Yeah yeah, and when McCain nominates Romney the same crap is going to fall back on the Republican side. I wouldn't go making any big proclamations about campaign sound bites. We aren't going to get any 'meat' until the debates. And does anybody think the leak to the papers wasn't 100% calculated by the campaign? The Obamamaics get their personal involvement AND the newspapers get the nomination of the frontpage of the same morning's newspaper. win/win
Completely disagree on Hilary front. This has been debated to death, and we'll never know for sure. Why I like the Biden pick? Because I've read the book Team of Rivals. Biden doesn't agree with Obama on everything. He voted for the war. Biden is strong-willed and speaks his mind. Biden has already publicly criticized Obama. For Obama to then bring Biden to his side speaks volumes. Obama is pragmatic, confident, and above all wanting to choose someone that would most benefit the nation as VP for 4 or 8 years. He chose someone he respected, who brings a lot to the table, and who would make a great VP. He welcomes smart people who challenge his views. Hence my reference to Team of Rivals (re: Lincoln, if you've never heard of the book). What he did not do is respond to all the petty, short-view political bullets listed by people like Takethebet_Jorge. Do Americans want a vice president chosen for swing state calculations rather than competence? Do they want a vice president chosen to please certain party segments, or chosen to form the best possible presidential advisor? The answer's obvious for me. And again, Obama just keeps showing pragmatism, professionalism, competence. This is another sign that he would assemble an excellent cabinet, free of pay-back favors, free of yes-men and yes-women.
How do people feel about Biden blaming blacks for schools being underperformers? “Senator implies minorities to blame for bad schools,” announced a graphic on MSNBC Thursday afternoon, the kind of damning headline that no amount of spinning by any politician can undo. For the record, the Delaware senator and presidential candidate’s latest verbal crime came in an interview with the Washington Post’s editorial board, when after a typically prolix dissertation on federal education policy, he compared Iowa’s mostly white public schools to the heavily black schools in Washington, D.C. “There's less than 1 percent of the population of Iowa that is African-American. There is probably less than 4 or 5 percent that are minorities. What is in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you're dealing with,” he was quoted saying. His campaign quickly sought to clarify the remark, arguing that he was trying to point out the socio-economic disparities between impoverished inner-cities and middle class areas. http://www.observer.com/2007/freewheelin-joe-biden Gosh, there are just SO MANY wonderful soundbites from Biden. This is going to be a riot.
Republican Chuck Hagel's statement -- "Joe Biden is the right partner for Barack Obama. His many years of distinguished service to America, his seasoned judgment and his vast experience in foreign policy and national security will match up well with the unique challenges of the 21st Century. An Obama-Biden ticket is a very impressive and strong team. Biden's selection is good news for Obama and America." poor jorge
Joseph R. Biden Jr. Biography Full Name: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. Party: Democratic Political Office: U.S. Senator from Delaware; elected 1972; reelected 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, and 2002 Business/Professional Experience: Attorney (in Wilmington), 1968-72; Councilman, New Castle County (Delaware), 1970-72 Date of Birth: November 20, 1942 Place of Birth: Scranton, Pa. Education: B.A., University of Delaware, 1965; J.D., Syracuse University College of Law, 1968 Spouse: married (2d) Jill Jacobs, 1977 Children: sons Joseph R. III, born 1969 and Robert, b. 1970 (with first wife Neilia Hunter, m. 1966; died 1972 in auto accident with infant daughter Naomi); daughter Ashley, born 1981 Religion: Roman Catholic Home: Wilmington, Del. Books by Joe Biden: Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics [July 2007] About Joe Biden: What it Takes: The Way to the White House (in part, an account of Biden's 1988 presidential campaign), by Richard Ben Cramer [1992] First elected to the United States Senate from Delaware at age 29, Joseph R. Biden Jr. has experienced personal tragedy, near-fatal illness, and multiple attempts to advance to the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue. Though neither of his campaigns for the Democratic nomination ever really took off, he was tapped as Senator Barack Obama’s running mate on Aug. 23, 2008. Only a month after winning his first Senate election, Mr. Biden’s wife and 13-month old daughter died in a car accident, which put both of his sons in the hospital. Mr. Biden was sworn into the Senate at their bedsides. His pursuit of the 1988 Democratic nomination ended amid accusations that he lifted large portions of his remarks at a debate from a British Labor Party leader. And a few months after his departure from the race Mr. Biden collapsed from a brain aneurism, ultimately undergoing two surgeries over a few months. Mr. Biden told The Times he had learned something different from each of the three crises in his life. The accident taught him, he said, “to always let the people you love know you love them, and never let something go unsaid.” The aneurysm taught him that “it’s a hell of a lot easier being on the operating table than in the waiting room.” As for the 1987 race, Mr. Biden said he learned that he could pull himself back up after the crippling experience of having his character questioned, “Particularly when it’s your own fault.” Mr. Biden is perhaps best known for his work on the Foreign Relations Committee, of which he is currently chairman. He has said he regrets his 2003 vote in favor of the Iraq invasion, but he has been a persistent and harsh critic of the administration’s war conduct. Mr. Biden is among the most ardent proponents of a three-state solution in Iraq. Despite his emphasis on diplomacy, Mr. Biden is known for his direct – and sometimes impulsive – speech, which has often attracted criticism. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/refer...b/joseph_r_jr_biden/index.html?inline=nyt-per
It's a very easy spin, actually ...and a legit argument. Biden felt he was a better candidate because he has much more experience ...and now Biden can directly apply his experience in Obama's administration. Easy breezy. Biden is a good pick. Everywhere Obama was lacking, Biden picks up the slack. He's a good pick for the country. It shows that Obama is more interested in trying to accomplish great things than pandering for a pick to get more votes. Glad it isn't Clinton.
IQ? I really don't know. I'll have to have my staff get back to you. My wife keeps track of my IQ. I'm starting to hope he doesn't take the bet. The comic relief is too much.
Didn't Hagel say he won't be endorsing either candidate? It's pretty obvious how he feels, so why not just admit it?
Did someone mention Romney? From Dec. 28, after Romney's 3rd wave of negative ads on McCain, and the infamous The McCain Way memo. "The best way to tell you that I’m doing very well is when you’re attacked by Romney," McCain said. "I don’t know how to respond to some of it because his position may change," McCain said. "I can certainly see why Gov. Romney would want an ad talking about the future because he certainly doesn’t want to talk about the past."
