If you did not catch the complete all-night news cycle on CNN leading up the choice for VP you know Heloise watched all for you.
Barack Obama has (as expected for the past two days) chosen Senator Joseph Biden for his running mate. If elected they will be the first two sitting senators to ever take the White House. Neither have southern roots, a long shot but a good solid ticket.
Biden’s introduction to the world from Obama will be held in Springfield, Illinois on Saturday afternoon, where Obama delivered his bid for the presidency. In fact this was the logistics that tipped Obama’s hand. A private plane was dispatched to Newcastle, Delaware about 10:30 p.m. central time. This came after both Kaine and Bayh had been told they were not chosen. CNN had confirmation of this from a couple of sources.
John King of CNN broke the story at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday. How did he do it? One thing he got confirmation on were the calls that went out to the also-rans: Kaine and Bayh, who got calls that they were not the choice. This was the complication that kept the cell-phone text message signups from getting that first call notice. I did not sign up for the call because I thought it was a gimmick. The text message did go out at 3:00 a.m. some were excited about it and other felt cheated that Obama did not “keep his word.” CNN also reported that about midnight on Obama’s Web site there was a notice that Biden was the choice!
This morning when I saw the CNN-confirmation headline and read “Biden,” my mind saw: “Obiden” which sounds African. But that means one thing—there is chemistry between the two men and that’s a good thing. I watched CNN and John King up until about 11:00 p.m. and by that time they had eliminated everyone except Biden. So I went to bed feeling confident that Joe was the choice.
“Biden is a likeable guy”
Biden is like good construction caulk: he’s very white, a must-have for projects, fills gaps well, but can still get messy if you push too hard, or if the opening cut is too large. He was absolutely the second-best choice.
This is the general consensus of the pundits but also that he is “a gaffe machine.” He talks too much. And my first criticism of him came when he called Obama: “clean, nice looking and articulate,” three admirable traits that everyone wants in an African American. It did not sit well with many black folks. The other thing that the GOP and McCain and his VP choice will use is the harsh criticism that Biden launched against Obama: “he’s not ready to be president.” Ouch. He has also given John McCain great fodder for new ads which are already running. These ads use Biden's own harsh words against Obama. He even said that he would be honored to run against McCain.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Arch Conservative
Let me get this straight......
Obama......the guy who was saying it's all about change and not expereience........
the man who is single handedly going to usher in a new era of positive, uplifting issue-oriented politics,
the man who will unite every man women and child in this nation........
the man who is destined to bring fundamental change to washington..........
has chosen the sterotypical old white guy that has been in Washington for the last thirty years and will be soon be touting his "experience"
The Obama campaign is the gift that keeps on giving.........one confusing hypocritical punchline after the other.........
On a side note......the McCain camp has already started in with the videos of Biden critiszing obama during the primaries. This can only lead one to believe that McCain is not going to pick Romney as his VP as the Dems could respond in kind.
I wonder if McCain plans on picking Palin in the hopes of finally pushing the Clintonistas over the cliff where he will be waiting to catch them at the bottom with a big comfy "Sarah Palin has a vagina and she will be my VP" net this November.
2 - jamminsue
Heloise:
Considering the shape of the world, the only two vp nominees that could have kept me voting Democrat would have been Biden or Richardson. As much as we desperately need a statesman adept in economic abilities, we even more need a statesman that is adept at foreign policy. Once we get issues cleared up abroad, we can focus on "home" again...
The Senate issue will become very interesting if they are elected.
It will be fun to watch
3 - Dave Nalle
I'm not buying this theory that Biden is some sort of great foreign policy asset. Being chairman of the Foreing Relations Committe is not on the same scale as being an ambassador or Secretary of State. And Delaware may SEEM like a foreign country (perhaps Luxemburg), but it's not.
Biden's main real asset is that his son is about to be deployed to Iraq with the national guard, which will lend him some legitimacy on the war issue. But basically he's a neocon who didn't have the guts to leave the democratic party with the rest of them and a unrependant drug warrior with a bottomless well of bad, repressive ideas.
Dave
4 - Lee Richards
Biden has no national constituency that I'm aware of, and that's something that Obama could have used in this election. Whether it's something he needed in a VP candidate is what we'll find out.
Also, Biden brings no big block of electoral votes, he's not inspirational in firing up the rank-and-file, and he certainly wears no mantle of "change".
He may or may not work out for Obama, but I don't believe he's the best choice for the country.
5 - Zedd
Dave and Arch,
You both sound so pitiful. Face it, the Reps are pretty sorry right now. What do you stand for? Cant be morals or fiscal responsibility.
Give it up, start afresh, find your center and reboot. Come back in a couple of years with something to put on the table. But have some pride.
6 - Clavos
Face it, the Reps are pretty sorry right now.
And yet oddly, are running even with the Dems in the Prez Sweepstakes.
Must mean the Dems are "pretty sorry," too...
7 - Jordan Richardson
And the voters will allllll be sorry in November. Over to you, Clint.
8 - Arch Conservative
Zedd....I do have pride.......that's why I'm not going to be voting for the GOP anymore.
I'm not just refraining from giving McCain my vote but I will be abstaining from supporting any local Repubs in my home state of NH as well.
I will be voting for either Paul or Baldwin and if the GOP still hasn't gotten the hint four years from now I will again support the most sincere third party candidate.
9 - Arch Conservative
That's right Clavos. These lefties love to point out Bush's low approval rating but think nothing of mentioning the fact that our Democratically controlled Regresss.. I mean Congress has lower approval ratings.
10 - Dave Nalle
Zedd, it would be great to have the luxury to be able to regroup, purge the party of democrat infiltrators and start over again from a position of righteousness and principle. Sadly we don't have that luxury. Above all else, we have to be committed to the welfare of the nation. If there is no country to save 4 or 8 years down the road then what's the point in preparing to save it. We're left with the urgent need to act now, even if it means massive compromises and voting for McCain solely because he CAN win the election, because there is no question that the country will not survive 8 or even 4 years with democrats in control of both houses of the legislature and the white house.
Single-issue conservatives like Arch are no longer part of the equation. They have to be sacrificed in McCain's move to the middle or they have to play along and put their fanaticism on hold, because no progress on their issues is still better than the utter destruction they'll face if Obama wins.
Dave
11 - Zedd
"And yet oddly, are running even with the Dems in the Prez Sweepstakes.
Must mean the Dems are "pretty sorry," too..."
OR
The Reps who are voting are REALLY sorry; not willing to admit that they were morbidly wrong, have lead the country in a disastrous path and have no real agenda. Their crack house binge on patriotism, flags, fetuses, "family values" (men's toilet advances) and prayer in school was stupidity of the highest level. Their dittos of mindless clammer over nothingness has caused the entire globe to view us as laughable, irrelevant and eye rolling.
Or
The Reps are to daft to realize that they were wrong and that the revolution ended in the big thud and everything that is wrong today is their fault. All the warnings have come to pass.
12 - Zedd
Clav,
I noticed all of the errors above. You can stop salivating.
13 - Sam weaver
Yes, Hillary would have been a great choice, however, her husband Bill would have been a liability. I like him, but a political reality. Neither Obama or McCain will have any southern roots in their campaigns. There are so many unique factors with this election. Joe Biden is a good selection. I assume that McCain will pick Romney. This guy can not answer a straight question any better than John Kerry. I find it hard to believe that the Republicans believe that he is an actual conservative. If I were McCain, I would select the lady from Alaska as a running mate.
14 - Zedd
Arch, Clavos,
The Dems are winning with a Black guy.
Piense Clav!!! Now tell me I make a good poing.... Go ahead....
Arch, never mind.
15 - Baritone
On balance, I think Biden is the best choice. As to the McCains using Biden's own words against Obama, there would have been a good deal more such fodder had he gone with Clinton. Additionally, I think Clinton (or the Clintons may well have overshadowed Obama.
And, I will agree with Arch regarding Romney. If Mitt winds up as McCain's choice, there will be tons of fun for the Dems using all the barbs sent back and forth between McCain and Romney during the primaries.
In some ways, this complicates the decision for McCain. Does he go with Romney, opening up that whole avenue for the Dems, or does he go with Lieberman or Ridge with their liberal social credentials, incurring the wrath of the party conservatives?
Who will it be?
B
16 - Zedd
Hillary and Bill are too much. They over estimated their meaningfulness to everyone. They mattered because we needed them to do their job AT THE TIME. They thought that they mattered because we FOREVER need them. They are suffering from the same thing that all celebs suffer from. They think the public really loves them, like REALLY loves them. They've been bombarded by the few (some a bit fanatical) who care enough to get up from their couches to ogle at them or shake their hands and they think that they represents the rest of us normal people. We are too busy to care that much. We've got soccer practice, gymnastics, dissertations and work project deadlines. We've got our own careers to grow. They did a good job but we don't owe them anything. Bill got to be President, twice. That's enough thanks. It's over. Next... Hillary keeps claiming that she is experienced and the truth is before Obama jumped in, my worry was that she would get nailed because of her lack of experience. They are smart but so are millions of other Americans. Next....
They are becoming a job. Perhaps there is something to that class thing. Poor Bill. I wouldn't be shocked if a beer bottle goes off on Obama's head at the convention from a burping, beater clad Bill sporting a horn sign with his fingers while pumping his elbows. You can take the boy out of the....
17 - Arch Conservative
You don't consider the possibility that he will go with Palin in an attempt to scoop up the angry Clinton backers B-tone?
Wasn't Nalle the one posting like 57 Ron Paul articles per day just a few short weeks ago? Now he's telling everyone that we must suck it up and vote for McCain because Obama will most definitely be the end of America as we know it? I believe that if we support McCain it sends a message to the GOP that they can continue to take advantage of us and continue to act like slightly less zealous big government sycophants than the Dems and we will do nothing about it.
It's like pulling a band aid off. Dave would rather see the nation turn into big brother over a long protracted period whereas I believe that if it's going to prove to be inevitable we might as well just bite the bullet and do it now. Besides we could get lucky and two years into an Obama presidency someone will............................you guys didn't really think I'd go there did you........
Anyhoo...voting Paul in 2008 ensures that when I'm sitting around some campfire with a group of strangers twenty years from now and we're dining on rat or some other furry creature engaging in dinner conversation that consists of rumors of remaining water supplies that have not been contaminated and how long it might take to get to them I will art least be able to brag that I was not a complicit actor in bringing about our current situation. Ahhh life's little pleasures...you gotta take'em where you find'em
18 - Arch Conservative
Zedd..........
or
that while the rhetoric of the two parties is vastly different the reality of the two parties has become nearly impossible to differentiate and they're all pretty sorry
19 - Zedd
Biden is the best choice. In a more equitable world, Richardson would have been better. However we need some plain old white bread on the ticket and Biden is that. He is also a solid candidate. He is just the right age, just the right "experienced", just the right looks and just the right complexion. Perfect! He'll bring in the AARP crowd because he looks like what we have always thought a President should look like (not just physically). He is Gary Cooper.
20 - Arch Conservative
Was Gary Cooper that surly?
21 - Dr Dreadful
I think he looks much more like Jimmy Stewart than Gary Cooper.
22 - Baronius
Not a bad choice. Biden won't be an issue in the election, and that's all that Obama could hope for. Clinton would have been an issue, even if she had to make herself one. Obama had to put her and the primaries behind him. He's giving her time at the convention, then moving to the football stadium for the REAL convention and the beginning of the general election.
23 - Clavos
@#s 11 & 14:
...Or
You missed the point, Zedd (where have I heard that before?).
After 8 years of a Prez with the lowest ratings since Methuselah was born, The Dems should be clobbering the Reps, and they aren't. They might even lose in November!
Why? Because the whole damn rank-and-file, Rep and Dem, is disgusted with the clowns in Washington, and they should be.
It's no accident that Congress has an even lower rating than Bush.
They deserve it.
24 - Clavos
It's not a case of who's better, Reps or Dems, Zedd.
In the public's eyes (as evidenced by the polls), They all suck.
Equally.
25 - Heloise
Yes he is moving on from the primaries--factoid: he is only the second nominee to speak outdoors at a stadium. Who did it first? You know it: JFK at LA coliseum in 1960!
Heloise