Obama Taps Biden: A Conventional But Perhaps Effective Pick
| Sat Aug. 23, 2008 6:53 AM PDT
In the end, Barack Obama used unconventional means to announce a conventional choice for his running-mate.
Via a three A.M. text message sent to the cell phones of his supporters, donors and volunteers, Obama's campaign declared that he had chosen Senator Joe Biden, the Delaware Democrat, to be "our" veep nominee. (Three in the morning--was this a dig at Senator Hillary Clinton or just a coincidence?) With this I'll-let-you-know-first gimmick, Obama had snagged millions of cell numbers and email addresses his campaign can use in the weeks ahead to motivate voters and push them to the polls on Election Day. So in purely tactical terms, his running-mate rollout was indeed pioneering and widely successful. What remains to be seen, of course, is whether he made a smart pick by attaching his campaign for change to a fellow who has worked Washington's ways in the Senate for 35 years.
Sometimes going conventional is not the wrong course. During the past weeks of veep-frenzy, Biden's assets and liabilities have been dissected repeatedly. He possesses extensive foreign policy experience (which Obama does not). He can do straight-talk relatively well for a senator (while Obama has been accused of not fully connecting with working-class voters). Then again, Biden has suffered in the past from both verbal diarrhea and gaffe-itis. I've attended many committee hearings in the Senate when Biden turned a question into a long-winded monologue that drove people in the room to want to shout, "Question, Senator, do you have a question?!!" And there are times when Biden's mental filter has switched off and he has said the dumbest thing, such as when he famously called Obama "the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." (The Daily Mail headlined its account of Obama's pick this way: "Obama names 'gaffe-prone' Joe Biden as his running mate.")
But Biden is a smart legislator who has shown that he can suppress his own faults when he must. He had a good campaign this past year as a presidential candidate. He won few votes but performed well at the debates and demonstrated he could keep his infamous verbosity under control. At the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, while other Democrats got bogged down in legal jargon practically indecipherable to the average person, Biden peppered Roberts with straightforward questions about Roberts' claim that he merely wanted to be an umpire on the bench who calls constitutional balls and strikes. "Much as I respect your metaphor," Biden countered, "it's not very apt, because you get to determine the strike zone. The founders never set a strike zone." It was the best moment of the hearing.
Continues Below
Continued From Above
On foreign policy, Biden has always been an activist, thinking and engaging with the issues and crises generating headlines and those that don't make the evening news. He has a fancy for cooking up proposals. And even if he devises ideas that may raise objections--such as his plan to partition Iraq--he often deserves credit for the effort. (He issued his proposal for splitting up Iraq at a time when the Bush administration was doing nothing but "staying the course.")
One of Biden's better moments came in the run-up to the war with Iraq. In the fall of 2002, the Bush administration, claiming Saddam Hussein had amassed loads of WMDs that he could hand to al Qaeda for attacks against the United States, was demanding that the House and Senate grant Bush the authority to invade Iraq whenever he wanted. Rather than cave to Bush, Biden, the chairman of the foreign relations committee, worked with Republican Senators Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel to craft an alternative: a resolution that would allow Bush to attack Iraq only for the purposes of destroying Iraq's WMDs and only after seeking UN approval. If the UN withheld permission, Bush would have to come back to Congress and prove that the threat was so "grave" that only military action could eliminate it. This was a wily legislative maneuver that could have averted a war. (And Biden told me and Michael Isikoff during an interview for our book, Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War, that he had received backdoor encouragement from Secretary of State Colin Powell.) But Biden's bipartisan measure was ultimately derailed by a fellow Democrat: House minority leader Richard Gephardt, who essentially accepted the White House's blank-check approach. After Gephardt did that, Republican senators told Biden, How can we be to the left of Dick Gephardt? "I was so angry," Biden later said. "I was frustrated. But I never second-guess another man's political judgment."
Biden went on to vote for the Iraq war resolution. Which demonstrated his Washington-ness. He had tried for something better. When that failed, he, too, accepted the prevailing notion. But his pre-vote effort to create a much more limited resolution will afford the Obama-Biden ticket a small measure of cover when its foes point out that Obama's main charge against John McCain (he supported the Iraq invasion) can also be applied to his running-mate.
The main rule in veep-picking is this: First, do no harm. Among Obama's conventional options, each had obvious problems. Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana stood side-by-side with McCain in fervently advocating the war in Iraq prior to the invasion. Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia is another political newbie on the national stage with no foreign policy cred, and he has yet to rack up many accomplishments. As for Senator Hillary Clinton, with her on the ticket, the election would be as much about the Clintons as about Obama and McCain. Depending on your view, that's either a big winner or political hell.
Biden comes with decades of baggage. There are thousands of Senate floor votes for GOP oppo researchers to sift through. He's had more than one plagiarism scandal. Hailing from a solidly Democratic state, he brings no Electoral College votes with him. But he has the talent to be both Obama's attack dog and his top foreign policy adviser. And though vice presidential nominees tend to have no true impact on the final results, Biden has the potential to be a fierce campaigner for and with Obama--that is, if he can be the better Biden for the next ten weeks.
By tapping Biden, Obama does little to reinforce his core themes of change and hope. He does not amplify his Washington-is-broken and postpartisan messages. He does not boost his claim that his campaign is a movement. He does not increase the excitement factor or accentuate the historic nature of his candidacy. But then Obama himself has already provided much of that. And it's possible that the American electorate can only absorb so much unorthodoxy in a presidential election. With Biden, Obama may have passed the do-no-harm rule. But that won't be known until the election is over.
Comments
Submitted by James McPherson (not verified) on Sat Aug. 23, 2008 5:19 PM PDT.
The VP choice matters relatively little, but Biden was my pick months ago. I also thought Obama should have named him last month. That would have given Biden more time to do what good VP choices do best?attack the other side?and would have come when Obama was riding high so that Biden looked less like a choice based on insecurity about foreign policy.
"?O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her. Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind?."
Thinking if Thomas Paine were with us today .........
Citizens,
Thinking the asylum contemplated no longer a refuge; the once house of resilient fiber, now weakened by the din of self-interest; punctuated even by the legion of Washington un-Worthy Keepers on the dole. Voracity and power, the real Kings of America; and the emerging ? accelerating - actuality that our state of affairs has gone exponential?demographics, debt, infrastructure decline, education decline, entitlements, fuel consumption, world-disorder, et al ? reservedly, irreversible.
The ONLY solution? utterly so; national - mandatory - service; legions of our 'own' at all levels of government; leadership and stewardship by the lot-of-us; not just the self-centered ambitious disingenuous few.
Tommy '? once et still?' faithful in bonds
OUT
Submitted by James McPherson (not verified) on Sat Aug. 23, 2008 5:19 PM PDT.
The VP choice matters relatively little, but Biden was my pick months ago. I also thought Obama should have named him last month. That would have given Biden more time to do what good VP choices do best?attack the other side?and would have come when Obama was riding high so that Biden looked less like a choice based on insecurity about foreign policy.
"?O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her. Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind?."
Thinking if Thomas Paine were with us today .........
Citizens,
Thinking the asylum contemplated no longer a refuge; the once house of resilient fiber, now weakened by the din of self-interest; punctuated even by the legion of Washington un-Worthy Keepers on the dole. Voracity and power, the real Kings of America; and the emerging ? accelerating - actuality that our state of affairs has gone exponential?demographics, debt, infrastructure decline, education decline, entitlements, fuel consumption, world-disorder, et al ? reservedly, irreversible.
The ONLY solution? utterly so; national - mandatory - service; legions of our 'own' at all levels of government; leadership and stewardship by the lot-of-us; not just the self-centered ambitious disingenuous few.
Tommy '? once et still?' faithful in bonds
OUT
Joe Biden is a horrible choice, and the bizarre way it was rolled out is mystifying. A 3am text message after running the media around all day? And the big announcement is Biden? I don't get it. Maybe Obama as so little experience Joe Biden is the only guy in Washington he actually knows well enough to put on the ticket.
By the way Kevin, could these guys make your new blog a little harder to find? Maybe put it down three clicks instead of two? As I predicted, though, even fewer posters here than at your dying Washington Monthly blog. I guess all the stoners who read MOJO for the hydroponic pot farming tips don't get up before noon. So don't dispair, maybe you'll see some comments in three or four hours. Sheesh.
Why did he pick a crusty old white man? Their is no risk in this guy but there is also no balls either. Plain and simple Obama caved under GOP pressure. He is playing to the very worst aspects of the "battleground" or "swing" (read: racist) states. Barak you broke my heart. I was 100% behind you before this...now...I don't even feel like voting.
Submitted by slag (not verified) on Sat Aug. 23, 2008 8:52 AM PDT.
Get over yourselves, people. This is an historic election, and we're all going to participate.
The best thing about Biden is that he's a scrapper. We need more scrappers.
Chavez, are you serious? Biden was an excellent choice for the vp. Months ago, while the primary was still raging, Biden was my first choice for the slot. Biden brings plenty of national security credentials to the ticket, which, at this point, basically trumps McCain's arguments against Obama. Also, we as Americans seem to forget that after winning an election, these people have to govern our country! Honestly, electorally speaking, Bayh may have brought a stronger ticket, but I believe fully that Biden will aid in bringing about a stronger administration. Isn't that what this campaign is about? It's not about winning at all cost. It's about building a better future for everyone, and Biden, for all of his political faults, will be a great asset in building upon our need for change.
"Why did he pick a crusty old white man?"
Chavez, you certainly realize it's only about race in the U.S. Most voters are too dim to focus on the issues instead harping on the irrelevant. McCain is a "crusty old white man" too and it's exactly why he's ahead in the polls, despite his Keating 5 scandal, his questionable war tales, and his infidelity. That said, Slag is right: It's a historic election. And Barack's pick of Biden makes it all the more exciting to participate in.
Gawd--this is SO race and age insulting!How in the hell are you gonna opick up southern white voters? That is stil the plan, right? Cause you threw the midwest under the bus--or is it Nevada thats gonna com eal out for Obama--for being smart, you guys sure are stupid!
H.J.Res. 114
Measure Title: A joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.
Biden (D-DE), Yea
(not too smart, that..)
-------------------
H.R. 3162
Measure Title: USA PATRIOT Act - A bill to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes.
Biden (D-DE), Yea
(not too smart, that..)
--------------------
What's his excuse?
He was fooled by George Dumbya Bush?
That's reassuring.
Seemed like a good idea at the time?
That's reassuring.
The only change remained in an Obama-Biden ticket is the color of Obama. By choosing Biden, Obama has dropped his last aspiration of being a credible agent of change.
What sort of change can a man, who spents 38 years of his life as member an antiquated Washington Bureaucracy, bring? Biden is part of what is wrong with America for years and there is no concrete evidence to the contrary. Cheer America, Comes January, Biden will show Obama how to be a distinguished member of the elites club while Nancy Pelosi will be conducting the lobbyist's orchestra in Congress.
As for those of us who feel the let down; no worry you got the senile McCain who lost track of how many houses he got, since Joseph Lieberman was not around to whisper it to his ear.
I don't know much about Biden. Knowing he voted for the Iraq War doesn't sit well with me. But with regards to the "change" Obama will bring, come on, are we really buying it? If the American people wanted real change, then Ralph Nader would have become president years ago. Or we would be discussing who my man Dennis Kucinich chose for his vp (you liberals know you love you some Kucinich). Or even better, there would be a sizeable block of green and socialist legislators in the Congress.
Submitted by Petey (not verified) on Sat Aug. 23, 2008 4:13 PM PDT.
"Biden, the chairman of the foreign relations committee, worked with Republican Senators Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel to craft an alternative: a resolution that would allow Bush to attack Iraq only for the purposes of destroying Iraq's WMDs and only after seeking UN approval. If the UN withheld permission, Bush would have to come back to Congress and prove that the threat was so "grave" that only military action could eliminate it. This was a wily legislative maneuver that could have averted a war."
An incredibly inaccurate description of Biden/Lugar, David.
Bush wouldn't have had to "prove" anything to Congress. He just would've had to send up a letter to Congress saying that Bush himself had determined the threat was grave.
Biden/Lugar wouldn't have prevented the war in any way, shape, or form, and you ought to already know that.
The homogenous American voters, though they appear diverse are for "change" you can spend, and I believe that most of them will see this as a non-treatening choice. Though indeed I am disappointed, corporate giants and their CEO aligned with the mega-wealthy investor class have sucked up all my remaining capitol. That which did not bite it in stocks has recently flowed freely into my gas tank!
Submitted by James McPherson (not verified) on Sat Aug. 23, 2008 5:19 PM PDT.
The VP choice matters relatively little, but Biden was my pick months ago. I also thought Obama should have named him last month. That would have given Biden more time to do what good VP choices do bestattack the other sideand would have come when Obama was riding high so that Biden looked less like a choice based on insecurity about foreign policy.
Petey observes: Biden/Lugar wouldn't have prevented the war in any way, shape, or form, and you ought to already know that.
The only thing that would have prevented Bush from launching his war would have been if Congress had done what the Constitution specified, and voted up or down on an official declaration of war. But Congress couldn't muster a good dozen pairs of cojones among the lot of them, so they voted, instead, to hand the war-making power over to One Man.
The exact thing the Founders sought to prevent, when they wrote the Nation's Highest Law which stipulates that CONGRESS must make such a decision.
Article I, Section 8: Congress shall have the power to... declare war.
NOWHERE does it say that Congress shall have the power to hand any part of their authority to the president.
Biden, Lugar, Hagel and 330 other members of Congress all violated their oath to the Constitution when they voted for that atrocity. Any statements of regret after the fact do not mitigate their crime, or raise the dead who perished as a result of it.
Given that the One man they handed their war-making authority to was George Bush, what did they THINK was going to happen?!? Really??
Curious that for a guy who is said to have opposed the Iraq invasion from the start, the potential V.P. names that kept cropping up (Bayh, Biden, Kerry, etc.) most all voted in favor of it. At least those who were in a position to vote one way or the other did. And damned if he didn't select one of them!
DemoPublicans or RepubliCrats.
Take your pick.
Submitted by William W. Wexler (not verified) on Sun Aug. 24, 2008 5:20 AM PDT.
I don't exactly see how Biden is such a "safe" choice.
First, he has a string of plagiarism scandals, one of which cost him his election bid in '87.
Second, he runs his mouth without engaging his brain, which will undoubtedly lead to an endless stream of indelicate accidents.
Third, although he is a yeoman legislator, he has nothing that he's famous for in 30 years but he's definitely been there long enough to be considered to be an insider.
Fourth, he does nothing to bring back progressive and Clinton voters to the ticket.
I think the best hope for the Dems is that there would be a revolt at the convention and Hillary would win. (And I'm no fan of Hillary, either). She will have more votes than Obama if I understood correctly what I heard recently about allowing Michigan and Florida to seat their entire delegations. Obama/Biden is a risky combination of the rhetoric of "change" and the BS of "status quo", heavy on the status quo.
Ever since Obama cinched the nomination he's run right like a man possessed. This VP choice is just another reason why we need to ditch the 2 party system. We are a nation of around 240 million people and now we've got to choose from Obama/Biden and McCain?
Puh-LEEEZE. This will be a good year to get started on the road to ending the 2 party system, sticking a stake in its black heart, and moving towards a government that actually works for the people, not itself. They are putting on a Punch and Judy Show and using YOU for the puppets.
Nader '08
-Wexler
The selection of Biden as VP reinforces the image of Obama as "just words",
It was horrendous, and a reason for many people to vote Obama in the primaries, that Clinton voted for the war.
Joe Biden voted for the war.
It was outrageous racism that Bill Clinton called Obama's sanctimoniousness on the Iraq war authorization (in which he did NOT have to vote) a fairy tale.
Joe Biden called Obama a clean articulate African American...and that his candicacy was so amazing it was like "a storybook".
Donna Brazille where are you on this?
I respect that Hillary Clinton is supporting Obama and has called on her supporters to do the same. In her concession speech she said repeatedly, each time citing his policy positions "this is why we must help elect Senator Obama President".
I respectfully retain my right to vote according to my conscience.
Honestly, I was LOOKING for a reason to support Obama. Hillary gave some very good ones. But his actions keep reminding me that his political presentations are truly "just words".
So he selects the VP candidate who most closely echoes Clinton's strong appeal to traditional Democrats. Biden will not be called a racist low-information Archie Bunker type for this.
I'm voting Dem downticket, but will not vote for Obama. My state will go for him anyway, just without my vote.
Obama takes a pick risk with little gain by picking Biden. Biden's pick highlights Obama lack of foreign policy experience
Agent of change - Washington insider?: Biden has been a U.S. Senator since the age 29. He has been in Washington 10 years longer than McSame.
I predict that we will talk about whether Biden was the best pick for the next two weeks. I don't think he should have picked Hillary but Biden's pick is a complete mystery. I can't image Biden as VP let alone as President. He doesn't bring a new state or new voters.
I'm very surprised by the VP pick. Biden's own words make the best case against Obama as President. Biden has his own baggage. Biden barely registered during the Democratic primaries. His run was more like Jerry Brown's run in 92 but much less successful.
Biden is prone to gaffs. Even in his acceptance speech he talked about how hot his wife was before he talked about her Phd. It actually sounded chauvinistic. Plus, he was more of an advocate of the war than many of the other VP candidates.
Lastly, Obama has such great power to unite but he can't even unite his own party. Biden's pick doesn't unite. How will he do against the world's leader and tyrants?
Obama takes a BIG risk with little gain by picking Biden. Biden's pick highlights Obama lack of foreign policy experience
Agent of change - Washington insider?: Biden has been a U.S. Senator since the age 29. He has been in Washington 10 years longer than McSame.
I predict that we will talk about whether Biden was the best pick for the next two weeks. I don't think he should have picked Hillary but Biden's pick is a complete mystery. I can't image Biden as VP let alone as President. He doesn't bring a new state or new voters.
I'm very surprised by the VP pick. Biden's own words make the best case against Obama as President. Biden has his own baggage. Biden barely registered during the Democratic primaries. His run was more like Jerry Brown's run in 92 but much less successful.
Biden is prone to gaffs. Even in his acceptance speech he talked about how hot his wife was before he talked about her Phd. It actually sounded chauvinistic. Plus, he was more of an advocate of the war than many of the other VP candidates.
Lastly, Obama has such great power to unite but he can't even unite his own party. Biden's pick doesn't unite. How will he do against the world's leader and tyrants?
If you would have predicted last February at the height of the Obama campaign that he would pick Biden as vp, you would have been laughed at.
The pick showed the weakness of the democratic field. The other top contenders were Kaine and Sebelius, both obviously unqualified to be president, and Bayh, who seemed okay but apparently is too boring and too moderate to be picked. Of the four, Bayh would have been best because he would have been accepted as a qualified moderate and put Indiana in play. Out of all the democrats, these were the top four?
Obama should have picked Hillary. It probably would have won the election for him.
Obama stated that he was for "Change". Biden stated that Obama was not ready due to lack of experience to be President. Obama must have agreed with Biden and therefore asked Biden to be his V. P. and train him to be President. Biden will be calling the shots in the White House. Biden can teach Obama to spit out the same puke rhetoric that he and others in our Senate and Congress have been belching out for decades. Obama might be the next President, but he's only going to be Biden's boy trainee in the background. Where's the change? Sounds like SOSDD to me.
Charles is too tough on Obama, but Obama did blink on the lack of experience issue by picking Biden for his experience.
This is all so great for Hillary. Now, assuming Obama loses like it now looks like he will, she can say both that the party made a mistake in allowing Obama to game the primary system to win the nomination and then he made a mistake in not picking her as VP. She also can say with impunity that he would have won if he had picked her, and no one will be able to prove her wrong. And if Obama somehow wins, Hillary is still okay because Biden will not be a threat for the nomination in 8 years at age 73.
Submitted by Mike V. (not verified) on Sun Aug. 24, 2008 6:49 PM PDT.
David, was this supposed to show why Biden was not a good choice?
Because it just solidified my view of him as a good one.
I think Bayh was the "easy" choice because then you help to pull in the heartland, but at what cost?
Biden is the most qualified of the names that have been all over the press recently.
And we've had enough of the Clinton name for a while.
I didn't know much about Biden before Obama chose him. Now, after finding out a little more about him, I think he's a good choice for V.P. I like the guy!
Obama went for the YIN YANG kind of balance and that's very wise, seeing as Obama is a very unconventional candidate. I think you can expect more of this prudent, necessary conservatism in the near future.
Of course, my dream ticket would have been Hillary Clinton as V.P. but she carries way too much baggage to be a good, viable choice. And Bill (the baggage, unfortunately) is going a bit soft in the head these days. NOT good.
What I think is irrelevant inasmuch as I'm already sold to the idea of bringing an end to what one might term the "pestilential rule of the republicans."
GOBAMA GO-GO-GO!
Biden is an excellent choice. There needs to be some conventionalism in this ticket to offset Obama's perceived otherness. The narrative needs to be about Biden's sacrifice. It needs to be about the daily commute that keeps him grounded in his constituency. It needs to be about his decision to continue on in the face of the death of his wife and daughter. It needs to be about his pronounced refusal to attempt to profit from the Senate (which MoJo reported about in this space). It needs to be about the regular guy who shows up every day to try to make change while McCain is on the record (and off the job) on his "boredom" with the Senate. And, finally, it needs to be about giving this career public servant the opportunity to, finally, have an opportunity to make change from the largest stage available.
Obama, being Obama, is pretty much enough "Change" for too many Americans as it is. What were people expecting, a lesbian latina single mother as veep? In any case Obama's history hardly lives up to the expectations of his more ardent followers. He plays by the existing rules, within the system as it is. There's nothing revolutionary about his record, and entirely too much that seems calculated, from his now notorious church affiliation, to his vote for corn based ethanol subsidies and to protect the telecoms within FISA. Biden may not be very exciting, but if he can help torpedo McCain, and keep a President Obama from putting his foot in his mouth, or stepping on political land mines, then he's done his job.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-trounstine/im-just-sayin-saying-bide_...
read that and try again please
Biden is a great choice...he has ages of Washington experience without being OF Washington...he's returned home to Delaware every night after work since he was elected.
Biden brings great credentials, but his biggest asset is his ability to speak with authority on McCain...he knows all the cracks in McCain crust and can expose McCain better than anyone else. AND, he'll crush any of the current "short listers" on McCain's VP list!
So, he's not perfect...he's one of those guys who has never hidden his imperfections...one of the few who never runs for cover, he just takes his licks and keeps on ticking.
so much for change, bidens been around forever,.. in the whats wrong with washington mode] at least he s he s had brain surgery un like his colleagues..i ve seen his act for years ..the good old boy who has a lot in common with you other good old boys...how many houses does he have? i think the country is suffering from obamanitiss, and if things were half good ,..he wouldnt even be taken seriously at all,..the rich intellectuals of the democractic party and the blacks have so much in common,.. this is such a joke
No Clintons or McCain - good thing.Best choice for the country was Ron Paul but MSM would never let that happen.2nd best would have been Joe Biden.Guess we'll have to settle for door no. 3 - Obama/Biden. Beats the alternative. And all you Hillary supporters - goet over it, she LOST and I'm glad. No more whiny Clintons!
Many are saying picking Joe Biden to be the Vice President represents "no choice"... I beg to differ. It's HUGE change, one from an avowed OIL man to a true STATESman. One from a secretive VP who refuses to answer questions about meetings and associations and who disses Congress at every turn, to a Veep who has served in Congress and is open to questions. From a Veep who chose himself as the "best person" to one who was picked after much investigation and vetting. I'd say those are highly refreshing changes, wouldn't you?
Roy,that's Very good post and it's very true too.as I said before that Democrats & Republicans are two sides to one single coin & the only changes from these two candidates is their residential address.our political system will never allow any good ordinary American to be a president.
even if you see any minority reaches high position,this person must be YES SIR and he or she must disconnect themselves from their own communities otherwise they'll never get any where.today the candidates pick their running mate for the wrong reason,instead of picking someone who's qualified to be a president in short notic,they pick the person who can help them win the election !WHAT A FRAUD !In a democratic society,It is the people who should make the change not Obama or McCain but some people have will power and some don't.it's that some people are ready to change & other are not.change your thouths,and you change your world.
When Biden run for president himself he didn't get more than 2% of the people's votes and he was the first canididate to exit the race for president and the only thing he has incommon with Obama is the loyalty to AIPAC & attack Iran otherwise he'll never be able to stay in the senate for 35 years.
Senator Obama, as far as I can see, made two strategic errors in his choice of Sen. Biden as his running mate: failed to ask his competitor who matched his popular vote, and if Michigan and Florida had been allowed to vote, would have probably won the contest. Had he made that choice he would have had a partner with a unique view of the operations of the Whkite House, and he would have brought on board the millions of voters who supported Hillary Clinton. Secondly, by choosing Joe Biden as his Vice Presidental nominee, he has removed one of the most successful democratic leaders in the Senate from a most powerful and influential post. Two errors in one decision.
First of all, for those of you who are suggesting the need for a third party, we had the option of having that. It was called the primaries. If voters wanted that, they could have voted for it. They didn't. That is why we have only a two-party system. People did not vote for a third party in the primaries. It goes to show you that WE (the average citizen) have more power than we think. We could have voted Ralph Nader or anyone else in but we didn't. So we got who we got by popular vote. It's called Democracy!!!
Secondly, if you want change in Washington take back your government. When is the last time some of you wrote your Congressman, Senator, Governor, or Mayor expressing your disappointment, disgust, or anger about something. Hold your ELECTED officials responsible and you WILL see change. Don't leave it for the rest of us, a small percentage of people, to do it for you. Write messages on your car for the public to read, send emails to your Senators, call your Congressman, and ask questions to the writers of your local papers that write political stories. It is time-consuming, draining, exhaustive work but it has to be done. WE have given our government to these people without questioning their intentions, motives, decisions, or anything else. Take it back. For every letter, email, or phone call you make, our government assumes you speak for 1000 people. If you and nine of your friends sign a petition or send an email, you end up speaking for a thousand people.
So instead of sitting here on the computer complaining about the government, change it. It is clear that it will not change itself. We continue to elect people into office who don't care about the average citizen and for the few whom actually do they get outvoted. So hold your elected officials responsible. This is YOUR government. Take it back!!!
Submitted by P. Eischen (not verified) on Tue Aug. 26, 2008 3:55 AM PDT.
Pat, who posted about the 3 a.m. confirmation call of Obama's, is evidentally a Mcsane supporter. I.E., a concrete head thinker with not one bone of originality
or humor.
Sorry Pat. I, like Biden, call it as I see it.
The essence... Obama and party compromise.
Obama's ego trumped Hillary selection; fear of Presidency made irrelevant by shadow of both Clintons in the WH.
The D-Party compromise ... fathers saw the only way to win Pennsylvania, a must to win in November, was to select the "Third Senator from PA" as VeeP.
The only true thoughtful 'qualified' choice ... Sam Nunn; then again, the Senator from Georgia, would have likely said; "..Think I'll pass..."
OUT
Submitted by William W. Wexler (not verified) on Tue Aug. 26, 2008 7:45 AM PDT.
common sense....
I tried posting this earlier and something happened to it.
Please visit Nader's website to get a better understanding of the primary process and how candidates get on the ballot.
While you're there, it's worth a few minutes to read over Nader's positions on issues. You will see detailed, reasoned, experienced, well-thought-out explanations of the issues and what we need to do to fix them.
You may not agree with all of it, but it's worth knowing what others actually think, wouldn't you agree?
Thanks,
Wexler
