I know I said Joe Biden was dead to me after the odious Bankruptcy Bill of 2005, but I can't help but feeling that the Obama campaign—and Democrats in general—need someone willing to throw a freaking punch.
Evan Bayh? Screw that. If we're going with a Senator that voted for the Iraq War, he better bring more to the table than Bayh. Joe Biden has a fastball, and he ain't afraid to throw it.
UPDATE: Kevin Drum concurs. (See, Toast?)
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Joe Biden has a fastball, and he ain't afraid to throw it.
Yeah, the problem is he has the control of Nuke LaLoosh.
As long as the right people get beaned...
In Rickey's opinion, the problem with Biden is that he negates any argument the Obama camp might make about McCain being reckless and brazen. Doesn't matter whether or not it's true, the media will quickly adopt the "loose cannon" script for Biden if Obama picks him. If they want to play hardball, they should stick to the attack ads (which Rickey is totally find with) and meanwhile, give McCain enough rope to hang himself with. He's due for a good outburst of crazy right about now...
I wonder if it would be best for Biden to stump for Obama all over the place, rather than actually be his #1, for precisely the reasons Rickey points out. Let him bash and say shit that's both funny and sadly true, just not as the Veep.
That said, Bayh is way to milquetoast to be a veep. He'd just be in Obama's shadow.
I think Biden would be an awful choice. Whatever positives he'd bring would be more-than-negated by his long list of negatives.
Among those the fact that he yaps idiocy at the worst time and he's known nationally as one of those guys who runs for POTUS every four years and always loses.
Tabbing Biden as running mate would be one of those "Loser Dem" moves we've seen way too much of the past few decades.
They need top go with an older, fairly conservative, Southern or Midwestern guy. Sam Nunn is the best choice probably.
Mike, I was willing to listen til you got the end. Sam Fucking Nunn? Please.
I think and ideal situation would be Clark as VP, Biden unleashed on sunday mornings to beat McCain about the head and face.
But I don't think Obama will pick Clark. I'd love to see Jim Webb, but he doesn't want it, I want to hold his seat, and his pick will make the Clinton hangers-on blow a gasket (apparently twenty years ago he said something about women in the army).
I know Biden has negatives, but frankly there is no one out there without them.
Biden pros & cons:
Pro: Can soundbite and attack with the best of them. Not to be underrated in the current media climate. It just takes one person with the balls to call bullshit on McCain and I think some in the media are waiting to turn on him.
Con: He needs to be on-message. No easy task. But he can be used to deliver body blows. And if he is VP, he can't be ignored.
Pro: Looking beyond the campaign, Biden is an excellent choice for actually performing in the role. He knows Congress and the establishment, and I think he could get into shaking shit up.
Con: Establishment.
Pro: Foreign policy heavyweight. Voted for the War, but the list of those who didn't is small. Has been consistently right on most everything since—especially Pakistan, and his Iraq plan is good too. Has a son in Iraq.
Con: Voted for the War. I think this is completely reconcilable.
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Mike's Con: Perennial loser.
Mr F's Pro: He lost so early, nobody cares...He's really been running for VP, like Richardson.
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Other Con: His purported plagiarism.
Pro Spin: Is McCain going to go there after the cross in the sand bullshit?
Other Con: Bankruptcy Bill.
Pro Spin: For me this is practically unforgivable. But pragmatism wins out. The more I see of McCain, the more I realize whatever it takes to win is cool by me. Anything. I don't fucking care. I will sell any issue out at this point.
Good point, Rickey. But I like the idea of Biden poking a stick through the fence and having McCain go apeshit. There are few who will sack up and take shots at McCain. I think Biden will. And will love doing it.
He can rope-a-dope with "I love, John, he's a good friend and we all know he was a hero, but he is flat-out wrong and full of it on this...(procedes to rip some McCain saber-rattling apart)"
I look forward to Biden having Lindsay Graham on toast one Sunday morning...he's got chunks of guys like that in his stool.
Put it this way, if Obama's not going to pick him and goes with someone "safe" he sure as shit better be using Biden as a front and center surrogate.
Hey, and Biden's got a great bio/backstory that nobody knows too.
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