I'm Just Sayin': The Idiotic "Biden Undercuts Change" Argument

The most idiotic punditbabble we've heard in the wake of Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden -- advanced by the AP's Ron Fournier, NBC's David Gregory and others as if they were channeling John McCain's talking points -- is the notion that Biden undercuts Obama's message that it's time for a change.

Exhibit A, in this silly argument, is Biden's 35 years in the United States Senate. The simplistic formulation argues that because Biden is an old hand in Washington, he undermines Obama as a standard-bearer for change.

First of all, consider the absurdity of the suggestion that a brilliant, young, black president wouldn't represent an historic, transforming leap forward in American politics. On its face, this is nothing more than Rovian hyperspin.

Barack Obama personifies change -- no matter who his running-mate is.

But there's a further point (and thanks to Newsweek's Howard Fineman for picking up on it): That what Biden represents is a guy - perhaps uniquely qualified - to implement the change that Obama represents.

With his knowledge of the ways of Washington, his vast experience in the Senate, his insider savvy, Biden brings to the Democratic ticket a glimmer of hope that all the things Obama wants to accomplish - from foreign affairs and health care to economic and tax policy - might actually get done in the next administration.

McCain's people desperately did not want Obama to pick Biden for precisely this reason, along with the fact that Biden actually knows McCain, he's an Irish Catholic from Scranton, he's a family man who can rub elbows in union halls and he's a terrific debater and attack surrogate.

Without someone like Biden on the ticket - with a governor perhaps or a less effective senator - Obama risked looking like a dreamer, not a doer. But with Biden at his side, the Democratic ticket suddenly can offer itself as a pragmatic, can-do engine for change.

Biden doesn't detract from the message of change: he drives it home.

Follow Phil Trounstine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ptrounstine

Comments

[guzzel]

6 months ago Biden was saying that Obama wasn't ready to be president; he even reiterated that point to George Stephenopolis by saying, "I stand by my statement.­..". Now we learn that Biden's camp pressed hard for the VP slot. It's easy to see this is the only inroad Biden will ever have to the White House.

The Clintons must be fill with rage to see all this unfolding before their very eyes. Don't hear much from Chelsea; she's staying clear of the whole thing. Wise!

If Obama doesn't get a bounce directly after the convention, the Dems will start wondering if they picked the right nominee.

[TroubleNYC]

Change can come from the inside.

[loislane88]

Biden: "The maverick McCain USED to be."

Say it - use it - pass it on.

[nazcalito]

If Biden is such a wonderful choice, why was his own presidential campaign a dud? There's a difference between someone the experts and pundits like and someone whom people will vote for.

[FanofPaine]

It's sort of like how some people are great solo artists and some do better in the choir. I think Joe does better in a choir.

[mh01]

Didn't we get about 3 days of Huffpo anger and character assasination because Toby Keith said pretty much the same thing on the Glenn Beck show?

So will we see the same anger by those same people about Biden's comment...­...somehow i don't think so.

If one says it he's a racist, but if "your guy" says it, you will find a way to excuse it.....

Just like Clarence Thomas, who was ruthlessly attacked by the same feminists who sat silently by when Bill was playing with Cigars and interns...­...

[Coinyer101]

flagged article as divisive. calling fellow barack supporters, unhappy with his washington insider pick idiots is not helpful and may cost barack / biden votes .we are not all idiots and our arguments are not all idiotic.wh­atever happened to obama's vision of open and honest debate ?do you not believe in the words of your own candidate?

[eden4barack08]

Hear, Hear Mr Trounstine!

[Coinyer101]

wesley clark would have been much better!barack did not look hard enough and think things through.ma­ny of us independents are unhappy with politicians like mccain and biden and even hillary, who "have been in washington for decades",[obama's own words on mccain]. i'll make a short pro- list for clark and you people show me any cons you can find
PROS FOR CLARK:
solid well-liked democrat.
loved by clinton supporters.
loved by armed forces and vets.
wounded 4 times in one battle , on the ground in vietnam and kept commanding his troops until they fought off the attackers
4 star general in the army
commander of all nato forces in europe and respected by putin and russia.
spoke out against the war in iraq when it was unpopular to do so.
IS NOT A WASHINGTON INSIDER FOR 36 YEARS!

[bongogirl]

Because Biden is OLD WASHINGTON, who better is able to target the OLD STEADFAST WASHINGTON networking and practices that need to be CHANGED, BIDEN CAN!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!

OBAMA '08

[Coinyer101]

become the enemy to defeat the enemy? no thank you!

[PHM]

1st: Biden is NOT old Washington. He's a real family guy who commuted to work every day since his election so he could raise his boys as a single dad, then his new family when he re-married.

But, yes...

2nd: He DOES know Washington­...and more importantly he KNOWS McCain and all his weaknesses­...Biden can peel McCain like an onion.

[susanlc]

I completely agree with this post. I am so relieved with this Biden choice. I am a very strong Obama supporter and always believed that he will be a great president, but with such heavy seas in which to right the country's ship, not least of which is a paralyzed, leaderless congress, Biden seals the cracks for me. He makes Obama-Biden a vessel worthy of big storms. Biden can be Obama's big stick (like LBJ was to Kennedy) in Washington. Go Guys! Hit it outta that park!

[bodo]

The furious reaction of the Republicans proves that Obama made exactly the right choice. It would have been so easy to destroy Clinton with all her old baggage (Whitewater, Filegate etc), but now they will have to deal with Biden who is a close personal friend of McCain. Not so easy.

[Lautenberg]

FIrst you guys say that Biden gets himself in trouble with his mouth and then you say he is Old Washington. he can't be the rebel and the old order at the same time.

Biden is an honest man. Great article

[StillAmused]

Idiotic arguments from the GOP and its handpuppets are epidemic. Take, for example:

"... my friends, if I have to follow him to the gates of Hell, I will get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. I will do that and I know how to do that. I will get that done."

And, of course, McSurly has proven he knows how to do that. I clearly remember the last time -- one of many -- that he brought an international terrorist to justice.

It was a bright, sunny day, just outside the gates of Hell...

[Bozwellian]

....It was a bright sunny day , inside his gated hell that he gave up the Pittsburgh Steelers..­.no, no..the Greenbay Packer linesmen..­...and a bright sunny day in the Baghdad market with Linsey by his buying carpet to prove how safe and secure one COULD be when overhead coptors and bullet proof vestments and security scanned portions of such a market space was made avaialble to DO shopping with camera crew in tow for the evening news....th­e list could go on ad naseum, but why spend more time digressing­...lets get out and register MORE to vote come November and explain WHY so neccessary for THEIR OWN SECURITY be it economic or other !!! We CAN NOT afford as a nation to allow more of the same which IS what McC represents. IT IS TIME FOR REAL CHANGE and Obama and Biden will partner well in getting just that rolling out !!!

[FirstShirt]

I agree. Younger inexperienced presidential candidate and washington insider. The insider makes a great VP who can take on some of the presidential duties and become a partner, not just a VP.

Wait a minute. That was Bush/Cheney.

[LiberalDemIda]

Wrong. Cheney *was* and has always *been* president. Bush was his sock-puppet.

Do you actually see Barack playing sock-puppet to Joe? If you do, then you haven't been paying attention to the man that beat a popular Clinton and who has stood at the helm of the best organized and most successful ground campaign ever seen - not to mention his record-breaking fund-raising juggernaut.

Clinton, Edwards, Biden, all media pundits (except for Olbermann), so-called 'neutral' journalists even Democratic voters have all underestimated Barack from the start of the Democratic Primary and look how utterly wrong they turned out to be.

Don't add your name to the list.

[StillAmused]

There have been dramatic strides in the treatment of Severe Analogy Disorder. The first part is an intensive course entitled, "Motives And Methods Matter".

Avail yourself.

[Bozwellian]

...ah, but look more closely...­check out the REAL differences in CHeney's and Bidens true souls/hear­t/mindsets ...This time around, this combo does make sense !!!

[StillAmused]

There have been dramatic strides in the treatment of Severe Analogy Disorder.

Avail yourself.

[StillAmused]

Sheesh... someone wake up the panel of judges.

[macphisto01]

Obama needed an insider in the Senate to get things done. You have to be able to work the House and the Senate to make things happen. Look at what happened to Hillary when she tried to take on healthcare early in her husband's presidency. Her efforts were stymied. In Biden Obama has a strong, well respected advocate in the Senate and can be much more effective as a result.

[Bea69]

So you're saying Biden is a good choice because he can use his more than 30 years of experience in Washington to help Obama use the old Washington system to change Washington? Whaa?

Everything about Biden undercuts Obama: he's an old white guy, he's been in Washington for 30 years, he voted for the war, his foreign policy experience highlights Obama's lack of foreign policy experience, and most shockingly, he said during the debates that Obama wasn't ready to be the next President. Get ready to see the McCain camp run that clip over and over and over again between now and November.

I am a Democrat and I want Barack Obama to win in November. I am convinced he won't.

[AmericanFool]

Buck up, buckaroo. Biden is exactly what Obama needed for two reasons. 1. A lot of folks are a little unsettled by Obama - he doesn't just talk about change, he embodies change. These people will swing to McCain in the end, unless there is a counterbalance. Biden is that counterbalance. 2. Challenging congress is like tilting at windmills. Sound and Fury, signifying nothing. Obama needed a bridge to the heart of congress, so he can push his ideas, and he's got it.

[Bea69]

AmericanFool,

I hadn't thought about the counter-balance argument. You have a good point there. Maybe not all hope is lost.

PS Thanks for not calling me a racist McCain supporter!

[nk007]

Telling us you are a Democrat who is going to sit on his/her behind repeating Republican talking points is clear evidence that,contrary to your assertion, you don't want Obama to win. Ronald Reagan campaigned on change and yet he picked George Bush Sr.( an establishment insider) as his VP and none of these smart pundits said a thing. Bush who had run for the presidency had just been defeated by Reagan. He had mocked Reagan's economic policy as "vodoo economics.­" Yet Reagan, with Bush as his VP went on to defeat a sitting president in a landslide. Reagan was able to do that because Republicans of all stripes united behind him. Why can't Democrats do the same? Could it because of Obama's race? Reagan, a former actor turned politician, had absolutely no foreign policy experience. Bush Sr., however, was the experienced one. Guess what Reagan is now touted for his foreign policy successes whereas Bush Sr, was defeated for re-election by a less known Governor of backward state of Arkansas who had absolutely no foreign policy experience. I am just so tired of people trying to re-write history when it comes to assessing Obama's capacity. As to what Biden said, people say that all the time when competing for the nomination as Bush Sr, did against Reagan.

[Coinyer101]

that's a ridiculous reply. the poster cant have an opinion on the article, without you calling them out on who they say they support? you should be more careful or you may be losing more votes for obama than winning them, by being so quick to jump on anyone who doesn't share your view. also i'm an independent supporter from arkansas who doesn't appreciate being called backwards.­people like you who allow yourself to be blinde by the spotlight do our candidate no good.

[Coinyer101]

i must agree with you. he should have picked wes clark or even held his nose and picked hillary.
biden is not change.goo­d man .but,doesnt help the message that appealed to so many independents and crossover republicans who were still on the fence. shows mccain is getting some of those undecideds,because obama's numbers are not really going down .but,mccains numbers are moving up.