Obama Sticking With Biden in 2012
Political circles have been abuzz with recent speculation that President Obama will replace Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate in 2012. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, fresh from his work in pushing through a same-sex marriage law in New York, is just the latest in a series of names that have surfaced over the past several months.
Last fall, columnist Bob Woodward suggested Obama was considering replacing Biden with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Not wanting to be labeled as number “two,” Clinton politely denied the rumor, as did the White House.
When asked about the rumor, Cuomo also dismissed it, saying, “That’s just political chatter and silliness. We want to stay focused on doing the good work with the people of the state.”
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The New York Post first reported the story that Cuomo was a possibility on Monday.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt Obama is going to pick him as his running mate,” William Powers, a former New York Republican Party chairman told the Post. “The president is in trouble and Biden doesn’t bring anything to his ticket.”
Rumors often circulate about mid-term replacements – just as they did when reports began popping up that President Bush was going to replace Vice President Dick Cheney in 2004.
However, K.T. McFarland, a Fox News national security analyst and former Republican candidate for Senate threw out the possibility that the “trial balloon” on Cuomo may have originated out of Albany rather than Washington. Although Cuomo is denying the latest round of rumors, he certainly hasn’t sworn off an interest in national office.
Biden has been criss crossing the country defending the administration's economic plan and has been a staunch ally of the president. Pundits saw if Biden were to be replaced on the ticket, he would most likely be offered a high profile position in the Obama administration, partly in reward for his unwavering loyalty.
Sources close to Cuomo jokingly told the New York Post that if the president called, “He wouldn’t answer.” They also say Cuomo's best strategy is to wait until 2016 when he has a shot at the top spot and can enjoy the advantages of being the Chief Executive of one of the country’s most populated states.
