The political pundits are all agog over the latest rumor sweeping Washington: that not only will Vice President Joe Biden enter the race to become the Democratic nominee for president, but he has struck a deal with ultra-liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to become his running mate.
Biden met with Warren for two hours on Saturday at the Naval Observatory, his official residence in Washington. That was all it took to fuel intense speculation about the 2016 race.
A “dream ticket” of Biden and Warren would bring two immediate benefits to the Democrats, many analysts believe.
First, the addition of Warren to the ticket would go a long way to overcome anger against Biden for denying Hillary Clinton the opportunity to become the first female president of the United States. Biden has said repeatedly that he would serve only one term if he is elected president. If Warren were his vice president, she would be first in line to succeed him. That should go a long way to mute any anger from the more militant side of the “war on women” brigade.
Second, the selection of Warren would fan the fervor of the far-left progressives in the Democrat Party. Warren has been one of their favorites for years. They would greet her candidacy, even for the second slot, with a lot more enthusiasm than Hillary has ever been able to generate in their ranks.
On Sunday, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd opened his show by speculating that Biden was sending “a not-so-subtle message of perhaps what his dream ticket could look like.”
Later in the show, Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief for USA Today, said: “On behalf of political reporters everywhere, and not for ideological and partisan reasons, I would like to ask Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren to run as a ticket. I think that would be fantastic to cover. I’m 100 percent in favor.”
Political columnist Ed Klein says that the White House has signaled its enthusiasm for Biden’s throwing his hat in the ring. Klein quotes a source close to the Obamas as saying: “Obviously this isn’t happening without the approval of President Obama. The president, Valerie [Jarrett] and Michelle Obama have decided that Hillary is no longer inevitable, and that the best alternative is Joe.”
Klein says his source said that Biden “has also been a totally reliable, loyal foot soldier to the Obama team.” As a result, “they privately believe they would still hold a set of keys to the White House during a Biden presidency.”
Isn’t that a cheerful thought?
Obviously, a lot of powerful Democrats have concluded that Hillary has too much baggage to win the White House. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that she will gracefully withdraw from the race. But if the various scandals surrounding her get much worse, she may not have much choice.
The thought of Warren being a heartbeat away from sitting in the Oval Office is enough to make my teeth chatter. But I will say this: If a Biden-Warren ticket becomes a fact, I sure hope the Republican nominee will pick Carly Fiorina to be his running mate. A Warren-Fiorina debate could be one for the ages.
Plus, it will be fun to speculate about how many times good ol’ Joe will stick his foot in his mouth during the campaign.
Until next time, keep some powder dry.
Chip Wood was the first news editor of The Review of the News and also wrote for American Opinion, our two predecessor publications. He is now the geopolitical editor of Personal Liberty Digest. This article first appeared on PersonalLiberty.com and has been reprinted with permission.
