After new wince-worthy gaffes by Vice President Joe Biden, conservative blogs are reviving old speculation that President Biden might give his old running mate the boot, and replace him with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The GOP's 2008 vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, folksily opined that an Obama-Clinton ticket would have a "darn-good chance of winning." Palin's old boss, 2008 nominee John McCain, chimed in that Obama might be "wise" to make the switch, but conventional wisdom still says flatly that the president would never do it. Why not? Here, three reasons:
1. Biden is good for the ticket
It's totally irrelevant that Republicans don't like Biden and "think he's stupid," says Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. The Obama campaign isn't trying reach hardcore conservatives, after all. Biden "relates to working class audiences in a way that President Obama has always had trouble doing, and he's a great surrogate to send to states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan to rally the faithful." And he has certainly helped his ticket more than Palin ever helped hers. "The right would be wise not to underestimate him."
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2. Obama can't admit Palin's right: With Palin egging him on, "Obama wouldn't dare take her advice and dump Biden from the ticket," says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. "Even a medical reason would look like a panicked, defensive move," especially after Biden's recent bungles — mistaking Rep. Ryan for a governor, forgetting what century this is, suggesting Republicans want to put blacks "back in chains." The last time an incumbent vice president got purged from the ticket this late in the game was 1944. It looks like "Obama's stuck with Biden" now.
3. There's nothing in it for Hillary: Putting Hillary Clinton on the ticket might help Obama, says Dan Amira at New York, but there's "very little upside for her." Every poll says the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination is already hers "for the taking, if she's interested." Her solid stint as secretary of State has made her more popular than ever. "Why should she sully herself in the muck of this increasingly dirty race," or entangle herself with the baggage of a second Obama term? Even if Obama offered her the job — which he won't — she wouldn't want it.
Read more political coverage at The Week's 2012 Election Center.
