When former President Barack Obama was running for re-election in 2012, he wanted to dump Joe Biden as his VP and replace him with Hillary Clinton, according to a bombshell new book.
New York Magazine national correspondent Gabriel Debenedetti is lifting the lid in a new book on the real behind-the-scenes relationship between Obama and his former Vice President Joe Biden.
Gabriel reports that Obama considered booting Biden from the ticket and replacing him with Clinton.
The Daily Mail got an early copy of the book and reported: “After the Democrats’ heavy losses in the 2010 midterm elections, Obama did consider asking Clinton to be his running mate for 2012 despite denying it at the time.
“Obama asked his aides to look into all possibilities with ‘few boundaries on their research’ and they tested Clinton’s name to supporters and surrogates.
“As the ‘chatter became a roar’ Biden became ‘distraught’ at the prospect he would not be around for a second term, but Obama eventually stuck with him.
“The two men’s relationship was further tested in 2012 over the issue of gay marriage.
“Obama planned to announce that he supported it in a TV interview, likely on ABC with Robin Roberts, the Good Morning America host.
“But before he could do that Biden gave a TV interview and said that was his opinion too, sparking national headlines about the historic significance of such a statement.
“Among Obama’s aides, there was ‘disbelieving fury’ while some said: ‘We can’t trust him to say his lines and he’s out of practice anyway.’
“Others ranted: ‘He’s ruined what should have been Obama’s historic moment because he can’t control his loud mouth’ or exclaimed: ‘What the f***?’”
The blurb for the book says:
“Delving far deeper than the simplistic “bromance” narrative that’s long held the public eye, The Long Alliance reveals the past, present, and future of the unusual partnership, detailing its development, its twists and turns, its ruptures and reunions, and its path to this pivotal moment for each man’s legacy.
“The true story of this relationship, from 2003 into 2022, is significantly more layered and consequential than is widely understood.
“The original mismatch between the veteran Washington traditionalist and the once-in-a-generation outsider has transformed repeatedly in ways that have molded not just four different presidential campaigns and two different political parties, but also wars, a devastating near-depression, movements for social equality, and the fight for the future of American democracy.
“The bond between them has been, at various times over the past two decades, tense, affectionate, nonexistent, and ironclad ― but it has always been surprising.
“Now it is shaping a second presidential administration and the future of the world as we know it.”
