One of Joe Biden's Strongest Points: His Overall Experience

[MineralMan]

Last edited Mon Apr 29, 2019, 11:31 AM - Edit history (1)

Our next President is going to have to hit the ground running. Correcting the damage done by Donald Trump will be the very first order of business for the Democrat we elect. Time spent learning how the White House and Congress work will be time wasted, and there's no time available to waste.

Joe Biden has 8 years of White House experience, and even more time in Congress. He has had his on-the-job training already. From day one, he will understand how it all works and how to make things happen. Federal politics is unique, and understanding the exact roles played by the Executive and Legislative branches and the processes each use isn't something that everyone understands. Joe Biden understands all that. He understands it better than any other candidate.

We can count on any Democratic nominee to work on meeting the goals laid out in the Democratic Platform that comes out of the 2020 Convention. Achieving those goals, though, involves a complex and arcane sort of process. The better equipped our new President is to get started immediately, the sooner those goals can be realized.

In that regard, Joe Biden is by far the best-qualified candidate we have for 2020. Hands down.

[stonecutter357]

1. K&R

[WheelWalker]

2. Damn straight !

[DownriverDem]

11. Biden also represents

normalcy. The country is starved for normalcy.

[onetexan]

41. second that - K&R

He's the best we've got for this very critical time in US history. We need to front the best man for the job and Biden's many many years of invaluable political experience, both domestically and internationally, is exactly what we need.

[Butterflylady]

47. Let's add to that, wisdom

And wisdom only comes with age.

[lastlib]

3. He is by far the best-qualified candidate in EITHER party!

tRump certainly doesn't have the knowledge of how things work in a constitutional system. And he wants to OVERTHROW that system, anyway. For Putin.

[honest.abe]

4. Very good points.

Biden knows the game.

[DownriverDem]

12. It would be great

if Biden/Harris was the ticket!!!

[honest.abe]

19. Yes. That would be a formidable pairing.

Very likely how it will shake out.

[Demsrule86]

5. K&R

He is the best candidate and a really great guy...watched the special last night...wow.

[Hortensis]

6. Simple truth. VP and a leader in senate for decades.

Only real pros have any idea how to use the vast intricacies of government and how to avoid having them used against them in the constant battle for advantage. VP Biden also knows not just virtually everyone at the federal level, but many running the states and businesses, their characters, what they need, or don't, and why.

Those who dislike having him for president might consider that he'll be wanting his own strong VP to work with him in repairing and advancing our nation, and whoever fills that role would bring his or her own abilities and requirements for accepting the position.

We should expect to get a high-powered team from anyone who is elected president. This is the 21st century. And we're not knuckledragging Republicans who'd be happiest with a strongman giving orders from the top.

[NYMinute]

7. K&R

[NYMinute]

8. He has certainly done way more

than naming two post offices.

[MineralMan]

16. My intention is to point out a positive attribute of one candidate.

I have no intention of minimizing another candidate at all. Each candidate has a record that exists. All of us should look at all of the candidates' records of public service. I'm not going to take this thread into negative territory in any way.

[samnsara]

27. i like that. Thank you!

[aikoaiko]

9. He is arguably the most qualified candidate in modern history in the usual sense of the term.

But qualified, in the usual sense, is not enough to win.

[MineralMan]

10. Winning is, of course, the first step.

That's up to the voters, both in the primaries and in the general election. A candidate's qualifications are a very important factor in deciding for whom to vote.

[DownriverDem]

13. Great ticket

Biden/Harris!

[MineralMan]

14. Yes. I like that pairing very much.

I think they'd get along, too, and complement each other. But, that's premature at this point, I think. Harris is still a strong candidate for the presidency right now.

[aikoaiko]

20. Yes, I agree, but qualifications are task specific.

Some people, like Joe Biden, are very qualified, in a traditional sense, and others are more qualified to do something different.

[MineralMan]

22. Then be specific. What "tasks" are you talking about?

[aikoaiko]

43. I think Joe is qualified to lead an agenda similar to those of the Clintons and Obama

But others are striking out different agendas which JB might not be best qualified to lead.

I'll leave it at that.

[Magoo48]

46. His attention to the eventual platform would surely be experienced and informed.

That said, I have yet to hear him express his support for what I believe should be the three sturdiest planks in the platform: Medicare for all, The Green New Deal, To Bring Wall Street and Mega Banks Under Control and In-line With Our All Out Efforts to Address Climate Change. So, still on the fence here.

[Indygram]

15. Assuming we only have 10 years left to act on climate change...

What is Biden planning to do about that? Does he even mention it? Anything close to this? https://betoorourke.com/climate-change/

[MineralMan]

17. Well, here's something:

Biden has neither endorsed the Green New Deal, nor the idea of a carbon tax more favored by political moderates, Grist pointed out. However, as a politician with a long career, he does have an important record on environmental and climate issues, as The New York Times summarized:

Mr. Biden's advocacy for government action on climate change goes back more than 30 years: He introduced the Senate's first climate change bill in 1986. He has been outspoken about the urgency of action, including at a rally last year in Florida where he described climate change as "the greatest threat to our security," citing briefings by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

https://www.ecowatch.com/2020-joe-biden-climate-2635600061.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

I'm sure he will have more to say about climate change during his campaign.

[Cha]

51. Thanks for that, MineralMan!

[Autumn]

18. The best-qualified candidate in the primary doesn't always win the GE. nt

[MineralMan]

21. That's true. I'm simply pointing his experience out.

You don't mind if I do that, right?

[Autumn]

23. Of course I don't. Do you mind that I point out the most qualified, experienced person

doesn't always win the GE? Right? Sometimes it's more than experience. Reagan, Bush, and Trump come to mind.

[MineralMan]

29. I don't mind. But, I will reply.

We have a presidential election coming up. Like all such elections, it is unique. I'm hopeful that describing a candidate's positive attributes will help people make wise choices in the voting booth.

Instead of attacking other candidates, I prefer pointing out positive things. We've had enough negativity in recent elections. I'd prefer a positive campaign for this one.

One of the things I consider in supporting a candidate is that candidate's record of public service. That's what this thread is about for the primary candidate I currently prefer. You're welcome to do the same for your favorite.

[Autumn]

33. Replies are what people look for when they post OPs. nt

[MineralMan]

34. We're drifting off-topic. While I always appreciate replies to my OPs,

they are not why I post them. My posts, which are almost always my own opinion, are made primarily to share that opinion with others. Comments, of course, are always welcome. But I would post even if nobody replied.

[Autumn]

35. I don't consider responding to a post in a thread as drifting off-topic from an OP. That's how

conversations work. The replies in almost any given thread will meander here and there.

[Mr.Bill]

45. They don't always win the nomination, either.

[Autumn]

48. No they don't. Sometimes the most qualified people ever just don't win. Being qualified has

become a small part of the picture.

[peggysue2]

24. Agreed!

Biden has vast experience in the inner workings of Washington, knows how the levers of power work and has spent a lifetime building relationships across the board.

That's important.

There are a lot of things we want to accomplish. There will also be a lot of repairing and shoring up that will require a seasoned hand. Our allies have been insulted, ignored and minimized, our adversaries emboldened. Biden is the only candidate with foreign policy creds and he personally knows many of these leaders around the world. He believes in diplomacy, the sort of statesmanship required to navigate dangerous waters, something the Republicans have recklessly thrown overboard.

This is why I'm a Go for Joe. In addition to the fact that he can win in 2020.

[MineralMan]

25. Thanks!

[Cha]

50. Yes! And, 2020 is more important

than ever to know what Joe knows!.. After 4 obvious years of systematically tearing our Gov apart by the Psycho admin.

[samnsara]

26. yes i agree.. NO LEARNING CURVE!!!

..but i will vote for whomever is the nom!

[katmondoo]

28. We don't have time to learn on the job

[MineralMan]

30. That's true. Other candidates also have federal government experience.

That's a consideration for this particular election, to be sure. Right now, we have a President with no such experience at all, and he's made "a right muck" of his job. We can do much, much better.

[Kahuna7]

31. Especially on the foreign policy and international relations stage..

I see that as a vital distinction from the other candidates.

[MineralMan]

32. Yes, that's one area where it makes a huge difference.

Not the only one, but an important one. Trump has damaged our international relations terribly. That will take considerable understanding of the issues and knowledge of the people to whom it matters.

I think Biden could handle that aspect of being President very well. He knows and is known by many world leaders.

[Pepsidog]

36. I have not decided yet, but Biden brings respect and dignity back to the presidency.

[MineralMan]

37. That will be worth a great deal to many primary voters.

On DU, we are looking at a very small slice of the Democratic pie. Primary voters and DUers are not the same groups, really. We have some polling results, but they're so early right now that the biggest group is still those who are undecided.

The candidate field for the Democratic primaries is now pretty much decided, although others could still step in. During the rest of 2019, we'll see the polling percentages shift around a bit. That will be a better look at what's going on than discussions on DU, really, but you'll still see a big block of undecided voters.

Until we start seeing some actual primary and caucus results, this race will still be up in the air, I think. However, in 2020, the Super Tuesday primaries will give us a pretty clear indication of who has a chance and who does not. At that point, the field will narrow dramatically, I think, and we'll have fewer names to bandy about.

Right now, it's still an open race. That will start changing in the next few months, though. The bulk of primary voters isn't really paying that much attention at the moment. Only political junkies are focused on this for the time being.

[Pepsidog]

49. It will be interesting to see who separated themselves from the pack.

[AlexSFCA]

52. every single dem candidate brings dignity and respect

to the oval office. Bidens does so but no more than any other candidate currently running.

[Pepsidog]

54. Good point. Didn't mean to suggest others didn't.

[Gothmog]

38. Joe Biden is the most electable candidate that the Democratic Party has available

[MineralMan]

39. I tend to agree with that.

Barring some unexpected revelation, I think he'll continue to increase his lead over the next few months.

One thing's certain: we'll find out as we go along.

[A DAY IN THE LIFE]

40. When was the last multi-term Democratic Senator elected president?

To much baggage. All those votes on record. Republicans like to count precedural votes as votes for or against a bill.

[yaesu]

42. Experience is definitely a big plus when choosing a candidate. nt

[FakeNoose]

44. To me, Biden's experience is his most important selling point

I agree, Joe is the best-qualified candidate. He has the experience, the temperament, and the intelligence to go into the White House on Day One and start cleaning up this mess!

[flamingdem]

53. He can get things done

in my opinion.

I don't love that he can work with McConnell but we might have to do some nose holding.

No one has any illusions about what we're dealing with now though.