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Joe Biden: The Already Invisible Man

Posted by TONY CAMPBELL, Columnist in At TMV, Politics.
Nov 15th, 2008 | Comments

In another stroke of the change we can expect, it seems that the role of Vice-President in the Obama administration may only consist of being a sounding board for the President, unlike the dominant policy role that Dick Cheney possessed over the last eight years.

During the campaign, we heard that Joe Biden was on the ticket to provide experience in leadership regarding foreign policy. Now, it seems that President-elect Obama may choose Senator Hillary Clinton for the top post at the Department of State.

If that turns out to be true, Joe Biden will not have any major involvement in implementing foreign policy. Obama will have Hillary, and former President Bill Clinton, to handle that portfolio.

Where does that leave Biden? Looks like he may already be the odd man out…

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StockBoySF

Tony, we always knew that Obama would appoint a Sec. of State that wasn't Biden. Are you suggesting that Hillary will have a more powerful voice in one of the administration's most powerful positions than someone else named? If you believe that Hillary would be more influential than someone else in that position then why would we want a wallflower as Sec. of State?

RHM

Tony, there's no way in hell Hillary will be Secretary of State. I honestly think Obama has those conversations with her just to stroke her ego. She and Bill not only have too much baggage, but would pull the rug out from under his feet every chance they get. And do you honestly think HRC would put herself in a position where she could be fired? No way.

She'll be the next justice appointed to SCOTUS.

Just my two pesos,

RHM

superdestroyer

Biden was picked because he was much older than Obama, would not be running for president in eight years, and is considering a laughing stock by the main stream media. There is zero chance that Biden would overshadow Obama in any way.

Manchester2

Biden has been in the Senate for more than 3 decades. He saw the Vice Presidency as a chance to end a long career honorably. Besides, it's apparent he'll never earn the Presidency on his own merits. At least he can be a "heart-beat away."

kritt11

Biden will still be VP- no one expects another Dick Cheney who ran circles around Rice and Powell. There will be plenty for him to do in the realm of domestic policy-- and I'm sure having Hillary at the helm would not prevent him from having some input. But, I actually think Obama should pick Bill Richardson.

StockBoySF

I have a question (no need to answer it in response). Consider this a public service announcement or maybe today's lesson in civics...

How many cabinet officials can we all name? I used to know all of them but realized, while ondering Obama's possible picks, that I no longer know them all.... I don't know if that says something about me, about the media (not reporting on what the government is doing), or the Bush administration or something else. But herewith is a link to the presidential succession (I had forgotten the entire order, too).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_pres...

kritt, I'm not too keen on Richardson being Sec. of State (but not against it)..... On an earlier post by someone I mentioned I could go either way with Hillary.... I'd like to see a Republican named....

DLS

Hopefully he'll provide the foreign policy advice that makes this issue less of a cause of concern about the Democrats; his vanishing is not a surprise, nor the hypocritical treatment of this by the liberal media as contrasted with how Sarah Palin was treated by them (which actually gave Palin and the GOP team legitimate grounds for controlling media access to -- and abuse of -- her).

kritt11

Pls DLS- Palin was not abused by the liberal media. There were plenty of conservatives and moderate Republicans who were coming out against her as well as liberals. The press' job is to reveal whether she's a worthy candidate or just mouthing the party platform- and that's just what they did. Thank you Katie Couric.

If there would be anyone more dangerous at VP than Cheney, it would be Palin.

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