructed for 8 years by the Republicans, he would have learned a lesson! No. Nope. As a lifetime democrat, I will never vote for him! I had it with him! Biden’s judgement cannot be trusted! After stating that he will not obey an subpoena, just like many Trump’s associates, and backing up and sideways, he made another big mistake! I prefer to vote for another candidate who is not a man. Obama is right! A woman who is smart, articulate, very experienced and very educated, and treat her staff and the ordinary people like her family or friends will do a better President than a man! A woman that is tough as a rock, thoughtful and does not back down when she is right e. g. on Medicare-for-All! In brief, a woman of the people, loved by the people and for all the people! Will vote for her!
9
Funny how many in our party love to say that Bernie is "not a Democrat"!
6
@Frank F
That's because Bernie is not a Democrat -- and he's been saying so for years.
10
@Frank F
That's because Bernie is not a Democrat, and even he's been calling himself an 'Independent' for years.
Nothing funny here.
8
What's the point of getting a "Democrat" in the white house if he'll clearly just govern like a Republican anyways? Hopefully the DNC doesn't make the same mistake they made in 2016 by going with the same old garbage again and again. The party and the country both need to go in a new direction.
49
@mike
This doesn't solve the problem if voters can't agree on the direction in which the party and country needs to go.
And clearly not everyone is on board with the Sanders/Warren agenda, so are they to discounted?
We'll have to find a better way than that if we're not to end up with another four years of Trump.
12
Maybe if they can reanimate Ike, but otherwise, no thanks.
1
Regardless of whether there is an honorable Republican public servant out there, the Republican party itself is collapsing with its ideology and tactics. Why prop it up now? With so many decent Democrats available to him, Joe shouldn't need to go outside his own party. Hint: a younger woman. Harris or Klobuchar would fit the bill. (Although Harris would make a great AG to clean up and prosecute the corrupt entrails of the Trump years.)
10
I am not interested in Biden as our Democratic candidate; and even less interested in Biden with a Republican VP.
This is a joke right?
8
@Truth is True
I'm even less interested in another four years of Trump -- which is what I fear will happen if Democrats can't get together to work out their differences and stand behind whoever becomes the nominee.
And that's no joke.
8
@Truth is True The joke is the corporate neoliberal Democratic party, and the joke is on you: Democrats!
3
@Andrzej Warminski
Sorry. But judging entirely from what we've seen under the G.O.P. and Trump administration, the joke is on whoever votes for them -- and that unfortunately includes the rest of us.
6
Around three weeks before the 2018 elections, Joe Biden presented a speech in Michigan to a civic group with close ties to the Republican candidate, Fred Upton, who was facing "the toughest race of his career."¹. In the speech, for which he was paid $200,000, Joe Biden praised Upton effusively. Upton won his race, defeating the Democratic candidate.
So yes, it looks as though Joe Biden would partner with a Republican if the risk assessment and other considerations looked favorable.
¹https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/us/politics/biden-speech-fred-upton.html
8
@ N Smith (the grand unification theorist who is not even a physicist)
So what do you suggest? “Unite” the country under another republican in disguise like Clinton or democrat-lite like Obama?
Bernie Sanders for President in 2020. He will unite the 99 percent: black, white, brown, yellow, red, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, scientist, farmer, worker, you name it.
Vote for the only Mensch running. If Liz Warren wants to join the ticket, bless her too.
9
@Blunt
What do I suggest?
Let people come to their own conclusions, instead of inundating them with your choice about whom to vote for.
That's a start.
4
And they came up with Donald Trump last time around. And Dubya 8 years and 12 years before that.
How did those work out for you?
7
@Blunt
I was living out of the country for some of that time -- but speaking as an observer, I'd say that the country is in a far more perilous situation with Donald Trump than it was with "Dubya".
4
A Joe Biden gaff that would send many, many Democrats run away from him in 2020!
5
Sure. Why not? Al Gore had a Republican running mate. I think it was Joe Bushfeld.
4
How about Biden and Melania?
4
It was a "I'm going to get a headline" question. Congrats to the media for taking the bait.
Biden should have called it out as the idiot question is was. He needs to stop trying to be all things to all people.
4
How about John Kasich? Would he do it? He's the only Republican with a national following that might make sense. But among the Democrats, I like Elizabeth Warren and, thinking Ohio, Sherrod Brown. Among other Democrats, I also remain a promoter of Montana Governor Steve Bullock.
2
Joe Biden will be 78 years and 2 months old on January 20, 2020. He should have known better than to float the idea. It is depressing when once again Democrats have to hope that one of the most popular Democratic candidates was just winging it again and that the words just came out wrong.
5
That is exactly what John McCain proposed to Joe Lieberman when he was running for President, so this is not a new idea. When I read about that, I immediately thought what a great idea that would be - maybe even make that the standard. If you are a presidential candidate, then you MUST select a member of the opposing party for VP - your choice who it is, but I can't imagine it wouldn't help avoid the overpartisan state we are in now.
4
'Unity tickets' are a fool's errand.
Joe is an old man. Should he pass away in office, we'd be left with a Republican president who would continue to stack the courts with Opus Dei judges, enact tax cuts that never, ever pay for themselves and speed America ever closer to a vile theocracy.
No. Just...no.
12
Until a GOP member has the gumption to vote their conscience insead of the party line then no, Biden is correct.
1
Mitt Romney.
2
Biden | Romney 2020
3
The amount of disparaging comments here is a fair enough indication of just how divided the Democratic party and this country is.
It's enough to make one wonder if that will translate into another four years of the present administration.
If so, Democrats will only have themselves to blame.
6
Looks to me like it’s pretty united around the idea of no Republican breaking the 50-50 tie in the Senate and taking over from the old man if he dies.
4
So what do you suggest? “Unite” the country under another republican in disguise like Clinton or democrat-lite like Obama?
Bernie Sanders for President in 2020. He will unite the 99 percent: black, white, brown, yellow, red, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, scientist, farmer, worker, you name it.
Vote for the only Mensch running. If Liz Warren wants to join the ticket, bless her too.
5
I don't trust Biden and his sappy "reach across the aisle" talk. We all remember how well that worked for his boss Obama, who chased more than one Republican around the track for days if not months, hopeful they'd join his administration. All of this while it was well known that the GOP was plotting on his inauguration day to take him down.
10
How about Lisa Murkowski?
What about her?
Susan Collins?
John McCain from the other side?
Charlton Heston (always available as a hologram with his buddies from the NRA).
3
@Blunt
Horrible thought. Biden is senile.
#BlueTsunami2020
2
@jaa - Absolutely not.
1
This offends me. I'll vote for him only if I have to. Dude needs to take his alertness pills and talk to some more democrats who aren't wealthy.
9
Al Gore picked Joe Lieberman for a running mate in 2000 and it didn't work out too for Democrats.
7
@sthomas1957
I think that has less to do with the idea of a bipartisan ticket, than it does with the fact that the two of them together have less charisma than a coffee table.
2
I can't take Joe seriously. I don't think Joe takes Joe seriously either. Did the few thousand votes provided trump by Russian interference in the 2016 election change the course of America history? A Vice Presidential candidate is from the same party so that if a President should die in office, the nation is assured some continuity of policy. This is how it has been for 200 years. I am beginning to think the media is making stories out of sackcloth and ashes. Get real.
5
Wait, who is the Democrat on the ticket going to be?
12
Of course!!!
The Joe Joe 2020 ticket: Biden and Lieberman
uniting the nation.
Healing a nation.
@MauiYankee
Destroying the nation. Completing the work of Trump and McConnell.
#BlueTsunami2020
2
Here's an idea: Biden should run as a Republican!
7
I wish folks would figure out how politics work.
Sometimes, pols cast votes that don’t change outcomes, because they have to have something for their constituents back home.
Sometimes, they float trial balloons about running mates to appeal to constituents.
And sometimes—Pay close attention, now!—they grab chances to push their brand, which in Joe Biden’s case, is practicality and bipartisanship.
None of this makes them evil, or neo-lib corporatist sellouts to the military-industrial complex who denied St. Bernie the nomonation out of pure evil with the help of the corporatist lib-neo media or whatever.
So YOU go run for office; go git ‘em, Sparky. And either you’ll get stomped, or you’ll learn.
By the way...somewhere in NYC, there’re some very tired people in an office, trying to pick up the slack on constituent service while AOC trapises about the countryside. She keeps up the purity bit in California and stands for election next year with nothing to bring home for her people, and she’s toast.
Be a shame, too, as she could obviously be Pelosi’s natural successor.
2
Re AOC, “out west” doesn’t know her constituents at all.
2
@Robert
Guess figuring out how politics works, is only one sided for you Robert.
Hasn't occurred to you that AOC IS doing politics; and sometimes—Pay close attention, now!—they grab chances to push their brand?
As usual, your condescension and Eeyore imitation is noted.
1
Biden’s answer was good. But he needs to learn how to say the word “Latino.” The Dems will lose if they don’t make a push for the Latino vote.
1
@Mike
A candidate is already occupying that lane...
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/20/790319860/polls-show-sanders-is-the-top-democratic-presidential-candidate-for-latino-voter
1
This is just one more in a litany of disconnected comments from Uncle Joe. I note that he rattled on about assault rifles and high-capacity magazines in response to the shotgun assailant in Texas who was neutralized in six seconds by an armed parishioner with a steady aim and a courageous mission.
Democrats who wish to lose should nominate Biden.
8
Joe should have encouraged Obama to bring suit against McConnell's unconstitutional pocket veto of Merrick Garland's nomination. When a thievery is in process you have to call a cop, and not worry about appearances.
9
@Milliband
A suit on what legal grounds? Obama graduated from Harvard, was President of the law review, and taught constitutional law at U of C. If there were any possible legal basis for such a suit, Obama knew about it, and would have sued.
It's a "Hound of the Baskervilles" question: why weren't the dogs barking? Because there was nothing illegal about it.
2
@Milliband
That would have been desirable but would have needed a constitution which is a piece of arcana penned by slave-owning oligarchs a couple of centuries ago.
2
@Blunt
Correction:
“ a constitution which is NOT a piece of arcana”
3
Could be Biden - Colin Powell?? Could help bring some political peace...
1
@Michael G
Seriously? You don't think would run ads 24/7 with clips from Powell's infamous testimony re Iraq before the UN?
2
@Michael G
Powell is a fool who got duped to testify in front of congress on the existence of weapons of mass destruction by Dick Cheney and the Neo-Cons.
The fellow in Our Man in Havana had better pictures of wmd’s than the junk Powell, a top General, believed he detected them in. And those were the blueprints of a vacuum cleaner :-)
2
Justin Amash.
This is the biggest Biden gaffe to date.
How is he still living in the Washington of 40 years ago?
9
@Heidi An episode of "Black Mirror" explains that.
1
The GOP condones and covers up for rampant malfeasance, actively prevents fair elections, courts Russian election hacking, and is systematically moving money from every part of democratic governance to the wealthy.
They separate toddlers from their families.
They deny climate change.
They court racists, fascists, and misogynists to their ranks.
They obstructed Obama for eight straight years, blocking or crippling his reforms.
Biden wants one for a running mate?
8
Why is this not a headline?
Hidden in WashPo.
Not anywhere in Policito.
Tiny on CNN page but at least there.
EVERYTHING that Biden says that his campaign wishes would go away, gets hidden.
He won't commit to second term (which makes him a lame duck on Day 1 btw) -- & this would leave us with a Repub VP! He is so out of his league of understanding what Repubs have done to this country. We are under threat of losing our democracy. As Obama said, old men should step aside.
And shame on MSM not reporting this better.
8
I have said I would vote for a broken door knob if the only other choice were trump. Now there is a caveat. If a Biden/Republican VP ticket ran against trump, I would stay home.
4
“The answer is I would, but I can’t think of one now,”
Malarkey
4
Sorry Joe, I won’t vote for a republican.
5
Sorry, Joe, this will not fly. Your son is grabbing all the headlines with free publicity and not in a good way.
5
Lincoln’s dead.
7
I wonder if this is a political ploy to get a Senator to defect from the GOP in the upcoming impeachment trial?
2
John Kasich, Condeleeza Rice, Colin Powell come to mind.
1
I can think of one: Abe Lincoln. Yeah, he's dead but he'd still be far more acceptable than any living Republican.
7
Biden needs liberals, youngsters and women on board first - had better pick Warren if he’s nominated.
3
I was just thinking of supporting Biden then he says this. NO! If Biden were to die in office (he is already 77), we'd be back to a Republican in the White House and I don't trust that party anymore. We might have another obstructionist as President. Sorry, Joe. You lost me.
5
Reading the comments, I’m saddened to see how many people on the Left can’t accept (let alone appreciate) Biden’s political open-mindedness. Great, another "litmus test." As both Left and Right increasingly harden on inflexible attitudes, I’m reminded of a caged male bird at a mirror, fighting endlessly with it's mirror image.
6
So many reasons why Joe Biden will never get this voter's support, and here is another. Does anyone remember the results of Barack Obama hiring James Comey, the Republican?
Is Joe Biden really blind to the fact that there are no Republicans in office who have stood up to Donald Trump's criminal behavior and language of hate? Biden has a tin ear- this is not what any of us want from our nominee.
9
A bad idea! How about moderate to progressive billionaire Democrats Steyer or Bloomberg as nominee? Both are very good at attacking the totally corrupt president, and either one could beat him.
1
I’ll preface this with saying that I am a liberal and believe the GOP is a total disgrace at this juncture in history. But (and it’s a big “but”), in theory, I think a bi-partisan ticket is actually what the country could use most right now and I think that, if the ticket was the right combo, Trump would lose in a landslide. This is why Biden is and should be open to the idea. We should be open to everything because ultimately, all that matters now, is ridding the WH of this maniac. That being said, I don’t see a bi-partisan ticket happening.
1
@Matt
I disagree. "All that matters" was enough two years ago. It is no longer. If the Republicans retain any power after 2020, this country is even more doomed than it is now.
#BlueTsunami2020
2
You get the feeling that Biden still thinks he's living in the world that was present when he first entered the Senate.
4
wait, Joe.
I'm for you Joe Biden and Democrats..... if you are seriously thinking if putting a Republican on your ticket...
I'm seriously going to consider someone else as the Democrats nominee.
Are you losing it? I'm concerned.
But won't tolerate a Republican on the Democrats ticket. That is totally unacceptable.
5
Probably when Biden pondered that he might team up with a good Republican he was thinking of a moderate like Chuck Schumer.
4
Why not? It worked the last time...oh, wait.
I would rather not vote than support this DOA idea.
3
Biden and Bernie are too old to serve for 8 years. It will take that long to undue the damage done by Trump!
It would likely turn out as a major mistake the same way that Andrew Johnson did when chosen by Abraham Lincoln. You have to choose your VP cautiously as appearing a worse President than you to the other party for your insurance against assassination.
3
Some days I worry that maybe only a moderate can beat Trump and maybe Joe Biden could be our best choice. Then Joe opens his mouth and inserts his foot.....again. News flash to VP Biden: you are old, very old. There is a not unreasonable possibility that you will die during your term of office. At which point, your Republican Veep will take over and destroy the hopes and dreams of Democratic voters. The Democratic Veep should be a rising star, someone like Buttigieg or Stacy Abrams. Why can’t Democrats play the long, smart game? And name me one Republican who can be trusted and has moral courage. Their moderates have retired rather than challenge Trump publicly. So I am sticking with Warren or Bernie. They aren’t confused about which party they belong to.
4
Right out of Trump's playbook. It would never happen. Well played, Joe. Be in it to win it.
Doesn't make any sense as it sounds more like political utopia....
Fix the real issues (dark money in politics, redistricting, social media regulations as news feed, unreliable voting systems, etc..).
For a democracy to work, you need informed citizen and not political militant drunk on fake news... Invest in education !
1
He was trying to sound open minded while hand waiving the issue by saying he can’t think of anyone. I don’t think he is actually considering choosing a Republican.
-NW
3
I cringe every time I see/hear Biden. I can’t but sense that he is on the edge of a cliff that separates reason from dementia.
His gaffes aren’t a bit amusing and to imagine him in the WhiteHouse is unfathomable.
The Dems are truly in poor shape if Biden is their best choice to run in 2020.
10
I cannot think of one either, Mr Biden, and if you’re that open to the terrible idea, please switch parties. This Democrat is beyond angry about the immorality and corruption of the Republican Party, their lack of integrity and the games they play, and I would NEVER vote for a Democratic ticket with a Republican on it. Are you kidding me? You’d consider one even though Republicans you considered to be longtime colleagues and friends jumped all over the phony Ukraine-your son scandal to protect the amoral Trump? Really?
6
@Pietro Allar
And VP Biden's longtime "friends" on the Senate Judiciary Committee completely stiffed the super-qualified Merrick Garland.
4
This is what Hillary should have done. And what the next democratic candidate needs to do to ensure a win: Say to the American public that Donald Trump is so dangerous and such a risk to our institutions that this is no longer about party; it's about country, and that he/she will use the VP slot as a demonstration of that fact (by picking a never-Trumper republican). It's also the best possible way to defang Trump's call to arms "democrats are evil; it's us vs them!" Let's make this election about restoring sanity. No purity tests other than 'putting country first.'
16
@SL
Actually what Hillary should have done was acknowledge the fact that Sanders movement was a real thing and a major force in a party she was trying to unite.
Instead of taking a "To the victor go the spoils" attitude she could have chosen a running mate who could appeal to those left wing populist voters; if not Sanders himself someone like an Elizabeth Warren or Sharrod Brown.
I'm not opposed to the idea of an interparty ticket as long as you could find a well respected, old school, moderate Republican who is liberal on social issues and isn't older than Joe himself.
To the best of my knowledge that is a creature which has moved from the endangered species list to the dead duck pool.
9
@SL
You have mis-used the political phrase 'purity test.' 'Purity test' is used intraparty, not interparty.
But rather than a purity test, I have a mantra. See if you like it:
No Republicans, ever again, for anything.
Including Vice President for a foolish old Democrat.
9
@SL
You haven't been paying attention, have you? None of the Republicans, even the Never Trumpers, have any intention of being for the country. They simply want to get their party back away from the edge. They STILL have no problem with Children in cages, massive tax cuts for the rich, cuts in SS, etc. They still think the Climate Crisis is not their problem, when in fact their policies are bringing about an eventual apocalypse.
The Republican party and its supporters are not putting their country first, and never have.
#BlueTsunami2020
7
I wish Biden would notice that if we combine the left-wing vote (Sanders+Warren) he is no longer the front-runner. That should motivate him to move more left than right. God help us if he wins the primary.
4
@FlyOverCountry
If you combine the left-wing vote (Sanders + Warren) the Dems lose in a landslide.
1
Like Clinton in 2016, Biden thinks that the key to winning is attracting Republican moderates and Republican leaning independents. Every time Clinton thought she had put Sanders away (there were several) she immediately pivoted to the right. And then she tried to court moderate Republican donors.
And while she was doing that, Trump was successfully running to her left on trade, jobs, et al.
A few Republicans might vote for you Joe, but I won’t. Because I know you really don’t get that the Republicans have become a party of crazy people, who all threw over nearly every one of their claimed principles (fiscal responsibility, rule of law, free trade, moderately open immigration, et al) for Trump.
You want to negotiate with a cult of personality? You think that’s realistic or possible?
Anyway, why would I want a big money candidate who doesn’t get that the status quo is broken? Will a candidate who kicked off his campaign with a corporate fundraiser really bring around the radical change we need in how the benefits of a growing economy are distributed?
Sorry Joe, but no.
Why don’t you become a Republican? You seem, overall, like a decent guy. They don’t have any of those anymore. Maybe Republicans have room for a decent guy with your right of center tendencies. But probably not.
5
How is it that Biden's history as one of the prime sponsors of the tough on crime bills that led to mass incarceration, particularly for people of colour, his advocacy for reinstating the federal death penalty, and his inability to recognize that the current GOP is at war with democracy, Democrats, and truth hasn't had any effect on his poll numbers? He may be well-meaning but his record is deeply destructive and I fear he is nowhere near ready to take on Trump. He rarely even grants interviews with friendly outlets and reporters.
6
That's it. Biden was never my first or even second choice as a candidate, but I was open to voting for him if he survived the primaries. No more. The idea of being open to a Republican VP after everything the Republicans have done to ruin this country and our democracy is irresponsible and outrageous. He continues to live in the Obama dream world where we can "reach across the aisle." It's bad enough that he would consider Kamala Harris, but a Republican? You have lost whatever support I might have given.
9
Amazing how so-called "centrist" Democrats are willing to hand over power to Republicans but treat Progressives as toxic except when demanding their loyalty at the ballot box.
Biden is already a pro-corporate Democrat with the worst kind of tendencies.
I am an independent voter and cannot vote for any Democratic nominee with any Republican on board. Not today's Republican Party. I am tired of "heads I win, tails you lose" elections.
6
@David Gregory
If Biden picks a Republican VP, then that is the end of America as we know it. We are already near the edge, but that would push us over. Think about it. If Trump wins, it's all over. If Biden and any Republican wins, not only will they not fix anything, but Putin will send over a minion with some plutonium dust to dispose of Sleepy Joe tout suite!
#BlueTsunami2020
2
Hopefully, the Democratic Convention will render this remark moot. The party should exit unified behind a slate of two under-fifty-five year-olds and get them elected. This shouldn’t be a problem for the “majority party”. Just do it.
1
I have heard every thing now. If Mr Biden chooses Republican then i might as well vote for Trump. You can’t trust a Republican they are destroying our climate with coal and oil don’t want affordable health care and are all profoundly immoral. I sure hope Biden does not do this . He will ruin our party. There are plenty of Dems he can pick. Someone talk to Joe.
3
Well, this is pretty much all you need to know about Biden as the potential Democratic nominee: He's a Republican-In-Dem-Clothing.
And then stop and consider what the Republican-driven policies over the past 40 years have done to the middle and working class, as well as the poor and minorities (including women).
Biden for President? Not on the Democratic ticket!
5
Biden: “There’s some really decent Republicans that are out there still, but here’s the problem right now of the well-known ones: They’ve got to step up.”
Name a single one. If there is any contender, ask: Where has that person been for the last 20 years? Why has he or she been silent, at best, in the Trump era? There is no justification, no excuse, for being a Republican. Republicanism has become a sick ideology. Did Joe not pay attention to the impeachment hearings, for example?
3
@Dominic Holland
some of the RINO, never-Trumper, talking heads on MSNBC?
Although an eventual running combination like BIDEN & WARREN would solve many problems (for me), running with the RIGHT Republican could be even better.
Could we immagine our party, the democratic party, to be the one to bring our warring brothers and sisters together? The idea is genius really.
It could be as revolutionary as our party producing the first African American president.
I didn't think I'd ever say this, but if Biden finds the right running candidate, I WILL VOTE FOR THEM!
1
@terri pecora
Are you kidding? The right candidate?
Who? Can you think of any person that currently serves in the House or Senate? How about the Cabinet? An unknown (oh, that would go over well, considering Biden's team's vetting skills)? Not going to work
#BlueTsunami2020
1
Joe, a decent man, reminds us of the very fine messes the nation and the world have endured as a result of bi-partisanship and triangulation when the default has been for Democrats, negotiating among Democrats, to unilaterally reach over to the Republican side.
2
Let's leave the coalition governments to parliamentary systems, and cherish positive partisanship that forces each side to develop and promote its ideas. Biden would be close to 80 in January 2021. Why in the world would he even consider a V-P who doesn't share his political philosophy? He is demonstrating once again that he's too old to be seeking the Presidency.
7
Yes, that's right, and why doesn't Biden just run against Trump as a Republican in the Republican primaries? No doubt he would get whupped by Trump, but that would be better than having him lose the election while running as a corporate Democrat.
13
Sadly, Biden thinks it is 1987 and he can 'walk across the aisle' and get bipartisan support. That ain't the current Congress! The idea that there is a credible Republican who could be on the ticket is delusional. My constant worry about Biden is that he doesn't face reality. Sorry, we need a strong, progressive Democratic ticket, and Biden does not provide that.
14
Trump's supporters and Joe's supporters have something in common: an uncommon ability to ignore the reality about "their guy."
10
The election is 11 month away. In news cycles, that's about 16 years.
All that will be remembered of this will be the headline, and if it means that someone in Wisconsin is staring at the ballot and remembers this one headline, and votes for Biden because of it -- great.
All of the horrified Dems in the room who are vowing to sit the whole thing out because of this headline, please think twice. If you really believe that this headline warrants handing Trump a second term, then this country is even worse off than I thought.
8
He would never choose a Republican, but I appreciate what he was trying to say - that there once were decent Republicans out there... where are they now? I think he was also conveying that, if he's chosen, he isn't planning to run a presidency of revenge.
These seem like good thoughts.
10
Life imitating art. Biden must have been watching the TV series “Madam Secretary” in which a woman presidential candidate selects a member of the opposition party to be her running mate. She does become president in part, because of her brave decision.
Such a choice might help to unite a fractured country but I don’t think the real America is ready for that kind of move.
1
Give Joe credit for challenging the idea that today's hyper-partisan, divisive, gridlocked politics is unchangeable and that we can and should look to a future where we can again speak to each other and work together across the aisle. The article clearly articulates the many strong Democratic candidates who he'd consider; if nominated, I'm quite confident that he would choose a strong Democratic running mate. But by saying, in effect, "never say never," he represents not a fossilized past--an accusation of many Biden critics--but a more optimistic ideal for the future where we restore civility and collaboration in politics. If we plan to effectively address the core issues, like Climate Change and healthcare, we need to work together--otherwise the gridlock continues.
6
To discount every person within a party bc of party affiliation is the same as discounting every person with a certain skin color bc of race.
Racism, sexism, classism and other forms of hate are alive and well in the Democratic Party and arguments against Biden’s open mindedness are evidence.
5
@Craig, which is why I am so grateful to have the option to vote for the open-minded party of love, the Republicans.
Sorry, just a little joke on my part.
1
Since the time of Newt Gingrich, I vowed I would never vote for a Republican again, not even for dogcatcher. If Biden has a Republican running mate, it seems I would have to break this vow. I won't. Trump is despicable, but if this country elects him again, we get what we deserve and shall meet the ending we've wrought.
8
If he keeps talking like that, Mr. Biden will not win the nomination. Really? What is he thinking???
11
There was a time this would have sounded like a good idea.
That would be the time before the entire Republican Party turned against the Constitution, the rule of law, and stood like a wall to defend a criminal President.
And, frankly, us older folks are feeling a little déjà vu about now.
It’s past time to get real about the Republican Party. They have shown us what they are.
And Biden needs to go.
15
Jacob Javits for vice president. Or president.
Sorry, but my short list is the only one I’ve got.
1
I can't tell you how important this is. Partisan divisiveness is destroying our country. Biden is the only person in Washington who is saying anything sensible. We are all on the same team, folks. I know who I am voting for.
3
As a Democrat, it breaks my heart to read so many recommended comments that say this is a disqualifier for Joe Biden. I understand the sentiment that he should choose a Democrat, but he's not saying that he won't. He's saying the only reasonable (and presidential) thing to say, which is that of course he's willing to work with and consider reasonable people, as long as they have good ideas and can help heal the mess in this country. I want the party to put country over party, and I want the presidential nominee to be, well, presidential. I miss having a president who acts presidential. If all we want is tribalism on our side, then we are no better than the obstinate obstruction and deception and sheer awfulness that emanates from at least the politicians on the other side. Sure we should be realistic about what can be accomplished by working with and/or listening to people who think so differently and are so antagonistic, but we still have to be decent and thoughtful and evidence-based and compassionate. Otherwise, we will never solve anything.
6
@Steve. Why do Democrats have to keep working to win for Republicans when Republicans never win for Democrats?
1
This is not to try to win over Republicans to vote for the Democratic nominee or to try to persuade elected Republicans to be more cooperative. It's because we have to be better than Trump or Trumpism has won. Being decent is important even if (especially if) much of the other side has stopped being decent or thinking of you as decent. This is not the same as being naive. We should still fight and push for changes we believe in, but we should at least avoid demonizing people who disagree. And we should always be open to listening to and working with anybody. He's essentially saying that he's not going to automatically shut anybody out regardless of their political affiliation even though he doesn't think that anything will come of it. That seems clear eyed and decent to me.
1
This is exactly why I don't want Biden. Here I am looking for candidates who are going to push the political center to the left.
Medicare4All, College4All, Student Loan Forgiveness, Rent Control, Increased Minimum Wage should be centrist/moderate.
7
His way of saying there aren't any Republicans that he would consider, since none have these qualifications?
4
Of course he is open to it, Biden is essentially Republican lite. The Democratic party always looks for ways to shoot itself in the foot (like Al Franken's resignation). Take away all the candidates that want the presidency for personal ambition and you are left with Elizabeth Warren. President Elizabeth Warren.
8
It would not be popular with a big portion of his party.
3
Ok, I'm going on the assumption that there's no way in he...Donald Trump's America that Biden would -actually- pick a GOP running mate. This was pandering to unwilling Trump-hostage Republicans, of which Biden thinks there are many, or at least, enough to swing an election. That might be true, although I wonder if they live in Electoral College tipping point states. But in fact Biden must pick someone like Klobuchar or Buttigieg or Abrams, or face a party revolt. And how will Biden's disaffected Republicans respond to such teasing, bait and switch? Probably by voting the same way they did last time.
As much as I preach moderation and reconciliation, the idea has to be making *center-left* ideas accessible, not surrendering and getting dragged further right. "C'mon, man!" as someone is wont to say. "Look, the truth is" -- no, the truth is, Joe, you're making me doubt your wits and commitment again. Don't squander your decent debate showing this way.
5
In his misguided, sometimes awkward way, Biden truly wants the nation to heal from today’s division and hatred. Most of the comments condemning him make his point.
6
If you're a Democrat, progressive, liberal, or patriot, you must think about only one thing:
A Trump win means that he could possibly put up to SIX justices on SCOTUS.
Think about that every day and please back the one who can BEAT Trump. I guarantee that the opposition is dreaming of the latter.
5
Thank you for your service, but you are not what we need now.
10
I would love to see Jeff Flake or Lisa Murkowski because traditional ideology (in favor of vs. against government initiatives etc.) is not our only concern right now.
1
And why not? At a time when this country is so politically polarized, it's nice to think that a Democratic nominee might pick a Republican as a potential running mate.
But then again, it also says a lot about the current state of the Republican party that not one person immediately comes to mind.
3
Biden seems more and more removed from the ticket. Bloomberg/Klobuchar with Bernie as strong Secretary of Labor is the way to go.
7
I'm a life-long democrat and before Biden's comment, I would've voted for him if he won the nomination despite my belief that he's too old and lives in the past. I thought I'd support any democrat over Trump. But if Biden wins nomination then follows through and chooses a republican running mate, I won't be voting for the first time since 1980.
10
@Lynnie Gal please get over yourself. There’s currently a maniac in the WH. Biden simply wants for the country to stop all this toxic divisiveness. And that is the right intention. We should all have that intention.
1
I really don’t care who Biden chooses as his VP in the unlikely event he wins the nomination. All I care about is that the nominee is neither Sanders nor Warren. I would much prefer a younger centrist instead of Biden but he would do. In 1920 Yeats wrote a prophetic poem called “The Second Coming” in which he predicted the horrors of the last century. The scariest line in it is “The center cannot hold”. If 2020 demonstrates that there is no center in American politics, the 21st century will turn out to be the second coming of the 20th.
3
I'm a moderate Democrat, and I think it's not a bad idea. If Democrats can't see past Party to save America, they are no better than Trumpers.
5
@Mack I agree
I’ll preface this with saying that I believe the GOP is a disgrace at this juncture in history. But (and it’s a big “but”), in theory, I think a bi-partisan ticket is actually what the country could use most right now and I think that, if it was the right combo, Trump would lose in a landslide. This is why Biden is and should be open to the idea. That being said, I don’t see it happening.
6
Whoever asked about a Republican running mate for Biden should be credited; it's a brilliant idea even if not realistic.
But let's think. We've heard testimony from ethical Republicans in the impeachment hearings. True, they didn't hold elective office, but neither did Trump or several of the Dem presidential candidates. If Amash had not left the Republican party, he could be considered. Would any of the Republicans who chose to retire during the Trump administration be viable?
But if a moderate Republican running mate is chosesn, we must have a strong Democratic candidate with bold ideas who can hold his/her own against a VP leaning right.
1
Biden is a political nightmare. What 77 year old Democratic candidate suggests anyone one still wearing an ‘R’ on his or her lapel as his VP.
Earth to Biden, Democrats are thoroughly POed at Republican Party— no trust, no mulligans, not your father’s Republican Party.
Biden is a anachronism.
14
I am not the least bit surprised by this coming from Biden. If he gets in office you can almost guarantee he will carve out some tax cuts or more benefits for the elites. He is a politician that needs to be loved so he will take what he can get instead of standing for any ideals.
I do not dislike Biden but he is an old school politician in a scary new world. Republicans will not give an inch to someone like him. They never did for Obama. These old school democrats are to eager to jump on the right to get a win. Real compromise is one where both sides fight and then aren't satisfied with the results.
We need to get back to bipartisanship and the easiest way to do that is some pork barrel spending. Things were nasty before the Tea Party took over but it was easy to justify a vote for something if you could sell that to your district.
8
Unless that hypothetical GOP running mate of Mr. Biden would be the reincarnation of the late Senator John McCain, a man for who I as a Democrat had--and still have-- the utmost respect and who had a profound sense of human decency, the chance of the idea posed by the voter ever coming to fruition is zero minus one hundred. It would be summarily rejected by the vast majority of Democratic voters, myself included.
4
The McCain who gave us Palin?? Please.
1
Biden is a follower, not a leader. His entire career is one long instance of bandwagon jumping and coattail riding, which is not a bad thing in a functioning democracy. But for Top Dog we need a candidate with a vision and strong will to steer the country against the corrupting forces we're facing. He's not inspirational or progressive in any sense of the word, and he really isn't a democrat per se, more of a good ol' boy who goes along to get along. That he leads in the polls is depressing.
14
Biden even thinking that he would name a "Republican" as his running mate is one more sign on the pile of signs that his position has not changed in 40 years, in fact, his ideas keep aging along with everything else. And to see that Biden is the leading contender in the primary race is depressing and alarming.
11
What is happening to the Democratic Party is not a hijacking by the left, but a hijacking by centrists obsessed with a nonexistent minority of Trump voters that they think would vote Democrat. The Democratic base is being shut out and sacrificed to appease them. At the peril of America and our union.
Biden, drop out so we can have a serious debate about the future of our party and America. Maybe run on the Republican ticket already.
19
And if he dies in office? Then what do we have? He is an old man after all...
12
Pick Cheney as a VP and hope that mortality tables work. Pelosi would be the next President or if AOC replaces her in January 2021, we may breathe again as a nation.
1
Biden-Romney in 2020
4
Does Biden think it’s 1970, when there were Republicans like Mark Hatfield and Dan Evans?
He’s utterly delusional.
20
Relax. It's going to be Biden and Klobuchar.
9
Dan Quayle, Sarah Palin, Jeff Sessions?
Real winners.
6
So, if the Senate is tied 50 - 50, then a Republican VP gets the deciding vote? Not bloody likely.
15
Senate tied 50-50? That's a luxury problem.
1
Where will he actually find what used to be called a Republican? That party is officially dead and buried and should henceforth be called the Trump party. I'm a lifelong Democrat. I never voted for Reagan or McCain but even they would be completely disgusted by what their party has become in its deference and cowardice to His Majesty Trump.
12
Joe Biden is a walking disaster and a fatal candidate for the Democrats. He imagines that his "good ole Joe" persona will charm intransigent Republicans (now the Trump Party). He's delusional. The Trumpists (formerly called Republicans) have no conservative values in their bloodstream. They are in lockstep and full obedience to their authoritarian master and the corporations and donors who keep the Trumpists rich and employed for life. Trump's not going anywhere if he wins again. There will be no election after this one. Only coronation and dictatorship. Nobody in this country (except immigrants) knows what that means. Joe is no match for Trump's ruthless bloodlust. Babe in the woods. If Joe is the Democratic nominee, Trump will win because he will do anything to rule this country unconstrained by law, truth, or humanity.
30
@gsandra614 I hope your comment becomes an Editors' Pick. Well put.
1
Kamala Harris will be a good match. She is woman of color and educated. She should be groomed as possible female contender for POTUS in eight years as first female President of USA.
2
Status Quo Joe is out of his mind. I dislike trump as much as the next descent human being. If Biden by some chance becomes the nominee I do not think I'll be able to hold my nose and vote him in the general election.
5
Could Biden have really missed the reality that Republicans in Congress have given up their allegiance to America and are solely pro-Republican? Their loyalty lies in supporting Their Party, not our country. Voting in the Senate, on many issues, to make President Obama - and declaring that publicly - and gaining Republican support for it! - does not suggest that a Democratic President could work on anything together with any smidgon of good will from Republicans. And That’s juSnow is fooling himself.
We don’t know if Biden is that ignorant of the ill will in D.C., or thinks Americans are that ignorant but so want a real two party system to work that they’ll try to believe it could - and vote for the dreamer Biden. But no matter when it’s time for me to vote: Biden is below my last choice, and, I hope, yours too.
6
@Jan You'd rather have Trump than Biden?? You might want to rethink that.
1
I totally support this approach. My vote for Veep would be Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Anyone who wins a Senate seat as a write-in candidate is the real deal. Go Joe and Lisa!
4
@JK
She retained her Senate seat in 2010 by running as an Independent write in candidate against unpopular
Tea Partier Joe Miller, who unexpectedly primaried her.
She was initially appointed, not elected, to that seat.
By her father, who vacated it when he was elected
governor of Alaska in 2002.
1
two words
Bill Weld
5
Why is this such a bad idea? A moderate Republican and a moderate Democrat working together is what we need at this time of division. It would assuage the trauma we are enduring from the virulence of the current administration and perhaps motivate the two parties to drop partisanship and start working for the good of the American people for a change.
49
@Doña Urraca de Castilla.
What?? Seventy -seven year old man wants any Card Carrying ‘R’ as VP.
Why? No! Go Away and watch 90s reruns.
Does he not see the seismic change in American politics?
31
@Doña Urraca de Castilla.
This is a bad idea because the VP also happens to be the President of the Senate. The VP only votes in the case of a tie, which could be a pretty common case if the Senate ends up 50-50 after the next election or two. How many votes is Biden willing to lose 51-50 because he put a Republican on ticket? How many SCOTUS appointments would go down 51-50?
Once again Biden's mouth is living a life of its own. Do we really want another president who talks before he thinks?
33
@Doña Urraca de Castilla.
There are no Republicans now. Not moderate or conservative ones. They are all Trumpeteers. Many reluctant but, under Trump's total control. So here we are in our "existential crisis" with a corrupt administration and hardly any means to get rid of them and hold them to account. November 2020 seems an awfully long way off. I hope our democracy last until then.
19
I got it! Biden should run now in the REPUBLICAN primaries. That would serve two ends: give Trump a potentially serious challenge AND free the Dem primaries of the least capable candidate.
35
@David - Brilliant!
2
When Michelle Obama said when they go low we go high I understood what she meant but sadly for those who believed in the United States of America going high never happens. The GOP has never believed in your United States of America and as Goldwater said extremism is no vice.
What will it take for the Bidens to realize the GOP is uninterested in any compromise their only goal was to make Obama a one term President. There are no Republicans interested in a more perfect union and going high only leads to feeling low.
Everybody knows the GOP is uninterested in a government of all the people. Every loss of faith in America's institution is a GOP win. Going high can only mean suing for an honourable peace. Going super high means an honourable peace with little if any bloodshed. The chasm is too wide and the bridge is too far.
What possible reason can there be for trying to find accommodation when neither side wishes to be merely accomodated?
8
It’s not the time, because the GOP are acting irrationally and the Democrats acted with dignity during the House impeachment proceedings. Despite what a Trump says, the Democrats are acting civilly, it’s just the media doesn’t notice that.
7
@Not Pierre
I am 71 and my father was a political junkie. My father believed Reagan was the epitome of evil and he may prove correct. It was Goldwater, Reagan and Nixon who took over the GOP in 1964.
I do not understand America. It was Goldwater in 1964 who said extremism is no vice. My father knew that extremism is no vice is a total repudiation of all men are created equal.
It is New Years Eve and we are finally talking about Beirut 1983. I don't believe delaying the discussion for 37 years has helped narrow the chasm between Red and Blue America.
You can't reconcile isolationism and being the Global Superpower even if you are a lifelong Republican and you know the media has no way of dealing with oxymorons. There is no balance in holding up both ends of an oxymoron.
3
Well, well, just as he had a reasonably coherent evening at the last debate. I see it hasn't lasted, and what I took to be cognitive decline at the previous debates seems to have returned. Sadly, decent people just don't vote for contemporary Republicans, who appear to be beyond redemption and incapable of honesty or shame, and a decent presidential candidate will never entertain the notion of one as a running mate.
10
Biden would run with Gumby if he thought it would help him win. Is there a candidate who would not have answered the same way Biden did? To get Independents and Republicans tired of Trump is there any other answer. Things over the holidays must really be slow to give so much space to a question everyone knows the answer. next week we can get back to The Perils of Trump.
6
@Steven McCain And Gumby would be an improvement over our current potus.
2
The pick of a running mate for Mr. Biden is far from an academic question. The man is in his late seventies and will be eighty two at the end of his first term and his passing is more than possible.
For a Republican to assume the presidency under these circumstances would be completely unacceptable and a betrayal of democrats who have fought so hard to create liberal possibilities. Any of his current Democratic opponents as well as Karmala Harris would be acceptable with a caveat on Bernie Sanders who faces the same risks as Biden.
If both the President and the VP should pass the presidency would go to the leader of the House and who knows who that might be. A Republican? Oh no.
9
I'll vote for the any candidate who can send Trump and his sidekick Pence out of town. At this point if Biden being the early favorite continues on this track and ultimately is the Democratic candidate then very clearly a woman for his running mate. And here I would opt for Ms. Klobuchar who I believe could perhaps do what Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris couldn't and that is, capture the rust belt voters who are on the fence and are the population the Democrats overlooked last time around - still key in turning the tide one way or another.
5
This question ticks me off. It's the sort of question posed by journalists/pundits that aims to shape the political narrative by planting the idea that the path forward is through the center of the political spectrum, even though that center has moved further and further to the right over the past 50 years. It's a way to negate the voices of progressives, minorities, young people - and anyone who understands what a desperate position we are in: Our planet is dying, our democracy is dying, sabotaged by policies that are destroying the middle class and stripping everyone but the very rich of a meaningful voice and choice.
10
I can’t imagine voting for Biden unless he selects a truly progressive VP who has very different views than his own. If he insists on someone who is sympatico or thinks like he does, the voter turnout will be so poor that we can expect four more years of THE worst president in history.
11
No one I know would vote for Biden, and no one my brother knows in upstate New York after a few informal polls. Only the media it seems are voting for him. I think the polls come up well in his favor because the pillars ask: “could you vote for Biden if all the candidates quit?” And the person says yes. That’s how he’s gets his numbers.
5
So you plan to stay home and let the trump train destroy the nation? Wow.
3
I am tired of "Democrats" who are Republicans. Republicans have absolutely nothing to offer the American people - name just one piece of legislation that Republicans authored and voted yes that helps the 99% of Americans? You can stop looking - they never have.
24
So long, Grandpa Simpson.
Not only will I write in Warren if Biden is the nominee, I'll camp out overnight by my polling place to be first in line.
16
Bernie is better. Liz as VP.
Think about it. Hard.
7
Jason,we are thinking along the same lines. If Biden is candidate, look behind you as I’ll be second in that line waiting to write in Warren. She is young enough to lead for 8 years, truly understands the mess we are in, and has bold, smart ideas for approaching our serious problems. She is no push over and will be the 2020 version of FDR.
6
@Blunt
yes.... I have been thinking this too. Hard.
2
This should convince any voter who considers Biden as a serous Democratic contender to go and get their heads checked.
Goodbye Joe.
Bernie 2020! It is getting closer and closer.
15
How about Jeb Bush? Or may be George P?
2
Joe Biden: working hard on snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
22
Biden/ Huntsman?
1
Or Biden/Kasich.
Malarkey/Malarkey is another good option. Slight modification on the Bus!
1
To quote Joe Biden, "Come on man!"
4
....but it worked on "Madame Secretary"!
2
Yeah, Joe Lieberman. Biden is lost. Talking about tough questions.
6
Biden/Klobuchar: that's the winning ticket!
3
Lincoln and Eisenhower are dead. If Connie Morella wasn't 88, I'd consider her. Otherwise this is nuts. It's a stupid thing to say and will antagonize more Ds and potential D voters than it will pull voters across. Oh yeah, Joe, unregistered voters and Rs don't vote in D primaries. This just shows how out of touch he is. If he's the nominee I'm going to pull the lever for him, but I'm not going near him in the primary. Any sane president is going to try to get bipartisan support for legislation. Putting one of them within an 80-ish heartbeat of the presidency is just nuts and something that can't be considered IMO. Nope. NFW. You want to make one the head of an outlier agency or department that can't do too much damage, I can deal with that. Otherwise try reaching across to your own party's voters instead of setting up a repeat of the '68 convention.
8
What insanity! Republicans of the stature to be on a ticke as a VP would very
I kelly be nothing but a Trumpster who has kept his or her head down or one like SUSAN COLLINS who has spent a lot of time pretending to be a moderate but always supporting and defending Trump.
Biden is already a DINO we don’t need more Republican in office!
8
A Biden-Republican ticket would be an all-Republican ticket.
10
NO. Don't even pretend to think about going there. Just NO.
24
Why does anyone, take anything, that any politician spits out during Q&A, as anything other than nonsense. They try to stay safe and non-committal while giving a good sound bite. I can't believe people get worked up about statements like this...
6
@Fred Rodgers Biden seems to need to walk back a lot of what he says......and that is not good for an old man with experience. (I am old as well).
4
another reason why he is not the man of the moment
recall uncle joe's trotting out to speak for his buddies in the GOP before the last election
with friends like this
19
Looks like Trump hand-picked Biden to run against and Pelosi has unwittingly confirmed him.
Never seen such a boring and uninteresting candidate. His record player must be broken.
20
What an insult!! He’s a life-long dem, the party is chock-full of suitable candidates, and he feels the need, or is at least willing to entertain, the notion of going outside the party? This demonstrates either an appalling lack of party-loyalty, or, more likely, an inability to appropriately answer a question that he hasn’t been prepped on. And this from the front runner? Oh well, I’m sure the country can survive 4 more years of DJT.
21
@Michael Rogers
You are so right! "an inability to appropriately answer a question that he hasn’t been prepped on."
Biden would be a wreck in any debate with #45 and that one is pretty darn inarticulate as it is.
3
Biden has just provided reason #637 for why I will not be voting for that delusional old man in my state's Democratic primary.
39
Obama appointed Comey to the FBI and we saw how foolish that was. This comment by Joe assures that I will not vote for him in the primary, and if he actually picked a Republican as VP I would sit out the General. I hope his comment causes him polling pain, which in turn leads him to drop out or lose the nomination.
13
Biden is more of the same mediocracy, and with that, democrats will lose the election - so lets support somebody else - maybe Bernie can ignite a youth movement
6
Biden and the establishment Democrats reek of desperation. The key to winning against Trump is getting a large, enthusiastic voter turnout and winning back the eight million Trump voters who had previously voted for Obama. Putting a Republican on the ticket would be political suicide. No one is going to vote for that ticket. I wouldn't. I would write in Bernie Sanders before voting for a Republican, who I find repulsive, and say goodby to the Democratic Party.
11
Brilliant response, exactly the sentiment.
2
Joe Biden is the John McCain of the 2020 campaign; that is, he will do ANYTHING to become president including compromising his principles and those of his party.
I will NOT vote for Joe Biden. He's a less qualified candidate than Hillary Clinton was but just as inept. He'd be a GIFT to the Trump campaign. Democrats deserve much better.
NO TO JOE!
16
No, Joe. Just no.
13
Thank goodness Biden clarified that answer. Democrats across America are not interested in considering a Republican for any position. Who ever our winner is should ask for the resignation of everyone who ever worked for the GOP.
2
Lisa Murkowski. Shes a moderate Republican woman who has received a lot of votes from Democrats in Alaska, and is known and respected nationwide for her willingness to stand up to the GOP on impeachment, health care, and other topics.
1
And I would consider voting for another candidate as the Democratic nominee.
6
Joe Biden is toast. Stick a fork in it. This is the last straw.
The battle is not to seek the support of Republicans but to attract non-voters and energize and mobilize the progressive base.
For these reasons, Bernie Sanders will take the nomination and he is also best suited to beat Trump, according to many polls.
24
Happy to vote for Sanders. Do me a favor. Come back after Super Tuesday and see who is leading. Just promise me to vote for the primary winner.
2
I thought that perhaps Biden was caught in a time warp in which the GOP) did not have as it's goal not allowing any success to President Obama. They kept that position for 8 years.
I was wrong. Biden appears to be delusional. To even consider that there are no fellow Democrats that would be better than any Repub is insulting. His answer should have been "Why would I? There are many Democrats that are better than any Republican."
17
This is really an outrage. Why doesn't he seek the GOP nomination if he favor Republicans. Keep on like this Joe and any progressive 3rd party candidate will have my vote.
16
I think some readers are missing the sentiment presented by his statements. The core message of the Biden campaign is one of unity and restoring the nation. Many responses are exactly playing into the divisiveness — something that likely would not have been the case 8, 6, or even 4 years ago.
It is quite clear a GOP VP would be a long shot, and one that is likely to sustain heavy criticism, but closing the door would be a symbolic contradiction of his own campaign. At a time in our democracy when the nation is being challenged and it is not at all clear whether Trump will not be reelected, I think it is suitable to say one bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. If we are not grounded in the reality of the situation, we will lose focus on the goal.
4
@Andy - Joe Biden is lost if he thinks you can reach across the aisle and shake hands with the Republicans. Those days are "Gone With The Wind".
11
Correct. He continues to court the massive middle. It’s funny how so many readers don’t get it. He’s winning. The older voters. Non while voters. It’s not actually close.
2
@Andy Trump insults us and our leaders on a daily basis.
Trump would crush any R that went with Biden.
2
Dear Joe, NO.
After spending our last county elections ensuring no Republicans survived, other than our Sheriff (under indictment) I see no path out of our current national catastrophe other than extirpating/abolishing the Trump support system from all branches of our government.
I'm a moderate by disposition, but there is no longer any way I'd ever support reconciliation with the enemies of our Constitution and destroyers of our former respected status among the hierarchy of nations.
So no, Joe. No. Let's fix this dysfunction once and for all.
15
Amen, well said.
4
While I understand where Joe is coming from and appreciate his candor, there are a couple of obvious issues. Number one, given that I will not vote for a Democratic ticket with Bernie Sanders on it because he’s not a Democrat, I can’t very well say I’d vote for a Democratic ticket with a Republican on it. Secondly, if something were to happen to Joe, who is 77 years old, we would have a Republican in the White House.
But I do find humor and irony in the faux outrage on the left, who elected a Republican to the presidency in both 2000 and 2016.
2
@Mike Sorry, Mike. If you can’t vote for Sanders you’re no better than a trump supporter.
8
@Kidgeezer
It’s not that I can’t, it’s that I won’t. And that’s quite a statement from the people who quite literally elected Trump in 2016.
Yes. And he would never pick a GOP. He’s courting the massive middle.
1
For the first three years of his presidency, Obama thought that he could placate the Republicans. That they would eventually join him in doing what was right for the country. He deported 1.2 million people and what did he get in return. More Obstructionism! He appointed Geithner - a Republican and look how they worked out. The banks came out smiling and the little people lost homes, jobs and savings.
Biden was part of that naïve placating administration. Look how successful Biden was in trying to get his old Senate to even look at Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court.
Biden is not only out of it - he is naïve and out of step with those of us who want big change. Enough of Incrementalism.
You never see the Republicans suffering from that disease which seems to afflict the Dems very often. VOTE BERNIE OR WARREN: We want and need big change.
16
Biden is desperate to say anything for support, and he does. Unfortunately it usually comes out wrong, he changes his mind, or he doesn’t know what city/state he’s in. He promised to prosecute petroleum CEO’s for crying out loud. Last I checked the laws haven’t changed and energy is needed for transportation, food & livestock production, heating & cooling homes, etc etc. Pandering is all it is. Until some elite celebrity or politician quits flying around the globe in private jets and starts living in a tent, I won’t take them serious.
5
Kamala no; Stacey Abrams yes!!
4
Sorry Joe, but Abraham Lincoln is dead.
12
A product of the absurd “divided” and “polarized” politics that the establishment democrats obsessively pander. Nevermind that the GOP with authoritarian tendencies is solely concerned with parlaying racism and grievances into oligarchic Wellfare.
Yet the “moderates” and the democratic leadership bend over backwards to appease those voters “in the middle” who until fifteen minutes ago were unconcerned with voting against a party that fundamentally appeals to these far-right voters who they purport to deplore and denounce only when confronted.
Maybe all the “moderate” voters are barely different from all those white citizens that MLK denounced for staying silent and complacent of the violence wrought upon the civil rights movement. They are also the silent majority that the right has counted on for a fulminating record during the last 50 years.
My guess is that since statistically speaking any white person is extremely likely to have at least some close relatives on a “problematic” end of the right-political spectrum and many, many white people are unburdened by racism (albeit maybe ashamed by the bullhorn type of it while unbothered by the dog-whistle one), they are primed and eager for the “moderate” political message that can appeal to “both sides” so they can maybe appease those rightwing diehards they actually have to live with, day in and day out. Andopportunistic politicians (and their happily contributing-as-euphemism-for-bri
3
That was quite a rant!
But I tell you there are “white” moderates as “white” people we can agree with your policies even though, yes, we’re “white.
Your rant assumes all “white” people are the same, and yet you would say it’s “stereotypes” and racist if I said this about Black people.
2
My stock answer to who has my vote in November is... "If Trump is running against a ham sandwich, I'll vote for the ham sandwich." But I must say, if the ham sandwich has a republican as a running mate, I'm staying home. Joe. Please. Get a grip.
37
Why in the world would he say that?
Once again, the presumptive Democratic nominee is wasting time trolling Republicans for votes instead of rallying the part of the Democratic base that stayed home in 2016.
Gee, Joe, why don’t you just add that you’re staying the heck out of Wisconsin while you’re at it.
11
A republican? Sure, if you have a living Abe Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt around.
5
It needs to be observed that at his inauguration Joe Biden would be 78.
Being the same age as the former VP I am well aware that people of our age, people between the ages of 78 and 82 - Biden's age math in the WH if he wins it -- die.
People in these years die. It is very simple. They die. Sometimes "unexpectedly", though what it unexpected about death at my age and his is something I haven't figured out, but yes people my age and Joe's age and in the immediate years after well, they die.
If Joe Biden is elected with a Republican VP and dies because he is an old man, then we will have a Republican president.
I don't want that, I definitely don't want that.
Do you?
What a foolish, foolish, foolish thing for that old man to have said.
30
@Carl Zeitz - Between now and the election, Sanders, Warren, Hillary, Trump, Bloomberg, and Biden could all pass away from age related issues.
2
Biden - Murkowski?
2
@JE Nope
7
Biden himself is nothing other than a Republican in disguise, and if he is the Democratic nominee, I will sit out this election for the first time in more than 30 years of voting--yes, even if it means another four years of Trump: if we have to have Republicans in power, I'd much rather they be, externally, as ugly and idiotic as their "ideas," and Trump fills that role perfectly. The worst thing that can happen, IMO, is that we end up with a Republican in power who can manage to appear normal and reasonable. Biden comes across as warm and fuzzy, but the reality is that if he ends up in office, we will have four more years of absolutely nothing being done for the average person or for the environment and, yet again, the rich will just keep being subsidized by the rest of us.
I will never again spend a single second of my time, or waste the gas in my car, going to the polls to vote for anyone other than someone who will take dramatic action on the environment, raise taxes for everyone except the poor, implement universal healthcare, and heavily subsidize higher education.
Of course Biden would consider a Republican as a running mate. He's a Republican himself. Can we all stop pretending otherwise? Just calling yourself something doesn't make you that thing.
32
@EB You put that extremely well. I am beginning to think the supposed Democrats, or "liberals" as I guess they like to call themselves, really out their privilege when they fixate on Trump above all else. Anyone with XX chromosomes, little money or connections, or melanin beyond Northern European already knew how badly broken and farcical our system was BEFORE Trump stepped. The Bush and Cheney war crimes years were just Trump, but politer. Nominate and actual progressive Democrat for us to vote for or risk that we won't vote for the nominee. That's how it works. Voting indicates an individuals choice and preference. The true "purity testing" is the elite, centrist people who are doing ok under the current kleptocracy that try to shame those of us who aren't for actually, you know, wanting to vote for a candidate they actually SUPPORT, not just one who is politer than Trump.
3
Joe Biden is a Democrat from his head to his toes. He has been fighting the good fight for five decades. I will vote for whoever wins the Democratic nomination but my top choices are Biden, Klobuchar, and Buttigieg. I'm 65 years old, maybe not liberal enough for some of my fellow Democrats but I have voted Democrat in every election for 47 years and will vote Democrat until I am planted six feet under. Enough with all the "purity" tests. Vote Democrat. Send Trump packing to Florida (thank God his days in NY are probably over).
7
A lot of the commentators here seem to be only capable of reading the first part of Biden's reply. The second part of his reply makes it clear that he doesn't expect any viable Republican to "step up." Read the whole statement before you get excited!
7
Is this Biden's way of saying, "let's please stop all these attacks on Bernie for not being a Democrat?"
Of course not. With any other figure in the party, I'd just chalk it up to shameless double-speak in order to freeze out a real reformer. In Biden's case, I just doubt he's capable of thinking it through. Though it goes to show his progressive cred, or lack thereof.
2
No, no, no, no, no, no!!! I kind of like Joe, but this an intolerable idea and has made me rethink his viability.
5
Well, that went over like a loud noisy scratch across an L-P on the record player.
Is Biden so bad a candidate and so uninteresting that this is now news? I fear he is trying to gaffe his way to the WH, one free media debacle after another.
7
Is this guy a Democrat? Or what? I am a Democrat and I only want Democrats running on my Democratic ticket. Doesn't the party stand for anything in Biden's mind beyond a springboard for his own ambitions?
I think a younger minority woman would be ideal to balance off with an older lily-white man, and personify all or many of the values that I and so many others prize the Democratic Party for supporting.
Kamala Harris would be ideal. And when she and Biden are in office will be the time when he should start seeing what kind of deals he can make with Republicans. At that point, he will be dealing not from weakness but from strength.
81
I want the best candidates running for President and Vice President. I want their polices to be progressive and their record solidly pro human, pro worker and pro women. I don’t care how old they are or what race they are. Anyone who is going to chose their candidates by race needs to step away from politics and do so now.
14
@Piri Halasz
So what about Bernie who at this moment still refuses to become a Democrat?
Biden is more of a Democrat than he will ever be.
11
@Piri Halasz
Biden like the Clinton's is a 3rd way DEM. Which means DEM in name only. That difference is that they support all the right wing policies that have eviscerated our economic backbone while not being racist.
12
It’s as if Biden emerged from a 1970s time capsule, back before the Republicans turned into far right-lunatics. If 8 years of Republican intransigence during the Obama presidency didn’t wake him up, nothing will.
13
Whether you're happy with it or not, the TOP still has "power." Purity criteria when the destruction of the country is in the balance is not appropriate.
Alternatively consider this: the Dem party splits in two. The middle right portion rises with a new name and represents the moderate Dems, moderate GOP & RINOS and what not. The Dems are then the represent the further left portion of the current Dems. This isolates the "crazys" in the GOP with too small a following to have power. in time it withers an dies.
1
Oh, THAT will bring the young voters flocking. No. Joe. No. You aren't getting this old woman's vote either way but don't make it so easy.
12
@PaulaC.
I'm tired of hearing about the young voters. They didn't show up in 2016, and if they do show up in 2020, who else are they gonna vote for anyway?
3
Does anyone think he may have been having a bit of a joke? It was something of a ridiculous question. And he used the opportunity to appeal to the few Republicans left who have any integrity and self respect to step up. That may include Romney, Murkowsky, Collins and perhaps a small handful more.
3
I am a liberal Democrat. I support Joe Biden. If he chose a decent Republican as a running mate I would still support him. The question, as Mr. Biden clearly stated, is who? John McCain is dead.
4
Actually, I like Biden's response. He seems to be saying, look our tent is big we don't need to exclude any reasonable possibility. However...
Though theoretically all things are possible, not all things are reasonable.
There is no good reason for Mr. Biden to take on a Republican VP and he knows it.
If he is attacked in the next debate he can easily say, as he did, he could not identify one.
He can use this as a talking point to demonstrate that he can legislate across the aisle and not prolong the logjam that needs to be cleared out of Congress.
53
@gpickard
As long as McConnell runs the Senate, there will be no legislating across the aisle. Why would Biden fare any better than Obama? He'd probably fare even worse if Trump got another four years.
12
@gpickard If I wanted republicans in office I would vote republican. No thanks Bought & Sold Joe, I'll take a hard pass if he makes it to the general election.
8
@46 and 2
I really think he was just making a point - asking where the decent republicans are (knowing that he can't find any right now) but also showing that he's open to good ideas where ever they come from. I think it was a really good thing to say.
He would never choose a Republican VP. He's a Democrat through and through. He's been fighting for the underdog his whole life. He was just making a point.
7
In 1940 Great Britain was facing the most serious existential threat of its history. Churchill's decision to form a coalition government with Attlee was, perhaps, one of the key factors in allowing Britain to resist the Nazi onslaught by herself for another year and a half. The threat to this country, in contrast to that faced by Britain eighty years ago, is of a purely indigenous origin. But it is every bit as existential as the one posed by Hitler. It is time to consider a government of national unity.
2
Baloney Joe Biden is falling into the same trap Obama did when he appointed Republican Sen Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense. He wanted to give the Republicans a bone to chew on to keep them happy; they wound up biting his arm off.
15
A President Biden with a Republican VP would mean a major headache for the Secret Service every time the president would meet with Mitch McConnell.
5
Much ado about nothing.
It was a gee shucks off the cuff noncommittal answer and he covered himself by saying there’s not one he would consider anyway.
6
This is crazy. All republicans support Trump, so Biden shouldn’t even consider a Republican running mate unless he wants Democrats to stay home on Election Day.
3
you've got to be kidding, joe
4
Joe Biden started his campaign referring to simply reaching across the aisle, once Trump is defeated, and how well he has worked with Republicans in the past. This told me that he really has failed to pay attention the past 11 years, and that he fails to realize that todays GOP is not the republican party of his earlier days in the Senate. He missed the lurch to the right and the obstruction during his time as VP. The theft of the Supreme Court seat should have sealed the deal. But no. He also failed to notice that this GOP has built itself up by securing local and state seats, as well as locked themselves into power by means less than honorable (e.g. cheating.) What he should be doing is building up the democratic party and helping move forward the careers of many of the younger democratic hopefuls and future candidates for POTUS. Instead he wants this effort to be stillborn, by putting in a GOP as a running mate. This is the equivocation that got us Bill Barr as AG - the dems were desperate for anyone who even had a wisp of sanity - instead of locking their arms together and rejecting the zealot. Sorry, but Biden's time is up; his campaign is now being tossed into the dempsy dumpster by old Joe himself. It is at the stage where he is no longer a viable option, all by his own doing.
9
Biden isn't "naive" to claim Republicans will work with him. He knows perfectly well they won't. But he says things like this because his campaign is targeting Trump's 2016 voters, apparently in the belief that more of them are dissatisfied than polls have detected. Saying he would be open to a Republican running mate is of a piece with that strategy. It's not entirely crazy but it's wrong, because he almost certainly will so demoralize the Democratic base by the time he's done with all this pandering that he'll end up losing more votes on the left than he gains on the right. I agree with others here that the only correct answer was "no."
126
@CKathes
True.
Biden - or any Democratic candidate - will not win over any appreciable number of Trump voters; the Trump campaign will see to that.
But a Democratic candidate who panders too hard to the Republicans will demoralize large numbers of the Democratic base.
21
@CKathes
Not to mention, he is a liar and a complete fraud.
Pandering to Trump voters? Anyone entrenched with Trump cannot be swayed.
This stunt is transparent. Why not say he will chose one of the other Dems running? No, he is too self-serving for that move.
5
@CKathes Using Occam's razor to explain Biden's remark suggests that he must have been having a TIA when he said it.
3
This naivete in thinking Republicans will cooperate with Democrats is the same mistake that Obama made. It paralyzed much of his agenda, and prevented many of his judicial appointments from being confirmed. Please Democrats, choose anyone but Biden (or Gabbard) in the primary.
5
Evidently, the Biden brand is broken. I’ve never seen a politician this bad.
6
you don't remember Hillary?
4
In my previous post, I forgot to add that if the media was really doing its job, they would be ripping him to shreds for these flip-flops. And foot and mouth disease. But they are so desperate for a centrist Democrat to win the nomination...
But don’t worry, Fox is writing this all down!
5
Oh my head hurts. Joe Biden, you need to get out more. There is no Republican who would accept that offer, except to pull a switch and shove you out to assume the office.
What possessed him to give that answer? He does realize they will have their own ticket, right?
It’s getting harder and harder to say I’ll support any Democrat if he’s the one, except only knowing the threat of more devastation by Trump if we don’t.
4
A Republican running mate? When pigs fly.
Joe is not my guy, I'd sigh and vote for him half heartedly if he is the nominee, but if he picks Stacey Abrams as a running mate I will knock on doors and do everything in my power to get them elected. The running mate matters.
2
Why are the Democrats so bad at this?
Open to a Republican as VP? Are you mad Joe?
I'm all for being able to reach out across the isle to get things done but this is madness. Time to sit down Joe.
5
Well this certainly got the anti-Biden wing of the Party to their keyboards! The vitriol evident here in many of the comments are downright scary. Gives one pause to think that any Democrat can win in 2020.
FWIW, it might have made sense for various commenters to have read the article first and then remember the dictum that my first grade teacher taught me so long, long ago: "Never say never."
Let us consider that the person asking the question of Biden might have been a Republican who is disillusioned with Trump and the direction the GOP has taken. Why would Biden 'dis this person rather than give a mollifying answer?
You win converts by displaying an understanding and respect -- not blasting the questioner as being absurd.
We all know that whoever wins the Democratic nomination will chose a fellow Democrat as her or his running mate. And she or he will do so in part by considering who will benefit the ticket and hopefully increase its overall appeal.
And that appeal has to include convincing some "on the fence" Republicans that they too are fellow Americans.
So now, again, what exactly has Biden done so wrong by answering this query exactly has he chose to do?
3
Despite the media image, Biden is not a good guy. He is not a nice guy. He spearheaded a law that makes it almost impossible for ordinary people to declare bankruptcy. Meanwhile businesses have no problem--Trump declared bankruptcy on his casinos 6 time. Biden trashed Anita Hill and gave us Clarence Thomas on SCOTUS. I can barely stand the thought of voting for him if he chooses a "moderate" Democrat for VP. If he chooses a Republican, I don't see a hair's breadth difference between him and Trump.
12
First of all, Trump never declared bankruptcy. Rather, several businesses in which he had a financial interest did declare bankruptcy. That's different.
Second, while I am not a fan of the 2005 bankruptcy reform bill, your description is not accurate. That law did not make it "almost impossible"for ordinary people to file bankruptcy. Rather, what it did was (a) require that people take a financial education course before they could file, and (b) make it very difficult to discharge student loan debt that was guaranteed by the government.
People can disagree about whether the student loan provisions are good policy, but the fact is that anybody can file for bankruptcy
4
Okay, I was beginning to open my mind to a Biden candidacy: he's decent, he would only serve one term, he has a chance of winning.
But no. No. NO.
How could a Democrat choose a Republican running mate, knowing he might not finish his term, knowing that the Republican party has sold out to Donald Trump, and even just knowing that there are in fact differences between Democrats and Republicans that matter??
And there are many good Democrats who would be excellent running mates. Joe, just look at the people who are standing there with you on those debate stages.
150
@Moxie
Please do not fall for his nonsense. Look at the tax haven for banks and corporations he created in DE.
As a native New Englander, I can attest that VT has always been progressive. Please stay committed to CHANGE and not the same ole, same ole, that Old Man Biden brings to the table.
14
You get it, though? Saying it isn’t doing it.
2
@Gus
DE isn't a "tax haven" for corporations. Companies choose to incorporate in DE because it has a well developed system of corporate law, with the most sophisticated judges in the US. DE's corporate tax rates are comparable to those in "progressive" states like NY & CA.
3
This is EXACTLY why he should not be the nominee. Joe Biden is a decent man but the fact that he believes there are decent Republicans means he is totally out of touch with current realities.
3
A Biden-GOP ticket is nonsense.
My great concern is that Warren and most of the other Democratic presidential candidates are competing to see who can make the most woke and socialist promises:
Free college tuition. Medicare for all, including illegal immigrants. College loan forgiveness. Reparations for blacks and gays. Guaranteed basic income. Federal job guarantees. Federally mandated school busing to achieve integration. Green New Deal (eco-socialism). Voting and early release for prisoners. Open borders.
All the fabulously wealthy US individuals and corporations together do not have the many trillions of dollars needed to pay for these goodies year after year, and even Bernie Sanders has admitted that taxes would have to be raised on the middle class to pay for Medicare for All, not to mention the additional trillions needed for the other items. (For perspective, the current US budget is about $4.4 trillion, with a deficit of about $1 trillion.)
As Margaret Thatcher aptly noted, the problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.
Don’t forget that our goal in 2020 is to elect a Democratic president, and that will require appealing to the independents, undecideds and others whom the Democrats failed to reach in 2016.
If all of these progressive (socialist) promises, or even a few, are planks in the 2020 Democratic platform we are doomed to a second term of Trump as president.
2
In theory, the delegates at the Democratic convention could reject his choice.
Biden maintains a fantasy that the GOP is capable of working with him, despite 8 years of blocking everything Obama proposed to do.
It's mystifying.
268
@David Henry
Another example of how out of touch he is with reality and truth.
22
@David Henry Easy to understand that - Biden is living in his own fantasy world.
10
@David Henry
You are correct! Biden appears to be wedded to a dangerous fantasy--a fantasy that alienates many of us.
2
How about Candace Owens? Young, black, woman?
He should have simply stated: In the process of vetting candidates for a running mate we will examine those that have the character, capacity, and compassion necessary to support the countries constitution and make the US a stronger and more humane country. I'm not aware of any current GOP republicans who would qualify. If there are I'm happy to consider them.
138
His shortening to "I can't think of any right now" seems more like an amenable thing to say in front of the cameras.
17
@Steve Biden never would have said that. Those are complete sentiments.
8
@Steve I meant GOP politicians.
1
In Biden's time, there really were some great Republicans. Nelson Rockefeller. Everett Dirksen. Charles Matthias. John McCain. They were willing to stand up for a cause and their country and work with the other party. The problem is they're all dead and the bipartisan, moderate Republicans of today are few and in hiding.
103
@Sam Those are middle-of-the-road Dems who wanted the spotlight.
1
@Sam
Nelson Rockefeller, as NYS governor adopted the "stop and frisk" and "no-knock" laws to strengthen police powers. He created new anti-drug laws that included mandatory life sentences without the possibility of plea-bargaining or parole for all drug USERS, dealers, and those convicted of drug-related violent crimes; a $1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of drug pushers; and removing less harsh penalties for youthful offenders.
Far from great.
5
@Sam
The Republican Party has moved so far right that Barry Goldwater who, when he ran in 1964, was considered the most right wing major party candidate in the country's history, couldn't even be a member today because he supported abortion and gay rights.
7
Unbelievable. That he can even momentarily consider this makes even less palatable than ever.
267
@wem - this whole Ukraine thing that Putin wants
and is engineering a takeover as a payment for
trump loans, has the under story of Biden and his
son. If Biden decided NOT to run and to live the
life of 'the elder statesman', perhaps there wouldn't
be the so-called investigation of the prosecutor and
Burisma. Such a time consuming and ridiculous
sideshow while the russians continue to interfere
in US elections and torment Zelensky.
2
@wem
Everybody needs to calm down. It was a stupid question to ask and Biden was being typically diplomatic. There’s no way he’s picking a Republican as a running mate.
4
@wem Absolutely correct. And, yet, The Times and the DNC love this guy.
1
Joe ... the answer should have been "no". This is foot-in-mouth territory. How's it going to play at next debate? Not well I imagine. Totally disqualifying. Especially when he's also considering throwing away power of incumbency to be a one-term, lame-duck president.
62
Biden, bless his heart, is so painfully out of touch.
66
@Dabney L Exactly. Every time those of us on the left start moving closer to Joe (because we hate Mayor Pete), he does something like this that remind us of his mindset from the 70s and 80s. Tomorrow will be the start of the 20s, people.
Stacey Abrams - intelligence and diversity !
16
This would be the move that makes me write in “Anita Hill”, vote down ticket and walk away.
39
Oh really? Because you’d prefer Trump and Pence over Biden and a moderate Republican?
2
@M
Having a GOP running mate would pretty much commit Biden to two terms, including the whole election circus in 2024. Many if not most voters backing him in 2020 assume that he would care-fully choose a running mate who could succede him in 2024. This option negates that option.
Lucy van Pelt would be an excellent Republican running mate for any Democrat who is interested in bipartisan solutions.
7
i swore to campaign for any democratic candidate. (i held my nose and volunteered for hillary. need i say ... trump.)
a biden-gop ticket? insert here - the sound of
my head smashing against the key board. sigh. really. and i thought the purity test left would be the problem.
33
He won’t pick a GOP as a VP pick.
1
Maybe Joe should consider being Trump's running mate.
Then he might understand why many, many Democrats (and not only so called "socialists") think it's time he retire.
69
Why is this a question? Why are Rs never asked this? I suspect it’s because of the generally accepted but false premise that the country is center-right. It is not.
50
Of course he would. He's Joe Biden. This will go over well in the election just as Hillary's selection of practically Republican Tim Kaine in 2016.
25
@Edwin
Or Al Gore selecting Joe Lieberman in 2000. I'm starting to sense a trend here.
6
Would someone care to pose this same question to the (presumed) Republican nominee: why not consider a Democratic VP on the ticket in the name of "healing" the country? No, I thought not. Absurd today for a Republican to consider, but bold and audacious for a Democrat? Gimme a break.
55
@levgid
Dear levgid,
I was thinking the same thing.
What an intriguing thought.
So Trump offers, Harris, Yang, Warren, whoever is the unsuccessful Democratic nominee a place on his ticket, replacing Pence.
I think there is enough ambition there that he might get some takers.
1
@levgid McCain did consider Lieberman as a VP, but the party would not let him, so he picked Palin.
Exactly what we don’t need.
Here we go again: back to what had never worked in the past, yet we try again. The definition of insanity.
I will certainly not vote for Biden now, even if it means four more years of you know who.
48
No, Joe. There are many democrats who fill the requirements for a vice presidential candidacy in an admirable manner. Zero republicans. Please, get some sleep or hire better campaign advisors. Good grief, Charley Brown!
3
A Republican Veep means that a 50-50 Senate remains under the control of Mitch McConnell, even with Joe Biden in the White House. This would be devastating to the agenda of any Democrat.
Fortunately, I don't see this happening. If he wants to win, his VP should, if anything, tack left.
49
Difficult times require thinking outside the box, comfort zone, and political affiliations. It may be good insurance for candidates to consider having a running mate from the republican side. Just to ensure, the American people get rid of the cabal at the WH and Senate. Some republicans to consider should include Kasich from Ohio. He is a republican with good fiscal and social record. There are others with good ideas and willingness to restore our democracy and social values.
5
It is unfortunate to see all these comments along the lines of 'there are no decent Republicans', that going toward the center is handing Trump a second term, and that anyone other than Sanders or Warren are 'Republican lite' or otherwise unacceptable. They reek of a lack of understanding of the state of the electorate or of political realities.
Kasich is more than qualified and has demonstrated the integrity to stand against Trump time and time again. Extreme views in line with AOC and Sanders are not only not going to win nationally, their agenda will never be implemented on a national level. Pragmatism in the vein of Klobuchar (and to a lesser extent Buttegieg and Biden) is the only way the Democrats (a) win and (b) don't squander their four years in office.
9
This is promising. John Kasich would be a terrific choice, or Romney or Haley. Those scoffing at this idea cling to ideas too extreme to be realistic.
5
I’m clinging to LBGTQ & women’s rights. No current GOP member supports those.
I’m not going backwards
1
@Jessic
if Trump gets re-elected you'll learn all about "going backwards."
2
Democrats effectively went down this road in 2000 when Al Gore chose Joe Lieberman, who turned out to be faithless to the Democratic Party and endorsed John McCain in 2008.
So no, absolutely not. I don't even want to hear a Democratic candidate for president consider bringing ANY Republican into their administration in any capacity.
134
@Larry M I thought about the Gore/Lieberman example too. I also thought about Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, choosing Andrew Johnson, who was a Democrat. I'm sure Lincoln had the best of intentions, but after the tragedy of Lincoln's death, Johnson was a disaster.
6
@Larry M
Worse, he endorsed McCain/Palin.
3
The problem isn't just that Joe's from a bygone era; it's that he hasn't updated his views to comport with the present partisan reality. He's delusional if he thinks a Republican VP nominee is anything like a wise move.
39
What about a Bloomberg / Biden ticket ?
They have the know-how, experience and would generate world-wide confidence in America.
The only thing that matters is addressing the large
Item dangers to us all. A centrist coalition of Bloomber/ Biden or reverse order works well for me.
There are no partys anymore, we have issues that desperately need attention and resolutions.
Europe is filled with coalitions and it brings new thoughts on the table-
3
@JBT ...a Biden/Bloomie tkt shows disrespect for blacks and women. See past NYT articles. And it won't help the middle class much. Biden told his big donors not to worry, nothing will change. Look at their long term record.
They are both egotists, compulsively wanting to be president.
Europe's conservatives haven't been as extreme right wing as our GOP. Their parties have formed coalitions traditionally. For instance, no party wants to dismantle their generations of health care for all. No propaganda about choice and freedom and big govt, to protect corporate profits. And their campaigns aren't funded by big insurance & pharma as ours are.
4
@JBT ,
156 years.
1
@JBT Aside from the fact that it is two old white me running, I can’t imagine that either want to settle for the VP spot.
1
If he wants to do that then perhaps he should consider Tulsi Gabbard as his running mate. While I know many Democrats already consider her a Republican in all but name, she could be someone who might work. She could be the one that appeals to the center-right moderate Republicans who may not like Trump but may not currently see any options with the Democrats, with perhaps the exception of Biden. If he teams up with her, it would greatly expand his appeal to voters that the Democrats would otherwise not be able to reach. And while to progressive purists having these non-progessives coming into the tent would be unacceptable, it would be better than losing and enduring another 4 years of Trump. Sometimes you have to give something to get something, a concept purists don't understand, I know.
3
Biden's health seems too tenuous to entertain this idea. You cannot count on a Republican to nominate a pro-woman judge to the Supreme Court - certainly not Kasich. Nominating a GOP member to the VP slot is a nightmare for the future of gender equality in this country.
50
@Dan Marshall
How many "pro-woman" judges did Hillary nominate to SCOTUS? The point being: if you can't get elected, you can't accomplish anything.
2
@Dan Marshall you could have stopped at 'You cannot count on a Republican'.
3
Why is it that today’s Democrats, except for people like Sanders and Warren, never really feel comfortable as Democrats and all that that stands for? The party has bent over backwards to appeal to centrists and where has it gotten us? Either Biden runs like a Democrat or he should make way for others.
145
@LIChef because Sanders and Warren are "far" left, which is not necessarily equivalent to going "forward".
4
@jnl
Yes it is
9
@LIChef Just to set the record straight : Bernie Sanders is not now and has never been a Democrat. Joe Biden is a Democrat from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes.
5
How many times?
How many times are we supposed to ask, "Say it ain't so Joe?"
How many times before it becomes clear to everyone the man cannot be trusted with a nomination that is all that stands between the United States and chaos?
187
Biden was just being polite/diplomatic here, which is one of the qualities that the ideological left despises about him. There is no way Biden chooses a Republican as a running mate. Personally i think Hakeem Jeffries would be a great pick, but there is no shortage of strong candidates.
7
The progressive Twitter left is so far gone that they despise compromise and take pride in being all-or-nothing. They brand any compromisers and moderates, like Biden, as the enemy. You can't win an election if almost everyone, including your own party, is your enemy.
4
It’s just so depressing to listen to by then. I won’t comply with the subpoena. Oh, I’ve changed my mind, I will comply with the subpoena. Oh sure, I’ll nominate a 60-year-old guy to the Supreme Court. And now this.
This is a candidate who can win?
40
@Marc Kagan that would be scary were it not a race against trump. another way trump skews everything to the formerly unimaginable.
1
@Marc Kagan Yes, he will win. I see him very differently from you.
@Marc Kagan He won't win the progressive vote.
1
For Mr. Biden to say this confirms my worst suspicions that he's just lost it. He has waxed poetic about the good old days of working with Republicans, and naively thinks that Trump is the problem rather than the GOP at large.
Oh? How can a man who served as Barack Obama's VP forget how viciously McConnell antagonized his boss virtually every day, and how every member of the GOP caucus followed in lockstep? Where are these fair-minded, decent Republicans? Perhaps Mr. Biden is thinking of the days when people still used a "record player"?
I believe the party needs a moderate candidate to have a chance at winning, but Biden's not the one. He's a relic of the past.
Klobuchar is the most sensible choice for a moderate candidate. She has said that she'll reach across the aisle but put her foot down when necessary. And, in the last debate, she noted how 400 bills are sitting on McConnell's desk gathering dust.
What the Democratic Party and country need is an energetic, articulate moderate who's living in the present. Biden’s time has passed. Klobuchar has the right stuff.
17
@Claude R I have full confidence in Biden, and I like Klobuchar the best among all others. Biden/Klobuchar is a winning ticket!
4
We've got a 2 party system, the Republicans and the ones who cave to Republicans. I'm dismayed by the polarization of our politics and I am all for working with the opposition to get things done, together, as Americans. Unfortunately this is neither the time nor place to do that. The Democrats already tried working with the Republicans...repeatedly. It hasn't worked out. It's why Merrick Garland is not on the Supreme court and Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are. It's why so called Obamacare, originally a conservative idea, is still just limping along.
I want Democrats to picture McConnell and Trump, the faces of the Republican party and ask themselves whether working with the opposition is even an option or is it just a silly, naive fantasy. You cannot work with an opposition that sees collaboration and compromise as a sign of weakness.
39
With the House at stake in 2018, Biden endorsed a Republican (they're pals) and with no thought at all to national consequences. We could be looking at a Republican house, thanks to him.
If's all about Joe being decent, how about decent policy choices and repudiating his terrible ones in the past- meaning just about everything, from bankruptcy "reform" and deregulation to invasions of choice?
13
@jrd And an apology to Anita Hill?
6
I always though Biden was as far right as he could go without being labeled a GOP-Lite politician and now he might "consider" a Republican as a running mate? Maybe he should call his pal Joe Lieberman the retired DINO from Connecticut.
23
@Gary Valan
Maybe Biden should try to get the GOP nomination for president.
8
We don’t even like Liberman in CT.
Unable to accept the loss in the primary he ran as an independent to retain power.
I’ll write in “Anita Hill” if Biden is the nominee.
3
If there is any clearer evidence that this party is bankrupt, I don’t know what to say.
6
"There are some really decent Republicans that are out there still".
No there aren't. This is the problem with Biden.
299
But they’re really are. This is the problem with politics now.
9
@LongTimeFirstTime Who?
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@LongTimeFirstTime
Name one. Just one.
30
Which is why I would never, under any circumstances whatsoever, vote for Biden.
I have no interest in voting for a Republican-Lite DINO.
That's exactly what Obama did. The end result was Trump. The lesson has not been learned, apparently.
Mr. Vice-President, if you like the GOP so much, please switch parties to the GOP and primary Trump. You can run - and lose - as a moderate Republican. It would be more honest than what you're doing now.
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@Bob The Builder
hey Bob, it's people like you who gave us Donald Trump. Either get behind the Democratic nominee or vote for Trump, i don't care which, but stop trying to play both sides.
23
@Bob The Builder While I share your lack of enthusiasm for Biden--please, please, please vote for the Democratic nominee whoever it is. Those who last time around found it better to not vote for president or vote for a third party are a big reason we are where we are.
27
@Sarah:
1. The big reason why we are where we are is politicians like Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. None of them has ever met a Republican compromise they didn't like.
2. If Biden is the nominee, I will not vote for him, or for Trump. I will be staying home, along of a very large number of other disaffected Democrats. If Trump ends up winning New York State because of Biden, too bad. You should have pushed for a better nominee. "But Biden is not as bad as Trump" is not a national political platform.
3. If a second Trump term is what is needed to wake up the Democratic party and their giant machinery of inept yet highly-paid political consultants, then so be it.
4. It seems to me that Democrats aren't even interested in winning the presidency next year. Trump in the White House is much more useful for fund-raising than Trump out of the White House.
5. Obamacare. Yeah. It's done. The brilliant legacy of an entirely avoidable failure, wrapped and packaged as a bi-partisan compromise that didn't get a single Republican vote.
26
OMG. It’s Elizabeth Warren or bust. She is the only candidate capable of implementing a progressive agenda. We cannot continue down the road of Republican light.
33
@KMC
Elizabeth Warren as the Dem nominee means an automatic Trump reelection. People in the Democratic Party don't want to go down that road.
12
@KMC OK, then, send Sen. Warren $100 (I did in 2012 when she was running for Senate), and vote for her in the Dem. primary. Then, in Nov. (2020) vote for the Dem. candidate. Otherwise, you will in effect be casting a vote for Trump.
6
She will lose big time. Tell those union workers in the midwest you’re going to take away their hard fought for insurance policies. They’ll just love that. Remember the goal is to beat Trump. Biden beats Trump in all polls taken in the 5 states that matter. Warren does poorly in those polls. Biden will surround himself with decent Democrats that will follow a progessive agenda.
5
So Biden is really committed to being a one-term speed bump on the way to Trump 2.0. That's comforting.
29
@Walter Bruckner Maybe Biden can pick Ivanka as his running mate?
Oh dear. He thinks the Republicans will work with him, and he was even there when the GOP opposed and stonewalled every little thing Obama did. A GOP running mate, he'd consider it, I hope that was a REALLY bad joke, but his timing is REALLY bad. He really does have foot in mouth disease and doesn't understand the dangerous point which America has come to. He just doesn't get words matter. It's not hard to see why people say he is problematic. Stacey Abrams would be the brilliant answer to that question. In my dreams, Michelle Obama and Stacey Abrams would my dream team.
I'd settle for Amy Klobuchar, centralist Dem who seems one of the few who can appeal to both sides.
16
Well, we all have crazy fantasies, so I'll file this one under that category. Senator McCain considered this in 2008, when he floated the idea of naming Joe Lieberman as his VP. He was told that his choice would force a floor vote by all the delegates, and he would lose that vote. The same thing would happen in Milwaukee next year.
7
Charlie Baker would be a great choice
3
@Reed You mean, the guy who chose to publicly admit he was *not going to vote* in the 2016 election as his solution to Trump being the candidate? Who has never really stood up to Trump? No thanks.
2
How's this for an answer. "No". Why on EARTH would we want to climb in to bed with the people who are destroying our democracy? Sure, there are a few republicans who have resisted the debasement of their party by Trump, but the VAST majority have just played along.
Stacy Abrams? Kamala Harris? Cory Booker? Why not somebody who's both qualified, deserves the opportunity because of their years of hard work and dedication to the ideals we hold as a party writ large?
I know, this article is just spitballin', but its annoying that Biden was even asked this question, that's it was even entertained seriously.
78
Kamala Harris ran an incompetent campaign, and Cory Booker seems to be heading that way as well. And someone who "deserves" the office? That kind of entitled thinking is what led Hillary Clinton to run and lose in 2016.
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@Spencer
Dear Spencer,
I thought it was a great question and I thought Mr. Biden's answer was pitch perfect.
He knows very well that he is going to choose a Democrat, maybe one of those you named for his VP.
But why not hold out a symbolic olive branch instead of yanking out your sword and whacking the journalist.
2
@
Stacy Abrams deserves a real close look by Biden for a running mate, if he turns out to need one. Same with Klobuchar.
1
I hope he is saying this cynically.
The rep party is dead, and the dems of today are basically the republicans of yesteryear. The republicans of today are spineless, power hungry folks with no ideals.
18
@BR Biden doesn’t have the intellectual heft to use words in any other way except how he meant to use them. He’s not cynical, sarcastic, or ironic. He can’t be, hence, the gaffes, flubs, mildly offensive slips, and endless walk-backs. This answer about a Republican VP, too, will be walked backed by noon tomorrow, because it’s sheer lunacy.
Biden could really get under Trump's skin and offer the VP slot to Nikki Haley. She's opportunistic enough to accept it.
6
What an insane proposal. We don't need two Republican parties. one is MORE than enough. Haley gets a free ride from the media because, like Tulsi Gabbard, she's attractive and avoids the tough questions. Haley has never repudiated even the most vile of Trump's half-baked blatherings. Plus her own record on the Confederate flag controversy in the wake of the white supremacist massacre in South Carolina was shameful. This woman is a opportunist without any moral center.
5
@Rick Morris
Would Biden and Haley run under the Confederate flag? Haley supported the Confederate flag recently and Biden has told us Delaware was a slave state.
Why not Governor Kasich from Ohio? He has always criticized Trump, is very practical, and somewhat moderate compared to most republicans. In addition, Ohio is provincial enough to vote one of their own. In fact, in the 2016 primary they voted for Kasich over Trump.
7
@Noreen Jaster
Kasich looks good only in comparison to Trump and his true believers. His anti-choice record in Ohio is a good reason to rule him out.
3
Why not Governor Kasich from Ohio? He has always criticized Trump, is very practical, and somewhat moderate compared to most republicans. In addition, Ohio is provincial enough to vote one of their own. In fact, in the 2016 primary they voted for Kasich over Trump.
3
@Noreen Jaster He lied about his position on abortion legislation. Maybe Huntsman.
1
@Noreen Jaster
Why not Kasich? Because a Biden/Kasich ticket would lose Democratic voters in droves.
1
Kasich. He’s not been involved in the congressional mess and has proven his record as a moderate R- which is why he’s not running against T. The only way to break this deadlock is to officially create a partnership. At this point, it’s about more then defeating TRUMP - it’s about saving the republic. No one is ever going to be 100% on point with your beliefs so how about we start with a mutual trait. Integrity.
7
This is actually exactly what our country needs to get back on track. Unfortunately demonizing trump supporters, while satisfying, is not going to win the day. Bringing a traditional conservative (classical liberal) on the ticket would go a long way toward healing our partisan divisions. I would vote for that ticket in a heartbeat.
The fact that this makes AOC progressives’ head spin is not really the point. It’s about getting enough swing state voters on board to survive the next 4 years and avoid a complete collapse of our democracy under emperor trump’s second, third, fourth, etc. terms.
11
@CP Who exactly is this "traditional conservative (classical liberal)" that has enough of a national profile to have any effect on the presidential race????
3
Good answer Mr. Biden. Not really doable, but good answer.
8
I have always thought that a Bipartisan ticket would be wonderful, at least in the days when Republicans were not political terrorists. That window has closed, at least for now. I cannot identify even one Republican with enough character to nominate for anything except Impeachment. They have painted themselves into a corner by supporting our national disgrace. It will take a DOCUMENTED honorable politician like John McCain to emerge before this is possible; several generations at least and a lot of prison cells.
19
You've got to be kidding. In my view, this is disqualifying.
191
@allseriousnessaside
Yes, of course. God forbid one of the Dem candidates makes a proposal that might help them win, instead of committing political suicide outside our coastal echo-chambers.
3
@GMooG
When has the idea of mixed party rule been considered viable? The 12th amendment was passed to avoid just that.
2
@GMooG I don't think we need a Republican VP candidate to win. Besides, Biden, while in good physical health, is older. That's okay, but the risk of putting an R VP in office is too large. And beside that, what do you win if you water down your ticket and principles?
Did Biden not learn anything from Obama's experience with the Republicans? The fact that he would even consider naming a member of a destructively oppositional faction that set out to destroy Obama's presidency even when he adopted their ideas is completely irrational and self-defeating. Bipartisanship is a pipe dream with the GOP as currently constituted.
65
I have a better idea. How about a former republican like Bloomberg? And instead of VP, why not just make him President? Bloomberg 2020!
1
That is a terrible idea. Go left for vp, and please make it Stacy Abrams or someone similar.
58
Put a Republican a heartbeat away from the Presidency?
Not funny, even as a joke.
Biden, if elected, will have to get things done without consensus. There's no other way so long as Republicans have any political power whatsoever.
"There are some really decent Republicans that are out there still...". Nope. They've had three years to demonstrate their decency. We've heard three years of crickets so far.
66
OMG, here the Democrats go again. Trying to make friends with the Republicans.
That is exactly the WRONG attitude. Republicans don't want to be friends and that is perfectly fine by me.
As the great Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman, said, the biggest mistake the North made at the beginning of the war was to think some of the southern states wanted to be friends, wanted to stay in the union. They didn't, Sherman found out the hard way. So he changed tactics and treated them all as belligerents.
Republicans today ARE the enemy. Republicans even as recently as 15 years ago weren't. They've essentially seceded from the norms and traditions that make America a beacon around the world.
No, Mr. Biden, don't even consider a Republican as a running mate. Anyone from the other party foolish enough to accept your offer will be branded a 21st century Benedict Arnold by Trump and his pals. Even though I am not sure Trump himself could tell you exactly who Benedict Arnold was!
355
Says the typical Democratic primary voter. Out of touch with the mainstream. As a South Carolina Democrat, I think this is brilliant.
12
@History Guy Yet, you have about a zillion Republicans going on cable news shows everyday to denounce Trump: Kasich, Boot, Navarro, George Conway, etc. etc. etc. The meme of the "I'm a conservative Republican and I don't like Trump" has become so commonplace it is laughable. Are you saying all of those Republicans are evil as well? If so, why do you have them on the news every night?
7
Biden would be absolutely correct to consider choosing a Republican (or any other party member who might help heal the country) as a running mate, but his mere suggestion that he would consider it is unimaginably disingenuous. As your comment shows, today’s radical Democratic Party would never allow it. Indeed, Biden will likely be forced to apologize for even suggesting it.
6
Hey Joe-can you not find a VP who is female and/or of color to fill that spot, that is not GOP? Geez. This white male power structure needs to embrace the inevitable.
91
Only one reasonable would be John Kasich, but he's pretty much been disavowed by the Republicans. Perhaps Romney?
7
@Ivan you mean nixon fan boy kasich (check cspan archives - he still brags about it.)
1
@Ivan no. Neither of them. They’re still in the party that is trashing democracy.
Joe is doing everything possible to push me away from him.
3
Romney changes his tune depending on which way the wind is blowing in that five minute span.
If Biden were to die Romney could easily flip back to whatever the GOP wants in all of three minutes, whereas Kasich would keep his independence.
Kasich is somebody I, as an independent, would respect.
2
In light of GOP actions to shred the Constitution of the U. S., I find his response astounding. Mr. Biden should drop out of the race and leave the field to candidates who want to effect positive change for all Americans, not just corporate executives and the ultra-wealthy.
310
@DD I think that Biden believes he is doing an excellent job in this campaign. Being phony has worked for him for a long time. When someone is phony they say what they think will help them, since they don't have any core beliefs. Just like the blooper when he said he wouldn't respond to a subpoena for the Senate impeachment trial - and then had to "walk it back" - he doesn't have a clue. If I would get $1 for every time the GOP uses the ridiculous Biden statement to explain why GOP witnesses aren't testifying, I could buy the beach house I've always wanted.
8
@DD
Let's put our purity darts away this year. It's too important to defeat Trump to start the circular firing squad. If Democratic voters don't like what Mr. Biden said, they can take that into account when voting. But Mr. Biden should not "drop out of the race" because he said something you disagree with.
My least favorite candidate in the Democratic field is Elizabeth Warren. But let me tell you this DD: I don't think she should "drop out of the race", and if she is the nominee I will contribute to her campaign, beg everyone I know to support her and will crawl on glass November 3, 2020 to vote for her.
We must not do Trump's job for him!!!
4
Re ”A Biden-G.O.P. Ticket? He’s Open to It, but Doesn’t See Options“
It might just be a master stroke. The country is almost irrevocably polarized now. This noble idea harkens back to our founding framers policy when they attained to the presidency.
It will tend to displease many on both sides but is worthy of serious discussion, as an exercise in cooperation, if nothing else.
17
@RjW this thinking was a major flaw of the obama administration - come let us reason together. and so we got the aca larded with gop poison pills.
the gop is the party of dirty tricks all the way down and proud of it.
a master stroke? sign of insufficient oxygen to a brain that was never top drawer.
43
@RjW
"It might just be a master stroke."
Or possibly an ischemic stroke.
37
@RjW
Dear RjW,
I think Biden gave a fairly clever answer. It is a pity so many in this comment stream have no sense of nuance.
I understand their fear of Republicans, but they need to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
2
So let's understand this: Biden only plans to serve one term in office AND may have a Republican as his running mate, perfectly teeing up another Republican presidency in four years.
Biden needs to wake up and understand that if he becomes president, he will face the same wall of opposition that Obama did, even with a Republican running mate. I genuinely don't understand why he still believes he can work with Republicans. After being Obama's VP for eight years, you'd think he'd have figured out by now that the GOP doesn't compromise at all and works to shut down any Democratic policies even when they are based on Republican ideas (Obamacare). And look at them now. The House has passed hundreds of bills that languish in the McConnell Senate and Trump calls them the "Do-Nothing Democrats". This will not change just because Biden is a nice guy!
281
@MJ no no no joe biden is not a nice guy. if he were a nice guy he would have stayed home and helped his fragile son instead of throwing him to the gop hyenas. he would have stayed out of the race - to big to ignore, to weak to prevail without massive life support.
29
@MJ
Perhaps Biden thinks that because he’s a white guy—unlike Obama—Republicans will treat him differently. After all, that was the upshot (aka dog whistle) of his earlier claim about being able to work with segregationist Republicans back in the day.
Biden’s not the candidate we need for the era we face now. Period.
2
@p
"fragile son"? Hunter is 50 years old!
Of course, for Dems, "stepping up" means Repubs doing exactly what Dems want them to, abandoning Trump and giving power to Dems. The Repub candidate in 2012 was extremely decent, very presidential and very moderate: Mitt Romney. The Dems savaged him. Not content to express disagreement with his policies, they called him a racist and misogynist. In fact, it was Biden who told black people that they would be put "back in chains" if Romney were elected. So, please spare me the sanctimonious remarks about how Biden is looking for a good Repub and can't find one.
7
This alone should be disqualifying. Joe Biden is a good man and a well-intentioned one, but anyone who would even entertain the notion of a Republican VP/running mate is out of touch to the point of being dangerously naive. Aside from the fact that Biden would probably be a conservative himself in many European countries, this is the reason why Democrats lose. They cling to these outdated notions of compromise as the Republicans step on, play them for fools, and enact policies that destroy people's lives.
We can be decent, good, and just and not believe in tit-for-tat politics without deluding ourselves into thinking we can vote for the party of Trump. A party where >90% of voters support Trump. The Republican Party won't learn its lesson for creeping toward fascism unless it is destroyed and humiliated at the polls, forcing it to change. Merely entertaining the notion of a Republican VP is so beyond asinine that it should make every voter leaning toward Biden reconsider immediately. He's a good man, but he would be a bad President and he would be run over by Republicans.
219
@BReed I don't think he's a good man, and I don't think he's a well-intentioned one. I think he has always been shameless self-promoter - and that's what we are seeing now.
12
@BReed
"...and he would be run over by Republicans."
Considering the political climate in this country nowadays, if he had a Republican running mate and he was elected, he might *literally* be run over by Republicans.
2
@Shellie F. Agreed, across the board. I also don’t believe he has much... intellectual depth. And that’s what many people are seeing as the “Aw, shucks” Joe.
5
We need Kamala 's expertise in the senate , let her stay there. There are a lot of good people he can select should he get the nomination. Joe will find the one for him.
4
@jaye fromjersey
Stacy Abrams! She's a real comer in her own right, not just because she fits a demographic slot.
5
@Dee Abrahamse if i were she i would never associate myself with biden. hard to imagine any competent, accomplished young person with their own future ahead of them signing on to make joe look decent and sensible or even coherent.
3
A planted question perhaps when he "elaborates" .. " They’ve got to step up,".
1
Clearly the best candidate if the Ds don't want to scare the Rs.
Biden gave us the 1994 criminal "justice" act and helped with the 2005 bankruptcy "reform" act.
I know I'll get another "false equivalence" reply, but I honestly don't think Biden is worth 1/2 hr of my time on election day. Even when the alternative is Trump. Are degrees of irrelevance possible?
6
@maqroll
Dear maqroll,
Yes there are degrees of relevance, except when the alternative is Trump. In this case, Mr. Biden is an easy choice in the general election.
1
My gosh . . . what an interesting outside-the-box idea! How about John Kasich? That would sink Trump for sure. After all, it's all about getting rid of the Don.
4
@C. Roy no it is about defeating the republicans not inviting in a gop trojan horse.
8
@pi Disagree. Nothing—repeat, nothing—is more important that ridding ourselves of Trump.
The idea that Donald Trump, or any Republican, would choose a Democrat for VP is laughable and absurd. Why is not equally absurd that a Democrat would choose a Republican for their running mate?
The Republicans did not work with Democrats when they passed their tax bill. They tried to destroy the ACA on multiple occasions. And, of course, there’s Merrill Garland. And yet, Democrats are routinely pressed to work in a “bipartisan” manner. Where is this pressure on Republicans? Why the double standard?
170
@Nick
Trump would never choose a Democrat as a running mate.
But I give it even odds that Pence is gone and Tulsi Gabbard is in if Pence gets pulled into this Ukraine/Parnas fiasco.
1
Biden/Kasich???
3
@carol pascal
No.
4
I am all for it..
Biden/Kasich 2020
4
It would be a bad idea to have a Republican as VP:
1) I don't trust or respect any politician that is still officially a Republican given what that party has become. It someone is more conservative and wants to leave the party to become an independent or Democrat (e.g., Amash or Bloomberg), that could be a different story, but...
2) Given Biden's age, there is a higher chance than usual that the VP will actually have to step in and take the top job, and I don't want even a more moderate Republican in there at this point. We need to at least move back to the trajectory that Obama had us on with regard to healthcare, regulation of the financial industry, climate, etc.
3) A related point to 2), but slightly different...even if Biden is healthy enough to make it through 1 term, there's a higher chance than usual that he won't run for a 2nd term due to age. If that's the case, I would want a younger Democrat as VP (and younger Democrats in key cabinet posts) to build their resume for a run in 2024. Again, we need to at least move back to and stay on the Obama trajectory, and moderate Republican leadership after 1 term of Democratic leadership isn't going to get us there.
96
@Hans: Agreed! And to my chagrin, I note many commentators (not you) suggesting John Kasich. Nice guy for sure, he cares about opioid addiction and higs people in distress, but...his position on a woman's right to choose? Check out his history as Governor of Ohio.
40
@Hans Totally agree!! Only acceptable politician whose name is attached to Republican is a "former Republican."
Related to your points:
1) Someone who is still officially a Republican cannot be trusted because he/she is either too afraid of Trump, lacks backbones, or lacks integrity and conscience, or all of the above.
2) & 3) Totally agree that we need a Democratic VP in these scenarios.
4) If Biden gets nominated and chooses a Republican as a VP, I am truly afraid that quite a few Democratic voters would be very disappointed and lose energy to go out for voting. So, please please do not even consider it.
10