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[nenjin]

Eh, Dems wouldn't bat an eye at that. It's more than he's a bit handsy in diplomatic situations. He does seem to like to snuggle up to people, which some might consider charming, others creepy and still others inappropriate. I think the concern is that "Uncle Joe" is a little too folksy. For the VP that's fine, for the President it comes with some costs. GW took a lot of flak for not having enough gravitas, I think Biden has some of the same problems.

[Karlito]

I mostly think of his "gaffes" as swearing with a live mic, and such.

[Descan]

Honestly, I like Biden because of his gaffes. Shows he's not always a politician and that he has things he cares more about than just pandering for votes.

[FearfulJesuit]

Vote for a charming uncle figure who doesn't take policy advice from his wife's astrologers. Vote Biden.

[RedKing]

Hey, since these things always seem to come down to "which candidate would you rather have a beer with?", Biden should run. Because I'd totally grab a beer with Biden. I doubt Clinton even DRINKS beer. And how can you understand the American people if you don't chug a cold one every now and then?

[Grim Portent]

And how can you understand the American people if you don't chug a cold one every now and then?

Repeated head trauma? 

[nenjin]

I think the momentum to elect the first female president is going to be pretty hard to ignore on the Democrat side.

[FearfulJesuit]

I think the momentum to elect the first female president is going to be pretty hard to ignore on the Democrat side.

At this time in early 2007, Clinton's candidacy looked pretty inevitable, too. Then again, we ended up electing America's first black president instead of its first female president.

It's definitely true that pretty much all her potential rivals are greying white guys- there aren't any minorities waiting in the wings. But enough of the Democratic base distrusts Hillary that someone with a good enough ground game could steal the nomination.

[Grim Portent]

I think the momentum to elect the first female president is going to be pretty hard to ignore on the Democrat side.

Well Hillary has a lot going for her as a mainstream candidate, and the 'first female president' thing could be enough to win over the Democrats that are less fond of her.

[Dutchling]

But enough of the Democratic base distrusts Hillary that someone with a good enough ground game could steal the nomination.

As someone who doesn't really follow US politics: how can Clinton be the obvious Democratic candidate when the above is (presumably) true?

[Grim Portent]

But enough of the Democratic base distrusts Hillary that someone with a good enough ground game could steal the nomination.

As someone who doesn't really follow US politics: how can Clinton be the obvious Democratic candidate when the above is (presumably) true?

Absence of a direct challenger.

[nenjin]

ninja'd. Right now I think no democrat wants to invoke the ire of the progressive parts of the party, the electorate, or the next potential POTUS.

[Lord Shonus]

But enough of the Democratic base distrusts Hillary that someone with a good enough ground game could steal the nomination.

As someone who doesn't really follow US politics: how can Clinton be the obvious Democratic candidate when the above is (presumably) true?

Hillary's the only candidate (so far) with significant appeal to the entire party, even if large elements of the base distrusts her. Every viable candidate so far either has declined to run, or has appeal only within a fairly narrow range of the voting base, which not only limits their appeal but risks alienating and shearing off large portions of the "fringe" voters (who are roughly in the middle of the two parties depending on how the current candidates stand on the issues most important to them) or single issuers, driving them into the Republican camp.

[FearfulJesuit]

But enough of the Democratic base distrusts Hillary that someone with a good enough ground game could steal the nomination.

As someone who doesn't really follow US politics: how can Clinton be the obvious Democratic candidate when the above is (presumably) true?

Absence of a direct challenger.

Correct. At this point, it's essentially circular reasoning: Hillary is the frontrunner because she's the frontrunner, and nobody is stepping up to challenge her because she's the frontrunner; and since nobody else dares to take her on, she's the default candidate.

There's also a lot of goodwill left over from her husband's years in office, too. Most Americans remember Bill's administration fondly, including a lot of working-class whites, who have spent the past fifty years slowly migrating away from the Democrats. I worked a few phones for the Obama campaign in the weeks before the 2012 election- this was in a Rust Belt city that still has a large white working class-, and about every fourth or fifth call I'd get some guy in his fifties who was nostalgic for Bill Clinton but disliked Obama.

[Lord Shonus]

But enough of the Democratic base distrusts Hillary that someone with a good enough ground game could steal the nomination.

As someone who doesn't really follow US politics: how can Clinton be the obvious Democratic candidate when the above is (presumably) true?

Absence of a direct challenger.

Correct. At this point, it's essentially circular reasoning: Hillary is the frontrunner because she's the frontrunner, and nobody is stepping up to challenge her because she's the frontrunner; and since nobody else dares to take her on, she's the default candidate.

There's also a lot of goodwill left over from her husband's years in office, too. Most Americans remember Bill's administration fondly, including a lot of working-class whites, who have spent the past fifty years slowly migrating away from the Democrats. I worked a few phones for the Obama campaign in the weeks before the 2012 election- this was in a Rust Belt city that still has a large white working class-, and about every fourth or fifth call I'd get some guy in his fifties who was nostalgic for Bill Clinton but disliked Obama.

Expanding on this, a lot of people consider Hillary to have been the brains behind Bill in the first place, with the most common reason given (around here, anyway) for voting for her in the primary was "she did a good job the first time she was President."