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Saturday, August 23, 2008

It is Joe Biden

So looks like it is Joe Biden. I think Obama did not have any other realistic choice given the current context of what looks to be shaping up to be a close election; he had to pick someone the media and establishment will tell the American people "..is strong and knowledgeable on foreign policy and defense." All rather silly given Biden voted to give Bush the authorization to go to war which in my opinion is not being strong or knowledgeable. But what were his other potential options?

1. Hillary: clearly there is bad blood and there was no way he was going to pick her.
2. Senator Bayh from Indiana: very boring.. had nothing really going for him...I believe he was the runner up and was very close to being selected.
3. Richardson: A black/brown ticket? I don't think so.
4. Governor Sebelius (woman) from Kansas: I just don't see what she added but Obama really gets along with her.. Still a ticket with a black and a woman who is not Hillary would have been pushing it.
5. Governor Kaine from Virginia: he was only just elected Governor.. too inexperienced..Obama probably wished he could have selected him because he really likes him on a personal level..
6. Senator Jim Webb from Virginia.... For whatever reason Obama did not want him.. he just was elected to the Senate so not too experienced but at least he is a vietnam vet and served in the Reagan administration
7. Warner (former Governor of Virginia)..this was a good choice but Warner ruled himself out to run for the Senate.. and Warner has no foreign policy/defense background..he would have given Obama Virginia..no small fact..
8. General Wesley Clark..this was the one I thought was a good choice but Clark was a strong Hillary supporter and I think there was no rapport...

So basically there was no perfect VP choice.. there was something wrong with everyone! Given the obsession of the military industrial complex/establishment picking Biden sends a signal that Obama is not going to rock the boat... ANd given Obama has only been in the Senate a few years and is an unproven entity I guess thats what he had to do... If Obama had been up 10 points in the polls he could have picked Donald Duck but thats not what has been going on... This week we saw the first polls showing McCain ahead... I think that forced his hand. The upside is Joe Biden has the credibility, gravitas etc to take on McCain on foreign policy... For example Biden visited Georgia (the country not the state!) earlier this week. Biden is not a choice that is going to excite anyone but I think Obama doesn't really need any more excitement.. He basically needed one of the old boys club charter members.

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