Is there any likelihood that Obama will not endorse Clinton?

[procon]

They have enjoyed a close working relationship and she seems to be willing to pick up a lot of his key issues. Black and Hispanic voters already have a long history with the Clintons, and if she secures that huge bloc of voters it would be very hard for her rivals to beat those numbers.

Or maybe Obama won't endorse anyone, but whether he does or doesn't, its vital that the winning Dem candidate attract minority voters to defeat the Republicans.

[still_one]

1. Unless Biden runs, I think it is a sure thing

[Purveyor]

11. I'm thinking more and more that Joe is going to run. His

appearence with the President today reenforced my thoughts..

What fun that should be around here if he does.

[brooklynite]

30. Biden ALWAYS shows up when Obama makes a foreign policy announcement.

[Purveyor]

32. We shall see... eom

[brooklynite]

34. The reasons Biden WON'T run are...

1. He's at the top of his career, and won't want to sully his image by losing the nomination -- again -- and especially losing to Hillary Clinton.

2. He'll be hard-pressed to raise the money and assemble the political team he'd need to compete with Hillary Clinton. All the good talent and the fundraisers will be tied up with other teams.

[Purveyor]

35. You just 'hang tight' with that. Imo there is a better than 50-50 he jumps in, most likely with

President Obama encouragement. There is scant little love between the Obamas' and the Clintons.

[brooklynite]

36. That's why Obama appointed Clinton as SOS?

[Purveyor]

37. As I said earlier, we shall see... eom

[Raine1967]

44. This…

I have mentioned it before, but I have a good friend who was very close to Biden during his last campaign. HE knows Joe and I asked him about this earlier this year (Superbowl Sunday, to be exact).

He said Joe does;t want to run again and risk losing a third time. He's got a sweet gig right now and is loving what he is doing.

I would love to see him in the race, but I simply do not see it happening.

[MADem]

46. Reason Number Three....

He knows full well that it's a fool's errand to stand in the way of history. His good friends have said as much. And HRC's presidency would be historical in every respect.

And reason number four--he's behind her in all polls by a monstrous amount.

Your point about money is especially salient--his donors are, in many cases, her donors...and she's got her donors locked up. Same deal with superdelegates, as well--he and HRC are long term friends, travel in the same circles (and that's no joke; their families have gone on VACATION together!). There's just no path to the nomination for Biden as long as Clinton is in the race--not money, not endorsements, not poll numbers.

Last, but not least, he was recently kicked in the gut with the death of Beau. That kind of tragedy is not easily overcome. The grief process can be long and the stress of campaigning wouldn't help him heal. He'd be better off serving as a surrogate and a champion for the nominee--that's in his wheelhouse and would be far less stressful.

[leveymg]

31. The President graciously accepted Madam Secretary's resignation in '12

That should tell you something. He fired CIA Director Petreaus on much less cordial terms.

Enough said.

[sufrommich]

2. Obama is going to endorse the democratic primary winner. nt

[Scootaloo]

7. Right there.

He's not going to barnstorm the primary.

[sufrommich]

9. I don't think any president has ever done it. nt

[sufrommich]

18. Oh my. Too much coffee? nt

[Scootaloo]

25. Oh lord n/t

[sufrommich]

26. I think his socks are on too tight. nt

[Scootaloo]

27. On his head n/t

[sufrommich]

28. lol. nt

[procon]

29. Wrong thread?

Certainly wrong info.

[Control-Z]

33. Because Hassan Rouhani wasn't

elected President of Iran until 2013?

[artislife]

21. I think you are right on this

He has played hands off in a lot of situations for better or worse. He will back the nominee.


*All bets are off if Biden joins the race. Those two are deep.

[sufrommich]

24. I think even if Biden joins the race Obama will

stay out of it. He's too classy to insert himself into the primaries and Biden is too classy to expect him to.

[London Lover Man]

53. He best stay out of it.

He ruined a few primaries that could have easily shifted to the favor of the Democrats...

[procon]

15. That's probably how it will go.

Although even without an official declaration, he does pretty good with a wink and a nod.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. yes I would think so

[Raine1967]

45. I was going to say the very same thing.

I thought that was politics 101.

[YOHABLO]

3. Oh please, you know he's going to endorse her. He still owes big time.

[oasis]

14. Yup

[artislife]

23. Just interested in what you mean

by "He still owes her big time.


I think he has been exceptionally wonderful. He asked his supporters to help pay off her campaign debts, he offered her the SOS and never undermined her position. I can't think of, not saying there wasn't, another President doing that for his opponent in the Primaries. I think she has treated him, for most part, equally as well. I understand that she must move away from his presidency in part to make her case that she is a leader with her own thoughts of how she would run things. They seem to honestly respect each other.

[frylock]

43. He still owes big time? Owes what? And why?

[onehandle]

4. He will endorse Hillary when she is clearly the nominee.

Which will be early next year when she has 2000+ delegates even before Super Tuesday.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Sitting presidents generally wait to endorse the winner of the primary.

[shenmue]

6. I don't think so

I think he'll opt for Clinton.

[BillZBubb]

8. If she is the nominee and asks for his endorsement, she'll get it.

[1StrongBlackMan]

47. She won't have to ask, if she wins the primaries. n/t

[BillZBubb]

50. I was suggesting the possibility that she might not want it.

For instance, if the politics on the Iran deal goes sideways, she may want to distance herself from the president. Not saying that will happen, but with over a year to go until the election, things can happen.

[1StrongBlackMan]

51. True. n/t

[okasha]

54. That was a huge mistake for Gore.

Hillary won't repeat it.

[BillZBubb]

56. Big difference though.

In spite of Monica L., Bill Clinton's approval ratings were very good. Gore was a fool to distance himself because of the right wing attacks on Clinton.

In my hypothetical, president Obama's popularity would fall because of right wing/Israeli attacks on the Iran deal. Hillary would then have a dilemma.

[okasha]

57. Too many buried assumptions.

Attacks from the right aren't likely to affect Obama's popularity--they attack him for breathing. Likewise Hillary. This looks like a non-dilemma to me.

[BillZBubb]

58. As I said, I only offered that as a possibility.

Things happen in politics. Sometimes strange and unexpected things.

[olddots]

10. Obama should endorse Trump

it would freak out the pukes and DU could go back to normal .

Actually aren't sitting presidents supposed to keep neutral ?

[Agnosticsherbet]

12. I doubt The President will endorse anyone in the primary.

Even if Biden gets in.

[Thinkingabout]

13. I have confidence he will endorse Hillary.

[BooScout]

16. Since Hillary will be the nominee...

He will endorse her. A sitting President who would not endorse a nominee would be tantamount to endorsing the GOP nominee.

[PoliticAverse]

19. He'll endorse the winner of the Democratic primary. n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

22. Obama will endorse the candidate that wins the nomination. /end thread. nt

[Le Taz Hot]

38. Zero.

Turns out he's just as corporate loving as she is.

[brooklynite]

39. If that's how you feel, I wouldn't vote for him again...

...that'll teach him.

[Le Taz Hot]

40. What do you mean, "again?"

[1StrongBlackMan]

48. A singlr moment of honesty. n/t

[MADem]

42. .....

[MADem]

41. Seeing as she's been serving as his surrogate up on the Hill today, I think she's got his approval.

She's keeping the delegations in the House and Senate in line with regard to the Iran nuclear deal--that is what she was doing--at Obama's behest--today up on the Hill.

So, I think his endorsement of her is pretty much a foregone conclusion. She was his SECSTATE after all--she helped make that deal happen.

[oldandhappy]

49. Pretty sure he will wait and endorse the candidate.

[Raine1967]

52. The President will endorse the Party Nominee.

That is a very simple answer. It's politics 101.

[BainsBane]

55. Depends if Biden runs

If he does, I expect the President will stay neutral. If not, I expect he will endorse Hillary Clinton.