Ok, let me say to begin with, I get it and I don't get it. Such is life. It is paradoxical.
I understand that Biden has much to lose in terms of his own dignity and life long earned status in public service by trying to take on Hillary, not to mention, they have their own personal history. Something most of us discount and cannot understand because it isn't in our experience. But, imagine taking on a life time ally in a nasty political race.
Which is not to say I don't think he's up to it. He's been a politician long enough to not let that get in his way. The fact is, NO ONE is talking about the vice president of this country as a serious contender for the race. He knows that too. That's kind of unusual isn't it? Imagine his thoughts.
Here's a guy who frankly, can trump Hillary in years of public service and certainly in foreign policy. Here's a guy who imo, has been a very good if not perfect servant to the republic, over MANY MORE YEARS than Hillary has. Here's a guy who has credentials that should not be over looked. Here's a guy who IMO, has been an excellent vice president.
He's done it with both humility and verve. Let's look at the recent responses from top level Democrats to the infamous 47 letter.
Barack Obama said: "I'm embarrassed for them." Excellent response in my opinion, and one that keeps him above the fray as much as he needs to be.
Hillary Clinton said: "It undermines American leadership." True, and very safe. Not much passion here.
John Kerry said: "It's irresponsible." Also true and also stinking safe.
Joe Biden said: In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which Senators wrote directly to advise another country -- much less a longtime foreign adversary -- that the President does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them. This letter sends a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that that our Commander-in-Chief cannot deliver on America’s commitments -- a message that is as false as it is dangerous," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
The decision to undercut our President and circumvent our constitutional system offends me as a matter of principle. As a matter of policy, the letter and its authors have also offered no viable alternative to the diplomatic resolution with Iran that their letter seeks to undermine," he added.
So you decide. For my money, Joe Biden put his balls on the table with this in more breadth and depth than Hillary by a long shot. He DOVE IN, and SAID IT.
Yeah, I know some will say that this is the privilege of a vice president, this is the job of a vice president. But I'm scratching my head to think of other Democratic vice presidents who have put it on the line as much as Joe Biden has. Not just in this circumstance but in many others.
And WHY THE HELL can't we expect that of Hillary? She is running, we all know it, or at least we better pray to God she is, because we've got absolutely no freaking back up. And WHY THE HELL is that?
Why isn't Joe Biden a contender?
I know many of you will say, well, he's a "gaff machine." This is what we call Democrats who speak plainly these days. Really?!?!? Joe Biden is a gaff machine but Walker, Rubio, Cruz, Carson, Bush, Jindahl, et al, are NOT gaff machines?!?!?
Still scratching my head.
I am NOT a Hillary hater. I have a fair and real amount of respect for her. But, like many others here, I'm not eager to see her be the anointed candidate. I need her to fight for it. And I need her to fight for it by speaking as clearly as Joe Biden has in many instances. I need her to un-polish herself and put her whatever, on the table, and damn the torpedoes. At least to more of an extent than I saw in 2008, or than I'm seeing now.
I turned away from Hillary in 2008 because I did not feel she could do that then. In fact I remember the exact day I dumped her for a man whose name I couldn't always pronounce correctly at the time. It was when she lied about being shot at on a Bosnia air strip, only to have footage show up of her receiving flowers from youngsters on said airstrip. This is the kind of thing that got Brian Sullivan in hot water. I'm just sayin'.
If Biden is guilty of the same, I don't know or remember it. And although I'll vote for Hillary if that's what it comes down to, WHY THE HELL aren't Democrats more curious, more searching and more circumspect about this election?
Hell, the republicans have a deep if infamous bench. We got NO ONE besides Hillary.
Sure, I'd like to see a woman be president, but it's not my top priority. Times are too perilous for that. I want the best man or woman I can get to take on the shameless GOP of today.
I want someone with verve and spirit. Someone not so polished and so jaded that they never make a BIG gaff, but also never make a BIG statement. I really need to hear this from Hillary, and now is not too soon.
And in the meantime, again, will y'all tell me WHY Joe Biden is dismissed by all of us?
Because I have to tell you, as of today, my vote would go to him over Hillary, for many, many reasons.
So it doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with me. It would just be welcome to me to hear Democrats discuss this, as it seems to me it's being discussed absolutely nowhere else.
So have at it my DK friends. Tell me what you think.