Obama Selects Biden
posted by Jon Cruz on August 22nd, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Barack Obama has selected Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate. A six-term senator, Biden is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He campaigned for the Democratic nomination this year, but dropped out after a poor showing in the Iowa Caucuses; he also ran for the nomination in 1988, but withdrew his candidacy after charges of plagiarism. What are your thoughts on the choice?
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23 Responses to “Obama Selects Biden”
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Posted from: 69.142.53.145
August 22nd, 2008 23:58
WOMAN!!!!
Posted from: 71.82.122.189
August 23rd, 2008 00:52
I like the 3am text message. At least they have a sense of humor.
Posted from: 69.229.172.175
August 23rd, 2008 00:54
I am kinda torn on this subject. At the crudest level: Obama is supposed to be the face of reform and the motto “change”, yet he brings to his side a hardened veteran of old-school smash mouth politics, much a person who was “king” of the legislative playground? Something doesn’t make sense to me.
Still, I was a smart pick, because of Biden’s reputation as a iron wall. Then again, he is “McSame”.
Obama/Biden ‘08!
Posted from: 69.229.172.175
August 23rd, 2008 00:55
Correction: It* was a smart pick…
Posted from: 74.95.116.42
August 23rd, 2008 01:06
The biggest plus for Biden is that he knows how many houses he has off the top of his head.
Posted from: 72.213.162.95
August 23rd, 2008 07:03
Hahaha! And hopefully his wife doesn’t steal recipes from Kraft magazine!
Posted from: 69.121.162.215
August 23rd, 2008 08:46
I think it’s a great pick. A lot of people criticize Obama for his lack of experience in foreign affairs. Biden is THE person to go to about anything foreign affairs. Another tier that people criticize Obama on is his lack of experience, Biden has been a senator for six-terms - how’s that for experience?
Fahsan, you have a point, but I don’t think that Obama is compromising his “change” motto, I just think that he is compromising with the people who think that he is too extreme or to “out there.” He is still a - THE - candidate for change but Biden just gives some solace to the people who that scares.
Posted from: 65.14.229.26
August 23rd, 2008 12:52
Sitting in the airport in Charlotte for a layover…
How is Obama not compromising his “change” mantra? He criticized Hillary Clinton for being a consummate Washington insider, but Joe Biden has been a beltway fixture for literally twenty years more than Senator Clinton.
Don’t get me wrong: I respect Biden — though I hope he’s kept on a tight leash, given his tendency to blurt out stupidities now and then — and I think he’ll do a solid job in the “attack dog” role generally accorded to the VP. (One stupidity that comes to mind was that line in ‘07 that Obama was the “first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Oy.)
But I do think he will do a solid job in the VP role. That having been said, I think some willingness on the part of long-term Obama supporters to admit that this choice is another sign that perhaps Obama’s “message” has been compromised — or at least modified or “fine-tuned” — since the nomination was sewed up is in order. I think that this kind of honesty and reflection will make Obama more a human candidate to those who were perhaps initially unenthusiastic about him.
All that having been said, yes, and this should not come as a surprise given my politics, I plan to vote for Obama/Biden in the fall.
Posted from: 65.14.229.26
August 23rd, 2008 12:57
And, for the record, I think the photo of Obama and Biden on the top of BarackObama.com is pretty nifty.
Posted from: 64.183.240.17
August 23rd, 2008 13:55
I suppose it was a good pick. However, I have 0 respect for Biden, he’s an arrogant prick. Then again, I never liked Obama much either. (I don’t like McCain either. Hell, I hate everybody!)
Posted from: 24.6.159.5
August 23rd, 2008 14:46
POST 10-
How can you suppose that choosing Biden was a good pick and also argue that you have 0 respect for him?
I agree with the former, but the latter opinion is baseless. You have 0 respect for a man whose wife and infant daughter were killed in a car crash? You have 0 respect for a man who became a single father at the age of 30? You have 0 respect for a senator who refused to buy a house in DC so he could travel home to Delaware on a train EVERY NIGHT to raise his two sons? You have 0 respect for a senator who actually has a son fighting in Iraq? You are entitled to your opinion, but it is just unfair to Sen. Biden. Have at least some respect.
Posted from: 99.157.65.63
August 23rd, 2008 15:26
#10 - you have 0 respect for a man who knows how many houses he owns?
that means you must have negative respect for John McCain
Posted from: 99.157.65.63
August 23rd, 2008 15:36
and i think its so cool that their names (both first and last) have the same number of letters:
BARACK OBAMA
JOSEPH BIDEN
looks like mccain will have to pick romney to achieve the same effect…
Posted from: 69.229.172.175
August 23rd, 2008 17:12
Did anyone hear his speech today at Springfield?
@12 LOL
Posted from: 64.183.240.17
August 23rd, 2008 20:06
POST 11
Sure, he’s a family man. Awesome. Sorry to be unclear, I have no respect for him as a politician. And regardless, he’s still an arrogant prick.
And no, I’m not contradicting myself. Biden was a good pick for Obama/Obama’s campaign. …Just because I think picking Biden was a good pick doesn’t mean I can’t say I don’t like his politics.
Posted from: 76.227.168.81
August 23rd, 2008 20:50
I am dumb.
Posted from: 75.68.104.189
August 23rd, 2008 22:11
@ Jon: I think that you’re absolutely right that Obama is attempting to “fine-tune” his message. The focus in this afternoon’s speeches was on the “clear-eyed pragmatist” side of Obama, rather than some sort of sweeping and naive reformer. Some misc thoughts on this:
1. The constant repetition of the “Biden took the train home–away from Washington–to raise his children” is obviously designed to go after the family values crew. More subtly, I think it is trying to walk the tightrope between “jaded Washington insider” and “clueless newbie.” It seems to suggest that even though Biden has been in the Senate for a third of a century (answering the experience question pretty well), by stressing that he left each night, the Obama crew is trying to show that he hasn’t been corrupted/ruined/changed by his time in Washington.
2. The “change” mantra has–for the most part–served its purpose. It is a very compelling argument for existing democrats and young people. He won the nomination and has amassed a huge base of volunteers and young supporters that aren’t going to jump ship anytime soon. Now, the focus needs to shift over to winning over new crowds, and with that comes a tweaked and “new-ish” message. The pragmatist arguments and the Biden (who is extremely appealing to Clinton supporters that Obama has had trouble with—especially working class Catholics) pick combined with a strong endorsement at the convention might win over the Clinton supporters who are holding out. As McCain tacks hard to the right, he abandons the middle/compromise ground, so if Obama can shore up doubts in his character with a conventional VP and a more appealing message, that should help make up for the recent slide in his numbers.
At this point, I could not care less what the campaign does as long as it correlates to a win in the fall. I’ll be checkin’ in for Obama/Biden this november.
That being said, I kind of like Biden as a politician. He has a sensible approach to Iran (security guarantee) that provided me with some badass cards at TOC. I also thought the Giuliani comment in the primaries was great. “There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence — a noun, a verb, and 9/11.”
Posted from: 74.95.116.42
August 23rd, 2008 22:18
I have a serious question- why on earth would anyone vote for McCain? The man is wrong on Iraq, energy, healthcare, has an atrocious economic policy based on making the Bush cuts permanent, (that he can’t decide which of his seven kitchen tables to think about at) is too old to be in touch with the younger generation (no email for you sir) and would probably initiate a massive conflict by kicking Russia and China out of the G-8.
Some people say Obama is a question mark and might not be ready to lead because he is too young, but McCain isn’t ready to lead because he’s simply incompetent. A question mark is better than a definitive four more years of atrocious policies.
So, as a serious question, is anyone here voting GOP and why? I honestly want to know.
Also, +1 to Catterton and Joe-Bama ‘08!
Posted from: 66.91.82.161
August 24th, 2008 01:28
As a conservative, I think Obama made a smart choice in selecting Biden, however, I think that this gives McCain some room.
I think Biden counterbalances McCain’s strength by being experienced, foreign-policy oriented, and agressive. Being a white male will also not hurt with today’s politics.
However, as Jon already alluded to, he is liable to say something stupid that could lose them the election. That is just a reality in America.
@ 18, China is not in the G-8.
Posted from: 74.95.116.42
August 24th, 2008 04:40
My bad. It’s that McCain will refuse to allow China into the G-8.
http://www.nsnetwork.org/node/898
Posted from: 75.30.252.190
August 25th, 2008 14:05
Thurm wrote:
The biggest plus for Biden is that he knows how many houses he has off the top of his head.
At least McCain doesn’t take credit for other people’s writing like Biden has done over and over. See: http://www.famousplagiarists.com/politics.htm#biden
Posted from: 75.72.79.154
August 26th, 2008 17:53
I do agree that the message of change was compromised a bit, jon. However, what was he supposed to do? Even though it was never publicly discussed, I’m willing to assume that at the very least, Clinton was offered the position. Assuming this, I think she made a smart move. The VP spot is supposed to be for politicians either going nowhere, or who needs people to learn who they are. Clinton is neither of these.
That takes clinton off the table. I won’t bring up Powell since I have been repeatedly told that I’m wrong about him, so I’ll just take him off the list. John Edwards is off the list since his affair went public. He’s gone. Al Gore probably doesn’t want to get into politics, so he’s gone. This leaves Bayh, Chet Edwards, Richardson, Clark, and Biden. Edwards doesn’t give Obama very much, imo. He probably won’t swing texas blue (alternatively, if Texas goes blue, I’m not sure that edwards would play much of a role in doing so).
Imo, Obama does not want a DLCer as his VP. If it’s not going to be Clinton, I don’t think it would at all jive with his message of change. If he’s reaching to the center, it would have to be for an independent or quasi-republican (ie Powell). Bayh’s off the list.
Although I think it was smart to call McCain out, Obama certainly was not happy with Clark’s behavior, so he’s off the list.
Richardson presents 2 issues. 1) He’s hispanic (you’re not going to win very many votes in the south if you’re ticket consists of a black man and a hispanic). 2) He’s even less willing to throw a punch than Obama. Certainly, that would take him off the list.
Biden has his history, but A) He’s white, B) he has experience and C) he’s willing to throw a punch. Obama needed all three of those things in his candidate, and that’s what he got.
In short, Biden’s probably the only realistic option he had. Sebelius could have been picked, but I’m just not sure if it’s worth rolling the dice with the already irritated clinton supporters to pick another woman
Posted from: 98.195.66.198
August 26th, 2008 20:34
biden + riaa + anjan = no more illegal downloading