Joe Biden: R's will have an "epiphany" after DT leaves WH, and they'll work with D's.

[pnwmom]

Last edited Tue Jun 4, 2019, 01:53 AM - Edit history (3)

Does anyone really believe that the R's are going to reform themselves once DT leaves the WH? That they would be willing to cooperate and get things done with a President Biden? Even though they decided at the outset of Obama's Presidency that their only legislative goal was to obstruct everything, so he would be a 1 term President?

No matter who we elect, won't the R's still have the same goal -- to hold him or her to one term, no matter how much their obstruction hurts the country?

Don't all the candidates need to realistic about this in order to plan for it?

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/14/biden-republicans-trump-1321377

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday he expects Republicans will have an "epiphany" when President Donald Trump leaves office, and will embrace working with Democratic colleagues.

"I just think there is a way, and the thing that will fundamentally change things is with Donald Trump out of the White House. Not a joke. You will see an epiphany occur among many of my Republican friends," Biden said during a campaign stop in New Hampshire. "It's already beginning in the House now ... If we can't change, we're in trouble. This nation cannot function without generating consensus. It can't do it."

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/joe-biden-republican-epiphany-trump.html

For comparison, here is what Biden said in 2012 about the same subject to MSNBC:

Biden seemed optimistic that both parties would work together if Obama is re-elected, arguing the “fever will have broken” and lawmakers could focus more on passing legislation than politics.

“There are still some solid Republican conservatives who understand what principled compromise means and are not wrapped up in ideological purity,” said Biden, insisting he knew a dozen Republican senators and up to three dozen House members that want to work with the Democrats.

After the election is over, Biden said members will say “’Hey man I no longer have an obligation to stick with the right of the party’… I really believe you’ll see movement. Real movement.”

[House of Roberts]

1. Pollyanna.

.

[FoxNewsSucks]

2. Republicons are the enemy.

Any relatively rational ones have been purged. The remaining ones are hard-core teabagging tRump collaborators.

Democrats need to realize this NOW. Today's republicons will NEVER EVER work with Dems for the good of the country. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either a fool or stuck in a 50-year-past time warp.

Stop trying to reach them, they're GONE.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

26. Exactly!! It's so obvious, I can't believe some here have to be convinced of this.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

33. They will "work" with Democrats. Cutting taxes, extending tax cuts and "fixing" Social Security by..

.... raising the retirement age and cutting benefits.

Know anyone who previously helped do that?

[progressoid]

3. Ha!

Has he not been watching what's going on in the Senate? And did he forget how well those Republican friends treated his former boss just a few years ago?


SMH

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. Joe is NOT naive, by any stretch... so, what's really going on here?

There's obviously some strategy at play... just can't figure it out.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[JudyM]

38. I like Biden but I'm stunned by this. He's locked in a worldview that's no longer plausible. Unwise

strategically. I would have thought the whole Obama team and Reid would’ve learned by what actually played out before their eyes. Hope is important, but if it’s not tempered by realism it’s unwise.

[JI7]

4. not an epiphany but it will be more difficult for Republicans to go against an old white man

than a black man or some other female or minority.

[pnwmom]

5. Why? It's not like the Democrat can expect any R votes anyway.

What about instead working to build the base -- more young people, minorities, and women? Why would an old white man be more likely to appeal to them?

[JI7]

8. because they are old white men also

[FoxNewsSucks]

34. White Guy Bill Clinton was about the same age

as Gingrich, McChinless, Graham etc.

I would expect that pack of assholes to be every bit as kind to a white guy in their age group now as they were to a white guy 20 years ago.

The fact is, they will obstruct Dems no matter what. They will work against a Democratic president no matter who. If the Democratic president happens to be black or a racist, that's just a bonus for them. The obstruction will be there no matter which democrat wins.

We need a candidates who can deal with that reality. For President and in the Senate.

[BlueWI]

49. Plus, not one woman has been president yet.

Do we already know they will be obstructed more that a man would? If we stick to risk averse candidate selection, we'll never know.

[Joediss]

28. Not a epiphany

It wouldn't be a epiphany , it would be a fucking miracle

[Skya Rhen]

6. Your heading is inaccurately presented and phrased as if Biden said those words...

Your heading:

Joe Biden: R's will have an "epiphany" after DT leaves WH, and they'll work with Biden.

Biden's exact quote:

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday he expects Republicans will have an "epiphany" when President Donald Trump leaves office, and will embrace working with Democratic colleagues.

Nowhere, in this quote, does he say that Republicans will have an epiphany after Trump leaves and will work with him (Joe Biden).

I believe that accurately quoting a candidate is important, when posting on DU.

[pnwmom]

7. Talk about splitting hairs.

They have to work with Democratic colleagues if they're going to advance Biden's agenda. Do you think they're likely to do either one?

[Skya Rhen]

9. You are misquoting him - fact. And it should be corrected.

[pnwmom]

10. The only word I quoted is "epiphany." The rest is paraphrasing. And the link is there

so anyone can see the full context.

[Skya Rhen]

11. Your heading has a colon after Joe Biden, which means that the following words are made by him...

[pnwmom]

12. There are only quotation marks around the word "epiphany." n/t

[Skya Rhen]

13. Thanks for making the correction.

[pnwmom]

14. Now you can answer the questions in the OP. How about it?

[Skya Rhen]

15. Joe is exceeding expectations as we speak and it is reasonable to assume that he will, likewise,

continue to exceed expectations when he becomes President.

The Republicans will look so small once their dictator is gone that they might want to redeem themselves by getting something done by working along with a President that they do not consider inferior. In the post-Trump era, anything might be possible...

[still_one]

18. In addition Skya, there is evidence that if Trump was not there, some bipartisan legislation would

get passed.

Immigration, the border wall, U.S. involvement in Yemen, infrastructure spending, and other bipartisan issues were ready to go when Trump blocked them. Just last night there is talk about bipartisan support regarding getting the tariffs removed.

When Biden says that Trump is actually impeding some bipartisan legislation, he is right.

[Demit]

16. Regarding the rules of punctuation: Yes, you can use a colon to introduce a quote,

but you still have to use quotation marks around the exact language being quoted. If there are no quote marks, then what follows the colon isn't an exact quote. Hope this helps.

[still_one]

17. Is there a Democratic candidate who says they will not try to work with republicans in Congress?

If some are bothered by a candidate's campaign calling for unity, and saying he is going to try to work with republicans, then don't vote for that candidate.

All the Democratic candidates, including Biden know what the score is, and the odds of being able to work with republicans in Congress

It is convenient to forget that there was bipartisan legislation on immigration that Trump vetoed, or the bipartisan resolution that blocked him from funding his border wall without Congressional approval that he vetoed, or the bipartisan bill that he vetoed regarding U.S. involvement in Yemen, etc. In fact there is talk right now where there may be bipartisan support regarding getting the tariffs removed.

It was just a few weeks ago there was bipartisan talk in Congress on infrastructure spending, then trump had his fit.

So when Biden says that Trump is actually impeding some bipartisan legislation, there is some truth to that.

However, that doesn't fit the talking point, that "Biden has no idea what he is talking about, just another empty suit, would be nothing if he wasn't President Obama's VP", etc. etc. etc.

The first debate is within a few weeks. There will be an opportunity then to see and hear where the candidates are on the issues.

Personally I think discussing the outcome of the debates, and where the candidates are on the issues, is far more relevant than whether a candidate wants to campaign to unify the country, or try to work with republicans in Congress

[pnwmom]

19. That's not the issue. Biden EXPECTS that the R's are going to change and suddenly

will want to cooperate. He thought the same thing in 2012 and we saw how well that worked out.

[still_one]

40. I get it. You don't care for the stratgey of Biden's campaign. If Biden's expression of

optimism in regard to trying to work together with everyone in Congress doesn't suit someone, and this is an important criteria for them in who to vote for in the Democratic primaries, then they will vote for someone else.

I did give several legislative examples of bipartisan support which Trump vetoed or blocked as elements of validity in Biden's statement, that Trump is a big factor in blocking any bipartisan legislation. Those involved immigration, the wall, US involvement in Yemen, infrastructure spending, and just yesterday the removal of the Tariffs, which look like Trump will block that also.

Instead you wanted to focus on 2012 as you validity for your criticism of his campaign strategy.

What 2012 and 2016 demonstrated was the elections do have consequences, and winning both houses is essential, and to do that you need independent voters on your side.

Biden's strategy is to try to go after all votes. His campaign has decided to do this earlier than most campaigns do.

The conventional wisdom for Democrats is during the primaries, the candidate goes to the left, and during the general election goes to the middle of the road.

Time will determine how successful that will be

[Voltaire2]

20. The establishment candidate is running

on nostalgia.

We need a candidate who has a vision for the future, not yet another caretaker regime to clean up between Republican misadministrations.

[George II]

21. This is based on something Biden said three weeks ago, and has already been discussed:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287118991

Link to tweet

[pnwmom]

22. It's an issue that's not going away because he presents himself as the man who can

get along with them.

And I think it's interesting also in light of the quote from 2012, when he also thought the R's "fever had been broken."

[Skya Rhen]

23. The clear difference, this time around, when Joe becomes President

is that the Republicans’ actions will not be dictated by the blatant racism they persistently directed toward our first black President.

Let’s not sugar coat this - we know that, in their eyes, there is a difference between Biden and Obama. It is sick, on their part, but real...

[JustAnotherGen]

47. Unless he selects

A minority and/or woman running mate.

[SouthernProgressive]

39. So you think they might be a bit disingenuous?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128739929

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128790086#post1

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128741385

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128792434#post9

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128744530

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128742120#post11

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128743658

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128745690

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128742438#post132

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128756646

[LibFarmer]

25. Another negative anti-Biden screed

with stretched language and contortionist logic.

[highplainsdem]

31. +1,000,000

[samnsara]

29. i belive some will sigh with relief that trumps gone...

...they may not openly express it by working with the new prez but im sure a few will. We are seeing cracks now..with the GOP saying they may not support the Mexico tariff... Joe M going before Congress to scold Congress for doing nothing...there are a few GOP who really want to get to work and who feel America is suffering under this ass wipe.

[Peacetrain]

30. My read on the VP has always been his willingness to listen to others

he may not always be able to work with them..but he hears people out.. The trumpians have a stranglehold on the republican party right now..and while many committed Conservatives have left the republican party.. Biden may have knowledge of people who are currently in office who are working behind the scenes to get things done.. who cannot say anything right now.. because they will get primaried out by the trumpians.. it will be interesting to see what happens after trump leaves

[IronLionZion]

32. Maybe if they got rid of Mitch McConnell

He's more nefarious than Trump in many ways

[Midnightwalk]

35. What nonsense

If we don’t win the senate and do something about the filibuster the republicans will continue to block everything including supreme court nominations.

Trump is particularly vile but i see him as the product of right wing intellectual rot. Fox, drudge, limbaugh, coulter, McConnell, graham, grassley would be just as bad without him.

Climate change denial, tax cuts, abortion, discrimination, voter suppression. All issues where republicans are firmly in the wrong.

The only hope for reform is if they are trounced in the election. Until then they will oppose everything the “demon crats” want.

If Biden believes that crap he is delusional and i hope he drops out.

And yes i think the country is likely screwed for another 10-20 years.

[Skya Rhen]

37. "The only hope for reform is if they are trounced in the election". Polls show that Biden is the

only candidate that stands a chance of performing this type of trouncing. So, what sense would it make if he "drops out"?

[Midnightwalk]

41. So you think we need a delusional candidate

That’s an honest position at least. You could he right. I’m the one that is pessimistic about progress in the near future. There’s something to be said for incrementalism or at least not going backwards.

I still prefer non delusional candidates. I don’t put much credence in polling this early.

[Skya Rhen]

43. i think that we need Joe and so does the majority of Americans...

[SouthernProgressive]

36. Good campaign move by Biden.

Guy keeps impressing me more and more.

[Honeycombe8]

42. Repubs will do what they always do.

Change with seasons, like chameleons. There will not be an epiphany. They will merely do what they've always done: what is necessary,and ONLY what is necessary, to get what they want. If YOU bend over far enough to their side, they will "work with" you. Except on health care. And abortion rights. And gerrymandering. And voter rights. And student debt. And DACA.

They will drop discussions of Trump, leaving it for history to fade their treasonous behavior, giving them an IN to rewrite history to present their explanations (such as "we were protecting the country, always keeping an eye on him, not letting him get out of control" and such).

But I have no doubt that if there's a repeat of a S.Ct. Justice to be appointed during the last year of a Democratic Presidential term, the Repubs will repeat their refusal to have a hearing, and will hold off until the next election.

Trump loyalists are not normal establishment Republicans. The establishment Republicans did have some ethics, such as they were. The current loyalists have none. Things really have changed. This Senate, this administration, actually worked with a hostile foreign nation for their own benefit and allowed them to interfere with our democracy. Things have changed. It's not 1995.

We can look back, even, to pre-Trump times to see how the new Republican Party works. Almost total obstructionism during the Obama Administration.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

44. Just like they worked with Obama.

Oh, wait.....

[Eyeball_Kid]

45. Not only must Trumpy leave, but McConnell also must go. Without both leaving,

the GOP is no more.

[JustAnotherGen]

46. Great pivot to the GE

Should be noted if he secures the nomination that he tried to appeal to Indies this far out from the GE.

[Eyeball_Kid]

48. So Biden said the same thing in 2012. He was wrong. The GOP was worse than awful. n/t