Dear Friends,
Before I tell you why Joe Biden should run for President, here’s an event all pipeline fighters need to know about: The Midwest Tar Sands/Bakken Petroleum Summit. With pipelines threatening to sprout-up like weeds, Midwest organizers are working to build broader regional opposition. Next Saturday in Madison, WI, Jane Kleeb (NE), Winona LaDuke (MN), Beth Wallis (MI) and I share our perspectives on the issue. For the complete agenda, click here. Contact (608) 274-2845 or gasp.mad@gmail.com if you’d like to register.
So, when is a sitting two-term Vice President considered a long shot for the presidency? When his name’s Joe Biden, it seems.
Historically, both Republican and Democratic VPs are almost always regarded as the favored candidate when the office of President becomes available. In fact, the surest way to become President is to first serve as Vice President. Yet the press regularly refers to Biden as a long shot, and a recent poll found him landing only 9% of the Iowa Democratic Caucus vote.
Regardless of what you think of Biden’s stands on issues, the guy is articulate as the day is long. He has political and policy experience like no other presidential prospect – Democrat or Republican. He’s never been plagued by either financial or “relational” scandals. He works hard. And he’s a darn good pool player.
So what gives? I really don’t know the answer to this one, so help me out by sending your response to:
https://www.facebook.com/ed.fallon.3 (Comment on the post at the top of the feed.)
I’ll share some of your responses on the Fallon Forum today at 11:00. And whether or not you’d support Joe Biden for President, as the sitting VP, he oughta run, right? He oughta at least give it a shot, don’t ya think?
In other political news, with the loss of Steve Colbert and now Jon Stewart, those of us who value comedy as the most accurate form of political news analysis must encourage new talent to rise and fill the void. Ok, I don’t know if these folks are the answer to the fading Colbert/Stewart dynasty, but it’s funny, local and . . . well, you decide. I imagine Congressman Dave Loebsack and Senator Joni Ernst would be less than pleased (and I do appreciate both of them taking time to meet with me in Washington, DC recently), but with regards to political courage in Loebsack’s case and grasping the issues in Ernst’s case, these folks have a point:
You think I’m done spouting controversial drivel? Not even close! On today’s Fallon Forum, State Rep. Dan Kelley joins me to discuss sports betting. Five bucks says Dan’s against it. But is the clout and political acumen of the Rep. from Iowa’s Windy City (a.k.a., Newton) enough to defeat sports betting legislation making its way through the Statehouse with the backing of a hungry gambling lobby?
And no, I’m still not done. Vaccinations. If I had a needle stuck in my arm for every time someone told me this past week that, “Those anti-vaccine people just need to buck-up and have their kids vaccinated,” I’d look like an acupuncture client on life support. We’ll talk about this sticky issue, with opinions on both sides, on today’s Fallon Forum.
Now you know the answer to the question, “What do Joe Biden, sports betting and vaccines have in common?” Answer: They’ll all be discussed on today’s Fallon Forum.
Tune-in Monday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CST on KDLF 1260 AM or online. Join the conversation by calling (515) 528-8122. You also can hear the Fallon Forum on KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames) at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and on KPVL 89.1 FM (Postville) at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Thanks!
Ed Fallon