Some background on Joe Biden.

[PatrickforO]

I knew some of this, but not all. Certainly the bankruptcy law of 2005 is odious and has enslaved millions of our children and grandchildren to massive student loans.

I also did not like Biden's performance in the Anita Hill hearings.

Hear is a Huffpo article that gives more history. In fact it goes clear back in time. It is quite interesting, but maybe take it with a grain of salt and do some independent research.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-2020_n_5c796502e4b087c2f295ba31

Be warned - it is a rather negative article. Here is an excerpt. Note that a) I'm still neutral, though I favor Warren, b) Biden would be exponentially better than Trump, and c) it's awfully early in the game still.

As Democratic voters begin to consider who to make their standard-bearer in the 2020 election, Joe Biden has held an early, commanding lead in the polls, fueled by the belief that he’s the best Democrat to take on Donald Trump. The former vice president spent the closing weeks of the 2018 midterms in what Politico called a “working class whisperer tour” to the midwestern states that Trump carried. Emphasizing his Scranton, Pennsylvania, roots, Biden styled himself in stop after stop as “Middle-Class Joe,” savoring praise from fellow Democrats as the “kind of guy you could have a beer with.”

This version of “folksy Joe” even touted himself as “labor from belt buckle to shoe buckle.” There’s only one problem with this carefully cultivated image: Joe Biden’s entire career.

In more than four decades of public service, Biden has enthusiastically championed policies favored by financial elites, forging alliances with Wall Street and the political right to notch legislative victories that ran counter to the populist ideas that now animate his party. If he declares for the presidency, Biden will face a Democratic electorate that has moved on from his brand of politics.

[Gothmog]

1. Biden was good enough for President Obama

The material in the article cited in the OP is very old news that President Obama considered and rejected

[RandySF]

2. It's going to be a long primary

[CrossingTheRubicon]

3. Jam the smears.

[PatrickforO]

5. Well, when it comes to jamming, I've got three kids with student loans,

and I'm an economist. The 2005 bankruptcy laws were a disaster for an entire generation - our children and grandchildren.

So, no, back at you. I'll say what I want, and post what I want. This is a free forum as long as you follow the rules, and this post does.

Your 'jam it' is a bit iffy, though.

[WheelWalker]

13. No such thing as a free lunch.

If you want to dance, you gotta pay the band.

[shanny]

31. lol

"Paying the band" was a helluva lot easier 40 or 50 years ago. I put myself through an excellent university with a summer job and part-time work waiting tables. Those days are gone but there is absolutely no reason why they should be, or need to be. Certainly the quality of education hasn't gone up--if anything, it is the opposite. Of course, every tax cut for the rich means a cost increase for the rest of us: less support for public education, for example, means an increase in tuition and fees. Every year. In fact, between 1989 and 2016, the cost of a college education increased 8 times faster than wages (that's according to the soshulist rag "Forbes&quot .

I will say this though: there are free lunches still available even in this day and age. The rich get them All.The.Time.

[WeekiWater]

15. These aren't smears. NT

[TwilightZone]

18. Yes and no.

Intent and context are important, and the HP author's intent is pretty clear. He spends a lot of time on stuff from decades ago, mostly ignores Biden's record the past 10-20 years, and cherry-picks the topics.

That doesn't mean that the concerns aren't legitimate and the portions of Biden's record that he's chosen to highlight don't raise issues. They are and they do.

But, there's a definite slant to the narrative.

[WeekiWater]

21. "They are and they do."

Correct.

[TwilightZone]

23. And a lot of what he argued is irrelevant.

Biden's score with a liberal group in 1978?

Elizabeth Warren was still a Republican 18 years later.

I don't think either is relevant today.

His record during the Reagan administration? The author spends multiple paragraphs on that. Reagan left office 30 years ago.

What's relevant is who Biden (and Warren and all of our other candidates) is now, not who they were 18 or 30 or 40 years ago.

My point is that the author has a clear agenda and cherry-picking and ignoring the past couple decades doesn't make it terribly convincing. It makes it look like a hit-job, even if his underlying assertions are valid.

[WeekiWater]

24. Biden's record was long. That is highlighted.

Even you said up to ten years ago. You used that as a part in calling it a smear. Yet ten years ago is when followed Obama lead, by nature of the job.

Your pin pointing of one item of the article, while omitting the rest, is exactly what you accuse the author of doing.

I will put Warrens record of recent economic positions(the metric you deem necessary) with Biden’s last ten years of votes before he had to follow the Presidents lead. That is the last time Biden was independent.

[emulatorloo]

4. I think you are right to take it with a grain of salt. Maybe take it with a big boulder of salt.

Biden would make a good President even though he is not my first choice. (still undecided)

For one thing he has the foreign policy chops to straighten out the huge mess Trump has made with our allies.

He would also make a good candidate as he knows how to get under Trump's skin. He's a fighter and he won't take any of Trumps bullshit.

[smirkymonkey]

32. +1000

[WheelWalker]

6. In my opinion he has far more positives today than negatives from yesterday.

[PatrickforO]

9. You might be right. As I said, I'm neutral and I'm going to post

articles I see about all the candidates.

Yeah, I'd vote for Biden over Trump in a heartbeat. But we're way early in the game, and Biden will have to answer to the base for these positions. A poster above points out that Obama vetted Biden and knew about all this, and it was good enough for Obama. I do concede that point, of course.

Truth is, all our candidates, including Elizabeth Warren, whom I am supporting now, are flawed, but EVERY SINGLE ONE is better than any Republican. Even the one I genuinely do not like, and that person is not Biden.

[LakeArenal]

7. I think Biden is the most qualified candidate.

[WeekiWater]

8. Biden is an economic conservative.

His poll numbers will drop quickly one people are reminded. I fully believe people currently see him as Presidential material because of his relationship with Obama. Image accounts for so much. Biden is one heck of a good guy. Biden is a flat out economic conservative. He hasn’t been considered Presidential material in the past. I don’t see it happening this time. Love Joe. That doesn’t matter. I don’t want him even close to leading us when it comes to replacing the Trump Tax Scam or any number of other issues.

[PatrickforO]

11. I agree. Particularly about the Trump tax scam.

That's GOT to be overturned. ASAP - the minute the new administration can swing it. It's an economic disaster waiting to happen.

[emulatorloo]

16. Hi I am unclear why you think Biden won't work to repeal the Trump Tax Cuts? Here's some stuff he

has said in the past about tax reform.

Joe Biden on Tax Reform
http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Joe_Biden_Tax_Reform.htm

See also:

Joe Biden slams 'obscene' GOP tax cuts as he tries to win over Pennsylvania voters

Joe Biden is working on helping Democrats win over working-class voters in Trump country.
The former vice president campaigns for Democrat Conor Lamb and says he will protect labor unions, Social Security and Medicare.
Biden is just one of several national figures and groups getting involved in the race, which has implications for control of the House after November's midterm elections.

Jacob Pramuk | @jacobpramuk
Published 10:52 PM ET Tue, 6 March 2018

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/06/pa-special-election-joe-biden-slams-gop-tax-cuts-at-conor-lamb-rally.html

Thanks in advance!

[PatrickforO]

17. Nice site. I've saved that one.

[emulatorloo]

20. It is pretty great, isn't it?

[shanny]

27. I agree also.

He has valuable foreign policy experience, he would be an excellent "happy warrior" surrogate, he could even be veep again. I do not see him, nor want to see him, at the top of the ticket, setting domestic policy.

[R B Garr]

10. This same type of smear campaign was used against Hillary.

She still won the popular vote and is considered a victim in the 2016 election based on the Mueller facts that have shown that all three opponents were helped by Russia because of their attacks on her: Trump, Sanders, Stein.

Sanders has to worry about his gun votes and the Russian sanctions, etc.

Bernie has active harassment claims about his 2016 campaign in the MeToo era, not a 30 year ago event.

[PatrickforO]

14. Indeed. All the candidates have flaws.

Bernie did not handle BLM very well in '16 and is not handling the sexual harassment problem very well now. I've often said I think he's kind of a grouchy guy anyway and he's so left brained he doesn't have time for things like this. Problem is, he needs to make time for them.

[WheelWalker]

19. As do all the members of DU and every human being.

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl" said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"

[jberryhill]

22. We're going to have to consider pros and cons of all candidates

And all candidates have them.

Being a native of Delaware, we never called him “middle class Joe”. We called him “Joe six pack”.

[TwilightZone]

12. Not much of that is terribly recent.

There's not a whole lot there from the past dozen years or so other than some passing remarks about the Obama admin.

Quoting his score with a liberal group in 1978 doesn't seem terribly relevant and spending multiple paragraphs on his record during the Reagan administration is interesting.

The author does admit that his record started improving in the 1980s and he "atoned" during the Obama administration.

People tend to change in 30-40 years. I'm more interested in his recent record and his stances on issues that are relevant now.

[quickesst]

25. From the article....

"If he declares for the presidency, Biden will face a Democratic electorate that has moved on from his brand of politics."

If this statement were true, why is he leading in all polls? Is the author saying people are going to favor Joe Biden when polled just to build his ego up, then let him know how they really feel and reject him because they've "moved on"? This makes about as much sense as a dog scratching his ears because his balls itch.

[TwilightZone]

28. The author is making assumptions that may not represent reality.

And perhaps projecting a bit.

[quickesst]

35. That's just what I said....

.....sort of.

[lapucelle]

26. I generally go to On The Issues rather than to opinion pieces on HuffPo when researching a candidate

Joe Biden is a Hard-Core Liberal.

http://www.ontheissues.org/joe_biden.htm

[gateley]

34. I was just discussing that Joe is more liberal than people realize --

and couldn't for the life of me remember where to get this! My furious googling was not panning out.

And I agree, I generally give opinion pieces a pass.

[MaryMagdaline]

29. "Show me your budget and I'll show you where your values are"

Joe is a solid protector of children, elderly and all vulnerable people.

[broiles]

30. Check out the Biden article in Harper's latest issue.

It is well researched and not very favorable.

[marlakay]

36. Huffington Post just had one today

Talked a lot about him not being a liberal and cozying up to republicans.

The only thing I knew was he is against legalizing pot.

I always liked Joe and he’s a great friend of Obama. But I am not voting on who is a nice guy or gal. I am going by policy.

I am too far left for him but would take him if he made it to the end.

[gateley]

33. Good advice -- always do independent research. nt