What if you are a conservative politician who thinks impeaching the president is a bad idea politically, but who has a conservative constituency who thinks you should do everything you can to stop President Barack Obama, including pursuing impeachment? How about warn of the grave consequence of impeaching and removing Obama from office: A Joe Biden presidency.
Tom Cotton, the Republican congressman who is running for Senate in Arkansas, is utilizing the “Joe Biden” threat strategy. He quipped to The Washington Post’s Bob Costa Wednesday that he opposes impeachment because it would “make Joe Biden president.”
Conservative Colorado Rep. Raul Labrador gave the same answer when he was asked about Sarah Palin’s call for Obama’s impeachment earlier this month.
“Nobody wants a President Joe Biden,” he said.
This strikes me as a clever message for conservatives in Congress, especially those running in competitive elections this fall. Some of the Republican base want lawmakers to do whatever they can to stop Obama and his policies, no matter how politically and practically stupid (see Ted Cruz’s defund Obamacare strategy). So how can you navigate around the politically perilous — and factually unwarranted — Obama impeachment strategy without alienating a base you need to come out and help elect you? Provide a dose of humor and invoke the frightening specter of President Joe Biden