Patterico's Pontifications

8/4/2015

Who Will President Obama Support For 2016?

Filed under: General — Dana @ 7:30 am



[guest post by Dana]

Recently, we’ve seen a push for Joe Biden to enter the presidential race. It has also been reported that it was his dying son’s wish that he run.

This weekend Maureen Dowd looked at how a Biden run might impact Hillary’s campaign:

Having Mr. Biden as an opponent could help Mrs. Clinton’s campaign in its efforts to shed the perception of inevitability that hurt her with Iowa caucus-goers in the 2008 contest. Back then, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Biden sparred on the debate stage before Mr. Biden withdrew from the race after receiving less than 1 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses.

Going up against Mr. Biden again in the first Democratic debate in October could help Mrs. Clinton hone her skills and appear to be working for the nomination, said Steve Elmendorf, a veteran Democratic strategist. “You’re a better general election candidate if you have competition,” he said. “The vice president would be a formidable opponent.”

Dowd notes that President Obama is playing it close to the vest:

Mr. Obama has been careful not to undermine or wholeheartedly endorse his former secretary of state, Mrs. Clinton, or his vice president. “The president has said that the best political decision he’s ever made in his career has been to ask Joe Biden to run as his vice president,” Eric Schultz, a White House spokesman, said last week.

With that, Monica Crowley points out that Obama has not publicly committed to backing his former secretary of state in her bid for the presidency. As such, she floats an interesting idea that President Obama is quietly waiting for Biden to announce, and when he does, he will throw the full weight of his office behind Biden and simultaneously work to dismantle Hillary’s campaign:

The Clintons and the Obamas have a long history of bad blood, dating to the 2008 primary race. After Mr. Obama creamed her, he offered her the plum gig of secretary of state. Friends close, enemies closer. She tried to get her dirty tricks consigliere, Sidney Blumenthal, a top position in the State Department, which Mr. Obama pointedly denied. So she hired him anyway through the Clinton Foundation.

Through Mr. Blumenthal, she was fed all kinds of intelligence on global hotpots such as Libya, much of it inaccurate, as she circumvented traditional government communication chains via her private email server. What was she hiding from Mr. Obama? And why? Perhaps because she trusted Mr. Obama about as much as she trusted Bill.

Mr. Obama didn’t trust her, either. In a recently disclosed email, Mrs. Clinton complained that she heard “on the radio” that there was a “Cabinet meeting” that morning and wondered if she could attend. The secretary of state — fourth in line to the presidency — was frozen out, so she set up her own fiefdom.

Mr. Obama needs a successor whom he can control to ensure that the “fundamental transformation of the nation” continues. He cannot control either of the Clintons. In a revealing “tell” this week, he said, “In 18 months, I’m turning over the keys. I want to make sure I’m turning over the keys to somebody who is serious about the serious problems that the country faces and the world faces.”

So here’s the likely plan: Mr. Biden will announce that he is running for president (the reported dying wish of his late son, Beau). After a respectable amount of time, Mr. Obama will announce that while he admires all of the Democratic candidates, Mr. Biden has earned his particular loyalty. Following his presidential endorsement, Mr. Obama will then support Mr. Biden with the full weight of the White House, including the sophisticated technical infrastructure his campaigns used to win in 2008 and 2012. For years, Mrs. Clinton has begged Mr. Obama to turn it over to her, and he refused. He’s been saving it for someone else. Mr. Obama will also use his considerable influence with black and Latino voters to support Mr. Biden, which may be enough to help him significantly….

Read the whole thing.

–Dana

37 Responses to “Who Will President Obama Support For 2016?”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (86e864)

  2. Ehhhh…. Who really cares who Obama endorses. It’ll be the Judas kiss of death endorsement anyway. Just like a Sharpton endorsement. Everyone Sharpton ever endorsed in NY politics went on to humiliating defeat, except maybe DeBlasio, and that’s only because less than 24% of eligible registered NYC voters even bothered to vote.

    Libertarian Advocate (2a106b)

  3. I think Michelle will run. She doesn’t want to give up the good life, so she’ll openly run for Barack’s third term, and if she is elected the actual presidenting will fall to Jarrett just as it does now.

    Milhouse (a04cc3)

  4. I think Deval Patrick expected to be the 0bama machine’s candidate, but within the last year was informed otherwise, which is why he hasn’t bothered to announce.

    Milhouse (a04cc3)

  5. it’s up to Valerie and Valerie hates Hillary

    she’s hoping one of her ayatollah buddies throws his hat in the ring I think

    we’ll just have to wait and see

    happyfeet (831175)

  6. Caitlyn Jenner.

    Rev. Barack Hussein Hoagie (f4eb27)

  7. Isn’t Jenner — whatever first name s/he’s using this week — a conservative Republican?

    Milhouse (a04cc3)

  8. boehner\mcconnell 2016

    mg (31009b)

  9. Sure, like Obummer’s a Christian.

    Rev. Barack Hussein Hoagie (f4eb27)

  10. The much better-looking Dana quoted:

    Mr. Obama needs a successor whom he can control to ensure that the “fundamental transformation of the nation” continues. He cannot control either of the Clintons. In a revealing “tell” this week, he said, “In 18 months, I’m turning over the keys. I want to make sure I’m turning over the keys to somebody who is serious about the serious problems that the country faces and the world faces.”

    That’s beyond stupid: no one outranks the President, so no one can control him. And anyone ambitious enough to run for and win the presidency isn’t the kind of person who is going to sit back and let other people dictate his actions.

    The clear-seeing Dana (f6a568)

  11. Oh, I’ll pay attention. Anyone he recommends, I never vote for. Ever.

    htom (4ca1fa)

  12. And anyone ambitious enough to run for and win the presidency isn’t the kind of person who is going to sit back and let other people dictate his actions.

    So how does Jarrett do it?

    Milhouse (a04cc3)

  13. And anyone ambitious enough to run for and win the presidency isn’t the kind of person who is going to sit back and let other people dictate his actions.

    That’s not necessarily true, Dana. There have been puppet régimes and puppet masters all through history. As Milhouse points out, ole’ Jarrett is a slimy example of the A-hole who whispers in the ear of the king.

    Rev. Barack Hussein Hoagie (f4eb27)

  14. Who will Obama support?

    Himself, of course! Hasn’t he said he would easily win third term?

    …Now that I say that, perhaps Barry is supporting Joe after all. Perhaps he expects to be the power behind the throne?

    Casey (59c3cc)

  15. The question being, “Can Obama get Hillary out of the race without pissing off women enough that they don’t vote for his hand-picked machine choice?”

    Obviously he could just indict her and have her up on various charges for the rest of the campaign. She’s admitted to destroying evidence under subpoena.

    luagha (e5bf64)

  16. The question being, “Can Obama get Hillary out of the race without pissing off women enough that they don’t vote for his hand-picked machine choice?”

    That’s easy enough. Just replace her with a woman. As it happens, by the most amazing coincidence, Michelle happens to be a woman. (We know because she says so, and nowadays that’s dispositive.) And like Clinton, she can lay claim to the position of First First Lady Lady Parts President.

    Milhouse (a04cc3)

  17. Who is most likely to pardon the sonofabitch, and are they liklier to win if he endorses them, or if he opposes them?

    C. S. P. Schofield (ab2cdc)

  18. I thought obama was supporting isis?

    koch (9ce827)

  19. Yeah, VJ will go for the kill, she hates Clinton and all her minions.

    I’d bet on her for outing the mail server, after first allowing it’s use. Here, have some rope…

    And yes, I’d LOVE to have Plugs in the Dem slot. Just for the gaffes.

    mojo (a3d457)

  20. Obola is in the catbird seat. Clinton has committed so many felony acts that all he has to do is direct the AG to prosecute her, and the rest is history. Oh, and he could prosecute Bill for any number of things female just for good measure. But he needs to act in a timely fashion. Clinton has collected a few dumpsters worth of donations which may be hard to seize as they weren’t associated with the crimes that she will be charged with, and this money will not be available to Obola’s selection. The longer he waits, the less his candidate can expect. It is telling that Soros has only donated about $1 million to her PACs. He’s keeping his powder dry for the real thing.

    bobathome (f50725)

  21. . . . the A-hole who whispers in the ear of the king.

    Well, that’s quite the word-picture, isn’t it? Only one creature in the world would be capable of that contortion, and only our current President would be willing to put up with the stench; Both ms. Jarrett and mr. Obama must recall such gymnastic efforts from their prayer-rug training. Muscle memory perhaps? Talk about silent-but-deadly.

    PPs43 (6fdef4)

  22. The idea of Joe Biden being a serious candidate astounds me. There has to be lots of video, even some of Obama saying “we all know how Joe gets sometimes” that would confirm we are a joke of a nation if we even seriously considered him.
    The only reason there would be no fear of him causing some international diplomacy crisis is the knowledge that no one takes him seriously.
    And Gore…?

    How is it that a party with so few people who can command respect can command the national agenda?
    “Republicans are evil, because, because… they are republicans,and they’re mean, and they want their grandchildren to choke on pollution, I don’t know why, but they do…”

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  23. speaking of evil Republicans here’s a story about how Ronald Reagan got this guy to kidnap all these kids and bury them alive

    it’s an interesting read for reals

    “We needed multiple victims to get multiple millions and we picked children because children are precious. The state would be willing to pay ransom for them. And they don’t fight back. They’re vulnerable. … They’ll do what we tell them to do,” he told the board. “The plan was to hijack a school bus. We felt it had to be a school bus because the state would be responsible for the occupants on a school bus.

    happyfeet (831175)

  24. I can believe obama would back a castro/castro 2016 ticket.

    mg (31009b)

  25. Obama’s approval is the Kiss of Death.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  26. Who will Obummer support for president? Well, let’s see. Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Polpot are dead so they’re out. Kim Jong-un and Raul Castro are otherwise occupied so they too are out. Fidel is a senile idiot so he’s out. Looks like he’ll need to turn his attention toward the mullahs. At lest then we can all enjoy the sound of the call to prayer.

    But in all seriousness since we have established there is basically no difference between todays democrat and a socialist what difference at this point does it make? Really? Let’s be honest. Our country has now tipped from a constitutional republic to a democratic socialist state. Judges, lawyers and politicians (as if there’s a difference) make up laws and rules as they go along and exempt themselves and their cronies without any regard to a constitution. Minorities rule as they bully the hell out of everyone else and none of us can get a straight truthful story from a politician or the media. Basically, I guess we’re done. Stick a fork in the USA.

    Rev. Barack Hussein Hoagie (f4eb27)

  27. My money’s on Slow Joe… http://t.co/gZ4gdd48QB

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  28. Obama will pretend to be neutral.

    His minions will do anything they can to torpedo Hillary!, though, even at the cost of putting the WH into GOP hands.

    If he wanted her to succeed him, he’d have picked her as his Veep. Instead, in one of the most brilliant political moves he ever made, he made himself impeachment-proof by picking Joe Biden.

    Hillary! was the first birther. Hillary to this good day threatens to embarrass The One with things like Inspector General investigations. Obama’s main regret about Hillary! is that there wasn’t a bus big enough to throw her under.

    Obama views Hillary the same way Lenin viewed Trotsky. Think ice picks. (Well, actually, it was an ice axe, but same principle, and Sharon Stone made ice picks murderously sexy, which would appeal to Obama, and he doesn’t know much history anyway.)

    Beldar (fa637a)

  29. The idea of Joe Biden being a serious candidate astounds me.

    Obama probably supports Joe as there is no love lost with Hillary and she is looking weak.

    There is a school of thought that he would not be disappointed to see a Republican in there so that when everything falls apart, as it did after Clinton, there would be a convenient person to blame. I’m not sure if Obama sees this that way.

    Mike K (90dfdc)

  30. Trump 2016

    Leviticus (eda872)

  31. I have a suggestion for my fellow Patterico.com readers, when you meet a Democrat under age 50 who’s a Bernie Sanders supporter, or who’s even squishy or indecisive about Hillary!:

    Ask if said Democrat knows who “Clean Gene” was. If you get a correct answer, follow up with this question: How close did he come to the Democratic nomination, and who beat him, by how much?

    Then, even for those who couldn’t identify Clean Gene, ask: Who was George McGovern? If you get a correct answer, ask: Who was his opponent, and how many electoral votes did he win?

    I pray that Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders will become the Democratic nominee, but that’s almost certainly never going to happen, because the big-money Dem donors do know who Clean Gene and George McGovern were. They’ll grit their teeth and give Hillary! her chance, her turn — I think the odds of that happening are at least 95%.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  32. Leviticus – other than bad snark, what exactly was the point of that? Can you point to posts here supporting Trump, or a groundswell of support for him here?

    JD (3898b3)

  33. Biden will slowly emerge as the Runt-Funner… http://t.co/pRbY718uZ7

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  34. Point taken, beldar, they would probably say that had mccarthy won the nomination, the dems might have retained the white house. As for McGovern they’ll ignore he was Nixon’s hand picked nominee.

    narciso (ee1f88)

  35. The old new deal coalition shut out mccarthy and was ultimately routed by McGovern. Carter was their first entree in power thanks to iowa cauci

    narciso (ee1f88)

  36. don’t know who it is
    but i do know that it’s not
    teh Dissembling Cow

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  37. test 😆 (lol)

    Yoda (7d462a)


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