Former Vice President Joe Biden “sure would” like Obama to be his 2020 running mate at a recent campaign stop ahead of the Iowa caucus.
Michelle Obama, though — not former President Barack Obama.
Asked by an attendee if he’d nominate former President Barack Obama to the Supreme Court, Biden said he’d consider the idea.
“Yeah, I would — but I don’t think he’d do it,” Biden said
But the attendee wasn’t done — he had a follow-up question for Biden…
“The second question is: which Obama?” he asked, to which the crowd cheered.
“Well, I sure would like Michelle to be the vice president,” Biden said, laughing.
“They’re both incredibly qualified people, I mean, and they’re such decent, honorable people.”
You can view the conversation the two had below:
Detractors on social media were quick to scrutinize Biden’s comments.
Some suggested that Biden’s quip was in response to rival candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-V.T., climb up the polls. A recently released New York Times/Siena College poll of likely Iowa Democratic Caucus-goers shows Biden a surprising third place among nominees.
“‘I’m falling in the polls so I’ll namedrop the Obamas again,'” @PoliticalJudo wrote.
Biden: “I’m falling in the polls so I’ll namedrop the Obamas again”
— Political Judo (@PoliticalJudo) January 28, 2020
“That’s a sign of desperation,” another Twitter user said.
That's a sign of desperation.
— The 10th Dentist (@EchoSevenJ) January 29, 2020
Others have also speculated that Biden’s referencing of the Obamas is a ploy to secure African American voters, an area of which Biden has unprecedented support compared to his Democratic rivals, according to Politico.
Trying to get the black vote. How about you get the nomination first. Michelle has already said she dont give a damn about Politics
— Dr. Qiana Shelton-Brown (@Qianasmassage) January 28, 2020
Fox News’ Tucker Carlson last summer questioned whether Biden had any central goal.
“He’s emphatically not an ideas man,” Carlson then said of Biden.
Instead, the Fox News star suggested he was simply running on “electability” — the idea that only he can beat President Donald Trump.
In other words, Biden is running on the idea that he’s “Obama 2.0.”
The Horn editorial team