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sabang

Joe Biden was the logical pick for VP with his foreign policy credentials, and his long experience in government. Obamas campaign just got stronger.

sabang

Another reason Biden will be an asset to the campaign, is that Biden is a tough campaigner:-

"Mr. Obama likes to say he’s skinny but tough. But with all due respect, he hasn’t yet demonstrated the degree of toughness needed to prevail in a presidential campaign. There is nothing genteel about these contests.

From Watergate to the Swift Boat madness, we’ve seen how the struggle for the ultimate power of the presidency can degenerate to the rankest kind of ruthlessness and ugliness, usually at the expense of the Democrat.

Joe Biden is a good model to follow here. A few months ago, after being asked on MSNBC about attacks on Senator Obama that were being unleashed by Senators McCain and Joe Lieberman, Mr. Biden said:

“I refuse to sit back like we did in 2000 and 2004. This administration is the worst administration in American foreign policy in modern history — maybe ever. ... Every single thing they’ve touched has been a near-disaster.”

A populist message and a willingness to take the fight to his opponent is Barack Obama’s ticket to the White House."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/op...erbert.html?hp

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britmaveric

^horrible pick - this lad will stick his foot in his mouth while looking at mirror admiring himself. He's a muppet of epic proportions - Obama is sunk now. I suppose Hillary is smiling and making prep for her 2012 presidential campaign against McCain.

Mr Earl

He's stands by this statement:

Milkman

You're making a big mistake:

Voters in the US don't usually consider the VP pick in any way.

Where did you read this, BritMav?

britmaveric

Most likely Milk, but from what I've seen - Obama better have a muzzle on him because he's like Prince Philip - can't help himself, and always says the wrong thing. Well spose it will be entertaining.

Milkman

You did NOT answer my question above. Not at all.

As for muzzling, it's about handlers. Handlers will muzzle him for the next 11 weeks.

Remember: VP picks have little or no bearing on votes in US electoral politics.

This is only a news story for a week or two.

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Military men are dumb, stupid animals, to be used as pawns for foreign policy

sabang

David Brooks of the NY Times wrote this Op-Ed before Biden was picked:-

Barack Obama has decided upon a vice-presidential running mate. And while I don’t know who it is as I write, for the good of the country, I hope he picked Joe Biden.

Biden’s weaknesses are on the surface. He has said a number of idiotic things over the years and, in the days following his selection, those snippets would be aired again and again.

But that won’t hurt all that much because voters are smart enough to forgive the genuine flaws of genuine people. And over the long haul, Biden provides what Obama needs:

Working-Class Roots...
Honesty....
Loyalty....
Experience....

There are other veep choices. Tim Kaine seems like a solid man, but selecting him would be disastrous. It would underline all the anxieties voters have about youth and inexperience. Evan Bayh has impeccably centrist credentials, but the country is not in the mood for dispassionate caution.

Biden’s the one. The only question is whether Obama was wise and self-aware enough to know that.

Full Article- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/op...brooks.html?em

Brit, regardless of who was chosen as Veep you would have been against it.

britmaveric

No if he was smart it would have been Hillary. That would have been the ideal choice, this one is just plain stupid.

chinthee

This choice is the safe choice, but at the same time, clearly shows how he has now sold out his message of change. Oh well, whatever it takes to win....

Butterfly

^ yes, same here, a safe choice, too bad no last minute surprise

britmaveric

Let's face it the CHANGE mantra was a large pile of shi*e!!!

Jet Gorgon

BO better be careful that Biden doesn't take the spotlight in the smarts department during the campaign. Folks will start wondering who the running mate is: Biden or BO.
Same same, only different? This could confuse voters if the Reps take aim at these facts. Change in government with a multi-term senator who never really held a real job as Veep?

attaboy

Uppity is the word you thought of.


Who does Obama know in politics? He can't nominate Ayers, Alinsky, Davis or Kellman. The man has not established any true contacts or does he have any developed relationships. According to his people Obama was impressed with the way Biden conducted himself during the debates.

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As a kid I always thought my nickname was "attaboy" until I realized they were rooting for the dog: "Attaboy, get 'em! Get 'em!".

Mr Earl

His grand message of change is so vacuous it was unlikely going to ride him all the into White house anyway.
He needs to come up with something fresh if he's going to make it.
I think Hillary was his last chance unless he's got some more cards up his sleeve to play.
Next to McCain and Biden, Obama is just a puny little junior senator from Illinois.
It was only by chance he got elected in Illinois in the first place when Jack Ryan dropped out.

Jet Gorgon

^ Nah, he only got in coz he had Axelrod as his campaign manager.

raycarey

no doubt.

and who would have been a better choice? is the determining factor for a good VP pick whether or not it's 'risky'? most political analysts will tell you that the primary responsibility of any VP nominee is "first, do no harm". whether or not this was a 'safe' choice is irrelevant, because it was the right choice....for both his campaign and the nation.

you realize of course that obama was editor of the harvard law review?
and btw, everyone knows that mccain's VP will be smarter than him no matter who he picks.....unless he chooses GWB.

god, you're all over the place....you say obama isn't electable because he doesn't have any govt. experience, and now biden has too much.
your desperation is palpable...and what's amusing is that since you're not american, you don't even have a horse in the race. what's happening in the political scene up in canada-land jet?

let's flash forward a couple of months....

earl: obama is only president because of bush's low approval ratings
jet: obama is only president because mccain was the rep. nominee.

Jet Gorgon

^ Unable to read and understand the posts again, huh, ray.

Bugs

Biden has some benefits, but he also has some baggage – as does pretty much anyone who has been involved in politics as long as he has. I don’t think the pick was all that bad, but not sure how it will pan out for Obama in the long run.

Biden can be a good campaigner, and might be the type of guy the blue team needs to step up the game and slug it out with the red team - like billy-bob did, and he can also be a good debater. On the other hand he tends to be a bit too direct (which should be good, but it ain’t in politics), and he tends to run on a bit when responding to questions. If he can stay on message, temper down his directness, and only answer the questions that are asked he should be fine. On the other hand he might just offer up too many gaffs between now and Nov if he does not stay on message and does not keep his responses too the point.

The biggest negatives I see for him is his earlier position that basically Obama did not have the experience to be Pres (I’m sure this will come up in the VP debate), and that picking Biden is anything but showing folks that change is what one is after.

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"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion" - Steven Weinberg

Jet Gorgon

^ It only took him about 20 minutes into his veep nom speech to acknowledge why he was there -- oh ,ya, I'm the veep candidate for BO, the presidential nominee. Barrack America. Or is it Hillary?
Hey, the convention starts tonight. Can't wait for Michelle to come out in a sleeveless dress (a no no for gals with biceps like hers) and tell folks what a lovely family they have in their million-dollar Rezco home. I have the popcorn and tissues at hand. Is Oprah gonna show? Oh, my.