Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: Tell me again why Biden has to reach out to Sanders voters? [View all]Midwestern Democrat
(806 posts)In 1992, if Bill Clinton had stumbled like Biden did early on, the Democratic Party had far more viable alternatives to turn to as the non-Jerry Brown choice (Bob Kerrey, Tom Harkin, and Paul Tsongas among the declared candidates and plenty of big names who sat out the '92 race that they could have drafted in a pinch - Cuomo, Gephardt, Gore, Bradley, Biden, etc)
In 2004, if John Kerry had stumbled like Biden did, again there were more viable alternatives to turn to as the non-Howard Dean choice (John Edwards, Bob Graham, Wesley Clark, Gephardt - and they could have gone outside the list of declared candidates and drafted Gore, Biden, etc into the race)
In 2020, who was honestly really a threat to Biden as the non-Sanders choice? Buttigieg - the mayor of a college town? Klobuchar - a backbencher compared to the men I listed for 1992 and 2004? Bloomberg - an uncharismatic, George W. Bush endorsing turncoat who likely half the party couldn't stomach as the nominee? And there really weren't any big names who didn't run that looked like obvious choices to draft either - Hillary (was not ever going to happen); Kerry (well past 70 years old); Gore (past 70 years old)
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden