How long would Biden have stayed in the senate without being Obama's VP?

[Sir Mohamed]

How long would Joe Biden have remained a senator, if Obama didn't pick him for VP or a cabinet position? Would he have been a lifer?

I think he would have retired in 2020 after winning one more term in 2014. He definitely wouldn't have run for prez again.

Being a lifer when you enter the senate at 30 is for sure mindblowing, assuming you don't die early.

[Meatball Ron]

Agree probably retires in 2020, though also possible he resigns early after Beau's death (similar calculus to why he didn't run for Prez in 2016).

Without Beau's death, very possible he'd have been a lifer.

[Vice President Christian Man]

I think he would've been a lifer. I also would've been interested to see what his post-2008 voting history would've looked like, especially since he was from the more moderate wing of the party as a senator.

[Shaula🏳️‍⚧️]

Lifer. He becomes pro tempore as well, which is crazy to think about since he's the president OTL.

[Ferguson97]

I think he either retires early after Beau's death or stays in for life.

[Mr. Smith]

Lifer. He becomes pro tempore as well, which is crazy to think about since he's the president OTL.

[President Johnson]

Lifer. He becomes pro tempore as well, which is crazy to think about since he's the president OTL.

This seems the most plausible to me.

[Schiff for Senate]

I think he would've been a lifer. I also would've been interested to see what his post-2008 voting history would've looked like, especially since he was from the more moderate wing of the party as a senator.

Agreed. Being Obama's VP obviously moved him a bit to the left and made him even more 'mainstream' a Democrat (not that he wasn't already before, just that he was a touch more moderate than the typical mainstream Democrat even in 2008).

[Thank you for being a friend...]

Honestly he would have been much more effective had he been in the Senate all this time... and never tried to run for POTUS in 2008 or in 2020.

[MargieCat]

Assuming Obama didn't appoint him to SoS or cabinet position of some sort, I think he'd still be there to this day. Potentially the Democratic leader or whip.

I don't think Beau's death would have caused him to reisgn or not seek reelection.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

He'd only be 77 in 2020 (of course), having already served more than anyone in the Senate and having been President Pro Tem between 2012-2015, meaning he'd become the longest serving majority party member when he was still in his sixties.

So he serves until 2027, meaning he'd have been in office for 54 years. He could actually serve sixty years and still be younger than Chuck Grassley will be in 2029 or 72 and still be in line with Strom Thurmond.

[Calthrina950]

I agree that Biden would still be a Senator, and assuming Democrats still had a Senate majority, he would be President pro tempore. He would probably be in his last term and would retire in 2026.

[NewYorkExpress]

Assuming Biden didn't resign after Beau's death or get appointed Secretary of State by Obama, he'd be in a similar position to where Carper is right now. Safe in a general election, but vulnerable to a primary challenge from his left, assuming he didn't retire in 2020 or doesn't retire in 2026.

[Zedonathin2020]

Possibly a lifer, however more realistically he would’ve retired in 2026. Surpassing Robert Byrd as the longest serving U.S. Senator by about three years

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

He wanted out of the S he would have been SOS not Hillary and we would have avoided Benghazi, actually that would have worked better, Biden not Hillary would have been Prez in 2016

[Sub Jero]

2026

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

2026

He was ready to SOS and Evan Bath was ready to be Veep, if Bath was Veep and Biden SOS 2010 wouldn't have been that bad, Bayh could have saved alot of D's in OH especially Strickland whom lost a close race to Kasich

[Sir Mohamed]

Assuming Biden didn't resign after Beau's death or get appointed Secretary of State by Obama, he'd be in a similar position to where Carper is right now. Safe in a general election, but vulnerable to a primary challenge from his left, assuming he didn't retire in 2020 or doesn't retire in 2026.

While he would possibly face primary challenges in 2014 and 2020, I don't think he'd be in any danger of losing them. Biden was constantly in the mainstream of his party, and is a huge household name in his homestate. I really struggle to imagine any primary challenger gets more than quarter of votes, if not well below that.

[Blair]

He might have taken longer to come round to filibuster reform but I think he would have taken the same journey as Mark Warner, Cardin, Bob Casey etc.

Honestly he would have been much more effective had he been in the Senate all this time... and never tried to run for POTUS in 2008 or in 2020.

Can’t say I agree- on reflection he was one of the few democrats who could have won in 2020.

[Utah Neolib]

Probably becomes a lifer or almost one. I can see him retiring in 2020 if Beau survived.

[Schiff for Senate]

Retires in either 2014 or 2020.

[Del Tachi]

Assuming Obama didn't appoint him to SoS or cabinet position of some sort, I think he'd still be there to this day. Potentially the Democratic leader or whip.

roflmao