General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Biden has proven to be a poor choice for VP [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)Brain farts are an unfortunate side effect of aging, I fear!
Biden was running for VP all along, I suspect...or--for the job he thought he could get, regardless of who shook out as the winner, owing to his foreign policy expertise--SECSTATE.
I don't think Biden was ever "in it to win it." His campaign never had any goose to it. Running, though, did give him a shot at an administration post--I'll bet he didn't necessarily expect to get such a good one.
I think Biden is a great choice--he's got the background in foreign and domestic policy, and he has the Hill experience--if you don't know how the Hill works, it can really screw you up and make life difficult (remember Jimmy Carter, who could have used his VP more than he did in that regard). A one-term Senator, like Obama was, was savvy enough to get the general idea as to how the place ran, but it takes awhile to get the nuance of the place. Biden had that down pat. He's a good advisor and sounding board, and he does seem to have a close and productive relationship with the President.