If Joe would consider a repug as a running mate, what does that say about the other dem candidates

[brettdale]

Or any Dem in general, that he would consider a repug running mate.

Is he thinking John Kaisack?

[underpants]

1. He was just trying to show that he can work with people.

That he could try to be a unifier

[guillaumeb]

3. Agreed.

And Biden did say he could not think of one GOP politician with whom he would run.

[still_one]

10. Exactly. It was a good answer to a loaded question, and at the same time

play for the General Election

Biden isn't going to appoint a Republican VP, and it also appears some don't appreciate the sense of humor when he said he couldn't think of one

[guillaumeb]

11. Biden was cutting with a razor.

And it was funny, and sad.

[still_one]

15. I agree

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. Work with people on what?

THAT’S the problem!

[underpants]

19. It's a reach out to independents

[msongs]

2. I would consider moving to china. or jumping off 9 story building. considering means

nothing

[Rorey]

56. Same here. I'd consider.

I have a vivid imagination, so I "consider" a lot of things. Doesn't mean I'm going to follow through.

[wellst0nev0ter]

4. Most charitable interpretation

Is that he is signaling his bipartisan creds, but he also qualifies his statement by saying that there is absolutely no single Republican who would qualify because they are all craven trumpanzees.

[TheBlackAdder]

40. At first, I thought that was a Tulsi quote that was misattributed to Biden.

[Cha]

5. Biden's answer says for you not to worry about it..

Link to tweet

[still_one]

12. It was a great answer to a loaded question, and shows that some seem to lack

a sense of humor how Biden reversed it by saying he couldn't think of one, but at the same time playing for the general election

[Tipperary]

6. You posted this twice in gd.

Not sure of your intention, but good on ya for getting to the correct forum!

[LonePirate]

7. It says other Democrats are not jeopardizing their agenda and legacy by pushing such a foolish idea.

[JoeOtterbein]

8. If Bernie had said the same about picking a Repub, some of us would immediately get...

...the vapors!

[still_one]

13. Sanders has said very similar things, and got the same push back here

[JoeOtterbein]

16. To quote the Foos...

..."one of these things is not like the other"

[still_one]

20. These are non-issues which are not goig to happen, and only distracts from the issues

that sould be discussed and argued. Healthcare, civil rights, regulation, the environment, etc

[JoeOtterbein]

23. Picking a Repubs VP would be a giant issue for any Dem.

I don't want any Repub near our "issues that should be discussed"!

Keep the Repubs out of OUR Democratic Primary!

[still_one]

24. No Democratic candidate is going to pick a Republican VP. It was a great answer to a loaded

question, followed by he couldn’t think of any

Also, There is not ONE Democratic candidate who will say all republicans are bad


There is no way Biden will appoint a Republican VP

This is a media created implication which isn’t going to happen

[Kurt V.]

27. +1

[ritapria]

22. If Bernie catches a cold

Some would say : "It' a disqualifier"

[treestar]

61. Instead he had a heart attack

Bit more serious than a cold

[Joe941]

57. Yup. A huge double standard.

[treestar]

62. Didn't he once

Indicate he was trying to get trump voters?

We have been told over and over that Bernie can bring in independents. White working class who vote republican

[Skittles]

9. you really should post what he actually said

so we can factor in some context

[still_one]

31. +++

[R B Garr]

14. Bernie's staff voted third party. He seems fine with

non Democrats, but he gets a pass for years.

[JoeOtterbein]

17. How do you know that?

Just wondering.

[still_one]

25. Because Briana Joy Gray not only said she did, but had no regrets doing so

https://mobile.twitter.com/briebriejoy/status/888555665865814017?lang=en

[JoeOtterbein]

26. You said Bernie's "staff". Or, again as the Foos sing:

"One of these things is not like the other."

[still_one]

30. she is a spokesperson for his campaign

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/bernie-sanders-hire-scandalous-two/16837/

You can paint it anyway you want, but there is no justification for that appointment

She is listed as Sanders national press secretary

[JoeOtterbein]

38. You can paint any picture you want but, one person is not the same as a...

..."staff."

Correct yet?

[TommyCelt]

46. There's a difference between staffers voting 3rd party...

...and choosing a member of the opposition party as your running mate.

[Skya Rhen]

48. We saw what happened when staffers and their followers voted 3rd party - Trump won.

And we should make light of the mess this country is in?

What the Stein voters did was real, whereas Joe responded with a polite "no thank you" to an imaginary scenario.

No - Bernie is not getting a free pass regarding the reality we are living. This is not a joke.

[R B Garr]

50. That's laughable, considering the one who actually switches

parties also has a group in his honor, Justice Democrats, who state they will help Republicans get elected if they spout “revolution” talking points. edit-*along with their stated goal to primary Democrats who question Bernie.

Obviously this is all phony outrage considering what they do in reality.

[beastie boy]

21. Although he said it in jest, it shows that he is bigger than his ego and he is not into purity tests

[elleng]

33. YES

[RandySF]

29. It's not going to happen, so chill out.

[elleng]

32. It says NOTHING,

other than he wanted to appear open-minded and willing to consider any and all potential running mates, and NOT give repugs 'closed-minded' meme.

FOOLISH for Dems to 'cry' about a rational response to an unsolicited question.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

34. He also said he couldn't think of any GOPer he'd choose.

It was a hypothetical question; his answer was intended only to express a general approval of bipartisanship where possible. He's not going to choose a Republican. He's also not obligated to pick one of the other primary candidates; they often don't. But you can be sure whoever it is will be a Democrat.

[LovingA2andMI]

35. Umm....

WTH??? Really Now.

[whistler162]

43. Yup.... appears OP didn't bother to read

the whole quote!

[Historic NY]

36. Remember John Kerry & McCain...

its all just talk.

[dflprincess]

37. If he wants to lose the election, running with a Republican is the way to do it.

I don't see a lot of younger voters being real enthused over that kind of a pick. I'm not sure a lot of "vote blue no matter who" types (like myself) would be impressed.

It will be painful enough to vote for a Democratic centrist without throwing a Republican into the mix.

[Demsrule86]

39. It would be painful for me to vote for Warren whom I don't support...but I would do it gladly

to get rid of Trump...and Biden is no centrist by the way. I seriously am not feeling your pain.

[duforsure]

41. If he did he would lose more Democrats than gain republican voters

And just mentioning this will lose voters for him also. Trusting our candidate to hold all accountable after what's happened I think with Biden will not happen, and he won't . That's a lot of the problem, other politicians protect them from consequences like we have, and instead give them sweetheart deals when leaving office. I want someone who will hold criminals fully accountable, and not let them off , and I don't trust he would do that.

[Polybius]

42. He said that?

Wow.

[dansolo]

44. He is not thinking of any

Biden clearly stated that while he'd consider it, he couldn't think of any that would qualify. I think it was a stupid question, and Biden's response was trying to be clever. He failed. The VP is the President of the Senate, and the tiebreaking vote. That alone is reason enough to never consider a Republican for that position.

[TommyCelt]

45. Ouch...

This surprised me, and IMO throws an elbow at the rest of the Dem field.


PS - This is post 500!!! Only took like 5 years or so lol!

[totodeinhere]

47. It doesn't say anything. He was just answering a hypothetical. That's all. n/t

[karynnj]

49. I think you are misinterpreting the answer

He was asked if he would consider a Republican - he essentially said theoretically yes, but he can't think of any. He, in response to other questions said he could think of 7 (I think that number is correct) women. He obviously is not saying there are no Democrats he is thinking of.

In reality, even if there were a perfect Republican (and if so, why has he not left the party?), there are several problems. In 2004, some one on McCain's staff asked Kerry to speak with McCain about it. After McCain indicated he would not become a Democrat - something that in 2001 when Jeffords did was rumored in the media - it was clear it could not work. The two men, though they had great respect for each other, were simply too far apart on most important issues.

Assume that Kerry/McCain had run, there are issues Kerry could have delegated to McCain - like the VA, for which the 2 had teamed to pass several bills. At that point, McCain was actually good on climate change. However, on most issues he was more hawkish than Kerry and he was a conservative and Kerry a liberal - almost guaranteeing they would be on opposite sides of nearly all economic related bills.

Not to mention, McCain running with Kerry would have made him dead to the Republican party. Given that he himself had Presidential aspirations and there is no way the Democratic party would have backed him had Kerry won and gotten two terms, accepting running with Kerry would have been sacrificing his own aspirations.


The idea of a bipartisan ticket reemerged in 2008, when McCain's first choice was supposedly Joe Lieberman. There was a closer match there in that both Lieberman and McCain were hawks and may have been pretty close to each other on foreign policy. They also had both sponsored climate change bills. Lieberman was also a centrist on many domestic issues - making it easier to bridge his and McCain's positions. The GOP made it clear that they did not want this.

Not to be ghoulish, in 2008, the concern for who McCain would chose was colored by the possibility that that person could become President. A bipartisan ticket would transfer the Presidency to the other party if the President becomes incapacitated. Given that it is incomprehensible that the Democrats would have nominated VP McCain or the Republicans would nominate VP Lieberman, there is reason to think the party could ever be happy with a bipartisan ticket.

As to Republicans now - I think Biden got along well with Senator Hagel on the SFRC and in the Obama administration -- but two white men over 70 is not a reasonable ticket - no matter who they are.

[Srkdqltr]

51. All it shows is this has gone on way too long.

Primary months and years in advance are not helpful.

[Bradical79]

52. I think he was just giving a soundbite to appeal to conservatives

And to appeal to people who ignorantly believe partisanship and division on both sides is the real problem. He doesn't actually think such a person exists that would be acceptable for the Democratic ticket.

[NoMoreRepugs]

53. Is this the 15th or 20th thread about this

NOTHINGBURGER. People, get a clue and stop with the electron microscope analysis of every breath taken by any of our candidates.

[Skya Rhen]

54. He's thinking about winning the Iowa caucus and this just might very well help him.

[aikoaiko]

55. Being willing to make a Republican first in line for succession is a fundamental problem.

If he meant what he said. If he doesn't mean it, then thats a different problem.

[doc03]

58. He may consider it but he wouldn't actually

do it. Trump is probably considering Hannity or Alex Jones

[totodeinhere]

59. It doesn't say anything about our other candidates. Biden has on numerous occasions

praised the field of potential VP picks in the Democratic Party. He was only answering a hypothetical. No way in hell will he actually pick a Republican to join his ticket.

[keithbvadu2]

63. Is Lieberman available? That should satisfy everyone.

[Humanist_Activist]

64. Lieberman is an opportunistic piece of shit who is one of the main reasons the ACA doesn't have...

a public option now as it is.

Dissatisfy everyone you mean?