Subject: Battenfeld: Dems need a Plan 'B' for Biden | Boston Herald
From: "Eric Schwerin" <[email-masked]>
To: "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Alexander S. Mackler" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2015 17:02:06 -0400

Battenfeld: Dems need a Plan 'B' for Biden | Boston Herald

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/06/battenfeld_dems_need_a_plan_b_for_biden

Battenfeld: Dems need a Plan 'B' for Biden

Time for Plan B. Biden Time.

With Democrats suddenly realizing their nominee is going to be a socialist
or a baggage-laden throwback with honesty issues, the often-dismissed vice
president is looking pretty, pretty good.

What seemed laughable just a few weeks ago is now getting serious
consideration from Democratic power brokers panicked at the evaporation of
Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers and the rise of ultra-left Vermont Sen.
Bernie Sanders.

Biden, 72, is prone to gaffes and guffaws, but beloved by party insiders
and many voters, especially blue-collar Dems who don’t exactly identify
with the former secretary of state and her six-figure speaking fees.

Biden’s spirit and perseverance — such as in dealing with the unbearable
tragedy of his son Beau’s death — transcend his awkwardness and show
character.

Biden also is a pretty safe choice as a potential nominee. There won’t be
many surprises. He’s been in politics almost his whole life and voters have
pretty much seen the worst. And Biden already has a national organization,
which would be essential if Clinton had to drop out in the middle of the
primaries.

The vice president also could act as a unifying figure for the party after
what would be a confidence-shaking collapse by the former first lady, who
has been penciled in as the party’s 2016 nominee for eight years. And party
leaders would be thrilled to settle for Biden over Sanders, who would evoke
painful memories of liberal Sen. George McGovern’s 49-state loss in 1972.

But whether voters would view Biden as top-of-the-ticket material is
questionable. He makes Ronald Reagan look like a whippersnapper. He’s the
very definition of second banana and hasn’t been handed a lot of
responsibility by the attention-seeking Obama.

And let’s face it, no one would be talking about Biden if it weren’t for
the stunningly bad performance by Clinton, along with the apparent joy some
liberal Democrats are getting at her troubles, especially Massachusetts
Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

In an interview with the Herald that’s getting huge play on liberal
websites and others, Warren was gushing over Sanders, and in effect
launching a direct hit on Clinton’s creaky campaign.

“I love what Bernie is talking about. I think all the presidential
candidates should be out talking about the big issues,” Warren told the
Herald’s Chris Cassidy.

Guess who isn’t talking about the issues? In fact, Clinton isn’t talking
about much of anything and is still reluctant to lower herself to the type
of retail politics every other candidate is doing, even Donald Trump.

The longer Clinton continues to slide and stubbornly cling to her
frontrunner strategy, the longer Democrats will be looking for an exit
strategy. And right now that’s Plan Biden.

Eric D. Schwerin
[email-masked]

Sent from my iPhon