Joe Biden; any thoughts on him in '08?

[babylonsister]

My dad heard he's considering running. I liked him supporting Kerry this past year and thought he spoke intelligently. What say you?

[jpgray]

1. Never liked Joe as a spokesperson for the party

Way too much of an self-obsessed blowhard for my taste--when asked to explain Kerry's $87 billion vote on MTP most of his answer was "I voted for it, me me me".

[catgirl]

3. He is rather self-absorbed

Saw him on charlie Rose and he continually name dropped. Hmm.

[LSparkle]

2. I liked him a lot better before I learned

he was a plagiarist. (Stole somebody's text for a speech years ago.) I like him as a Senator or Cabinet member but for President? I don't know.

[RafterMan]

6. Wasn't MLK a plagiarist?

I don't find that to be a huge objection in a person, or at least it's one that is easily offset.

[catgirl]

7. And a know-it-all

[49jim]

15. I remember him dropping out of the

presidential race in '88 or '92 because of the plagiarism issue...also had a hair transplant.....if you think that the right would get a hold of that (not sure the hair would hold up) and run with it.....at least he wouldn't spend $150.00 on a haircut.

[bobbieinok]

4. didn't he get knocked out of chance years ago on charge of plagerism??

if I recall correctly, it was a totally bogus (but taken seriously) charge......he used some word or phrase a British politician had used in a speech a couple of years before

US elections are WEIRD

[depakid]

17. No, it wasn't bogus

The guy used major portions of someone else's work and passed it off as his own when he was in law school.

[Thurston Howell IV]

5. I've been impressed with Joe over the past 3 or 4 years

I've heard him speak at length several times and he's obviously bright and insightful and can even get his message across. But he doesn't seem warm and fuzzy enough to make the sale to a mass audience. Apparently, the American people want a strong leader who they can drink a beer with.

Not sure about his policy positions enough to comment on.

[Radical Activist]

8. Lukewarm

He's not somebody I can get excited about. I hope we can find someone more compelling than Biden to run for President.

[punpirate]

9. Anyone announcing...

... four years ahead is likely pipe-dreaming.

Besides, the media has a ready-made handle on Biden, from his earlier bid for the presidency in 1987 when it was revealed that he significantly plagiarized material for a law school paper.

The press took simple misstatements from Gore in 2000 and inflated them to the level of outright lies. What might the Bush-compliant press do to Biden with his prior record?

They will, in short, crucify him on every statement of fact or supposition.

He has no chance whatsoever in the current political climate. Moreover, Biden is not a populist who would be embraced by the working class. He's perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a Washington insider, and any Republican candidate will use that against him.

He would probably make a better president than any Republican in the last forty years, but he is not electable in the current climate.

[catgirl]

10. Biden is the know-it-all (not MLK)

[AntiCoup2K4]

11. Definitely a Lost Cause

And yes, the "hidden message" there isn't that hard to figure out.

[peacetalksforall]

12. No Biden. Way too accomodating and he voted for Iraq - then he goes

on the talk shows and defend it. Let's not go that route unless there is no one else.

[Gingergal]

14. We don't want to run any sitting senators for prez!

Too much of a record and too many compromises. It is no accident that only 2 sitting senators have gone straight into being elected president in all of US history.

[sportndandy]

13. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Please?

The champion of the flag-burning ammendment?

Biden is a conservative wrapped in moderate's clothing.

[Pepperbelly]

16. Joe can really piss Democrats off.

At times, he seems spineless. At others, like a warrior. Hard to say.