Obama campaign considered dumping Biden for Hillary Clinton

[morningfog]

President Barack Obama's closest advisers secretly considered replacing Vice President Joe Biden with Hillary Clinton on the 2012 ticket, according to the New York Times.

The revelation is the most notable bombshell from Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's heavily anticipated 2012 campaign tome, "Double Down: Game Change 2012." The Times obtained a copy of the forthcoming book and reported Thursday evening that the President's top aides conducted "extensive group-sessions and polling in late 2011" to gauge whether the dumping Biden could help bolster Obama's waning re-election hopes.

According to the Times' national political correspondent Jonathan Martin, the book provides a thorough account of the effort by senior officials inside the campaign and the White House, namely former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, to measure what effect swapping former Secretary of State Clinton for the Vice President would have in the polls.

The potential switch was a closely guarded secret within the Chicago campaign infrastructure and inside the Oval Office. Only half a dozen of the President's closest advisers -- including Daley, former Obama campaign chief Jim Messina, and former White House senior advisers David Axelrod and David Plouffe -- knew the change was under consideration.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/politics/obama-campaign-biden/

[tman]

1. Doubt it was ever considered by Obama

He firmly slapped it down when it seemed like the media were calling for it.

Pollsters test absolutely everything.

[Pab Sungenis]

13. They never even brought it up to him.

I'm sure every incumbent campaign considers things like this, and y'all rejects them.

[madaboutharry]

2. That would have been a mess.

[geek tragedy]

3. The same Daley that was forced out for incompetence? nt

[morningfog]

5. The same Daley Obama brought in as his Chief of Staff.

[geek tragedy]

6. obviously if he was fired, he had been hired

Biden stayed, this assclown got exiled.

[Whisp]

4. lolzers. What bullshit.

what's with all this crap coming out?
lots of crap related to the Clintons and targeting the admin in unfavourable ways.

sumthins up, or up soon.

I would hazard a guess and say that bill and hill wanted that vp spot and push Biden out (for her prezzie thing coming up) and Obama said NO explaining all those sour grapes they are hanging onto.

[geek tragedy]

7. no, this is Daley retaliating by revealing this stuff after he got his ass fired nt

[morningfog]

9. I think it is definitely put out now to benefit Hillary.

[Beacool]

23. No, it doesn't help her.

I've seen several articles lately where the writers are trying to pit the Clintons against Obama. They all seem to be B.S. The media hates a vacuum, they would love to see a food fight between them. Drama sells.

There are no problems with either camp, it's all media fueled. The 2008 primaries are very small in the rear view mirror, now is all about the present and future. Fighting the GOP, and the Tea Party denizens in particular, is what matters. We have a big fight in 2014 and a bigger one in 2016. let's stay focused and not let the media distract us from our main goal: defeating the nut jobs on the Right.

Even more immediate is GOTV in VA. That's one race that is still close, although McAuliffe is ahead. NY and NJ are already in the bag for de Blasio and Christie respectively, nothing much between now and Tuesday that can change the outcome in either state. VA is the one that's got me worried.

[unblock]

8. "considered" means practically nothing.

obama's campaign would have done him a great disservice if they didn't poll test a bunch of scenario, many of which might have been considered highly unlikely, but it's always good to know such things, just in case.

maybe biden asked for some things and the obama campaign thought maybe they should get some poll numbers to show biden how easily replaceable he was, just as a negotiating point.

or maybe they were just playing the what-if-he's-hit-by-a-bus game, and they had to replace biden with hillary.

"considered" is one of the most empty words out there.

[DURHAM D]

10. Well that is a story that didn't need to be told.

It is disrespectful of the VP.

[winter is coming]

11. And I should care because...? n/t

[SolutionisSolidarity]

12. Good thing they didn't. Biden wiped the floor with Ryan.

For a guy who gets called an idiot so much, Biden thrashed the GOP's wonderboy after Obama fumbled the first debate. I'm not so sure Hillary would have pulled it off, though Bill proved he can still be a campaign asset at the convention.

[Pab Sungenis]

14. But in terms of governing

I've always said they would have been better off in each other's jobs.

[bemildred]

15. So? nt

[cali]

16. exactly. or in other words: big fucking deal.

what doesn't get tossed around in campaigns?

[bemildred]

18. I infer someone hopes to create a fuss.

One always re-assesses before a new campaign, I would think, whatever one says in public.

[JI7]

17. this is probably from the same ones who started the rumors in the first place

[monmouth3]

19. Mark Halperin was all I needed to know about this bs...n/t

[Beacool]

20. It would not have happened.

Obama would not have done that to Biden, and in any case, Hillary would not have accepted. She and Joe are good friends.

[FSogol]

21. So, CNN has been reduced to printing RW rumors as fact?

[Denzil_DC]

22. David Plouffe chimes in about this on Twitter:

Last edited Fri Nov 1, 2013, 02:33 PM - Edit history (1)

David Plouffe ?@davidplouffe 13h

Never any - any - consideration of VP/HRC switch. Not even entertained by the only person who mattered. Or most of us. Back to Halloween.

https://twitter.com/davidplouffe/status/396061929560875009

[Mass]

24. Ever seen The West Wing episode where people consider to replace the VP on the ticket

I am sure it is a normal thing by political strategists (we had the same rumors with Rice under Bush), as they play political scenarios.

Aside from that, this is a DC salon game, nothing more.