- Barack Obama & Joe biden
Between the hours of midnight and 4AM on Saturday, people learned of Obama’s vice-presidential pick: Joe Biden. I learned when my dad sat his blackberry down in front of me at 9:30. Wait, he wasn’t supposed to find out before me.
Anyway, my mom and I listened old-school style on the radio (since our lovely soon-to-be-outdated analog TV at the lake still requires foil and duct tape) to Biden’s acceptance of Obama’s offer: sunning ourselves next to her BMW, with its windows rolled down and its speakers blasting CNN via Sirius. Even with the sun as a modest distraction (though perhaps less than if I’d actually been standing in Springfield) and without the benefit of visual, I came to a couple initial reactions to Biden.
First of all, he has a lot to learn. His style of politics pre-dates the fear mongering of the 80s, which makes him a tenacious and attractive politician to someone younger like Obama. However, Obama’s style of politics post-dates the Clinton era. In fact, his style of politics is blossoming in front of our eyes, as more people come to support him and as new criticisms and obstacles are thrown his way. I may disagree that he’s a celebrity, but he certainly is an icon. And he’s become one in the last 12 months. Biden needs to adapt to that. He needs to learn to really speak to the audience, to tell them that “he loves them back” and to discard the speech notes. He needs to glue himself to Obama and Obama’s style as much as the campaign intends to glue McCain to Bush. If Biden can accomplish that, can combine the best of the past and the cutting edge of the present, then we’ve got one hell of a politician on our hands.
Now, was he the best choice for Obama? I have no idea. All summer I’ve remained unwilling to throw my weight around in the vice-presidential guessing game because I only ever saw one best choice: Barack Obama. This campaign, this election, is not ultimately about the VP, it’s about Barack and it’s about change, the word, the idea and the reality. I don’t think any of the nominees were strong in the change department, except maybe Hillary, but she came with her own separate set of designer luggage.
Back in January, I remember watching one of the primary debates and being particularly impressed by Biden. However, I recognized his role in the election immediately: the minor candidate who has no chance in hell, has realized that, and is now assuming the role of saying everything that needs to be side, bringing up every uncomfortable issue that the other candidates aren’t talking about. And that he did. He consistently remained that dog tugging on your pant leg that won’t go away. Sure, he made a few gaffes in the process, but who doesn’t?
In Saturday’s speech, I saw (or heard) Biden, who was the only one of the two politicians to even mention McCain, quickly and comfortably slip back into that attack role. But I also heard him begin the first baby steps into Obama’s camp, effortlessly using Obama’s campaign phraseology like the “Bush-McCain” administration (poor Dick Cheney, he gets no credit) and dropping a line about McCain’s seven kitchen tables. Saturday was clearly the first time he had ever said “Yes we Can” and perhaps the first time he whole-heartedly believed it.
Thus, I think an Obama-Biden ticket will succeed. A CNN comentator, I think it was John King, said on Sunday that, unfortunately, this campaign has become in recent months a referendum on Obama and the Convention is going to have to be spent trying to change that. I think Obama made the first steps in that direction on Saturday by choosing a running mate who beleives in him, believes in his vision, and believes in his honor. I see Biden as having no ulterior motives, nothing left to lose and nothing more to prove, unlike many of the other names on the VP short list. Plus, to the American people, Biden looks like an average politican, gray-haired and with a nice long and safe Senate record that includes foreign policy experience of any form. I think the next four days are going to be crucial to determining whether Obama chose correctly, but, if he performs at this convention like he did at his last one, he’ll remind everyone that ultimately it’s about Barack Obama and what he can do for the American people.
Photo courtesy of The Caucus, a NY Times blog.
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You are the perfect person to be at the convention this week. I am so happy you are there watching, listening and participating.
BTW I won a case of beer on my pick for VP.
Biden Rocks!
A lot of hoopla surrounding Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden as his running mate. But the real excitement — at least as far as smaller businesses are concerned — is how his campaign made the initial announcement: They texted it to lots of people’s cellphones.