Biden tops Clinton's SoS short list. UPDATE: Biden rules it out

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

A 74-year-old gaffe machine heading our foreign policy and diplomatic relations?  Seems legit.

[Sir Mohamed]

I’m not sure whether this is a fine idea. I have tremendous respect for Mr. Vice President, he’s a fine man with a good sense of humor, but I think he should do something else after his term is finished.

[PeteB]

While I think that Biden would have made a better Presidential candidate than Clinton, unless there was a specific deal (SoS in exchange for not running) as some have suggested, I am not buying this.  Clinton will need an active and engaged SoS, and Biden is hardly someone who fits those criteria.  I doubt that the two even see eye to eye on some key foreign policy issues.  And, of course, his legendary gaffes will never help in international diplomacy.

[TDAS04]

I hope so.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

A 74-year-old gaffe machine heading our foreign policy and diplomatic relations?  Seems legit.

But honestly, had Biden during his two terms as VP ever caused a diplomatic incident?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I'm half joking, but I'm sure Biden was offered something in exchange for not running.

He was "offered" the opportunity to not end his political career with a humiliating 3rd place finish.

Come on, Biden would've done better than Sanders.

Yes. As much as I like Sanders, a lot of his power came from being pretty much the only opposition to Hillary. In Hillary v. sitting Vice President race the focus would be on them and Sanders wouldn't get so much exposure. Plus, Biden would be much more attractive for those reluctant to back Hillary who ended up supporting her due to having no one else.

I'm not saying he would've won the nomination (it would be probably a close run), but I definitively see him getting more popular vote support than Bernie did.

[The Other Castro]

A 74-year-old gaffe machine heading our foreign policy and diplomatic relations?  Seems legit.

But honestly, had Biden during his two terms as VP ever caused a diplomatic incident?

He got kind of weird with Senator Coons' daughter once.

[Blair]

Kerry was on the Axfiles podcast and virtually said he's expecting not to be reappointed as SOS- said he wants to go into the Private Sector.

I love Biden but please don't make him Secretary of State. Unlike Obama HRC doesn't need to focus on a recession, and doesn't need an elder statesmen figure. I really think she'll appoint a diplomat

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Kerry was on the Axfiles podcast and virtually said he's expecting not to be reappointed as SOS- said he wants to go into the Private Sector.

I love Biden but please don't make him Secretary of State. Unlike Obama HRC doesn't need to focus on a recession, and doesn't need an elder statesmen figure. I really think she'll appoint a diplomat

I'll trust Biden more with handling foreign policy than Hillary.

[HisGrace]

If Biden didn't want to run for president due to his son's recent death I'd doubt he wants to be SoS either.

[Mr. Morden]

A 74-year-old gaffe machine heading our foreign policy and diplomatic relations?  Seems legit.

But honestly, had Biden during his two terms as VP ever caused a diplomatic incident?

Yes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/weekinreview/02barry.html

[ursulahx]

Clinton should nominate Loretta Lynch to troll the GOP.

[IceSpear]

I'm half joking, but I'm sure Biden was offered something in exchange for not running.

He was "offered" the opportunity to not end his political career with a humiliating 3rd place finish.

You've been repeating this nonsense for months. Give it a rest.

Oh, so I guess you've seen the alternate reality where Biden runs. Did he finish 2nd? That's marginally surprising.

[IceSpear]

I'm half joking, but I'm sure Biden was offered something in exchange for not running.

He was "offered" the opportunity to not end his political career with a humiliating 3rd place finish.

Come on, Biden would've done better than Sanders.

Nah. There's a reason that even after months of universally positive pro-Biden fellatio from the media he was still polling a solid 3rd place and had trouble cracking 20%. He would've gotten a post announcement bounce, then it would've been all downhill from there. Bernie's base wasn't going to abandon him, particularly since it was smaller at that point. Most of Hillary's voters were set in their choice at that point as well. There was no huge appetite from Democratic voters for a Biden run outside of the media.

I don't get why Atlas thinks there was so many "I really hate that shrill nasty far right bitch Hillary, but her opponent is a spooky socialist!!!! If only I had Joe Biden to save me!" voters. It reminds me of the theories posted here in 2014/2015 about how Martin O'Malley could find a niche, lol. Most people unhappy with Hillary were perfectly happy with Sanders, and vice versa.

Biden even said himself he didn't run because he knew he'd lose.

[Storebought]

I agree that Clinton should pick a full time diplomat as SoS, since her own international profile is already high. Clinton should try to construct her own administration and not simply hang on to Obama's.

As for Biden, I always thought he would be sinecure-president of Amtrak after his term was over.

[PaperKooper]

PLEASE, not Biden. 

[Frodo]

I don't really think either Hillary or Biden are serious about this.  They got along well while they were serving in the Obama administration together, so this is probably just a gesture by her to show how highly she regards him.

[RaphaelDLG]

I'm half joking, but I'm sure Biden was offered something in exchange for not running.

He was "offered" the opportunity to not end his political career with a humiliating 3rd place finish.

Come on, Biden would've done better than Sanders.

Nah. There's a reason that even after months of universally positive pro-Biden fellatio from the media he was still polling a solid 3rd place and had trouble cracking 20%. He would've gotten a post announcement bounce, then it would've been all downhill from there. Bernie's base wasn't going to abandon him, particularly since it was smaller at that point. Most of Hillary's voters were set in their choice at that point as well. There was no huge appetite from Democratic voters for a Biden run outside of the media.

I don't get why Atlas thinks there was so many "I really hate that shrill nasty far right bitch Hillary, but her opponent is a spooky socialist!!!! If only I had Joe Biden to save me!" voters. It reminds me of the theories posted here in 2014/2015 about how Martin O'Malley could find a niche, lol. Most people unhappy with Hillary were perfectly happy with Sanders, and vice versa.

Biden even said himself he didn't run because he knew he'd lose.

THIS!

Biden's base is older lunchpail white men and fawning DC journos... and how many of those vote in the Democratic primary?!?  Those demos are a tiny, tiny fraction.

He is a gaffe machine and would have been crushed in the Democratic primary, as most of the Warren crowd would have stuck with Sanders and he would have only siphoned off so much of the Hillary vote.  Sanders would probably have been a stronger 2nd place, but Hillary would have still won for sure.

I think you can make an OK if debatable case that, under the strategy he was planning on using (pick elizabeth warren as his VP and ape her rhetoric), he might have been the best of the three in the GE.  But that's very, very debatable.

His speech at the DNC was INCREDIBLE, though.

[The Other Castro]

So yeah Biden's ruled it out:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/28/politics/joe-biden-secretary-of-state-clinton/

[Ebsy]

They always say this, but when the President asks, you say yes.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

First you decide, at the very last moment, not to run for President and now you rule out this?

Sometimes you're pissing me off, Joe.

[Devout Centrist]

First you decide, at the very last moment, not to run for President and now you rule out this?

Sometimes you're pissing me off, Joe.

He ruled it out the same way Frank Underwood 'ruled out' SoS.

[Person Man]

He would have been fun. But it is probably for the best that he rules it out.