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| not that bright |
BY MATT MARGOLIS AUGUST 16, 2019
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, talks about proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
In the most recent Democratic debate, Senator Cory Booker called Joe Biden to task for his constant name-dropping of Barack Obama. “You invoke President Obama more than anybody in this campaign. You can’t do it when it’s convenient and then dodge it when it’s not,” he said in what was one of my favorite moments ever in any of the debates.
According to the New York Times, while Joe Biden was seeking counsel on whether to run for president, Barack Obama tried to talk his former vice president out of running.
The two men spoke at least a half dozen times before Mr. Biden decided to run, and Mr. Obama took pains to cast his doubts about the campaign in personal terms.
“You don’t have to do this, Joe, you really don’t,” Mr. Obama told Mr. Biden earlier this
year, according to a person familiar with the exchange.
Mr. Biden — who thinks he could have defeated Donald Trump four years ago — responded by telling Mr. Obama he could never forgive himself if he turned down a second shot at Mr. Trump.
Mr. Obama has said he will not make an endorsement in the primary, and has offered every candidate his counsel. But he has taken an active interest in the inner workings of his friend’s campaign, to an extent beyond anything offered to other candidates.
What is so interesting about this story is how it conflicts with Biden’s prior claim that he specifically asked Obama not to endorse him. "I asked President Obama not to endorse me. He doesn't want to. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits.” If Obama was trying to persuade Joe not to run, it’s highly unlikely that Biden would have had to ask for him not to endorse him. Not that anyone really believed Joe’s story anyway.
Another fun nugget in this story is what is revealed about Obama’s search for a running mate. According to the New York Times, Obama specifically wanted someone to balance the ticket on the issue of experience. Obama said at the time he wanted someone older, with gray in his hair. Biden was a top contender, but thirty alternatives were considered. It came down to Biden and two younger options: Tim Kaine of Virginia and Evan Bayh of Indiana. “In Mr. Biden, [Obama] found a running mate who would conjure the comforting past and provide experience he did not possess, but would not maneuver for the presidency from the No. 2 slot.” After settling on Joe, Obama told Kaine, “You are the pick of my heart, but Joe is the pick of my head.”
It’s obvious that Biden was always meant to counter Obama’s lack of experience and nothing more. And Biden’s experience ain’t all that great. As former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has noted in his memoir, Joe Biden “been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue of over the past four decades.”
If there’s anything that we can gather from this story it’s that Obama really doesn’t think as highly of Joe Biden as Joe Biden wants us to believe.
And on a local note this morning's Tribune reports that State's Attorney Kim Foxx has received the backing of the Cook County Democratic party in her bid for re-election. Her transformative position on letting every felon back on the street with little or no bond echos similar actions by states attorneys in havens like Baltimore and Philadelphia. You can't get out of a red light camera ticket in the city and yet vicious criminals are out on the street pending their recent case and in many instances several other pending cases. Sorry Matt, this democratic unity bullshit only goes so far. She needs to be renounced and replaced. Put a piece of straight ticket literature out including this imbecile and everyone I can convince will be voting the other way....and it won't be hard to do.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't be voting for any of em.
ReplyDeleteObama used Biden. Joe's a career Irish Catholic pol who like so many others are played by the far left.
ReplyDeleteLook at !9 supporting this silly woman for Mayor. Obama is strategizing for globalism/socialism by using open borders ,decriminalization, excessive taxes and further addiction by supporting marijuana and gambling. There's hope however when the Supremes rule on the Blaine amendment next session. Immigration likely to be on the docket as well. Pray for Kavanaugh.
Einstein:
DeleteWho were they supporting her against? When you answer that question with honesty. You’ll get an equally honest answer that you don’t like, and will continue to bemoan.
Perhaps if you had actually gone out and supported our candidate the first time around, you might not be bitching into the wind.
Of course, that’s if you even voted.