Biden, Blitzer and the candidate who could spark a "bitter, bitter fight"

[snowbear]

. . .

In regards to the meeting several Democratic, Independent, and Republicans will be having in Oklahoma and the possibility of a "Unity" ticket, I found it interesting how Senator Biden (who I respect immensely) responded to Wolf Blitzer's question this morning ---

----but then how he immediately pulled back when it came to actually naming that quote, unquote candidate.. that "one name" he had just brought up.

Aired December 30, 2007 - 11:00 ET

BLITZER: I wonder if you heard the conversation we had earlier with former Senator Sam Nunn, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen on this conference that's going to take place in Oklahoma next week. Former Senator David Boren, Michael Bloomberg is going out there. There's a lot of frustration among these centrist Democrats and Republicans that it's getting too nasty between the political parties right now, and if you guys don't get your act together, there could be an opening for a third-party candidate, maybe even Michael Bloomberg.

I wonder if you want to react to that, Senator Biden?

BIDEN: Yes. I'd be happy to. If I win this nomination, there will be no need for them to have that conference.

I have great respect -- David Boren is a close friend, as Sam Nunn is, as Bill Cohen is.

And I think they're reacting to the, quote, "concern" that one of the three, quote, "leaders" in the Democratic nomination may get the nomination, knowing that will spark a very bitter, bitter fight.

BLITZER: Who are you referring to, Senator?

BIDEN: Well, you know, the people with the money. John Edwards and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- all really good people, but everyone knows that that's going to spark a really spirited, spirited fight that's not likely to change in tone from the last election. Whereas if I were nominated as the Democrat, or Chris Dodd for that matter dominated as the Democrat, you would see the boiling point lower a great deal. And we both have long records of cooperating extensively with Republicans, without yielding one bit on our principles. We would not be personal in the case of me being the nominee, and I think you would see the temperature go way, way down.

BLITZER: Senator Biden, good luck to you. Thanks very much for joining us. BIDEN: Thanks an awful lot. I appreciate it.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/30/le.01.html

Biden seemed to be a bit caught off guard when Wolf asked him to name the quote-unquote "one of the three" he had just mentioned - and although you can't tell from the transcript, he seemed to be uncomfortable with the question.



After his response ...."you know, the people with the money" (etc.) there seemed to be a huge sigh of relief when Wolf didn't press him to comment any further.

In regards to whatever it is that Bloomberg and Company may be doing, I also think that .... depending on who we nominate ... that there will be no comparison with a "Unity" ticket in 2008 than there was to any other examples we've seen in the past.

**Am I the only one here that thinks that if we nominate a polarizing figure with the inability to draw voters across party lines -- that this election could turn out to be like none we've seen in history?

Thank you for your honest answer!

[msongs]

1. ObamaHillary are just whacking each other, Edwards less so. Let ObamaHillary settle on Oprah nt

[Pirate Smile]

3. I don't think Biden was talking about Obama.

[Missy M]

8. How do you know....

also, he mentioned all three frontrunners. All I see out of this is Biden promoting himself. If you nominate me things won't be heated and I will work with the Republicans. Does that make him Bushlite?

[annie1]

2. oh, never mind, i misread. and i remember it different too. dammmmn...

i didn't realize it was biden who referred to hillary in the first place.

[hayu_lol]

7. Applause and standing ovation for Annie...

You nailed them.

[annie1]

11. ah,but now i see, that biden is actually quoting the rumor. either way, we all know it's hil.

[1corona4u]

4. Joe's right.

And he does get uncomfortable when the media trys to make him a pawn in the attack game. They always push the envelope of you ask me. The media always tries to pit the candidates against each other.

And, I believe that he's right about what it will spark.

I'd also like to know why you chose that picture, which you snagged from a Fox news source?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I think the Republicans are ready for someone else to win

and the moneyed interests know this. That's the reason for this third party talk. Note that they are not connected with Unity08, a netroots organization that says it is doing the same thing. Bloomberg and company don't want to cede any power to ordinary folks, and so are going about organizing their own little party. For all the buzz about this, I don't think they will make much headway. The GOP wants a divisive Democrat that they can blame for the mess they made, so I don't see them making much of an effort to steal this election.

[Frustratedlady]

6. I think Joe is trying to take the high road and get through this primary process

without a big brouhaha. He doesn't like what is happening with the top three and their bickering like school children, so if he stays out of it and lets them fight their own battles, he may end up the winner of those who leave them due to their quarreling.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, and maybe I didn't answer to it.

[gateley]

9. Well, Biden doesn't like to name names - so I can understand if he was

uncomfortable with the question. But, typical Biden, he answered and didn't try to backpedal.

I think "if we nominate a polarizing figure with the inability to draw voters across party lines", as you put it, we will DEFINITELY see an election the likes of which we've not seen before.

Gotta say, I LOVED this:

BIDEN: Yes. I'd be happy to. If I win this nomination, there will be no need for them to have that conference. :7

[Armstead]

10. ANY Democratic nominee will be branded as "polarizing"

It doesn't matter if it's Hillary, Edwards, Obama or Kermnit the Frog, any Democratic nominee who says anything other than "I urge you to vote for my Republican opponent" will be branded as polarizing by the MSM and the GOP Attack Machine.

[snowbear]

13. I have to disagree with you there Armstead..

And as Pirate Smile suggested, I don't believe he was talking about Obama either.

No one said that the Republican candidate won't be "as polarizing", but in a year when the Democratic Party should win easily ---

--- in a year when people are so fed up with bipartisan bickering...

I think that everyone (Biden included) are hoping that we carefully nominate the absolute most electable Democrat.

[K Gardner]

12. As usual, Biden has hit the nail on the proverbial head. Those who 'come hell or high water'

support a candidate who is singularly DISunifying for the Democratic Party, should take heed of Jan. 7 and what it could mean.

[jillan]

14. The most impressive part of the interview, imho, was when Biden said

Whereas if I were nominated as the Democrat, or Chris Dodd for that matter dominated as the Democrat, you would see the boiling point lower a great deal. And we both have long records of cooperating extensively with Republicans, without yielding one bit on our principles.


That is pure statesmanship. Dodd and Biden are friends and have worked together for many years.
Even the heat of this election is not going to stand in the way of Biden's respect for his friend.

[rucky]

15. Ha! That's what I had on my clipboard...

before I read your post.

Great minds run in the same circles.

[elleng]

19. and, pirhana and all,

doesn't all this mean that Joe and Chris, at least, have agreed to help e/o getting to 15%? (Which would mean that chris would ask his to move to joe? Dunno about richardson, but I hope so.)

[nyc 4 Biden]

16. as i understood it . . .

He was talking about the top tier candidates. Then he named them, hrc, bo, and je. I don't see any ambiguity. Joe is the unity candidate.

[snowbear]

17. No one suggested he showed ambiguity.. What he did seem to show was genuine concern --

-- like so many others in our party -- that an electable Democrat is nominated.

[1corona4u]

18. Problem is, not all of us agree on who "is electable".

That's the problem.