It's Biden -- Ho-Hum

The N.Y. Times reports that Barack Obama has picked Joe Biden as his running mate. And all I can say is ho-hum. He's playing it safe. Telling the world he's afraid it will notice his weaknesses and hence the attempt to stick a finger in the dyke of his inexperience. This is reactive and not proactive politics. One of the things I've admired about Obama's campaign thus far has been his willingness to make daring moves, to do the unexpected. It allowed him to break out of the mold. It set him apart from Hillary Clinton, the candidate who seemingly tried to do everything the same old, boring, old-fashioned way.

Biden is a consensus builder. He's not an especially bright bulb. In fact, he comes across as a bit of a buffoon due to his shoot from the lip style. I expect we'll be seeing Jay Leno and David Letterman dredging up every stupid, silly comment Biden has made in 35 years of Senate service.

Yes, Biden is a steady hand--I was going to say in the Cheney mold though I immediately realized how ridiculous it was for anyone to believe Cheney was being added to the 2000 Republican ticket to add a note of rigor and stability. Biden will certainly add more gravitas to the ticket than Cheney did. But man is he ever old and tired. And I never trust a politician from Delaware who has a perpetual suntan. He also looks like he just had his face "enhanced" by a surgeon's knife. Biden's smile, while a mile-wide, somehow always reminds me of Mack the Knife or a gameshow host. And does he ever love to hear the sound of his own voice!

I have to say I wasn't thrilled by any of Obama's VP choices. There was the white guy from the Midwest, Evan Bayh; the Catholic guy from the near South, Tim Kaine; and Biden. I thought Kathleen Sebelius would've been a groundbreaking pick, though perhaps it wouldn't bring much politically to the ticket other than a breath of fresh air. And Chuck Hagel--now that would've been a groundbreaking candidate who would've stolen some Republican thunder.

When I think of the boring prospect of adding Joe Biden to the ticket, I look back fondly on the vice presidential candidacy of Lloyd Bentsen. Now, that was a politician who really had the goods. Only someone of Bentsen's character could've sliced and diced Dan Quayle as he did in that famous debate. Obama needed a Bentsen and I'm afraid he chose an Edsall.

Comments

[BaxterJ]

The only thing I agree with here is that Biden can be a loose cannon, but that might be good for the campaign -- gets publicity and allows Obama to take the high road while his VP takes the heat for saying what everyone was thinking.
http://www.entertonement.com/collections/1701/Joe-Biden

[videlicet]

A daring post, Mr. Silverstein. Rather than offer up some substantive assessment, you went out on a limb, gave it to us straight: you don't trust politicians with suntans from Delaware. Great punditry.

[vinny]

agreed, the blogger had little to no insight...

i disagreed with the idea that obama has "done" anything daring to date...

[judi4obama]

From Wikipedia:
The Vice President of the United States[1] (sometimes referred to as VP, Veep, or VPOTUS)[2] is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president. As designated by the Constitution of the United States, the vice president also serves as the President of the Senate, and may break tie votes in that chamber.[3] He or she may be assigned additional duties by the president but, as the Constitution assigns no executive powers whatever to the vice president, in performing such duties he or she acts only as an agent of the president.

Biden, as veep, isn't going to run the country, this is the President's job. If Obama had chosen his veep candidate based purely on the premise of Change defined as "fresh faces in government" then we would have TWO inexperienced candidates on the ticket. Biden's 36 years of experience will comfort voters concerned with Obama's lack of it.

Biden is an excellent choice. Chuck Hagel is planning to retire from the Senate at the end of this term. That tells me he has grown tired of political office. This tells me he might lack enthusiasm as veep.

[Camel54]

I just love how Democrats still don't get it. I mean, this news is not even 12 hours old and already the attacks from within our ranks are being written. Perhaps Mr. Silverstein doesn't realize there is an unnecessarily close election going on and right now, maybe it's not our best strategy to immediately attack our VP candidate. This, and the belief by some other posters on HuffPo today who believe we should ignore the house gaffe and use detail and nuanced positions to win this election are the reason we always lose. Good job, guys.

[SamThornton]

Mr. Silverstein is anything but a Democrat. Read his bio. He's yet another neconserva­tive-lovin­g bomb-thrower, attempting to do his bit to sow dissension.

[Richard Silverstein - Huffpost Blogger]

Besides being a lie, this is truly worthy of Daily Kos.

What, btw is a "neconservative bomb-thrower?" Whatever it is I'm not. I haven't voted for a Republican in my life. I dare you to show anything in my bio that would lead to saying anything other than that.

I'm surprised there are so many "march off the cliff" Democrats among the commenters here. Last I checked, the party allowed people to be critical of individual choices & decisions candidates make. When we stop allowing that we might as well become Republicans.

Biden "brilliant?" Where do you get that? What has he ever done or said that was "brilliant?" I mean do tell me--maybe I'm missing something. I note that not a single commenter favorable toward Biden has pointed to anything substantive about him that is worth noting. Yes, he has foreign policy experience. But what has he actually ever done with it? Has he ever been instrumental in passing any progressive foreign policy legislation? Maybe he has, I'm no expert on his record. But he comes across to most Americans except possible for those in this thread as a well-meaning blowhard, full of sound & fury signifiying very little.

And don't you think calling Obama a "clean" African American candidate during the primaries should ring a few alarm bells about whether Biden has what it takes to be a credible national candidate?

[BADEN]

Lloyd BENTSON???

I remember that - the ONLY thing Bentson had going for HIM, other than that "in the inside" is that he laid Dan Quayle flat with his Kennedy line.

He was a PATHETHIC running mate choice.

I am really surprised at all the "LET'S EAT OUR OWN!" going on on the different threads.

Snatching that victory from the jaws of defeat - one little blogger at a time.

You want the White House and the Supreme Court in November?

Well, let's just GET WITH THAT PROGRAM, shall we?

What DO you people want?

And do you now what you will GET if you keep this stuff up?

[Richard Silverstein - Huffpost Blogger]

No, it's "Bentsen."

Considering that Bentsen line is probably the most memorable of any televised presidential or vice-presidential debate ever held, I'd say he had a lot more going for him than you're acknowledging.

And as for being a pathetic choice, he was a far more effective candidate than the guy who chose him, Mike Dukakis. Also, Bill Clinton seemed to think Bentsen had a lot going for him when he chose him as Treasury Secretary in his first Administration.

[plebeianswillrevolt]

Ouch baby, and this is what the progressives write about Biden? I think he is a great choice. I've very comfortable with the way the election is heading today.

[Whinger]

Got a problem with experience and intelligence Richard?

[YellerDawg]

Well said. I'll still vote for them, but ...yawn.

[MPeter]

I do not agree with your analysis. Biden has a depth of knowledge and brilliance few politicians in America today have. I support Obama's choice of Biden. And again, Obama will not satisfy all you who think you have a monopoly over wisdom and anything that you do not like, is wrong or bad. The choice is an inspired one.

[diogeron]

I could not disagree more. Biden was the best choice, hands down. He will do for Obama what Joe Lieberman and John Edwards failed to do for Gore and Kerry: take the head off the GOP nominee instead of playing nice with the thugs who run the GOP presidential campaigns.

[usr105]

All you whiners who were so happy to see HRC bumped are now getting what you deserve. Joe Biden, for all his 30+ years as a Senator, has never accomplished a thing and only got his position of the Foreign Relations Committee based on seniority. He is obviously as scared of HRC as he is his wife.