Biden: 'I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president'

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Former Vice President Joe Biden is fueling more 2020 speculation, claiming that he is "the most qualified person in the country to be president" and teasing that an announcement about his candidacy could come within six weeks.

Biden has been flirting with another presidential run after deciding not to seek the highest office in 2016, a decision he has said he regrets every day. But his remarks Monday evening in Missoula, Mont., where he was promoting his book "Promise Me, Dad," suggested the wheels of a White House bid may already be in motion.

"I'll be as straight with you as I can. I think I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president," Biden said, according to CNN. "I've been doing this my whole adult life, and the issues that are the most consequential relating to the plight of the middle class and our foreign policy are things that I have — even my critics would acknowledge, I may not be right but I know a great deal about it."

Biden has openly sparred with President Donald Trump over the past two years, trading barbs with the commander-in-chief and casting himself as a foil to what he sees as a democracy-eroding force in the West Wing. But Biden also admitted he had some vulnerabilities, including his age and his co-sponsorship of the 1994 crime bill.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/04/biden-most-qualified-2020-candidate-1042194

[Pisces]

1. BIden/Beto ticket sure has a nice ring to it. We need someone to right the ship and mentor a new

Leader. 4 yrs of Biden and 8 yrs of Beto sound like music to my ears.!!!!!

[Gothmog]

4. I like that ticket

[cornball 24]

7. Spot on!

[onetexan]

34. second that, Joe & Beto - that's a winning combo

Beto can learn from Joe's extensive foreign policy/ governing experience as VP

[StevieM]

10. I like the idea of Steyer/O'Rourke. (eom)

[R B Garr]

42. Love it! You are on to something there!

[Demit]

2. Oh, brother.

[SharonAnn]

45. Unfortunately, best qualified doesn't always equal most electable. I hope it does, though.

[mpcamb]

46. Boomers: Clinton, Bush, trump... Nah, much as I love ya, don't do it, Joe,

Even tho you're the pick of the litter.

If you wanna win in 2020, and trump is still around, avoiding incarceration, run a military guy.
John Brennan, for instance.
Run a woman with him.
Warren, whoever, take your pick.
If trump's not around just run two honest people who aren't in their 70's.

Ageism, yeah.
If you want that youth vote, go younger.
Old people vote. Pretty much all of them.
But they're not the independents and crossover voters and disgruntled repubs who can create a landslide and begin to win back everything we lost in 2 friggin' years.

[Gothmog]

3. I would support Joe Biden if he runs

[Fuzzpope]

5. He is, it's as simple as that.

Reducilous gaffes and all, he'd be my first choice, with Beto as VP, locking him in for his own presidential run in the future.

I don't think Beto is 100% ready for a 2020 run, in his place it has to be a veritable juggernaut, and nobody fills that niche better than Biden.

The first post-Trump democratic president is going to be required to adopt the iron fist, there will be a great amount of friction, falsehoods, and intense resistance from a republican minority congress, whoever it ends up being will have to tear it all down and put it back together, which might not fully succeed even with two terms.

Pave the way, smash through the barriers, stand fast against adversaries, restore international standing through confidence in experience and consistent, predictable policy and ideology, a perfect role for Biden.

[onetexan]

37. agree, Beto would be a great VP to give him time to build experience

he can learn from Biden

[secondwind]

6. More qualified than Hillary?

[spooky3]

8. No, and not as smart, either. But I guess everyone who

Wants to run has to believe she or he is most qualified.

[brooklynite]

9. Well, he spent 8 years in the White House as well as his Senate background...

...so I'll say "yes".

[PatSeg]

11. Oh, at least as qualified as Hillary

with decades of experience, both foreign and domestic.

[elleng]

31. Yes. Hi, PatSeg!

[PatSeg]

32. Hey there Ellen!!!

Good to see you!

[onetexan]

38. agree, i think they're both equally qualified

just that Joe doesn't have the baggage Hillary inherited from Bill, and i must admit charmwise he is more relatable to working class Americans. He's been advocating for the common man all of his public wife. As much as i would LOVE for Hillary to win back her rightful place to be first female POTUS, unfortunately that ship has sailed with this traitor stealing it from her with the help of Russians in 2016. A great tragedy.

That and the fact Joe's wife Jill would make a great first lady. Love how she's advocated for military families, education and community college as an affordable alternative towards a good career: https://elearnmagazine.com/jill-biden-community-colleges/.

[elleng]

39. Yes all around, onetexan!

[PatSeg]

40. And it wasn't just the Bill baggage

Hillary has been attacked by the right and the media for three decades. A lot of people disliked her without even knowing the reason why. The right-wing propaganda machine is very effective unfortunately.

Joe is really good on the campaign trail and yes, he does connect well with working class Americans. He is intelligent without being condescending. Yes, Jill would be an extraordinary first lady. They are such a great couple.

[Freethinker65]

17. Nope...unless he gets bonus points for being a white male

[Pisces]

20. I guess you didn't look at his resume, just starting flinging dung.

[Freethinker65]

23. The question I was responding to asked was if he was more qualified than Hillary...

They are both extremely qualified. Tenure as Secretary of State is often (though not always) placed even higher than that of the Veep.

I know both resumes.

It is interesting that many who now support Biden had issues with Hillary. I hope they realize those issues had nothing to do with her qualifications.

From the last presidential election it is obvious that simply being qualified, or more qualified than your opponent, is not always enough to win not only the Presidency but your political party's nomination.

[Pisces]

24. Likability, authenticity and "It" factor have a lot to do with who wins. Biden has authenticity in

Spades. He connects with people and he is qualified. With a young Beto as VP I think this could be a winning ticket. We need some stability and someone who can right the ship quickly. Someone who knows how to work with the Congress and can get things done. This would be a great crash course for an inexperienced VP.

[DrToast]

26. Sexist and dismissive of his career.

36 years in the United States Senate and 8 years as Vice-President.

Shame on you.

[DrToast]

25. I would say "yes."

He was in the Senate for 36 years and then Vice-President for 8 years.

But I hope he doesn't run.

[MosheFeingold]

49. More electable than Hillary

Absolutely. Qualifications have very little to do with getting elected.

Fair or not, the people don't like her, to the point that a troll like Trump squeaked out a win.

We can wail and nash our teeth about the unfairness and unjustness (and I have), but that's life.

[Auggie]

12. Biden will be 78 on inauguration day 2020 n/t

[Roadside Attraction]

15. 78 is h is age, not his IQ

At 78, he'll be a lot sharper than most other Presidents I have known in my 74 years.

[RobinA]

28. I Like Biden

but I, too, think age is an issue. If for no other reason than electability. I have every reason to believe that Democrats will find a way to lose this one.

And spare me any thanks for my concern. That ran its course when some of us were thanked for being concerned that Trump was going to get elected.

[Auggie]

30. I don't see Joe exciting millennials ...

... the best way he can help in 2020 is from the sidelines.

[Pisces]

43. That's why Beto would be on the ticket

[Auggie]

47. You seriously think that would make a difference?

Millennials will vote against the very concept of Biden, O'Rourke or no O'Rourke.

[cemaphonic]

48. Agreed, age aside, his role in making student loans invulnerable will kill him w/ Millennials

He'd be highly vulnerable from the left, which is one of the factors that doomed Clinton in 2016.

[bluestarone]

13. Hard to argue what he's saying!!

I absolutely support him! (support ANY democrat) We gotta win this one!!!!

[Roadside Attraction]

14. Biden-Harris 2020

Slow Joe and Kamala Harris in 2020. Joe announces his retirement in late 2023.

Harris and ??? in 2024 and 2028.

Meanwhile, the GOP is looking at a Palin-Nugent ticket in 2020.

[True_Blue]

21. ITA!

I'm 61 and I can feel it too. Personally I'm tired of only having geriatric white guys as the only option for POTUS. I like Harris & Beto. I think that team would be unbeatable.

[Bradshaw3]

18. Unfortunately, America doesn't pick its presidents based on qualifications

If it did, Hillary would have won in a landslide. And I'll say it again: Biden ran twice and lost.

[The Liberal Lion]

19. I like Uncle Joe and I like the confidence he is displaying

let's see how this plays out.

[angrychair]

22. Biden is a respected statesman

And amazing Democrat but I honestly do not think that he is the path forward in 2020.

I will vote for whomever the eventual nominee is but for as long as I can I will advocate for what I think is the best candidate to win in 2020. As of right now the person I like most is Kamala Harris. Maybe O’Rourke or Inslee or Kennedy as a VP but I’m completely open in that respect.

We need to move forward and learn the lessons from this midterm election.

We most be united as Democrats and get as many people out to vote as possible and hold the House and take the Senate and most importantly take as many state legislatures as possible.

[samnsara]

27. BIDEN/HARRIS!

..altho if Sherrod ran I may have to change my choice

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. I do not want to see ANYONE old enough for Medicard

to be running for President. Period.

The Democratic Party desperately needs to let younger people move up in leadership.

[Magoo48]

33. Big mistake...

We need younger blood willing to take on corporate America and the MIC. Joe is the past; He had his time and served honorably. It’s time to empower and support a younger generation who are closer to today’s realities.

[Ace Rothstein]

35. Pass

2016 was his chance but he didn't run for whatever reason.

[tinrobot]

36. He sure is the most qualified. But is he the most electable?

I'm about 50/50 on that question.

I think he would appeal to rust belt voters. Not sure if he'll bring out the youth vote.

[xor]

41. I think that's why some are saying Beto as VP might work to attract the younger folks.

[Pisces]

44. Throw out the playbook and announce your VP choice

Of Beto when you announce you’re running and have Beto campaign with you immediately. 2 places at the the same time and spark a major fire!