Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for President?
No. No. No.
A thousand times…”NO.”
Biden might be an affable guy, and he’s endured a tremendous amount of tragedy in his life, having lost a wife and daughter to a car crash and a son to brain cancer, but he does not deserve to carry the Democratic banner against President Donald Trump in 2020.
For me, it all goes back to the 1991 confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
I watched on TV — horrified — as Biden, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, presided over the debacle that ended with him deferring to Missouri Sen. John C. Danforth, Thomas’ sponsor, during the confirmation hearings.
Clarence Thomas with former U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah (left) and Sen. John C. Danforth of Missouri in 1991
Biden truncated the hearings and let Thomas’ nomination go to the full Senate, where Thomas was approved 52-48. (Biden voted against confirmation on the Senate floor, but the damage was done in committee.)
So, for the ongoing spectacle of Thomas bumbling along out of his depth on the Supreme Court, we can thank Jack Danforth and Joe Biden.
The former senators — pals from different parties — put collegial deference above injustice to a classy and dignified woman, Anita Hill, who had the courage to go before the cameras and tell the story of Thomas’ outrageous treatment of her when she had worked for him at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Who can ever forget the line he allegedly uttered in her presence: “Who has put pubic hair on my Coke?”
**
In November 2017, Hill, a professor at Brandeis University, sat down at The Washington Post with five current and former Democratic lawmakers who had sided with Hill in 1991.
One of those former lawmakers, Pat Schroeder, a Colorado Democrat, recalled that on the morning of Oct. 11, 1991, she and another of Hill’s allies in the House of Representatives, Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat, went to see Biden because they felt the confirmation process was being rushed.
In the 2017 interview, Schroeder said…
We went to see Biden, because we were so frustrated by it. And he literally kind of pointed his finger and said, you don’t understand how important one’s word was in the Senate, that he had given his word to (Danforth) in the men’s gym that this would be a very quick hearing, and he had to get it out before Columbus Day (a few days later).
A specific change Biden made in the proceedings that benefitted Thomas was deciding, at the last minute, to let Thomas testify before Hill. In doing that, Hill said, Biden allowed Thomas “to do a preemptive strike against me.”
In a 1994 New York Times article, columnist Frank Rich called Biden “Mr. Danforth’s all-too-eager tool.”
“The chairman (Biden) rushed the hearings at the Republicans’ request,” Rich wrote, “suppressing crucial evidence and witnesses in the process. As the Hill-Thomas showdown neared, he had top aides tend to his own p.r. rather than prepare for the hearings. But even as Mr. Biden kept ugly testimony about the nominee’s private life off limits at Mr. Danforth’s urging, the chairman applied another standard to Ms. Hill, who was fair game for any character assassin with a hearing-room microphone.”
Rich said that rather than regretting his performance, Biden looked back on it, at least in 1994, as a publicity coup. In a book about the Thomas confirmation, Biden is quoted as saying: “Most voters can’t name their own senator. But now everywhere I go, I get recognized.”
**
Biden has never unequivocally apologized for his treatment of Hill or taken responsibility for it.
A few weeks ago, while laying the groundwork for yesterday’s announcement that he would seek the Democratic nomination, Biden called Hill and expressed “his regret for what she endured” 28 years ago.
In an interview Wednesday with The Times, Hill said…
“I cannot be satisfied by (him) simply saying, ‘I’m sorry for what happened to you.’ I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose.”
Biden had his big chance to match Hill’s courage 28 years ago, when he should have gone to Danforth and told him he had changed his mind and would not rush the confirmation hearings.
So, Joe can go around kissing babies, smelling women’s hair and doing whatever he wants, but he won’t be getting my vote…ever.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Who will?
TBD
Thank you Jim. Good piece.
I watched every minute of those hearings and like 75% of the American people at that time did not believe Anita Hill. There was one witness who came forth to testify for Thomas from Senator Danforth’s office who convinced me in 5 minutes that she had, indeed, been sexually harassed.
This was indeed a high tech lynching of an uppity black man (just as they did to Herman Cain and any other person of color who attempts to leave the Democrat plantation). Today, the press has successfully turned those numbers around with their constant drumbeat of Democrat talking points, but the facts remain the same.
Better reasons for not voting for Biden remain the issues that knocked him out of the previous presidential race, his plagiarism and was there a cheating scandal? Add to that his incessant gaffes like the one made about Obama being a “clean” black man and you actually have real reasons not to vote for this creepy old geezer.
Nice kicker, John…I’m just worried about the prospect of me becoming an old geezer, although I think I’ll be able to avoid the creepy tag.
I agree Jim. Biden would be a mistake to be the Democratic candidate. Who it should be I do not think is very obvious yet and there is lots of time before the primaries start.
I think the more likely scenario is one of these age 70+ candidates (or even Trump) have a major health issue/scare that reminds everyone of their age and the majority of voters decide someone younger is needed for the job.
The Census Bureau now says the number of voters younger than 35 who actually voted showed a dramatic increase between 2016 and 2018 (and will likely happen again for 2020), it will be that group that decides who the next president will be.
That’s a hopeful sign, Bill — an increasing number of young people voting.
Between 2014 and 2018 according to the Census Bureau:
Ages 18-29 20% voted 2014. 36% voted 2018.
Ages 30-44 36% voted 2014. 49% voted 2018.
Ages 45-59 47% voted 2014. 60% voted 2018.
Ages 60+ 59% voted 2014. 66% voted 2018.
So other statistics:
67% of voters 18-29 voted Democratic.
58% of voters 30-44 voted Democratic.
60% of college graduates voted Democratic.
Turnout in metro areas: 54%. Turnout in non-metro areas: 52%. This was a flip from 2014 when rural voter turnout exceeded metro area turnout.
Biden certainly has his faults when it comes to interacting with women. But, if it comes down to a choice between Biden and Donald “grab ‘em by the pussy” Trump, I know who I will vote for.
As for the Democratic nomination, my head is still spinning from the cast of (seemingly) thousands of potential nominees. I don’t think I’m going to be able to focus until about half of them drop out.
We’ve got an embarrassment of riches on the Democratic side.
Bill — Thanks for the stats. No wonder the Trump administration wants to discourage non-citizens from participating in the Census.
“Kid, Write an editorial declaring ‘Rep. Joe Smith: The Devil.”
Ok, good job.
3 days later.
“Kid, write an editorial proclaiming ‘Rep. Joe Smith: Up For Sainthood.”
But sir, that contradicts our previous opinion.
“Kid, do you think the public gives a good God Damn about what you wrote 3 days ago.”
R.R. to JWS – 1957