I think it's safe to say that I'm not a big Joe Biden fan. In fact, I think he's a half-wit. But I don't think it's wise to assume, as some seem to do, that Hillary Clinton will march unimpeded to the Democratic nomination if she chooses to seek it.
Recent history tells us that vice-presidents are tough to beat.
In the past fifty-plus years, four incumbent VPs have sought a promotion. All four got their party's nomination -- Richard Nixon in 1960, Hubert Humphrey in 1968, George Bush in 1988, and Al Gore in 2000. That's not enough cases to prove anything, but 4-for-4 ain't bad in any game I know of.
Getting elected is another matter -- only one of the four (Bush) won in November. But I would say that is simply proof that the public seems to think that two terms is enough for any party. But I would also note that the three who lost all came close -- Nixon lost in the closest election up to that time; Gore won the popular vote; and Humphrey made a huge comeback in the closing weeks of the campaign and lost the popular vote by only 0.7%, in what should have been a horrendous year for Democrats.
Joe Biden is not to be taken lightly (politically, at least).
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