Chicago Tribune: Joe Biden would be an excellent 'slip-in' candidate if Hillary Clinton falters

[imagine2015]

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Column: Joe Biden would be an excellent 'slip-in' candidate if Hillary Clinton falters
By Eric Zorn
May 27, 2016

The hopes for victory of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee ticked up slightly Wednesday when a report from the U.S. State Department's inspector general sharply criticized leading Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

Although the report wasn't an indictment or a game-changer in the race for the White House, it became part of the narrative of Clinton as secretive and deceptive that has kept her favorability numbers upside down.

Voters don't hate Joe Biden, 73, the genial vice president who openly agonized last year before deciding not to put himself and his family through the rigors of a presidential bid in the wake of the 2015 death of his son after a battle with brain cancer.

Not most voters, anyway. In a nationwide poll conducted in March for Bloomberg Politics, only 35 percent of respondents had a negative view of Biden compared with 68 percent who had a negative view of Trump, 53 percent who viewed Clinton unfavorably and 41 percent with a negative impression of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who also is vying for the Democratic nomination.

Biden's favorability rating in that same poll was 57 percent compared with 29 percent for Trump, 44 percent for Clinton and 52 percent for Sanders.

If Clinton's email-related problems get worse or other developments sink her popularity far below even Trump's, causing her to step aside, Biden, as a more establishment figure than Sanders, would be the party's likely choice as a "slip-in" candidate and an almost certain winner against Trump.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/zorn/ct-joe-biden-president-trump-clinton-zorn-perspec-0529-jm-20160527-column.html

[Marr]

1. "A certain winner against Trump"? Hardly.

If the party establishment tried to pull a shell game here, pulling one corrupt candidate out and replacing her with another politician from the same small faction, that candidate would be toast in the general election. He would have NO chance.

But I do agree it's what they'd likely do. Establishment types would much rather lose with one of their own than win with Sanders, that's obvious.

[pmorlan1]

2. I agree with you

It is something that they would likely do but if they did it Joe's negatives would shoot up as a result and we would have a President Trump because of their machinations.

[dana_b]

3. "Establishment types would much rather lose with one of their own

than win with Sanders, that's obvious"

Yep! Because many, MANY of us wouldn't stand for this horse puckey. We voted for Bernie, not Biden. It would be such a slap in the face! Well, we can slap back.

[winter is coming]

6. I fully expect them to try. In fact, this looks like a trial balloon.

I don't see it working, though. If Bernie were still at 10%, maybe. But he's not, and any attempt to bring in someone else isn't going to fly with Bernie supporters. Even Biden or Warren.

[99Forever]

4. Fuck that.

I like Joe, but the shitstorm that will hit the establishment jackasses if they try some crap like this will be epic.

[Renew Deal]

12. That should be the Sanders campaign slogan. "Sanders 2016: Epic Shitstorms"

[bobbobbins01]

5. That would blow up in their faces.

Throwing fuel on the fire.

[anotherproletariat]

7. I agree. He is much more likely to win the GE than Sanders, particularly since he doesn't

have the baggage of the primary, so can get support from all sides of the Democratic party, and beyond.

[democrattotheend]

15. Right, because that worked out so well in 1968

Overriding the will of the voters and picking someone who had no "baggage of the primary."

I like Biden a lot. I might have even supported him if he had run. But nominating him would divide the party and usher in President Trump.

[YouDig]

8. Not a bad choice if something unforseen were to happen.

Not very likely though. It's gonna be Hillary.

[bkkyosemite]

9. Yes to slip on in to help Bernie with his Presidential run!

[Waiting For Everyman]

10. So replace a corrupt candidate with a corrupt idea.

They never learn. People are sick and tired of being scammed.

[Renew Deal]

11. I agree

Biden is ready to go

[2banon]

13. That didn't take long to publish

I'm feeling sort of like i have clairvoyant powers,.. (kidding)

This idea occurred to me the moment the M$M came out full bore on the release of State Dept's report, acting all "shocked" at stuff we mostly knew for over a year.

Was thinking of positing as a speculation, but seemed too much like stating the obvious, now that her victory is not exactly a foregone conclusion so many here apparently think it is.

Of course Biden is the one they'll slip in. He's already in place, just in case things go off the cliff by the time the convention rolls around or before November if she pulls of the nom despite these reports. (Remember 1972 Watergate reports prior to Nixon's re-election)

And of course it'll depend on the timing if and when the Feds release their findings, and take any further actions etc.

If she pulls off the nom, will there be an Oct surprise? They'll need to have Biden in place to be slipped in. However, I don't think he can defeat Trump, but maybe. He's not scary, and he doesn't have Clinton's negatives.

But it's such a huge, risky gamble..

Party should rally around Bernie now, his numbers against Trump is second to no other.

[catnhatnh]

14. I believe Biden would decline

The narrative of a Biden presidency is too tightly intertwined with the tragedy of his son's death. He chose not to go after it in an honorable contest, he certainly wouldn't care to accept it as a tainted prize....

[EndElectoral]

16. Folks, we've a bit of a mess

[truebrit71]

17. That right-wing paper isn't fit to wrap fish.