Saturday, August 23, 2008

Biden Time

After all is said and done I think Biden was a one-sided selection. If you have had any news on then you've heard how he will shore up Obama's lack of foreign experience and it could be said help Obama's lack of experience in total. Biden is also supposed to be a good attack dog which will allow Obama to stand above that sort of thing. Overall, he will help Obama nationally with the independent voters.

However, I am guessing that the core Democrats involved in this race are not happy. To be honest, the Clinton supporters would not be happy with anyone other than Hillary. I think they might have been more understanding if Obama had picked some outsider. Instead they go with someone who is old school, which she is, too. Why go for someone with a good resume when you could have someone with a great resume? And already PUMA is arguing that Biden had a whopping 9,500 votes during the primary vs. Hillary's 18 million. (I know it isn't a fair comparison as Biden dropped out early but who ever said politics is fair?)

But it is the core Obama people who are also rumbling a little bit this morning. Obama's entire campaign is based on change. But his first importatnt decision to select his running mate and he completely turns his back on the idea of change. Instead of an outsider he went with Biden who is yet another old white guy who has been in DC since Watergate. Or as I heard one African American reporter tell it - she wasn't even born when Biden was first elected.

I would also think that Obama's advisors aren't that pleased either. There are two primary jobs for a VP candidate. The obvious one is to step in as President in case the President is unable to perform his job. The other purpose of a VP is to bring in votes that the President elect may not have been able to capture himself. I am not sure how much Biden will help Obama in this. In the past VP candidates have come from large electorial states or from swing states or from geographical areas that normally go for his oponent. But not Biden.

As everyone now knows - Biden is from Delaware which has a whopping 3 electorial votes. Nor is Delaware a key transitional state. Some analysts are saying that Biden may not readily have a large group of people that will now be for Obama but he might have large corporations and big bucks behind him. And every candidate always could use more money.

Later today Obama and Biden will officially announce this in Springfield Ill. (And didn't Obama's idea of texting his supporters first backfire. But more on that another time.) Anyway, back to the picture of the two of them standing together, most likely with raised hands held together as you always see it. And how will that look? How will America react to this picture of a youngish good looking black man holding hands with an old grey haired white man? In spite of what the picture might indicate, is America ready for an African American President?

Now that the Olympics are wrapping up tomorrow, let the real games begin!

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