OK, I switched to Buttigieg from Inslee, but I'll be happy if...

[LAS14]

... Biden wins the nomination.

I'm really excited about Buttigieg. I'd love for him to be president. In four years.

Did Biden really say he wouldn't run for re-election? I hope so, cuz his age is a problem for me. In fact he was on my list of people I wasn't considering for the nomination in response to a post a week or two ago.

But this is what happened. Some local Dem pol was chatting with our local liberal talking voices on NPR and when he was leaving he got asked, "Hey, <what's his name>, have you made a choice yet for the Dem nomination?" His answer was immediate. "Biden." "Why?" "Because he can win PA, OH, WI, MI and MN." OK. Any other year we could gamble. But it's clear to me that Biden has an edge in those states, with the voters that shifted to Trump.

I'll vote for Buttigieg in the primaries, because I really want him to be a successful trail blazer. He's so smart and visionary that his lack (?) of experience is not a problem. He'd know how to gather the best and the brightest around him. But the country needs to get used to him and his husband. They will. Give it four years of raised profile.

Do any of you share these feelings?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I can't fault your reasoning at all, my dear LAS14.

But my heart is with Pete.

[stonecutter357]

2. K&R

[pnwmom]

3. I don't know why anyone who supports Buttigieg would be happy about a candidate

who said, just a year ago, that he had no empathy for millennials.

https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-says-millennials-dont-have-it-tough-780348

Millennials who think that times are tough in 2018 have no room to complain, according to former Vice President Joe Biden, who said that he had “no empathy” for young people who compared today to the struggles of the 1960s.

“The younger generation now tells me how tough things are—give me a break,” said Biden, while speaking to Patt Morrison of the Los Angeles Times to promote his new book. “No, no, I have no empathy for it, give me a break.”

SNIP

Whether Biden agrees or not, there is evidence to support the idea that millennials, the generation born between the early 1980s and mid-'90s, have inherited a slew of problems that have put them at an economic disadvantage compared to previous generations. Millennials are more likely to have advanced college degrees, but earn 20 percent less than baby boomers when they were the same age. Healthcare, housing and education are more than five times more expensive than they were just a few decades ago, writer Michael Hobbes tells NPR. Student debt has skyrocketed, making homeownership unrealistic for many, reports Bloomberg. And the struggle to advocate for civil rights continues today, as recent movements like #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter and #TimesUpNow have demonstrated.

[LAS14]

5. I'd have to see the context. I can imagine Biden saying something...

... that didn't extract well as a sound byte, but I can't imagine him having "no sympathy" for anyone in a fundamental way. Link?

[pnwmom]

6. I added the Newsweek link. And within it is a link to the LA Times piece that contained a video. n/t

[LAS14]

9. OK. So he was talking about millenials who compared today to the 1960's.

It's an arguable point. Biden has taken one side of a very circumscribed debate. I don't see how an opinion one way or the other would disqualify anyone.

[pnwmom]

11. No, he was talking about millennials who are complaining that they are worse off

than recent generations, not just the 1960's.

And his response is to say give me a break, people in the 60's had bigger challenges and we met them.

Well, if you look back at what Biden was doing in the 70's, he wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire. For one thing, he was leading anti-bussing protests. Also, he battled on behalf of BANKS who wanted changes to Federal banking and bankruptcy laws that hurt consumers and are still hurting young people struggling with student loan debt today. Why? Probably because of the banking industry is centered in his state of Delaware.

[LAS14]

12. OK. Still doesn't rise to the level of disqualifying, IMHO. nt

[marylandblue]

4. Well, I am backing Buttigieg because I think he can win because

of his personal strengths as a candidate. Backing Biden because he can simply because he is Joe Biden seems circular and misguided. I think he may be the Jeb! of 2020.

[BlueStater]

7. I'd vote for him, but I definitely wouldn't be happy about it.

Just about every other candidate in the field is better than him. I'm not kidding.

I can't think of a single good reason why he should run. He should've just retired and enjoyed his golden years as an elder statesman, but it seems he let his ego get the better of him. Too bad.

[rzemanfl]

8. We really need a 16 year ticket. If it means Vice President Buttigieg I could live

with that.

[tymorial]

10. The main reason why I am not supporting Biden is his age

We need long term stability. I appreciate and like Biden but I feel his time has past. Health and age must be taken into consideration in my opinion and while he is healthy now, he will turn 80 in office. While men may remain healthy for years past 80, statistics are not in their favor. Even if he chose a excellent running mate, a split presidency is not a favorable outcome. While this is by no means assured and Biden may absolutely remain healthy throughout his term, I dont believe we can take the risk given our current sociopolitical crisis.

Please understand that I do not disparage anyone who supports Biden or Biden personally. I completely understand. If Biden wins the nomination I will happily and hopefully (for his health) vote for him.