Joe Biden (19 42-), a former veteran who served as a U.S. senator and Vice President, is the latest Senator to seek the highest office in the land. He succeeds Harry Truman, who is stepping down after two terms. The battle for the Democratic presidential nomination is already underway, with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama neck in the critical early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. As the summer months approach, the battle will heat up and become more pronounced. The current front-runner for the Democratic nomination, Mrs. Clinton, has already received the bulk of the pledged delegates and super delegates. Obama’s campaign manager, Robert Dole, has already indicated that the former VP candidate will win in Illinois, with or without a second place finish.
With less than three months until the first Democratic primary contest in South Carolina, the media is fixated on the possible turn out for Joe Biden in the race for the vice presidency. There has been much talk about his “positives and negatives”, his “approval rating” and his “trustworthiness”. Should Joe Biden win the Democratic presidential nomination, what would be the impact on the ticket? How would the country react to a former vice president, known for his passion and fiery character, as the President of the United States? In the world of public relations, how do you create a positive impression and build trust when you are running for the highest office in the land?
The first question to answer in this case is whether or not Joe Biden would have an impact on the outcome of the presidential election. With so many of the major decisions still up to the voters in primaries and caucuses throughout the country, the Vice President has a relatively small chance of winning the Democratic nomination. However, should he do well in the early states, he could impact the outcome by securing the necessary number of delegates required to clinch the nomination. This could also aid Hillary Clinton by ensuring she receives enough pledged delegates to receive the Democratic nomination without the need of superdelegation (which would require a unanimous vote by the superdelegate majority). Many see Hillary Clinton as the likely nominee, so securing the necessary pledged delegates to become the next president of the United States is a necessity for her campaign.
It is widely assumed that every candidate is favored to win the Democratic presidential nomination. No one can predict the eventual outcome of the race for any candidate other than the ones who have entered the race. The likelihood of a tight race is higher with a Democratic presidential primary with fewer visible superdelegate candidates. Less popular choices will have fewer superdelegations leading to a more fluid process at the national convention. A lot depends on the strength of the early state polls, the strength of the campaign strategy and the organizational strength of the down-ticket candidates.
Joe Biden would be an exciting vice presidential candidate in the running for president. If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, she and Joe Biden would be an unbeatable ticket for the presidential election in November of next year. If not the former vice president, than most political handicappers have already made up their minds that either Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden will be the presidential candidate to defeat the Republicans in the general election. If Joe Biden is chosen as the vice presidential candidate, it would not be a surprise if he captures the hearts of the voters during the general election season.
Both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are strong individuals with strong moral fiber and integrity. Each of them has different styles and personalities that would best compliment the other’s ticket. Although each of them represent very different types of leaders, their strong point of difference is on key issues such as trust, honesty and experience. In a long-term perspective, it is safe to say that both of them would make an excellent vice president.