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Does Biden's Place on Obama Ticket Put Day Job in Jeopardy?
August 23, 2008 6:39 PM
ABC News' Arnab Datta & Ed O'Keefe Report: When Joe Biden joined Barack Obama on the Democratic presidential ticket Saturday, he also joined another rare club: senators who run simultaneously for the office of vice president and reelection to the Senate.
Biden, D-Del., first elected in 1972 to the 'world's greatest deliberative body' at the tender age of 29, is seeking reelection to his seventh 6-year term in 2008. And though Delaware is a reliably Democratic state, the precarious 51-49 balance of power in the Senate puts even more pressure on the newly minted vice presidential contender to clarify a murky situation.
If he is elected to both offices, Biden's new term as senator would begin on January 3rd. The new governor would be sworn in a few weeks after, on the third Tuesday in January. No matter what, the current governor -- Ruth Ann Minner, a Democrat -- would appoint his successor.
Precedent for this is then Sen. Dan Quayle, R-Ind., in 1988, who resigned in between the election and his inauguration as vice president, and the governor of Indiana at that time appointed his successor.
In 2000, Sen. Joe Lieberman, then a Democrat, ran for both reelection to the Senate and as Vice President Al Gore's running mate. He went 1-for-2 and kept his day job.
The Delaware constitution, however, does not explicitly refer to whether a candidate can run for the Senate and vice president in the same general election. Local papers indicate that state law allows Biden to run for re-election to the Senate as well as for the vice presidency simultaneously. With the legal issues unclear, the current Attorney General of Delaware may be called on to interpret. Luckily for Sen. Biden, the Attorney General of Delaware happens to be his son, Beau Biden.
If needed, possible replacements for Biden include his son Beau, Lt. Gov. John Carney, State Treasurer Jack Markell, or Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.
ABC News' Matt Jaffe contributed to this report.
August 23, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (44)
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Probably not. He will win and hold the place for a Democrat to be appointed. Probably couldn't even remove his name at5 this late date even if he was inclined to. Not that he is inclined to.
Posted by: Thinking | Aug 23, 2008 6:54:38 PM
Obama is going to lose anyway
Posted by: henderson | Aug 23, 2008 6:55:18 PM
Wrong. Obama will win, big.
Posted by: dem in chicago | Aug 23, 2008 7:15:55 PM
Gallup:
"Obama Lags in Democratic Support
August 22, 2008
Barack Obama receives less support from Democratic voters than John McCain does from Republicans. Convention week and his V.P. pick could be crucial in changing that.
Yes, for the worse. Obama is going lose.
Posted by: Samantha | Aug 23, 2008 7:17:54 PM
Lose the hate Democrats. Obama supporters need to stop attacking Hillary and her supporters. Having to convince them to not vote McCain is your OWN fault, stop dis respectting and hating your fellow Democrats, you are playing right into the hands of the real enemy, the Republicans. Hillary supporters on the other hand need to look past the rhetoric, ditch the hatred too and realize this is a race as was the primary and anyone running will do what they need to to win, they ALL do it. Hillary will always remain 'our girl' but for this moment it is Obama's and now Joe Biden's show. Help them out and let's put a Democrat back in the White House so that America can proper and grow once again. Be a dedicated Democrat and a patriotic American, vote the Republicans out! Listen to Obama speak, listen to Biden speak, then be honest about who you think would make the better President, Obama or McCain? You will regret your vote if you waste it on McCain, don't be stupid. It's obvious, McCain is NOT what America needs, he is a liar and will be a continuation of Bush, no doubt.
As a staunch Hillary supporter, with Obama's choice of Joe Biden, I am fully now behind the Obama/Biden ticket.
Lose the hate, let's get it right this time, we don't need another destructive Republican in the White House.
Posted by: Democrats 08 | Aug 23, 2008 7:36:05 PM
Just look all the Democratic support Biden received in the primaries. the sound equivalent is cricket chirps
Posted by: geevill | Aug 23, 2008 7:38:49 PM
I extremely glad Obama chose Biden.
This will be the easiest landslide since Reagan. Obama/Biden08. It's a landslide baby.
Posted by: Vanessa | Aug 23, 2008 7:48:13 PM
People dont vote for vice presidents. Mr Obama will never be president.
Posted by: brigitte | Aug 23, 2008 7:56:25 PM
Thank God Barack finally dumped Hillary for good. She is such a pushy twit she would have tried to run the White House again.
Posted by: Doc Savage | Aug 23, 2008 8:04:46 PM
Biden will be fie. His son the AG will ceate a lopphole just like he issued a bogus warrant for Larry Sinclair
Posted by: geevill | Aug 23, 2008 8:20:11 PM
Obama actually lost election at the forum. The selection of Biden only nailed his coffin shut. It's over, Obama......you'll be going back to Chicago to do community work at Trinity Church.
Posted by: TJ | Aug 23, 2008 8:25:50 PM
The GOP is going to have a field day with this. Lets see, 90% of the time, Biden supported McCain. Biden, on the record said Obama was too inexperienced run for President. Biden, like McCain, voted for the Iraq war. Biden also supported offshore drilling. Now, maybe Biden is a "mole" to be on the inside to bring Obama down. Added to this, the Hillary effect. You can bet that Bill will be up to something, and CNN just stated that the number of Hillary supporters voting for McCain has increased substantially since Obama's announcement of Biden as his VP. I am going to LOVE to watch Obama give his concession speech to President John McCain!
Posted by: TJ | Aug 23, 2008 8:31:25 PM
Love Hillary, like Biden, will vote McCain. Biden just can't take the stink off Bozo, but I liked how Obama introduced him today as the nest President of the United States!
Voters will never vote because of your #2......it's McCain all the way and after Warren's faith forum, it was a clear choice.
Hillary supporter for McCain
Obama better get that bump next week in polls....with the Hollywood production at the Conviction. He didn't get it when Hillary dropped out, didn't get it with ego maniacal World Tour, pressure on Biden to bring up the polls with Hillary supporters NOT JUMPING ON BOARD.
Love watching Fox with 2 dems and 2 reps discussing it now.
Everyone said it should have been Hillary for the WOW and CHANGE factor.
Posted by: Debra | Aug 23, 2008 9:06:59 PM
I really can't believe Obama made such a TERRIBLE choice. Let's think, who could have Obama picked that would amount to a bigger DO-NOTHING, LONG TERM, WASHINGTON INSIDER TYPICAL POLITICIAN. The answer: NOBODY. Obama picked the absolute worst anti-change politician there is.
I was really hoping Obama's brilliance and strength would show through by picking a dark horse, someone NEW, INTELLIGENT, FRESH. But he did not. I would have preferred anyone, including Clinton, over Biden. I am VERY disappointed.
Posted by: Eric | Aug 23, 2008 9:10:48 PM
Obama may or may not win the US presidency, but if he ever decides to return home to run for Kenya presidency, he will get the biggest landslide ever in the world history.
Posted by: Obama-Yah-Wright | Aug 23, 2008 9:28:06 PM
Mr. Biden, please run for both, Senate and zero-bama's President.
Zero-bama will lose, and you are needed in the Senate and beyond.
Posted by: fact check | Aug 23, 2008 9:34:25 PM
Who cares? Hillary ran for two years!!!
She went crawling back to her hole in the senate. They all do it. Too bad that fat, buck toothed idiot couldn't have shown a little class. Now we are stuck with this big eared Bozo that nobody really likes. Remember the likeability factor. NO! You will in Novemebr.
Posted by: Ed | Aug 23, 2008 10:20:58 PM
I'm still trying to figure out why mccain confused the Packers with the Steelers last month while speaking to a Pittsburgh crowd. He said he used the names of the famous Steelers Defensive line of the 1970's while being interrogated, too bad these guys weren't even playing when mccain was being interrogated. He is either going senile or he was trying to pull one over on the Pittsburgh crowd, either way this is BAD news for mc-more-war. You can check out the article by going into google and typing "mccain steelers" and picking the first link.
Obama 2008!!!
Posted by: pt | Aug 23, 2008 10:24:15 PM
Obama could have done better with his VP choice, but, I'm really glad he chose Biden. With the Obama/Biden ticket, you get a SURE loss in November and the GOP will keep the White House. Biden is a loose cannon that will open his mouth, insert foot, and bring Obama down. I think its over for the Obama campaign.
Posted by: david from texas | Aug 23, 2008 10:30:00 PM
It all comes down to whether or not you think we should continue the bush policies. If you think the war should continue indefinitely, while we spend $10,000,000,000 a month, and you think that bush has done well with the economy then mc-more-war is your man. If you think that it's time we start to get out of iraq and do some positive things for the average American instead of just the top 1% then vote for Obama/Biden.
Posted by: pt | Aug 23, 2008 10:32:47 PM
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