As the ladies of ABC daytime talk show The View discussed Joe Biden’s impressive string of wins on Super Tuesday, co-host Whoopi Goldberg suggested that former President Barack Obama would be an ideal vice presidential pick for Biden if he does secure the Democratic nomination, the Washington Times reported.
“Everybody was thinking about who could the VP be for Joe, I thought, ‘Man, what would happen if Joe Biden said ‘my choice for VP is Barack Obama?’” Goldberg mused.
As a debate ensued over whether it would be permissible under the 22nd amendment for Obama to run as VP, Goldberg quickly admitted that it was probably a long shot anyhow.
As of now, Biden leads the delegate count 596 to 531, and many of the estimated 764 unpledged superdelegates may ultimately break in Biden’s favor, given the Democratic Party’s recent push to unite behind the former vice president.
Biden still needs a boost
Goldberg and her colleagues at The View seem to be suggesting that on his own, Biden is a weak candidate compared to President Donald Trump. His constant gaffes, verbal miscues and apparent dishonesty about events from his past have prompted concerns that the former vice president may be suffering from cognitive decline of one degree or another.
It remains to be seen whether enough voters are so desperate to oust Trump from office that essentially any Democrat — regardless of his or her mental status — will suffice. Such a scenario seems highly unlikely, which is why party leaders may indeed dream of having a political powerhouse such as Obama join the ticket to reassure the electorate that Biden would have competent assistance in steering the ship of state.
The problem with Goldberg’s fairytale, however, is that she is probably correct in assuming that Obama “won’t” accept the VP nod after having held the top job for eight years. Obama hasn’t even endorsed his former VP, which raises serious doubts about his level of support for Biden’s candidacy.
Would it even matter?
It is also not at all clear that having Obama on the ticket would be the boon to the Biden campaign that Goldberg seems to believe. While the former president enjoyed tremendous levels of popularity within his own party throughout his tenure in the Oval Office, by the end of his second term, Obama had just 17% support from Republicans.
Given that Trump has been attracting impressive numbers of Democrats to his massive rallies across the country, as well as Americans who have largely stayed on the sidelines in prior election cycles, Obama’s appeal may not be enough to bridge the gap.
If Biden does ultimately obtain his party’s nomination, his choice of running mate may matter little in the face of Trump’s record approval ratings and an economy that remains strong.
Wisdom of Whoopi
Though Goldberg was clearly confident in her recommendation of Obama as Biden’s potential running mate, she may want to reconsider another bold political suggestion she made during the same installment of The View.
Calling her “a hell of a doctor,” Goldberg suggested that Jill Biden — wife of the former VP — be named surgeon general should her husband ascend to the presidency. Unfortunately for Goldberg, though Mrs. Biden does publicy utilize the designation of “Dr.” before her name, the candidate’s spouse in fact possesses a doctoral degree in educational leadership and has no experience working as a physician of any kind.
No comments: