2004 Democratic primaries if Joe Biden ran

[Comrade Funk]

Biden would have been back in the pack and would have been done early.  Kerry had the money, Dean had the initial popularity, and Lieberman had the gravitas. 

Joe Biden was humiliated in 1988 when he was caught plagarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock of Britain.  He never recovered from that; he's still mocked for this to this day.  He came from the smallest of states, and he was a guy that made gaffes.  He was bright and experienced, but he bombed in 2008.  He was chosen over Hillary Clinton for the VP spot by Obama NOT because he was a better CANDIDATE, but because his broader experience was seen as necessary as a counterweight to the inexperienced Obama.  If he had not been Obama's VP, he wouldn't be the nominee today.

Here's an afterthought to all of this:  1972 exposed the problem of poor vetting of VPs and selecting VPs with minimal experience on the national scene.  Within a month of selection, it was learned that VP candidate Sen. Thomas Eagleton (D-MO) had been hospitalized for "mental illness" (depression) for which he received electroshock treatments.  Within a year of re-election, it was discovered that VP Spiro Agnew, who had been Gov. of MD as long as Sarah Palin had been Gov. of AK before being nominated, had never stopped taking kickbacks from construction businesses that continued from the days he was Baltimore County Executive all the way to his first term as VP.  We now vet our VPs more thoroughly on the premise that they well may be President, and well may be President sooner than planned.  The Democrats' love affair with Stacey Abrams appears to be an example of tossing that principle to the wind, but that may be a minor temporary brain fart.  2020 is demonstrating the problem of nominating OLD candidates.  We are about to nominate the oldest man ever nominated for the Presidency of a major party, to be opposed by the oldest incumbent in history (though not by much).  NO ONE thinks Biden is a two-termer, and there is real question as to whether or not Biden is up to the rigors of the office right now.  Compare Biden to Trump and Sanders, then tell me if he's as much on their game as his opposition.  Political parties need to seriously think about the age of their prospective nominees.  I am truly worried about the mental fitness of Biden; I would be more open to voting for him were it not for that.

No one gives a sh**t.

[Comrade Funk]

Biden would have been back in the pack and would have been done early.  Kerry had the money, Dean had the initial popularity, and Lieberman had the gravitas.  

Joe Biden was humiliated in 1988 when he was caught plagarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock of Britain.  He never recovered from that; he's still mocked for this to this day.  He came from the smallest of states, and he was a guy that made gaffes.  He was bright and experienced, but he bombed in 2008.  He was chosen over Hillary Clinton for the VP spot by Obama NOT because he was a better CANDIDATE, but because his broader experience was seen as necessary as a counterweight to the inexperienced Obama.  If he had not been Obama's VP, he wouldn't be the nominee today.

Here's an afterthought to all of this:  1972 exposed the problem of poor vetting of VPs and selecting VPs with minimal experience on the national scene.  Within a month of selection, it was learned that VP candidate Sen. Thomas Eagleton (D-MO) had been hospitalized for "mental illness" (depression) for which he received electroshock treatments.  Within a year of re-election, it was discovered that VP Spiro Agnew, who had been Gov. of MD as long as Sarah Palin had been Gov. of AK before being nominated, had never stopped taking kickbacks from construction businesses that continued from the days he was Baltimore County Executive all the way to his first term as VP.  We now vet our VPs more thoroughly on the premise that they well may be President, and well may be President sooner than planned.  The Democrats' love affair with Stacey Abrams appears to be an example of tossing that principle to the wind, but that may be a minor temporary brain fart.  2020 is demonstrating the problem of nominating OLD candidates.  We are about to nominate the oldest man ever nominated for the Presidency of a major party, to be opposed by the oldest incumbent in history (though not by much).  NO ONE thinks Biden is a two-termer, and there is real question as to whether or not Biden is up to the rigors of the office right now.  Compare Biden to Trump and Sanders, then tell me if he's as much on their game as his opposition.  Political parties need to seriously think about the age of their prospective nominees.  I am truly worried about the mental fitness of Biden; I would be more open to voting for him were it not for that.

No one gives a sh**t.

What a quality post!  This response took an amazing amount of effort; so much that I remain in awe of the poster's creative and intellectual abilities.  

Thanks