Joe Biden may be the best almost-president we’ve ever had
Oct 22, 2015, 6:13 AM | Updated: 9:16 am
Joe Biden could be the best almost-President the country has ever had, KIRO Radio's Dave Ross says. (AP)
(AP)
That was no farewell speech from Joe Biden that he gave Wednesday. That was a stump speech.
Joe Biden obviously wanted to be president. But by taking himself out of the running, he now becomes something that in many ways is much more rewarding.
Polls showed that in a general election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Biden would have won by a 10 percent margin. So by voluntarily taking himself out of a race that could have made him president, he has instantly made himself the almost-president — the man who could have been president, had he wanted to.
Related: Biden won’t run, a boost for Clinton
That’s not a bad place to be as a politician. When the almost-president’s phone rings, it’s people saying nice things. Even Jeb Bush called him “clearly a great guy.”
Not-running has made Joe Biden bi-partisanly lovable. He gets respect because he could have been president, yet by not actually being president, he is spared the consequences of the mistakes he would have made.
And when the person who is president makes those mistakes, what will the people say? They will say, “If only Joe Biden had run.”
No, he will never have a presidential library and Union Station may never be named after him as he had hoped. But if he plays it right, not only will he be remembered as a man who was almost president, but very possibly as the best almost-president this country almost had.
And you never know, in gratitude, President Trump might name Union Station for him after all.
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Tune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.
