It’s Official: Obama Chooses Biden
By Doug Mataconis | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, BidenBarack Obama has sent his message to the world:
(CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama has selected Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate, according to his official Web site and a text message the campaign sent to supporters on Saturday.
“Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee,” the text message, sent at around 3 a.m. ET, said.
“Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois — the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago,” Obama said in an e-mail sent to supporters Saturday morning.
“I’m excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us can’t do this alone,” he wrote. ” We need your help to keep building this movement for change.”
Before the text messages were distributed, multiple Democratic sources confirmed to CNN early Saturday that Obama wanted the Delaware senator as his vice president.
Not that there was really any surprise to the announcement. As much as the Obama campaign did what it could to keep people, and especially the media, in suspense, the signs that BIden would be the nominee have been there all week, and the Republicans have apparently been preparing for it:
Sen. John McCain’s campaign quickly reacted to word that Biden would be Obama’s running mate, calling attention to Biden’s past comments about Obama’s experience.
“There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama’s lack of experience than Joe Biden,” McCain campaign spokesman Ben Porritt said in a written statement.
“Biden has denounced Barack Obama’s poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing — that Barack Obama is not ready to be president.”
In a debate during the Democratic primary contest, Biden raised questions about Obama’s foreign policy experience.
“Who among us is going to be able on day one to step in an end the war? Who among us understands what to do about Pakistan? Who among us is going to pick up the phone and immediately interface with Putin and tell him to lay off Georgia because Saakashvili is in real trouble. Who among us knows what they’re doing? I have 35 years of experience,” Biden said.
During another debate, moderator George Stephanopoulos referred to some of Biden’s comments on Obama.
“You were asked, ‘Is he ready?’ You said, ‘I think he can be ready, but right now, I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training,’” Stephanopoulos said.
“I think I stand by that statement,” Biden replied.
And, only three hours after the announcement, they’ve already got an ad ready:
All in all, though, Biden was a smart choice for Obama for the reasons that The New York Times states perhaps more honestly than it wanted:
WASHINGTON — Senator Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running mate, turning to a leading authority on foreign policy and a longtime Washington hand to fill out the Democratic ticket, Mr. Obama announced in text and e-mail messages early Saturday.
Mr. Obama’s selection ended a two-month search that was conducted almost entirely in secret. It reflected a critical strategic choice by Mr. Obama: To go with a running mate who could reassure voters about gaps in his resume, rather than to pick someone who could deliver a state or reinforce Mr. Obama’s message of change.
A safe choice. Even a smart choice. But picking someone who’s been part of Washington for more than three decades is hardly change we can believe in:
DENVER – The candidate of change went with the status quo.
In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness — inexperience in office and on foreign policy — rather than underscore his strength as a new-generation candidate defying political conventions.
He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate — the ultimate insider — rather than a candidate from outside Washington, such as Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia or Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas; or from outside his party, such as Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; or from outside the mostly white male club of vice presidential candidates. Hillary Rodham Clinton didn’t even make his short list.
The picks say something profound about Obama: For all his self-confidence, the 47-year-old Illinois senator worried that he couldn’t beat Republican John McCain without help from a seasoned politician willing to attack. The Biden pick is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative — a strategic decision that may be necessary but threatens to run counter to his image.
Yea, Biden can be an attack dog alright, whether that’s a good thing or not, though, is something that only the next 73 days can tell.
This much is clear though. While Biden will get a lot of good media attention today and throughout the convention, this isn’t a pick that is going to excite the public the way an unconventional, albeit riskier, pick might have.
In the end, Barack Obama, who is running for President against an old white guy who’s been in the Senate for decades chose as his running mate an old white guy who’s been in the Senate for decades.
Again, doesn’t really sound like change to me.
Originally posted at Below The Beltway
This entry was posted on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack, Biden. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 23rd, 2008 at 6:39 am
[...] Donkelephant: “A safe choice. Even a smart choice. But picking someone who’s been part of Washington for more than three decades is hardly change we can believe in.” [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 am
I just remember how they all said back in 2000 that it didn’t matter that Bush didn’t have much experience because he had the very experienced Cheney to back him up. That asset became a liability pretty quickly. I can see the same thing happening here, should Obama get elected. He’ll have to hamstring Biden to keep him from causing trouble.
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 am
Doug, in all honesty, would any VP candidate have excited you enough to jump on the Obama bandwagon? My sense is no, although I admit I have only been reading you a few days.
My sense is you are a right leaning centrist–that’s OK, there’s plenty of room for everyone in the Donklephant tent. I am a left leaning centrist (now), who actually voted for and volunteers for McCain in 2000 when he ran against Bush.
My point in my question is that this pick was intended to shore up the left side of the equation–people who were leaning to Obama, but were uncomfortable with his lack of foreign policy experience in a scary world. The Obama World Tour of a couple weeks ago was intended to do that, but the right successfully turned his broad worldwide appeal into a rock concert.
Joe Biden provides the gravitas to take the world wide appeal and give it some heft. He wasn’t picked to change the votes of people on the right–he was picked to reassure the left and the independents who were already leaning Obama’s way. It was a calculated, smart move–not an exciting move.
It was a good pick.
You and many others may not have made your final choice in who you will vote for, but people who participate in blogs like this and who follow politics as we do are already leaning pretty heavily one way or another.
I was almost 100 percent certain to vote for Obama this time out, but Biden clinches it even though I have some misgivings about him still.
It would take a shocking pick to get me to swing McCain’s way–it probably isn’t even possible at this point–the McCain I voted for in 2000 is not the McCain of today.
VPs should not be game changers; they are game clinchers.
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:22 am
Doug := ConcernTroll;
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 am
To release the email notification at 4am after CNN is reporting it at midnight shows a real lack of drama. I think this was the worst revelation of a VP pick in recent memory. I do not see Democrats expressing real excitement. The whole process was less than expected.
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:05 am
The GOP would have release the same kinds of ads no matter who Obama chose. And Biden does represent change from the last 8 years, doesn’t he?
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Obviously Doug can defend himself. However…
@gerryf - This doesn’t seem to me to be a “I really wish he would have picked somebody else because THEN I would have voted for him” post. He’s merely stating some pretty straightforward observations about what a Biden pick brings to the campaign.
@Rob - Yeah, he’s a troll alright. A troll who has been blogging for years under his real name. Have any other insights for us?
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
[...] Donklephant blog post [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I’m happy about the Obama-Biden ticket. I think Biden brings a lot to the table.
August 23rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I do believe that Obama picked the right guy. Picking a too smooth politician to go with a too smooth politician would be a mistake. Obama is already vulnerable to attacks on his image as an experiential light weight that is all show. The Obama campaign has been getting beaten up in the media and has had no attack dog to bite back. Biden provides a resume and a straight talking bulldog who people will not only tolerate aggressive and blunt talk from, but will actually expect it. Like good couples opposites don’t attract, but people who complement each other’s skills do.
The electorate’s tolerance, perhaps even craving for blunt, honest, authentic candidates is clear. McCain’s nomination is a result of this and Obama’s selection of Biden shows he is listening.
~Underdog
http://underdogsog.blogspot.com/
August 23rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
[...] Donklephant » Blog Archive » It’s Official: Obama Chooses Biden. [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:48 pm
[...] Donklephant: “A safe choice. Even a smart choice. But picking someone who’s been part of Washington for more than three decades is hardly change we can believe in.” [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 pm
[...] Donklephant: “A safe choice. Even a smart choice. But picking someone who’s been part of Washington for more than three decades is hardly change we can believe in.” [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Biden was the best choice Obama could have made for his running mate. Not a great choice, mind you, simply the best option available - a moderate who can still hold the Dem base.
On the GOP side, since McCain is running as a moderate himself, he’s likely looking for someone with conservative credentials who won’t alienate moderates. That may be quite a bit harder to pull off.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
As a change candidate, Obama will need someone who can help him legislatively GTD in Washington. Of the names that kept popping up on the speculated shortlists, no one — not Bayh, Sebelius, Kaine, nor even Clinton — could do what Biden can.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Sorry to bust your bubble Justin:
from wikipedia; Concern troll:
Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats
(of course it could be visa-versa)
And BTW I think you knew exactly what I meant.
August 25th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Again, Doug is Doug, and the classic definition of “concern troll” has always been…
Also, I didn’t even consider your newer definition of a “Republican offering harmful advice” because this post isn’t offering any advice. Doug is providing commentary and criticism. Concern trolling would be Doug arguing Biden would be the best VP pick because he’d be the best “change” pick…which is obviously 100% opposed to what Doug actually believes.
Still, you apparently believe Doug isn’t an honest broker, and I doubt anything I could say is going to change that.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Justin,
Perhaps what I should have made clear is that since I support neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain, I am tending to look at this races more neutrally than I might otherwise.
Notwithstanding the fact that it raises issues regarding his “change” message, Obama’s pick of Biden was probably the smartest move he could make. There isn’t another candidate out there that could have helped Obama more than Biden is likely to in the coming months. Those Republicans who are laughing him off are, in my opinion, either kidding themselves or seriously deluded about what they’re facing this year.