I don’t know about anyone else but the upcoming presidential election has been looking more and more lackluster to me. Even my good Dem friends and numerous uplifting e-mail messages from the Obama campaign (asking for money) are not lifting my Democratic spirits. Of course, I consider the potential presidency of Sen John McCain an unmitigated disaster. But Obama’s bruised candidacy has also left me a little jaded and deflated. (That explains the paucity of political posts of late) In any case, the presidential campaign is now entering the next stage with the announcement of Obama’s running mate today and McCain’s to come next week, followed by back to back party conventions.
Sen Obama has put Sen Joe Biden of Delaware on his ticket. Biden is widely believed to fill in the two (perceived) gaping holes in Obama’s political resume – foreign policy and experience. Biden definitely has considerable heft in both those areas. One of the youngest members to be elected to the US Senate, Biden has been a senator since 1972. As a long standing member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden ought to have a good grip on how law and order work at home and abroad. I suppose Obama chose Biden partly to neutralize McCain’s condescending charges of empty-suit inexperience aimed at Obama. Also, with his working class Catholic background and the personal tragedies he has endured, Biden may bring the required street creds to the ticket to soothe over the nerves of the now famous blue collar workers in the Appalachian regions of PA, W.VA, western NY and Ohio who are still leery of Obama’s authenticity as an American and who voted in droves for Hillary in the primaries.
Blessed with excellent speaking skills, one area where Obama doesn’t need help from Biden is soaring oratory. A good debator and interlocutor, Biden though sometimes likes to talk … and talk and talk. Some suspect that he may suffer from a touch of logorrhoea .. or wind-baggery in common parlance. In fact he talks so much that sometimes he says things that are not always politic. We once discussed Biden’s careless running off at the mouth on A.B. and had some fun at his expense in the comments section. Wrote Dean:
The stream of comments emerging from the NYT’s story and blog post about Sen. Joseph Biden’s “Oops!,” his bathetically racist remarks about Sen. Barack Obama, includes just a few tributary themes. Some commentators wish the media would “get over it” and report real news, others note Biden’s chronic “foot in mouth” condition, others figure he doesn’t stand a chance in a presidential race, anyway, and there are even those who don’t understand how his “obviously positive comment” could be taken otherwise. The bland commonality of such opinions reflects one of the boring, if also inevitable, aspects of democracy conducted in the public sphere. Yes, we get the “foot in mouth” joke and its variants, and the irony of readers who take the time to complain that the story is nothing but a waste of time is glaring.
It will be interesting to watch Senator Biden use some choice words about Bush-Cheney and McCain-Running Mate. But let us also hope that his rhetorical flourish doesn’t inadvertently embarrass his "“first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy” presidential running mate, at least not until November 4, 2008.
Accidental Blogger 
11 responses to “Joe Biden, The Running Mate”
Here in Arkansas, Obama’s chances are so slim that he’s not even opening a political headquarters. Not one. Obviously it’s going to be close nationally, but it’s hard to get enthusiastic here. Aside from donating money…I don’t know. Just hasn’t been a very vibrant political season. And with Biden? I definitely see what he brings to the ticket…but I don’t see how he livens up the race. I suppose VP picks have rarely mattered, in terms of the vote impact. Just seemed like Obama had some real momentum for awhile…due largely to hype, I’m sure, so the downturn was probably a given…but Biden?
I think the only hope is for McCain to make a bizarre choice. Huckabee could work. Chuck Norris? Even better.
On the bright side: the VP debates should work well for Biden. He’s quick, knowledgeable. Whoever he’s up against (Norris!), it should be a good moment for him.
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Here in Arkansas, Obama’s chances are so slim that he’s not even opening a political headquarters. Not one.
So much for Obama and Howard Dean’s “50 states” strategy. What kind of wimps are the Dems? And what have the Clintons done to help Obama in AK? Has Bill pounded the pavements of Little Rock on behalf of him? Has Hillary? This is pathetic. Also, McCain has closed the gap in western mountain states like NM and CO – in fact Obama may now be trailing in Colorado. The Dems should have been able to hold on to a substantial lead in these states.
As one can probably guess, I am not thrilled with the choice of Biden as the running mate. I am not opposed either – just lukewarm. Add pizazz to the ticket, he definitely won’t. I was hoping to see someone younger, fresher and with governing experience. Perhaps someone like Tim Kaine of VA, Janet Napolitano of AZ or Kathleen Sebelius of KS. Kaine had many qualities that Biden does in his background, is smart and less talky. Napolitano and Sebelius, as women governors of conservative states would have added a lot both in administrative experience as well as gender balance. Both are smart, pleasant and politically shrewd. Sebelius even has some roots in OH and could have helped with the “working class” white voters in that region. But choosing one of those two ladies would have prompted the hard core Hillaryites into throwing an even greater hissy fit (“why that woman and not this one?”). Kaine was perhaps seen as too young and open to the “lack of national/ international experience” charge by the McCain campaign. But still, Biden? I don’t know. Only one of my friends seems to be satisfied with the choice.
You are right, Matt. The vice-presidential debate with the garrulous Biden might be the only lively thing about this campaign we may have to look forward to.
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Gloomy Guses!
Barack has been underestimated this entire campaign, and it looks like that’s continuing in this latest round of hand-wringing by Democrats. Biden has the strengths and weaknesses to which you alluded, but it’s really up to Obama to provide the inspiring “macro” rhetoric and then run lots of targeted attack ads in swing states:
For Example,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXj4mEwM6PQ&eurl=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2008_08_17.php, http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/new_obama_ad_hits_mccain_but_w.php
The old iron fist in a velvet glove strategy.
Let’s see what kind of bump he gets from the convention before we write his political obituary.
Courage, people!
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“it looks like that’s continuing in this latest round of hand-wringing by Democrats”
I definitely think he has a good chance of winning. But I think it’s fair to say that he has not thrived in recent months. McCain has gone negative…Obama’s response has been frustratingly tepid. So, it’s disappointing. And a choice like Biden…a carboard cut-out white guy…it’s not inspiring. Is he smart and tough? Yes. Is he inspiring? No…Joe Biden is not inspiring. Biden fever…won’t be sweeping the nation.
And please don’t ask me to wait to see how the convention goes. This convention will be like every other convention: it will be mind-numbingly dull. It will be speech after speech, filled with amazingly stale rhetoric. I am a Democrat…I am voting for Obama…but I am not going to pretend like this will be a fun week. Conventions are about walking on political egg shells…playing it safe while gazingly stupidly at pretty balloons, and that’s about it.
The first African-American presidential contender…should be amazingly exciting. Instead, it’s going to be a bland and over-produced nightmare. (The Republican convention? infinitely worse, way more predictable. The Republican strategy for the next 100 years: grit teeth…hate terrorists…rinse…repeat. Grr! Watch Guliani go! He HATES terrorists! It’s going to be unbearable).
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On second thought: Michele Obama is so adorable that I have to retract everything negative I said about the convention.
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Andrew:
Easy for you to be confident in southern California. Matt and I are sitting in Texas and Arkansas where we feel much more nervous.
You are right about Obama needing to show his tough side (I hope he has one). If he doesn’t, the Repugs are going to tie him up in knots with malicious lies and innuendoes. Perhaps the plain talking Biden will help in that effort. But as I said, Obama should have shown some toughness in choosing a more exciting running mate. Biden is just too “old school.” A decent and capable man for sure, but as Matt pointed out, the country is not likely to catch a “Biden Fever” any time soon. But who knows. He may surprise us with an hitherto hidden charisma.
I was extremely excited by the nomination of Barack Obama and boy, am I glad it isn’t Edwards or Hillary. And like Matt, I too think he can win if he focuses for the next two months in getting a meaty and aggressive message out – not just the iron fist in a velvet glove but bare knuckles too if necessary. But what makes me nervous is that he has not pulled way ahead of McCain by now. I fear that Obama will never convince a certain section of American voters (and they are not Republicans) to vote for him, no matter how well crafted his message and how clever his strategy.
As for the Democratic Convention, I will be watching it off and on for all the scripted talk and photo ops. There will be a “convention bump” in the poll numbers of Obama-Biden for sure. Whether they can build on that is upto the Dynamic Duo. For now, the Dems may be a bit nervous about what stunt Hillary, Bill and their miffed fans might pull. Also, I am hoping the balloon drop goes flawlessly this year.
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On second thought: Michele Obama is so adorable that I have to retract everything negative I said about the convention.
“Drop dead gorgeous,” said Gentleman Joe in his acceptance speech.
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Waah…I couldn’t catch Michelle’s speech live on CSpan (trying to avoid CNN/MSNBC like the plague, with all their insinuating talking heads). I will have to try and see if I have time to catch a rerun or a web video later today.
The kids are finally off to school today!
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Sujatha:
Although the memory is distant, I too remember fondly the first day of school after summer vacations :-)
I sent you a link to the Michelle Obama speech – hope you were able to catch up on what you missed last night. I didn’t have any particularly strong reaction to the speech. I understand what Mrs. Obama wished to accomplish but I don’t think that it is terribly important. She had to define herself as a hard working, socially committed, intelligent woman and a loving daughter, sister, wife and mother whose values are quintessentially American. That is an image that runs counter to the one popularized by the right wingers – that of an angry, “terrorist fist jabbing,” unpatriotic, privileged and entitlement seeking, black radical activist. Obama was poised, looked classy and did what she had to do with some help from her two beautiful young daughters. Whether she changed any minds or she was preaching to the choir is not entirely clear. Just as in the case of a running mate, a presidential candidate is rarely judged on the merits of the spouse unless the spouse (or the running mate) annoys voters or is found to have some sleaze in his / her background. Michelle Obama is an asset to her husband in my opinion. But I don’t know that we should make much of the fact that she loves Barack Obama and would like to see him become president. I am more interested in finding out what the “other woman” in Sen Obama’s life has to say tonight – to figure out if Hillary (and later Bill) loves Obama and would like to see him become president. That may be the most suspenseful aspect of this otherwise scripted party. As for the first day of the Democratic National Convention, except for the surprise appearance of Sen. Ted Kennedy in person, it featured nothing particularly interesting or passion arousing.
I don’t know why, but I am becoming increasingly grouchy about this election. Usually around this time in an election year, I sign up as a volunteer (phone bank, pamphleteering, house to house campaign walks, voter sign ups) at the local Democratic headquarters. I have sat on my hands this year and won’t be signing up for any “boots on the ground” campaign work. I will sign up as a precinct worker on election day as I have done for some years now, if the Democratic Party in my county calls upon me to do so. I also intend to make my fourth and final monetary contribution to the Obama campaign and to the DNC. After that, except for the occasional blog post in A.B., I plan to remain a quiet by-stander. In fact just today I purchased a plane ticket to India. I will be there for three weeks in October and hopefully spend my time happily in the company of family and friends and in a relatively election-news-free “cone of silence.”
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“Cone of silence.” I’m sorry. It just seemed right.
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Thank you, Dean:-) That will probably be the nature of the “cone” in India. Even if I stay away from the computer, the multiple daily newspapers that my journalist brother-in-law subscribes to, will probably keep election related tid-bits coming my way. But say what, even in October, when I am outdoors during the daytime in Delhi, I could use a “cone” that lowers the temperature by 20 degrees.
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