What the Veep is Going On Here!

Here are my thoughts on Joe Biden:

Pretty good choice, and I certainly can't think of a better one (I don't think Hillary Clinton would have been a good choice at all.) Biden is tough, well-respected, experienced and pretty universally liked within the party. He is also strongest in the areas that Obama is weakest (in other words...he has a lot more of a resume;-)).

I think it carries several risks, though. First, as has been noted a lot this weekend, it highlights Obama's weaknesses. If you pick someone who brings something you are lacking, it just lets everyone know that you think you are lacking it.

Second, it reverses course on Obama's constant calls to change Washington and to change the culture of government. Biden is the exact opposite of change...he has been in the Senate for 36 years and all of his "plusses" involve that experience and his understanding of how things work.

Third is Biden himself. He could work really well in the attack dog role that some people like a campaigning VP to play, but he has also unleashed that on Obama already. Remember when he called him "clean"? Or when he called him a "Johnny come lately copycat" on Afghanistan? Or when he said he wasn't ready to be President and that it wasn't a job that lent itself to on-the-job training? Obviously, he is going to now claim that he knows Obama better and that a lot has changed, which may be enough...I am not sure what will resonate and what won't.

And then there are his laudatory comments about McCain. This is a McCain ad, so take it for what it is worth...but it could be very damning. If Biden is on record saying that he would have accepted the VP role with McCain, and he did accept it from Obama, well doesn't he just look like an opportunist who was willing to run with the first guy that asked him? I find that a little harder to explain, maybe.

That said, it is a decent choice. Biden is a good guy that knows his way around and brings some (possibly) needed experience to the campaign. Given his short list, I am not sure Obama could have done better.

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In keeping with my reputation of working less than anyone you know:-P, I am still at the beach with the girls until Tuesday evening at least. Looks like Tinkerbelle may be staying right up through next weekend (unless she gets really homesick this week), and this is a MUCH better place for the two of them than back in the city. Here I can open the back door and they can entertain themselves all day without a whole lot of oversight, which is a good way to watch children;-).

I actually have a project to do that lends itself very well to this. One of the VP's is writing an article from something and needs a whole bunch of research done before he can start...so I can sit here on the couch by myself and get all of that done without any distractions...so that is good. Of course, it means that I have to actually get to work...