Drop Out, Biden

The New Republic: If You Can’t Win, Don’t Run

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Jonathan Chait.

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Delaware Senator Joe Biden has been telling people for months that he's going to run for president, as if nobody could actually believe it. Even when he formally announced last week, I still didn't believe it. In fact, I'm not quite sure what it would take to make me believe it. If I turned on the television and watched Biden formally accepting the nomination at the Democratic National Convention, I might believe it then. (On the other hand, I'd probably figure I was suffering some hallucinatory episode and check myself into a hospital.)

I'm not saying Biden shouldn't be president. I have tons of respect for him, and I think he'd do a terrific job if he could get it. I just find it amusing that he thinks there's some chance he could actually become president. It's a case study of that bizarre mental affliction that strikes so many senators. They see younger, less-experienced Senate colleagues — who are far less esteemed than they are — running for president, and they're offended. If the 100 senators were the only ones who could vote, Biden would probably beat Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Unfortunately for Biden, that's not how it works.

Biden's charming cluelessness was on display in a recent ABC news interview. The famously verbose senator was asked to state in 25 words or less why Democrats should nominate him. His response was 45 words. I suppose that, by Biden's standards, coming in at just under twice his allotted length counts as a victory of sorts. Biden then explained why he could win: "If people learn my story, learn my record, I think I can compete. The question is, can I raise the money?" This is sort of like me saying that I think I can compete for a starting NFL quarterback job, but the question is, can I avoid injuries? It's a question, but it's certainly not the question.

In addition to his uncontrollable verbosity, Biden is a gaffe machine. He ran for president 20 years ago but had to abandon his campaign when it was discovered that he had plagiarized speeches from a British politician, substituting in key details to make the story his own.

In his latest effort, Biden wasted no time subverting his already microscopic chances. On the day of his announcement, he mused about Illinois Sen. Obama: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

In Biden's defense, the quote was widely misunderstood. Having listened to it, it's obvious that Biden was not saying Obama is the first mainstream African American candidate who is also articulate and so on. He was saying he's the first mainstream candidate — meaning ideologically mainstream, unlike Carol Moseley Braun, Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson — and that he's articulate and so on. He wasn't calling Jackson or the others inarticulate. To be sure, this is still a pretty cringe-inducing way for white people to talk about African Americans. There's a famous Chris Rock routine in which he complains about how people describe Colin Powell as "articulate," as if it were a surprise that a secretary of State can speak well.

And, of course, last summer Biden attempted to endear himself to an Indian American supporter by telling him that in Delaware, "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent." Not only was this an offensive line, it didn't even make any sense: The observation, familiar to anybody who watched a comedian on cable television 15 years ago, is that Indian Americans are the only ones who work in convenience stores, not that they're the only ones who shop there. The man can't even keep his condescending cliches straight.

Biden looks as if he's the product of a laboratory experiment designed to create the world's worst presidential candidate. If the Obama gaffe doesn't knock him out of the race, something else will. I doubt he makes it to Iowa.

Yes, Biden's very knowledgeable and dedicated. But to win the presidency, you actually have to be good at mass politics. Why is Biden not smart enough to recognize that?

[mjcop54nj]

Other than Hagel and McCain,Biden is the only QUALIFIED candidate.The media is brainwashing everbody.Hillary and Obama can win the nomination,but can they really win in November?
I doubt it....
As for Mccain and Giuliani...well Mccain will probably beat Giuliani in their primary but Giuliani is the one who can win in November.
We do not need another inexperienced President
8 years of this mess is enough.Bush may go down as the worst of the last 100 years or so.

[tibu987]

Biden is old news.
He is out of the race and good thing too.
Megalomania, a rampant disease of the ego found mostly in Washington, DC politicians.
It is usually found along with arrogancia in it's victims.

[fryedbread]

Not being able to win is not a reason not to run. This man has a lot of experience and would easily make a better president that Clinton or Obama. No, he will not win, but his being in the race will force changes in discourse, and that is a good thing.

[bluestardad]

about 75 percent of both parties candidates should drop out but they will open exploratory campaigns and keep the money they collect. it is a racket!

[down-ndirty]

"The question is, can I raise the money?"

That seems to be the problem the voters face. Qualified contenders can not afford to run. Not to say that Biden is qualified. But do you really want another Clinton for eight years, followed by yet another Bush for eight more after that? And by the end of those terms, Chelsea will 'politically qualified' to do her eight years, followed by a younger Bush.

We're becoming more like a European kingdom than the democratic republic that our forefathers established.

Does being a member of a dynasty make one qualified to be the leader of the free world? Did it work for Bush? Not only NO, but *** NO! It didn't work for either Bush.

Again in 2008, we will have a handful of lackeys from which to choose the leader of the free world. Hopefully this time we will get lucky and elect someone who can at least read the PDBs and who understands the meaning of 'foreign policy.'

Phat Phucking Chance!!

[adian1-2009]

I would be willing to make a choice between Hillary, Obama and Edwards. For Biden I would not have voted when he made his first bid for the Presidency --he had to drop out because of plagiarism, in other words, because of cheating--and not in a thousand years. Thanks God that his horse dropped dead right at the starting gate. So, he is out of the race precisely because of his remarks about race. It is no simple thing, and no apologies will be enough to resurrect him. I wonder how come that his state keeps him in the Senate. Well, the system is run by the senators themselves and is aimed at perpetuating them in their positions. The good Senator could not control his tongue and in a freudian slip spoke his mind. Too bad for you, Mr. Biden. First is was because you plagiarized; now it is because you disclosed your true self! What a comedy, Mr. Biden!!!

[heresmy2cent]

This recycled piece of plastic had his days in the limelight long ago.

So forget about it, Joe.

America will be able to function without you.

[fredgrad2000]

IF the Democrats must win in 2008; which unless Iraq becomes the Garden of Eden in under 2 years they will; I'd much rather have a knowledgeable experienced, strong-willed, non-flip-flopping Democrat like Joe Biden or Bill Richardson, who are actually qualified to be C-in-C than Hillary "I say whatever my current audience want to hear" Clinton or Barack Obama, who I like, but who appears to be running just because he may not be this popular in 4 or 8 years - he's a little inexperienced for these times and I think too liberal, but others will argue with that. I wish the Dems would pick their most qualified and the GOP would pick their most qualified and have at it - we'd end up ok either way I think; rather than what is going to happen, the looney left will pick their candidate (who will then of course scramble to the middle; trying to convince us he/she is not out of the mainstream) and the GOP will pick whoever they think can beat the Dem nominee...won't get us the 2 best candidates...I'd love to see John McCain and Joe Biden duke it out in 3 debates - that would be worth the price of admission.

[fascistusa]

Biden isn't OWNED by AIPAC or The Neo-Cons?

Obama isn't OWNED by them either??

START UP THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN!!!!

WHO REALLY RUNS OUR NEWS?? ASK YOURSELF THAT QUESTION.

[cmp271]

He makes the same types of comments as a white man that a black man gets away with. He should run for President.

[Syndicate]

Thge entire premise of this article is incorrect. After all Bush was elected and reelected.