Obama Picks Democrat Joe Biden As Vice President
Delaware Senator to Campaign With Presidential Hopeful Barack Obama
Aug 23, 2008
The First State's senior senator will run for vice president together with the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
From the short list of likely partners of soon to be Democratic nominee Barack Obama, Joe Biden was the most plausible Veep option. Devoid of fear and a litany of strong positives, the feisty Biden brings few problems to the ticket. This is a strong choice that should help the team like few VPs have in recent history.
In an August Time interview in Albuquerque, N.M. Obama hinted about his VP choice, “I try to surround myself with people…who are not about ego, self-aggrandizement…I'm not afraid to have folks around me who complement my strengths and who are independent.”
Biden’s Positives
- White Middleclass Men – Biden passed the ordinary Joe, have a beer test. Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post said on August 13th he’s, “the kind of guy voters can imagine themselves having a beer with.” Nationally known, the middle class son of a salesman from the Pennsylvania rust belt is seen as the working man’s senator. The antithesis of affluent John McCain, he complements Obama’s Harvard intellect with raw blue collar emotion. Passion that may deliver white males in the swing states of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
- Women’s Vote – A former single father, Biden could bridge the Clinton gender gap created during the primary season. Having experienced personal tragedy, Biden received the 2008 "Best of Congress" award by Working Mother Magazine. Dealing with Republicans, he passed the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
- Integrity – Biden’s forthrightness has prevailed over personal mistakes. In an October 26, 2007 interview with CNN’s Sareena Dalla, Biden said, “If elected…I promised I'd never own a stock or a bond. [And]…in my neighborhood, a promise made is a promise kept. I've kept it for thirty years so guess what…I don't own a single share of stock."
- Experience – Biden’s knowledge neutralizes the Republican advantage over Obama. As the powerful Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “Biden…knows what he is talking about when he discusses foreign policy and international relations,” Robert Guttman of the Huffington Post said on January 8th 2007. “…no one doubts he has the expertise in foreign affairs…In terms of both domestic and foreign policy…Joe Biden is clearly the best qualified…of either party,” reported Howard Fineman in a May 2007 Newsweek article.
- Attack Dog– Criticized by members of his party for not being tough on Republicans, Obama signals his assurance that Biden can confidently tackle McCain. Cillizza said, “Biden [has a] clear willingness to deliver attacks….[he] was one of the rare candidates willing to throw an elbow.” Biden told Cillizza, “[McCain] doesn't get it. The mere fact that you would have someone compare…demonstrates a total fundamental lack of understanding of what...problems America faces.”
Negatives
- Plagiarism –In the 1988 primaries Biden was found to have plagiarized parts of a speech. After an impassioned dialogue in the Senate, Biden established cross aisle support for his honesty with little disruption to his personal integrity. Republican Senator Alan Simpson said, “I don't know where all this stuff will go….Hang on tight.….”
- Loquaciousness – is a Biden attribute and his verbosity and propensity to say things that don’t come out as intended may hurt the ticket. Andrew Romano said in a July Newsweek article, “He's famously long-winded. He tends to generate gaffes”
- Voting record – Biden has an extensive, mainly liberal, voting record. A possible target will be his backing of the Bankruptcy Reform Bill S.256; however, John McCain unanimously supported the bill as well.
How Biden helps the ticket is yet to be seen, but Chris Cillizza makes several strong points. “He thinks quickly on his feet, is extremely well versed on the issues…and knows how to inject a bit of humor….” Guttman may have summed it best; “Biden, a qualified candidate. A foreign policy expert. A good campaigner.”
The copyright of the article Obama Picks Democrat Joe Biden As Vice President in US Elections is owned by Frank W. Hardy. Permission to republish Obama Picks Democrat Joe Biden As Vice President in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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