Vice President Joe Biden reportedly had to apologize to President Obama last week after he revealed that he supports gay marriage, pressuring Obama to go public with his own endorsement. The president shrugged off the incident, saying that, while Biden had gone "a little over his skis," he'd merely sped up the timetable for a planned announcement. Still, the events of last week have spurred yet another round of speculation that Obama might replace his gaffe-prone No. 2 with someone less likely to make unexpected headlines. Should Obama find a new running mate?
Yes. Biden must go: I'm all for gay marriage, says Ben W. Heineman Jr. at The Atlantic, but the bottom line is that "a vice president should never force the hand of a president on a sensitive, first-order issue by getting out ahead publicly." In doing so, "Biden committed a governmental sin of the first order," making his boss look "weak and disorganized." Obama needs to dump Biden pronto and replace him with someone serious, and the obvious choice is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden's big mouth is a blessing, not a curse: "Message discipline is important but overrated," says Nathan Pippenger at The New Republic. The president's stalled "evolution" on same-sex marriage was starting to become a target of derision, and the administration needed to take a stand. By "voicing — or, it might be said, loud-mouthing — his support," Biden did Obama a favor, goading him into doing the right thing.
"In praise of Joe Biden's big mouth"
This was all part of the plan: Joe Biden didn't make a "slip," says Richard Kantro at The American Thinker. "Obama needs and has wanted to get Biden off the ticket for a long time." So Biden was "ordered to go out and say something stupid," and, presto! Obama now has a ready-made excuse to kick Biden off the ticket if he chooses to do so. And there's still plenty of time for fans of Biden, or those who have "'old' values" about marriage, to "get over it waaaaay before election time."
-
The $100mn scandal undermining Volodymyr ZelenskyyIn the Spotlight As Russia continues to vent its military aggression on Ukraine, ‘corruption scandals are weakening the domestic front’
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 – 21 NovemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Can the UK do more on climate change?Today's Big Question Labour has shown leadership in the face of fraying international consensus, but must show the public their green mission is ‘a net benefit, not a net cost’
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardonTalking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidentsThe Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are US billionaires backing?The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
