I’m not too excited about the Senator-Senator running combo, but I can live with Biden. He’s going to be a gaffe-o-matic, but should be fun. At least he’s a clean, articulate white guy. I’m guessing he’ll be more willing to go on the attack for Obama than McCain’s best buddy, Joe Lieberman, was to go on the attack for Al Gore.
Update The political commentariat is ridiculous. I just saw a news report to the effect of “choice of Biden is unlikely to shake up the race.” The media beast has been practically wetting itself for a week in anticipation of the Vice-Presidential choice and, fact is, no matter who the choice was, it was unlikely to shake up the race very much.
Biden can speak to constituents in a sort of ‘blue-collareze’ that will appeal to those who see Obama as too intellectually nuanced,which comes across as ‘elite’..I’ve always enjoyed Biden on the Sunday talk shows and if anyone wants to understand the Middle East in depth and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars just wait for Biden to be asked a question and he will expound at length.This is Biden’s expert authority mode.
It’s been already pointed out that he makes many gaffes,but he has never suffered them long term ,it was also pointed out.Biden will give Fox news some good quotes to exploit politically,but they probably won’t have longterm political traction,a la Reagan.
Biden is a great running mate for Obama. Obama has a big ego of his own, so he deserves considerable credit for choosing someone who has the potential to overshadow him.. .Biden will hopefully make the Obama-Biden ticket a solid one with widepread appeal.
I stayed up until 2:00am watching this stuff, dumb but I like this stuff.In my opinion which isn’t worth 2 cents I know but this is the way I see this as a somewhat neutral observer in this campaign.Because of recent national security concerns this is the best pick for Obama.Biden will be a effective campaigner,knows national security,and will be a good debater.
Negatives.Steps on the change message,I think he’s been in the senate for something like 35 yrs which will provide a long record of votes to attack like McCain,as Doug stated gaffe prone,big mouth and long winded.Doesn’t help bring a state but VP’s rarely do anyway.The McCain campaign is already using Bidens words criticizing Obama on national security experience when he was in the race for president.I don’t think this will be effective unless McCain picks someone besides Romney for VP because there is plenty of ammo from when those two ran against each other.
In my opinion McCain will have to pick Romney because he’s the only one under consideration who can debate Biden.He’ll lose on national security but will do well discussing the economy.Pawlenty or some obscure congressman like Cantor or Portman won’t cut it.Pawlenty is cut in the soft spoken Bayh mold and would be eaten alive by Biden.
State of the race.In my small circle of folks large extended family of democrats,friends and around town Obama has a lot of work to do,Some undecided,some McCain,some were only going to vote for Obama if Clinton was the VP or they would stay home.
Most of these people do not know a lot about Obama but they know about Wright,Phleger(who mocked Clinton),Rezko,and Ayers.We also haven’t heard the last about these people either.New Ayers ad running as we speak and I read Stanley Kurtz is digging in to records about the two.
I have a sister in law who is a property manager for four large senior citizens complexes where these folks are also not to crazy about or at least unsure about Obama.What all the afore mentioned people have in common is including myself as far as voting this past Spring was they all voted for Clinton.Now this won’t matter in Indiana because unless a miracle happens Obama won’t win here anyway.But as stated by a talking head last night these are the type of voters Obama is having trouble with.White small town blue collar voters in the rust belt.
This of course is just my opinion which as I said isn’t worth 2 cents but oh well.
PTN–
If it makes them feel better, tell them about Keating, Liddy, Hagee, etc. If they want to obsess about crooks, whackjob preachers, and washed up homegrown terrorists, they might as well know the ones McCain hangs with.
T,
I’m sure they will as the ads start to fly from the 527’s and independent groups that each campaign can then say in the strongest of language “we condem these attacks they are deploarable and have nothing to do with the issues” all the while taking advantage of the so called “negative message” Americans always say we hate negative campaigning but the fact is it works.
And here’s a instance where I was wrong and lost on this subject.I thought there’s no way the american people would believe the SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH or whatever they called themselves in the 2004 race.I thought since Kerry had won medals medal of honor I believe among others who could believe the SWIFT BOATERS.Hell we all voted for Kerry except my brothers family who always seems to vote for who the NRA endorses I even put up a yard sign.
I as all here know and a lot of family and friends have been upset with the democrats since the whole immigration debate in the fact that the national party mainly leans to the less enforcement side of things but the issue is a wash in this race McCain has the same position.Rasmussen latest poll on the situation 69% dems,repubs,indep,want border secured first before legalization.
I laugh when people say Ralph Nader spolied the 2000 election in Florida. Gore chose Lieberman as his running mate, and that was enough to do him in right there. When the parties are so interchangeable, that someone can seriously considered for VP for either party, something has gone wrong. When people ask for bi-partisanship, aren’t they really just asking for both parties to think the same thing? I think it’s more likely the McCain will pick someone further to the right. Both Democrats seems pretty centrist to me.
eclecticvibe says:
‘When the parties are so interchangeable, that someone can seriously considered for VP for either party, something has gone wrong’.
That’s the widespread French view of American politics, that we Americans are all conservatives ,and our 2 parties have very little difference between them.But they and other Europeans also realize that’s what makes our government so stable.
I think that we Americans wouldn’t appreciate a system where we’d have 3 parties all with about 33% following.It would mean governing would require massive compromise with those we don’t agree with. So the reason for being of a 3rd party would be destroyed in the process of implementation of effective government.
I would rather see the compromise come from within each party,i.e, ‘change with stability’.
This American would appreciate it- deeply, because the “two parties” don’t represent me at all.
I was heartbroken when I heard the choice for VP. I had declared my support for Obama, really feeling like he was the outsider that could be above the old politics. But, PTN said it best:
Now I’m back to voting one-handing while I hold my nose…
If we insist on the entire ticket representing “change”, we probably lose and get no change. Remember, Bush was sub 50% throughout most of the months before the 2004 election. Then on election day, he topped out at 50% approval just for that one week only, then slowly sank to where he is today. The electorate is dumb that way, to give the guy higher marks on the one day that matters than they had for the months before and after. Shock the voters too much and they retreat into a coccoon of stupidity.
I know what you’re saying, T. I just had a few weeks of thinking I was actually going to get to eat pepperoni on election day, but now I’m pulled back to real life and find out its going to be pig guts, again.
It was kind of relaxing being an “unrealisic dreaming liberal” for a few weeks. I understand why so many do it.