August 22, 2008 10:57 PM
So Joe Biden is 'change'?
Oh, my my my my... remember this was the guy who marveled about Barack Obama being "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy"? The AP is reporting that Joe Biden is Obama's No. 2, and that the text message will be sent out Saturday morning (does this mean some Dems won't answer their phone now?). ABC News reported late tonight that Secret Service had been dispatched to Biden's home, so either he's been printing counterfeit bills in the basement or needs executive-wannabe-level protection.For a campaign that has consistently chided John McCain for being mired in the old Washington guard and conducting the "same old Washington politics," Obama's choice is bizarre. Joe Biden, change?? Biden, the sixth-longest-serving and notoriously long-winded senator? Biden, who was named a Face for the Future by Time magazine in his freshman senatorial year -- in 1974, before I was even born? Biden, who withdrew from the 1988 presidential race after speech-plagiarizing and school-grade-exaggerating scandals? Biden, who snagged a whopping 1% of Iowa delegates in January?
And finally -- and this is my favorite one -- Joe Biden, who suggested on March 16, 2004, on "Hardball" that John Kerry pick John McCain as his running mate:
"'I think that this is time for unity in this country, and maybe it is time to have a guy like John McCain -- a Republican -- on the ticket with a guy he does like. They do get along. And they don't have fundamental disagreements on major policies.'
When asked by Matthews if he would support such a ticket, Biden said, 'I would. Yeah, if John Kerry said that's who he wanted, and McCain -- I'd encourage McCain to say yes. I doubt whether John would do it. I doubt whether John McCain would do it. But, you know, we need some unity here, man. The red states and the blue states -- we've got to have something to coalesce around here.'"
So we can conclude that Obama has picked a real winner: A guy who's about as Washington Establishment as Washington Establishment can get, who's never been near successful in his bids for the White House, who once called him a "clean" African-American, and who believes that John McCain is a great unifier.
I'd better stop laughing so hard before the neighbors start rapping on my wall...
UPDATE: Jennifer Rubin at Pajamas Media wonders if Obama's been running on the mantra that experience doesn't matter, why'd he go for the guy with the most experience he could find?
The Politico reminds us of another un-PC Biden zinger: "You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."
A Huffington Post blogger begs Joe to keep his foot outta his mouth.
Jonah Goldberg writes, "Barack Obama has just picked his Dick Cheney." That's some serious voodoo.
UPDATE NUMERO DOS: Welcome, NRO readers, as well as Gateway Pundit readers, RCP readers, Pajamas readers, etc. -- check out our expanded DNC Opinion coverage here.
August 23, 2008
6:51 AM
Raoul Bloodworth writes:
A republican's dream. The candidate of change just picked a guy with 35 years in Washington. A guy who worked in the private sector for 3 years in his lifetime.
There goes the Obama mantra that McCain represents the "old, tired establishment."
Besides that, Biden is an ass, a blowhard, and a guy who claims to be an International affairs expert... who voted for the Balkan war, the Iraq war, and insisted last year that Iraq be split into three.
If McCain picks Romney or Palin this thing is in the bag for the Republicans.
August 23, 2008
8:38 AM
NerdMom writes:
I am just stoked that I had the same initial reaction as Jonah Goldberg;).
August 23, 2008
8:53 AM
Kevin writes:
About a month ago, it first started to look like McCain could be competitive.
A couple of weeks ago, it started to look like McCain might actually have a shot at winning.
Now I think McCain's going to win in a landslide.
August 23, 2008
11:28 AM
slag writes:
Joe Biden's unpredictable. Obama's got guts for nominating him. It will make things interesting, for sure.
August 23, 2008
11:30 AM
woodwose writes:
Boy, what an inspiring choice Biden was for Obama to make as his VP. It's hard to believe that Biden, who once famously chided a reporter with, "I have an higher IQ than you do," and his ego could even fit in the same room with Obama and his, much less on the same ticket.
This two-time loser from Dela-nowhere is a complete buffoon. At least an un-ending string of gaffes from Biden will keep the media attention off Barack "I've been to all 57 states" Obama.
But the liberal media is trumpeting the pick of Biden as someone who has awesomely serious foreign policy and national security credentials. Please, what has Biden EVER done in the name of foreign policy and national security in the 36 years he's been in the Senate except sit on the sideline and hector Presidents? Let's not forget that Biden reluctantly voted for the authorization to use force in Iraq that Obama's opposition to has largely been the basis for his entire campaign.
And while US troops were fighting and dying in Iraq, what was Biden doing? Throwing out insane ideas like spliiting Iraq into three autonomous regions and opposing the surge that won the war. Gosh, it's hard to completely annoy everyone on an issue, but Biden darn sure did his best with his vacillating, pusillanomous positions on Iraq over the last 8 years. Kind of hard to be called a tower of courage after that performance.
And let us not forget Biden's contribution to the partison political acrimony that courses through our public institutions these days. Biden was the ringmaster in the three ring circuses that the Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings degenerated into. Under Biden's leadership, the term "to bork someone," meaning to publicly humiliate them on national TV in a Senatorial inquisition chamber, came into existence. And Clarence Thomas referred to his treatment by Biden's Judiciary committee as a "high-tech lynching."
Kind of hard to swallow Obama's mouthy platitudes about changing politics when he picks a sleazeball like Biden who is so directly responsible for making politics the reeking cesspit it is today.
If you are a McCain fan, Biden as Obama's VP nominee is nothing but a gift from the gods.
August 23, 2008
7:25 PM
Frank25 writes:
Obama (if elected) plans to go talk (talk?) to leaders in other countries. Jimmy Carter showed us how well that worked in Iran and Panama. And Biden likes to talk, so they can go together on those visits. While Obama smooses the leaders, Biden can tell them their staff members how to get under the skin of House and Senate leaders. Great!!!!
Another item: VP normally accept nomination to campaign for the presidency themselves in 4 or 8 years. So we should not see any more "old, wrinkly white guy bit?" Besides, whatever Paris was selling, no one was buying anyway. If women want to be taken seriously, they should wear clothing to cover their bodies. And someone should explain to Obama of reason for "Trusts" and "ownership of trusts" versus being administrator of one. I thought he went to Harvard Law School, but he must have been reading "race books" instead of that subject at the time.