Decrepit Old Fool

Rumor: Biden to drop out of race on 05 October

You can always count on rumors from an “excellent source”.

Found this on Cajun’s blog. He’s a really interesting guy with fascinating knowledge of energy infrastructure and also guns and tanks. He’s also as conservative politically as you can get, and I know I can say that without worrying that he might take it as anything but a compliment. Recently the following email landed in his inbox, and he asked ”Could this one be true?”

Let me share some info with you that I have gotten from excellent sources within the DNC: On or about October 5th, Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary. This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10/2.

There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed with this info. generally, the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible. I have already seen a few short blurbs about this - the ‘health problem’ cited in those articles was aneurysm. Probably many of you have heard the same rumblings.

However, at this point, with this inside info from the DNC, it looks like this Obama strategy will be a go. Therefore, it seems that the best strategy is to get out in front of this Obama maneuver, spell it out in detail, and thereby expose it for the grand manipulation that it is.

So, let’s start mixing this one up and cut the Obamites off at the pass - send this info out to as many people as you can - post about it on websites and blogs - etc etc

Could it be true? Sure, in the sense that it doesn’t violate any laws of physics or causality. And Biden had surgery for two aneurysms in the late ‘80’s. But even if it were true, I’d take Hillary over Palin any day. At least Hillary knows what the heck she’s doing. I’ve had enough of incompetent government.

Posted by George on 09/20/08 at 07:25 PM

My guess is it’s a false rumor. Has the Obama Campaign had any problem with leaks in the past?

Posted by Paul Sunstone on 09/21/08 at 04:04 AM
The problem with spreading such a rumor is that if Biden does have a legitimate health issue or some other issue to drop out than all these conservative bloggers can claim “Ah Ha!!” When in reality there rumor was just a rumor and mere coincidence.

Posted by webs05 on 09/21/08 at 08:22 AM
It has all the classic earmarks of a false rumor: the claim to be from “an excellent source” who is of course unnamed, the unnecessary specificity, and the tiny grain of truth (that Biden had an aneurysm in the ‘80’s), all to make it sound credible. To a connoisseur of fakery, it’s a classic.

I found it amusing that it’s being excitedly passed around by the deranged right. They’re so eager to believe stuff like this.

Posted by George on 09/21/08 at 08:33 AM
From Snopes:
A strategy of calculatedly springing a change of running mates on the public just before an election carries the danger of proving a double-edged sword: Whatever boost Barack Obama’s campaign might conceivably gain by swapping Joe Biden for Hillary Clinton just a month before the general election might also be more than offset by criticism that such a last-minute switch demonstrated poor decision-making ability and was indicative of a weak and vacillating presidential candidate.

Last updated: 18 September 2008

Posted by webs05 on 09/21/08 at 09:15 PM
George—

Thanks for the link and kind words.

Far from being deranged, I sort of laughed when I got this email. I don’t think that Hillary is up for the move myself, and unlike McCain’s choice of Palin as VP, Barack choosing Hillary would leave him with half the country wondering when Hillary was going to preside over the funeral after his assassination.

No, I don’t think it’s true. But it is humorous that such an idea surfaces.

Posted by mostly cajun on 09/22/08 at 12:23 PM
Just out of interest, what happens if McCain drops dead before 4 Nov. What about between 4 Nov and 20 Jan?

Posted by Last Hussar on 09/22/08 at 10:06 PM
No idea. Anyone know?

Posted by George on 09/22/08 at 10:08 PM
Don’t know the answer to the last question, but my sense is that this is just a false rumour started by the McCain camp—Rick Davis, anyone?... fits right in the other lies Davis et al have been spreading. McCain’s camp needs to re-direct attention so that the American people don’t figure out that the folks who brought down the financial structure are the ones now wanting to “fix” it, and profit again at that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/us/politics/22mccain.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Posted by WeeDram on 09/23/08 at 08:51 PM
But, but, but its teh DEMOCRATS who control the Hill, it MUST be their fault.

Posted by Last Hussar on 09/24/08 at 05:01 PM
Well pretty much! After all, the Republicans had six years where they controlled everything. That is why the budget was balanced, we were at peace, the environment was improving, and federal response to Katrina became a model for the rest of the world to follow. Now that the Democrats have had a slim majority for two years, everything is their fault.

Posted by George on 09/24/08 at 05:15 PM
So I am going offsite for the job to do some work. Wisconsin to be exact and I am traveling with my coworker. What do we listen to the whole ride up… Rush Limbaugh. I had never listened to more than a soundbite of his before and all I can say is wow. The lunacy and nutiness of him scares me really. When I couldn’t take it anymore, after 2 hours, I finally responded to one of Rush’s comments on how Dems are destroying the world and I said out loud very sarcastically, “Well we are a bunch of fucking terrorists!” My coworker smiled and said, “You know I am very conservative and I take most of what he says with a grain of salt.” I felt a lot better the rest of the trip and we had a decent conversation.

There is still hope for the world…

Posted by webs05 on 09/24/08 at 05:36 PM
“with a grain of salt.” Conservative or liberal, letting that sewage pour into one’s brain for hours at a time has to have a demyelinating effect on the old neurons.

If I were manager of a radio station, I would go down in flames before I’d let that man pollute my airwaves. At some point we have to stop thinking of ourselves as consumers and remember that we are citizens.

Posted by George on 09/24/08 at 06:15 PM
My thought is…so what? The only thing conservatives could do about it is try to claim “manipulation”...and again, so what? Pot, meet kettle! How would it change any of the realities of the absolute economic, moral, and constitution-shredding failures of republican rule?
Sure, it could help the republicans, because they could use it to suggest waffling or lying, but it doesn’t magically change their horrible record on issues across the board.

People like your friend there get on my nerves. He’s willing to pass around silly rumors that even if true, mean nothing to anyone who cares about real issues. It is a great illustration of the absolute petty shallow worthlessness of modern conservative politics. I would rather hear him defend his party’s choices, but it’s obviously far more productive for a conservative to be a jingoist and rumor monger.

Oh, no, teh Hilleries! Changing horses in midstream! Run! Oh, my God, they might switch candidates to someone who also has experience and basic verbal skills…how dishonest of those commies! They might try a tactic almost as ridiculous and manipulative as the republicans’ tactics, so we’ve got to drag them through however much mud we can whip up! Hypocrites For America! Yay!

Posted by Neil on 09/26/08 at 04:22 PM

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