Thread: Why Obama will Win

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

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

^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.

Originally Posted by britmaveric

He's a muppet of epic proportions.

He's stands by this statement:

Originally Posted by 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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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....

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

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

Originally Posted by sabang

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

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.

Originally Posted by 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....

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?

Originally Posted by raycarey

Originally Posted by attaboy

street agitator

you'd be better off going back to 'uppity'.

Uppity is the word you thought of.

Originally Posted by chintee

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....

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.

Originally Posted by 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....

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.

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

Originally Posted by sabang

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

no doubt.

Originally Posted by chinthee

This choice is the safe choice,

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.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

BO better be careful that Biden doesn't take the spotlight in the smarts department during the campaign.

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.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

Change in government with a multi-term senator who never really held a real job as Veep?

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?

Originally Posted by Mr Earl

It was only by chance he got elected in Illinois in the first place when Jack Ryan dropped out.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

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

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.

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

^ 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.

Oprah Winfrey -- Secretary of Health and Hokey Talk Shows: Yes We Can!

IMHO the blue team just wasted the first night of their show. Not all that moving and too much of a touchy feely show and not enough meat. The Michelle speech was ok, but nothing earth shattering. Better than I expected but not as good as it needed to be. She covered up her arms, and I did not see a fist punch (she might have done it but I was mainly listening and not really watching much of it - other things to do and all).

Hours of TV time and hardly any Bush bashing? IMHO they need to hammer Bush, Bush, Bush and tie McCain to Bush as much as possible. That is their strongest play and I did not see enough of it on day one. The Teddy bit was the high point, and the Michelle bit was almost an anti-climax.

Watched Larry King live the other day with Bill Maher and Bill had an interesting play on the Obama move towards the center after the primary. Bill felt the Obama move towards the center actually hurts him. He felt the move makes the blue team look like red team light, and gives the red team’s positions more credibility. Thus leading many voters to view Obama as lacking confidence in his own positions, and lacking the conviction to stand by them.

Biden looks too much like McCain. A stodgy, old white-haired guy. I keep thinking that's what BO's trying to run from, and now he's embracing it on stage.

wtf?

I know it's a move to fill his experience gap, but wouldn't a woman or a latino or a sock puppet be better than an old frumpy white career senator?

Originally Posted by Texpat

Biden looks too much like McCain. A stodgy, old white-haired guy. I keep thinking that's what BO's trying to run from, and now he's embracing it on stage.

wtf?

I know it's a move to fill his experience gap, but wouldn't a woman or a latino or a sock puppet be better than an old frumpy white career senator?

No, I don't think so. Electoral college politics: many counties, precincts, and states have large percentages of white voters, and white voters are conscious of a Prez and VP's ethnic background. One black man on the ticket with a foreign sounding name has already driven a certain percantage of white Americans to not vote for him.

Biden, most importantly, has foreign policy experience and 3 decades in Washington. He knows how things work. And also important, is that he is....and older generation, white haired, white guy.