Why on Earth is Joe Biden thinking of running for President (again)?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Because he is.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051113/NEWS/511130335

I pride myself on being pretty savvy about U.S. electoral politics, but for the life of me I can't figure out what Biden thinks he's doing. I guess I could understand it if he were some clueless zillionaire on an ego trip, but he's a seasoned DC insider who should have some grip on the reality of American politics. Consider:

1) We haven't elected a Senator to the presidency since 1960, and I'm not sure we've ever elected a minority-party Senator.

And

2) Delaware provides absolutely no state or regional power base from which to launch a campaign.

So the only way a Biden candidacy makes sense is if, like Steve Forbes or Dennis Kucinich, he's in it as a dark horse, to represent his constituency in the party and/or promote his ideas. But the problem there is

3) Biden's only constituency in the Party is Joe Biden, and his only idea is that Joe Biden should be President.

What's his slogan going to be? "Biden: Good for Corporate Delaware, Good for America"? "Joe Biden: Another Flip-Flopper, but at least I Went to a State University"? He must know how doomed such an effort is. What the heck is he up to?

[Ninot]

I assume he'd be hoping his charisma would get him somewhere.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Ninot
I assume he'd be hoping his charisma would get him somewhere.

That made my lunch hour...

[Sava]

I guess he figures that he is considered a "tough guy" Democrat.

That's the only thing I can think of.

[Solomwi]

Rufus, (tooth flash) you shouldn't understimate (smile at camera, slight nod flash of teeth) the power of (purposeful slight nod) a candidate's charisma (big smile, full-tooth flash, successive nods to camera).

[Sava]

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Solomwi
Rufus, (tooth flash) you shouldn't understimate (smile at camera, slight nod flash of teeth) the power of (purposeful slight nod) a candidate's charisma (big smile, full-tooth flash, successive nods to camera).

I certainly wouldn't; there's no ther way to explain Bill Clinton. But Biden comes off as the kind of guy who thinks he's charismatic, but is actually repellant to everyone except his sycophants. I can certainly see him as the foil in a Rodney Dangerfield movie. But President? Nah...

[DanS]

Simple, really. He has an agenda he wants to push within the democratic party. I can't identify a real coalition that he leads, but then again, I'm not too clued in to the inner workings of the Democratic Party.

[Zkribbler]

Old Washington saying:

Every senator who isn't under indictment or in detox considers himself to be a candidate for President.

But seriously, Biden presents himself very well, is smart and articulate. I'd put him on my list of possibles.

Remember, when Biden last ran, he was IIRC the frontrunner until it was discovery that he got onto Law Review in law school by plegorizing a paper. But that moral slip pales in comparisons to W's DUIs.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by DanS
Simple, really. He has an agenda he wants to push within the democratic party. I can't identify a real coalition that he leads, but then again, I'm not too clued in to the inner workings of the Democratic Party.

See, I'm on the other side of the aisle, and I can't figure out what that agenda is, either. It could be the old DLC agenda, but that has a better standard-bearer in Evan Bayh, Chris Dodd, or even Harry Reid. And he's well-outflanked on the left by a host of truer believers. I'm stumped trying to think of a single issue with which he's identified. He's Joe Biden, party of one. I'm baffled, I really am.

[Ramo]

You're being unfair to Biden. He has a clear constituency that will back his run - MBNA.

[Solomwi]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly


I certainly wouldn't; there's no ther way to explain Bill Clinton. But Biden comes off as the kind of guy who thinks he's charismatic, but is actually repellant to everyone except his sycophants. I can certainly see him as the foil in a Rodney Dangerfield movie. But President? Nah...

I agree completely, but he seems firmly convinced of the hypnotic power of his own teeth.

[Timexwatch]

Considering that he voted for the Bankruptcy bill, he's dead on arrival when it comes to the primaries. What Dem activist would stump for him?

[Zkribbler]

He did what?!? Man, he is toast Please ignore my previous post.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
Remember, when Biden last ran, he was IIRC the frontrunner until it was discovery that he got onto Law Review in law school by plegorizing a paper. But that moral slip pales in comparisons to W's DUIs.

You do not, in fact, recall correctly. Biden was busted on the plagiarism issue in '87, and dropped out of the race months before any primaries got under way. Among potential candidates in '87, Biden was a blip on the radar, hugely overshadowed by Mario "Hamlet" Cuomo and Sam Nunn, both of whom were still contemplating a run at the presidency. It's hard to know how he would have fared in the primaries without plagiarism problem, but it's a fair bet that Gephart would still have won Iowa, Dukakis would still have won New Hampshire, and Dukakis, Gore, and Jackson still would have divied up the South's first Super Tuesday.