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.
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Let's see Phil. Biden voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, the Patriot Act, the Iraq War Resolution and was the 'genius' who actually wrote the law that gave us a Drug Czar.
As well he wrote the Violence Against Women's Act and the law putting 100,000 new cops on the street.
"With his knowledge of the ways of Washington, his vast experience in the senate,his INSIDERS savvy." sounds like the same old change I've heard about all my life.
Abilities and what you do with them is not the same thing.
Biden was out of law school in 1968, elected to city council in 1970, then elected to the Senate in 1973.
Obama was out of law school in 1991, elected to the Illinois Senate in 1997
So *between* them, they have 8 years of life experience outside of politics. Change....pffft
The question of change will be determined if Obama wins. If he gets universal health care passed, addresses global warming meaningfully and changes tax policy then that will be change and the number of months they have each been in gov't is irrelevant. That would constitute the most change since the period from 1964 to 1966 when Civil Rights and Medicare passed as well as many other pieces of legislation. And LBJ and Humphrey had been in the Senate a long time respectively.
You assume that only outsiders can bring change?
And next you require *longer* experience i guess.
Awesome comment.
Biden was their worst nightmare and I like the "drive home change" idea.
Well you will get change with McCain , a re enacted draft, another attempt to privatize Social Security, more and bigger tax breaks for Oil companies, more wars like Georgia and "bomb bomb Iran" (McCain quote), 100 years more in Iraq to ensure private oil companies can keep their now pending contracts yep lotta change with McCain.
The arguement that biden undercuts change is not only idiotic but everything from the McCain camp is so damn immature that i wonder if people or the media is aware that the country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Yes , the people are aware of future dangers, like the election of do nothing Obama. You know, Obama uses the word CHANGE but he never changed a thing when he had a chance to do so ( the Illinois legislature). Read up on it !! Biden does undercut the notion of change , it shows Obama is just another politician. Actually, I take that back, most politicians get something done, Obama just votes Present.
Has it dawned on anyone that, well in advance of the Veep decision, the McCain people were developing lists of negative bullet-point attacks on anyone Sen. Obama might come up with?
That said - the entire "Change" argument could stand some fleshing out and additional explaining to the American public.
It essentially means: "turning a corner on current political and governing policies and processes that no longer work and have frequently gotten us into trouble."
In terms of policy - any Democrat not in favor of turning the corner on all the Bushian policies which have caused harm to us as a nation, is either asleep or dead. That includes young people, old people, men, women, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
When it comes to "process" - the culprits of many abuses are Democrats as well as Republicans. One could argue that old timers like John McCain and even Joe Biden must be part of the system to have survived for so long; but when you look at Sen. Biden's personal family balance sheet, you discover his net worth to be less than $150,000 (poorest in the Senate) and his Washington life-style to be one of commuting back and forth between DC and his home in Delaware.
Accusations that Obama selectieda Washington Insider is nothing but more nonsensical partisan one-upmanship - from McCain politicos who've got nothing positive to say about their own candidate.
A guy with new ideas amd leadership abilities needs an alter ego with experience and knowledge . Biden provides these qualities in spades to Obama. He will also be a great counter deterrent to the Swift Boaties.
Besides making grand teleprompter speeches yelling change, what EXACTLY SPECIFICALLY does BHO want to do? That's the problem, nobody knows.
You are either deaf or dumb, possibly both.
that's because you don't want to know..the internet is a good place to start, you're already here so why not check out Obama/BIden website.
"nobody knows" is just a Hannity talking point..if you truly wanted to know what Obama is going to do SPECIFICALLY, you would do your homework and find out. You really don't care..you're just anti-Obama...period..right?
How many McCain brownie points did you earn today?
Check his web site.
Where have you been? He has discussed a myriad of issues with more detail since any candidate since Bill Clinton. Detailed policies on health care, the financial markets, global warming, foreign policy and Iraq, education, energy and many other topics. What are you Rip Van Winkle? Did you just wake up?
Yesk, right, he has discussed thing ad nauseum. He yaks, and yaks and then what. There is always tape of anything he says that contradicts what he is currently saying. I dare you tell me how he will fix the economy, end the war, provide more energy for this country and tell us if he is indeed the biggest pro abortionist ( even after birth ) senator in history.Health care ?he opposed Hillary's plan ( and then he copied it ) energy?? he may, well, uh ,uh, ah, uh, might be in favor of drilling, maybe. BARACK MAYBE OBAMA
What bills has Biden pushed through the Senate? Did Biden stop Alito? Biden's been for every stupid war the US has waged for 15 or 20 years now. That's not change.
then vote for McCain is is for Chang(ing)e. Pray that you still have freedom of speech when his 4 years are up or even have a home to go to when he declares war on the world.
What an infantile argument.
Biden has but 1 vote in the Senate like everyone else.
The first 5 1/2 years of Bush's presidency the House and Senate were controlled by RUBBER STAMPING REPUBLICANS .......................... They had the majority and therefore controlled the vote.
If you want to know what Biden has done in the Senate in the last 35 years, just do the research ............ It only takes the click of a mouse.
That's if you are actually interested in the TRUTH and are willing to stop swallowing hook line and sinker the Republican fabrication of everything ....................... Remember WMD?
He voted against Alito, Roberts, and Thomas. Did you want him to prevent their confirmation by himself? Do some research on bills Biden 'pushed' through the Senate. Start with VAWA.
Google Biden and McCain by name, and compare results. Biden wins by a mile. Biden has a long list of important legislative accomplishments. McCain, like Bush, is a classic underachiever. Neither would be where they are today without the influence of their fathers.
He's being pushed in this article as a Master of the Senate ala LBJ. Even the minority in the Senate can stop stuff from happening---the Repubs can do this but the Dems seem to have forgot over the last 8 years.
Biden could have set a much different tone during the Alito hearings by not talking to no point for 30 minutes to start off with.
This does have the potential to be an amazing ticket and partnership. It's amusing to see McCain putting out an ad featuring comments Biden made when he was a candidate. Does he REALLY want to see Obama put one out featuring all the things Huckabee, Romney, Thompson, Giuliani, and the others said about him during the primary season?
McCain is such a sitting duck - I have a feeling and hope that Obama is sitting on some very telling ads that will help America understand just what kind of fraud McCain is.
THANK YOU for bringing some sense into this argument! People outside DC politics don't seem to understand that Obama would have been a lame duck like poor Jimmy Carter if he didn't pick a strong, DC saavy VP. In fact, all the bellyaching by the Republicans lets me know that we are on the right track--they would have loved to have Hill and Bill to slap around again, and they are so disappointed that they weren't handed that. I haven't heard any Dem pundit say that Biden is a bad choice, but TONS of Republicans--this is a good ticket folks, take it to the bank!
Thank you so much for writing this, Phil. My thoughts exactly...
Well said! Such a great counterpoint as Obama and Biden's would have to try very hard to go wrong, especially at this point.
I agree with you 100%. This is a dream ticket.
Obama has the vision and Biden has the experience.
And judging by his speech yesterday, I have no doubt he won't mind cracking a the heads of some of his pals in the congress to get things done. As someone else said, after 35 years, he knows where the bodies are buried and he won't mind digging them up.
Plus this will be part of his legacy. He is not likely to ever run for POTUS again himself. As at the end of Obama's to terms he'll be older than JMc is now. So it would behoove him to make a name for himself as one of the great VPs in history.
good analysis...OBAMA=VISION..BIDEN=EXPERIENCE..TOGETHER THEY CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The republicans and the pundits are grasping at straws because they know this is a formidable team.
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