So Much for Change: Obama Picks Joe Biden
Obama's play-it-safe vice presidential pick is as new and different as a worn-out shoe.
The pick does say a fair amount about the Obama camp’s level of confidence and perspective on the race. Had the Obama team put doubts about Obama’s “3 a.m.” credentials behind him, Obama might not have had to go down the experience road in selecting his VP. Had he performed better in the Georgia crisis, he might not have felt compelled to choose someone who really does understand Russian imperialistic ambitions. After all, if the theme of “change” was really working, Tim Kaine (or some similar new face on the scene) would have been the ideal pick, right?
But after the Berlin Obama-mania overreach, Obama’s misjudgment on the surge, his rocky reaction to the Georgia crisis, and the weak showing at the Saddleback forum (with the attendant fever swamp speculation which followed), it is plain that a steady hand is long overdue. In short, the Biden pick belies a nervousness and defensiveness: our guy needs help. It is hard to dress it up as anything else.
Finally, it is worth mulling as to whether this selection changes John McCain’s options or suggests alternatives that might not have made sense with another Obama VP pick. Will Rep. Eric Cantor’s stock rise now as part of an effort to nail down Virginia (in the absence of a comparable effort, — a Kaine selection — by the Obama team)? Will McCain try to choose an out-of-the-box VP (e.g. Meg Whitman) to make the point that he is the more innovative of the two candidates?
All of these may be considerations, but I suspect the McCain team will make (or maybe has already made) a decision based on considerations quite independent of Obama’s pick. Remember, the McCain advisers were the ones who pressed the commander-in-chief and “celebrity” themes. Their goal all along has been to portray Obama as an elite lightweight. So I suspect the choice for McCain will be aimed (as has been his entire offensive of late) to hammer home the point: Obama is the one running for president and in effect his VP pick confirms he is not up to running the country. If anything, that game plan has been proven successful by their opponent’s desperate effort to find ballast and gravitas in his number two.
So Democrats may be relieved that the VP likely won’t lose them many voters and will pass the smell test of credibility. That said, it is not the sign of a campaign confident in its core message or the qualifications of its own presidential nominee.
Indeed, it makes it painfully obvious that many of the qualities which make Biden an acceptable pick should rule Obama out as president. And that is why, many Republicans will be smiling. They suspect they have Obama on the run.
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Jennifer Rubin is PJM's Washington, DC, editor. She also blogs at Commentary’s Contentions.
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112 Comments
1. David Thomson:I accurately predicted that Barack Obama would pick Joe Biden. Alas, even a broken clock is right twice a day. But I won’t stop there. I now predict that John McCain will pick Mitt Romney as his running mate. Not guts, no glory. Obama desperately needed Hillary Clinton. She wanted, however, nothing to do with a losing ticket. The odds have now significantly increased in Senator McCain’s favor. It’s therefore best for Senator Clinton to get ready for 2012. She and Bill also want to recapture the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. And yes, may God help those who abandoned her this year for Obama. They are going to pay a severe price.
Aug 22, 2008 - 10:48 pm 2. Rachel Peepers:It’s a 99.9 percent certainty that Obama is selecting Joe Biden to be his VP running mate. Here are the reasons why I think it’s a wise and prudent choice.
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Sorry, Barry, only one pick would have given you the election: Her name starts with H and ends in ton.
Obviously, that’s because Hillary would have served up a ton of female voters. (No offense to the full figured women in the audience). Now Barack doesn’t even have Nunn.
He has Biden, the loud mouthed know-it-all, legend in his own mind. With a history of putting his foot in his mouth (when he’s not plagiarizing a book or term paper) more frequently than Democratic dips, John Edwards and Elliot Spitzer (take your pick)are caught dipping their pens in inkwells where they don’t belong.
It’s just my opinion, now, but I think the main reason Barry will pick Joe is because McCain intimidates the hell out of Barry. Now BO’s got the mouth that won’t shut up to fight John’s foreign policy acumen and experience.
But John McCain has the moxie to shut them both down. Tough as nails, McCain’s gonna chew them up and spit them out like a flavorless piece of Juicy Fruit. If McCain picks Condi or the Gov. of Tex., this will be the first election where the ten-run, five inning slaughter rule goes into affect.
In other words, if Michelle is measuring for new drapes for her new white house, permit blond-haired, blue-eyed Rachel to respectfully suggest beautiful Michelle put her time to better use by spending some of it in the kitchen.
To let Barack know who his friends really are, for example, she could invite the Ayers, Dorns and Rezko’s over for a dinner party.
And since it’s almost Barack’s birthday, she can make the Ayers and Dorns feel especially at home and replace the candles with sticks of dynamite. To make the Rozcos feel welcome, stick thousand dollar bills in his folded up napkin and call them party favors.
The thing is, I believe that Michelle and her brown eyed handsome man, along with Joe, da ya think I need more hair transplats, Biden are going to discover that Americans everywhere can sense the measure of a man.
Put Barry and Biden together as the leaders of the free world, and while they talk a good game, when all is said and done, they are a day late and a dollar short, much like cheating Chinese gold medal winning, girl gymnasts who’r under age and over due for condemnation. Long on talent, short on honesty.
Or, as my big brother said tonight about the B & J show, “They just don’t measure up.”
All the pomp and circumstance in the world won’t make them look any taller in the eyes of the American electorate.
Net, John McCain may not be able to tell you off the top of his head how many condos his wife owns in Florida. But he’ll win Florida along with an election night full of other states.
Moreover, I don’t need to call on my staff to tell you the address of the house Cindy and John will be living in this Christmas.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it.
Aug 22, 2008 - 11:27 pm 3. Doug:For months I believed Obama’s Chatter about change. Now just how can there be change when he picks a VP that has been in DC for years. Afraid it will be the same old politics as before. This republican will probably go back to the same old party. I will n’t just not vote. Obama lead us all down a path yelling for change….UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Aug 22, 2008 - 11:32 pm 4. Doug:If Obama truly wanted change he should have gone for someone that hadn’t been in DC for years. Actually I thought it would have been good if he would have chosen KS Governor Sebelius. She has always stood up and said what she thought. Plus she would have been a fresh face to DC. I’m still in SHOCK…BIDEN???
Aug 22, 2008 - 11:37 pm 5. chicago:Obama picking Biden is a confession that he is inexperienced and has no knowledge of foreign policy.
watch Republicans have some fun with this starting next week.
Aug 22, 2008 - 11:45 pm 6. jvon:Just look at the two of them standing up there together. Which of these men would you choose to lead?
This was a damn foolish thing to do. Biden, like him or not, is an experienced, seasoned politician. He’s everything Obama is not. He will make Obama look ridiculous by comparison.
Of course some people would pick Obama just because he’s young — those same people will feel offended and betrayed by the choice of Biden for VP. This was a boneheaded move all around. Of course, maybe Obama is being pragmatic and recognizes he is not up to the job, and needs Biden backing him up. I suppose that might be honorable… a far more honorable course of action would have been to bow out when there was time.
Now there’s only one thing to do for the good of the country. We’ll elect McCain. Sorry, Barry.
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:08 am 7. David P:look for Obama to slide further in the polls
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:28 am 8. Anthony (Los Angeles):This choice is proof that God registered Republican this year.
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:38 am 9. chicago:Obama has bigger problems to deal with:
http://www.americasright.com/2008/08/obama-sued-in-philadelphia-federal.html
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Obama Sued in Philadelphia Federal Court on Grounds he is Constitutionally Ineligible for the Presidency
by Jeff Schreiber
America’s Right.com
A prominent Philadelphia attorney and Hillary Clinton supporter filed suit this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic National Committee and the Federal Election Commission. The action seeks an injunction preventing the senator from continuing his candidacy and a court order enjoining the DNC from nominating him next week, all on grounds that Sen. Obama is constitutionally ineligible to run for and hold the office of President of the United States.
Philip Berg, the filing attorney, is a former gubernatorial and senatorial candidate, former chair of the Democratic Party in Montgomery (PA) County, former member of the Democratic State Committee, and former Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania. According to Berg, he filed the suit–just days before the DNC is to hold its nominating convention in Denver–for the health of the Democratic Party.
“I filed this action at this time,” Berg stated, “to avoid the obvious problems that will occur when the Republican Party raises these issues after Obama is nominated.”.
Berg cited a number of unanswered questions regarding the Illinois senator’s background, and in today’s lawsuit maintained that Sen. Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen or that, if he ever was, he lost his citizenship when he was adopted in Indonesia. Berg also cites what he calls “dual loyalties” due to his citizenship and ties with Kenya and Indonesia.
Even if Sen. Obama can prove his U.S. citizenship, Berg stated, citing the senator’s use of a birth certificate from the state of Hawaii verified as a forgery by three independent document forensic experts, the issue of “multi-citizenship with responsibilities owed to and allegiance to other countries” remains on the table.
In the lawsuit, Berg states that Sen. Obama was born in Kenya, and not in Hawaii as the senator maintains. Before giving birth, according to the lawsuit, Obama’s mother traveled to Kenya with his father but was prevented from flying back to Hawaii because of the late stage of her pregnancy, “apparently a normal restriction to avoid births during a flight.” As Sen. Obama’s own paternal grandmother, half-brother and half-sister have also claimed, Berg maintains that Stanley Ann Dunham–Obama’s mother–gave birth to little Barack in Kenya and subsequently flew to Hawaii to register the birth.
Berg cites inconsistent accounts of Sen. Obama’s birth, including reports that he was born at two separate hospitals–Kapiolani Hospital and Queens Hospital–in Honolulu, as well a profound lack of birthing records for Stanley Ann Dunham, though simple “registry of birth” records for Barack Obama are available in a Hawaiian public records office.
Should Sen. Obama truly have been born in Kenya, Berg writes, the laws on the books at the time of his birth hold that U.S. citizenship may only pass to a child born overseas to a U.S. citizen parent and non-citizen parent if the former was at least 19 years of age. Sen. Obama’s mother was only 18 at the time. Therefore, because U.S. citizenship could not legally be passed on to him, Obama could not be registered as a “natural born” citizen and would therefore be ineligible to seek the presidency pursuant to Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution.
Moreover, even if Sen. Obama could have somehow been deemed “natural born,” that citizenship was lost in or around 1967 when he and his mother took up residency in Indonesia, where Stanley Ann Dunham married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian citizen. Berg also states that he possesses copies of Sen. Obama’s registration to Fransiskus Assisi School In Jakarta, Indonesia which clearly show that he was registered under the name “Barry Soetoro” and his citizenship listed as Indonesian.
The Hawaiian birth certificate, Berg says, is a forgery. In the suit, the attorney states that the birth certificate on record is a forgery, has been identified as such by three independent document forensic experts, and actually belonged to Maya Kasandra Soetoro, Sen. Obama’s half-sister.
“Voters donated money, goods and services to elect a nominee and were defrauded by Sen. Obama’s lies and obfuscations,” Berg stated. “If the DNC officers … had performed one ounce of due diligence we would not find ourselves in this emergency predicament, one week away from making a person the nominee who has lost their citizenship as a child and failed to even perform the basic steps of regaining citizenship as prescribed by constitutional laws.”
“It is unfair to the country,” he continued, “for candidates of either party to become the nominee when there is any question of the ability to serve if elected.”
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:39 am 10. Dave II:“In short, the Biden pick belies a nervousness and defensiveness: our guy needs help. It is hard to dress it up as anything else.”
Absolutely on the mark and keenly insightful. Jennifer!
Standing next to Biden the contrast with Obama will be utterly unavoidable. It will only go to make the obvious point to everyone…”WHY are we voting for the guy with NO EXPERIENCE or judgement to be President, while the guy with NOTHING BUT experience is stuck there as the VP???
Something is not quite right here. Is this some sick joke or Bizarro World we’re watching?
Oh…and among all the YOUNG Obamacons everywhere…they are supposed to get excited about about ANOTHER old guy with a gray receding hairline that’s been in the Senate since like…FOREVER?????
Sure, Obama doesn’t need to worry about his “base” though…they would vote for him no matter what…right?…I said, RIGHT??? I can’t hear you!
Oh, and let’s not forget this, ladies and gentlemen:
It was Joe Biden who URGED John Kerry to pick Senator John McCain as his VP!!! McCain catagorically refused and rightfully so, but answer this…If Biden thought McCain would have been a great VP a few years ago…why NOW is John McCain not the right man for the office???? Oh, wait, I know!…Because a junior freshman Senator from Illinois with a record so paper thin he disappears next to yours, just asked you to help his woefully floundering campaign as the VP ticket…and this is the closest chance on God’s green earth that you have in your lifetime of ever stepping foot into the White House with any regularity!
In his own words:
“I’m sticking with McCain,” Biden said.
Senator… WE ARE TOO!!!
http://web.archive.org/web/20040803085719/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4961694/
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:52 am 11. ic:What a brilliant strategic move! With Biden as running mate, Obama is now certain to win Delaware’s huge number of electoral and popular votes in Nov. when every vote counts.
To secure the votes of Georgia, Obama will nominate former president Carter to be Secretary of State to implement Carter’s “final solution” in the Middle East, and to negotiate with Putin to get out of Georgia. After all Georgia has been one of our 57 states for two hundred years.
Former president Clinton will be ambassador to Japan. That should take care of Arkansas’ votes, and Hillary will have to follow her husband across the globe.
Senator Hagel will be Secretary of Defence. Another brilliant move that will secure disgruntled Republican votes, demonstrate the spirit of postpartisanship, and signal to the base that the withdrawal from Iraq will accelerate.
Buddies Ayers will be ambassador to Russia or China, Michael Moore will be the first ambassador to Cuba. Oprah will be ambassador to the UN. Whereas Bush sees enemies, Obama sees friends. Who on earth can talk better than Oprah? She can smother our friends with incessant talks and love.
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:37 am 12. Broadsword:ObamaBidenmaniacons…which one is the lipstick, which one is the pig?
Aug 23, 2008 - 3:10 am 13. RE:The Democrat gaffe factor just got raised exponentially.
Joe Biden’s love of hearing himself talk and his inability to shut up will surely drive some undecideds into the McCain camp.
Aug 23, 2008 - 4:07 am 14. Tony:A few obvious conclusion came out of Biden Veep pick:
- By using the “American Idol” text message tactic, Obama camp just reconfirmed what McCain’s claim about Obama being celebrity not ready to lead.
- The Iraq War which got Obama nominated, is officially under the bus. Obama can’t nolonger attack McCain for voting for the war. Biden voted to authorize Bush waging the illegal War. He will have to say something like “I was against it before I voted for it”…
- Change and Hope are also under the bus since Biden has been in Senate longer than McCain.
- Republicans can celebrate since Hillary wasn’t vetted.
- Blamming Bush will never get old. The Bush/Cheney conspiracy theory is more credible everyday. It is impossible to nominate somebody that phonny; Karl Rove must be behind this all along.
Aug 23, 2008 - 4:17 am 15. Valerie:And remember, Biden is 65 years old… He’s almost as senile and worn-out as McCain, it seems to me…
What an odd choice for obama’s ”youth is all” strategists!
Aug 23, 2008 - 4:23 am 16. Terry Gain:This is too good to be true. There are all those interviews Biden gave from 2004 to 2007 where he stressed the importance of winning in Iraq. He must have said “we’ve got to get this right” a hundred times. And he then proceeded to demonstrate his utter incompetence on the question of what to do about Iraq by proposing – despite all the evidence it was “a solution” the majority of Iraqis did not want – to partition Iraq into three separate countries.
Biden would have turned low level sectarian violence into a raging civil war. He is a brilliant choice. But even Biden knows more about Iraq than Obama whose understanding is at the level of the koskids.
A choice designed to shore up his foreign policy credentials will underline Team Obama’s complete incompetence in this area.
Aug 23, 2008 - 4:45 am 17. Big Al:Ya’ll all have some wonderful observations, this really is too good to be true (Terry Gain), i see why they released this at 3 AM, hoping no one would notice. and i certainly
Aug 23, 2008 - 5:54 am 18. Letalis Maximus, Esq.:hope ‘chicago’s post has merit, that would be delicious. can’t wait for my talk show soaps on monday, these guys only need 2 hours to prepare and this campaign is spotting them 2 days. Plus the Annenberg records are now to be released to the public on tuesday.
You can’t make this stuff up and as Doug and Tony mentioned it is unbelievable, and Karl
Rove could have a hand in this, thank you Ms Kennedy.
Bill Clinton, you magnificent bastard, you’ve done it again.
http://www.subguns.com/boards/sword.cgi?read=1058884
Hillary 2012!
Aug 23, 2008 - 5:58 am 19. Micheal Alishnakova:In this case, assuming I have interpreted Obama-mania properly, his followers were looking for CHANGE, something truly DIFFERENT, they believe that they see in Obama something UNIQUE. So Barack played it safe, picked a hard-core Washington insider, and perhaps his adoring voters won’t cast their ballots based on a the bottom of the ticket, but as much enthusiasm as Obama created about CHANGE and HOPE has died in one night and the glow of Obama has dimmed (in my estimation of his supporters) like a New York brown-out.
Aug 23, 2008 - 6:07 am 20. BobNC:Why do I want to call the dem ticket, “Amos and Andy?” The only experience Biden has is listening to himself babble. There are days/weeks/months of the nonsense on the Senate Judiciary Committee raising endless questions (and the answers) for Bush nominees. We now have some great material to answer, “What kind of judges would you appoint?” Change? Biden is as dumb and partisan as they come.
Aug 23, 2008 - 6:07 am 21. K T Cat:I’m not so sure Biden was a bad pick. The majority of the nation will only see the 12-second sound bites the MSM wants to show them and Biden can get off some great lines amidst the overall clutter of his endless blovation.
Having said that, I’m glad someone else has picked up on the Meg Whitman for VP concept. I think she’d be fantastic. Meg would definitely make McCain the candidate of change.
Aug 23, 2008 - 6:12 am 22. Curt Johnson:I’m actually a bit schocked the Obama folks are this clueless. Having already pissed off the Hillary faction, they pick the most colorless fossil in the Senate as VP? This will please no one (except his opposition). If McCain were pick a woman as a running mate, he would win in a walk — especially because, given the flak he’s goten from some about his age, he’d be demonstrating that he really does believe a woman can be POTUS. What a bind the Hillary crowd would be in then.
If McCain picks someone like Romney, the Hillary voters will hold their nose and vote for BO, but with a woman on the McCain ticket they’ll either stay home or vote for McCain. That would be a big swing. I wonder if his campaign has the guts and foresight to do it.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:01 am 23. M. Simon:No matter who gets elected an old white guy will be taking the 3AM call.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:10 am 24. Self-hating boomer:This is starting to look like Dukakis and Benson. Except Benson was from a state that (should have) helped Dukakis.
Smooth move, Barry. Maybe he really doesn’t want to be president.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:14 am 25. Boyd:He picks someone who is a Washington heavyweight so his inability to lead is highlighted? But if he had picked a fresh face the claim would be same? Basically then, this “analysis” makes a judgment that has no connection to the actions of Obama since it would be the same no matter who he picked.
I’m certain the Obama camp has some good reasons for their pick. An analysis that completely ignores that and claims that McCain would use the same, “the Obama ticket is just not up to leading” even if he had made the exact opposite type of pick strikes me as just partisan wishful thinking. That may feel good but it is way to shallow to be of much use in defeating Obama.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:23 am 26. misanthropicus:“[...] you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” adding “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” [...]”
Touching words of appreciation, of acceptance, of reaching out, which show that senator Joe Biden is not one of those bitter white guys cooking fetamine in the Delaware backwoods – this nicely complements Barry Soetoro understanding attitude towards this country’s whiteys.
Anyway, in the current chemestry of the presidential race, the Dem VP choice doesn’t matter anymore (the defunct Hillary choice would have, though), so cutting/ pasting Joe Bidden on the Dem ticket won’t change a iota in the outcome of the election.
The election is about Barry Soetoro, and, stellar achievements and apple pie-deep Americaness notwithstanding, Barry Soetoro will not win in November – Slate is already braying the exit story title: “Racism is the Only Reason McCain Might Win (Jacob Weisberg, Slate).
Sorry, Jacob – Rationality and good ol’ common sense made Soetoro unelectable.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:30 am 27. Boris:“Obama has bigger problems to deal with…Obama Sued in Philadelphia Federal Court on Grounds he is Constitutionally Ineligible for the Presidency”
Thank for the laugh. That article was beyond stupid.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:30 am 28. LaMonte:Maybe Joe Biden is a joke, maybe not; it’s hard to imagine he really is as pea-brained as he seems. But the question of whether Barack Obama has any good judgment in selecting people [and mentors... and friends...] has been definitively answered.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:31 am 29. Kevin:The Schizophrenic Ticket: Obama and Biden 2008.
No School and Old School.
Out of Iraq, no wait.
I’m “original”, I plagiarize
I’m a little bit rock and roll, I’m a little bit country.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:39 am 30. Edmund Jenks (MAXINE):Okay, that last one, couldn’t resist. Obama was screwed regardless of who he picked. Hillary was NEVER an option. You don’t let the Clintons get a foot in the door. If he picked Kaine, the only difference on policy is the color of his skin. He has all the policy shortcomings of Obama. Bayn(sp?), don’t know enough about him to make a comment, but for whatever reason, he was a no go. Sebelius, please like the Dems will ever win Kansas in a Presidential election. And Sam Nunn, oh now that would have been interesting, I could see Nunn being fired because he would keep taking BO to task for his ignorance. And the rest, well just names being thrown around. If Biden was his best choice, oh woe is thee. The Republican 527’s are already licking their chops at this one. Won’t have to worry about attacking BO directly and thereby receiving the ever so intelligent moniker of “racist.” They can now go affter Biden, knowing that the shots will be felt by Obama. Now, this is getting fun.
NBC News analyst, Jonathan Alter, this morning on MSNBC, calls the pick of Biden by Obama a brilliant pick as Vice-President for the Democrat Party ticket for President of the United states and he (seriously) used this line of logic; Joe Biden’s mouth will be able to have a Gaffe spoken by Obama spun … and presumably out-Gaffed by Joe Biden on the stump. “Joe Biden’s mouth is an asset”.
He went on to explain by asserting that the media would move its focus off of Barack Obama’s ignorance and have Biden’s mouth diffuse anything the McCain campaign can develop to make the Obama campaign look bad or incapable of credible leadership.
The “Fourth Estate” is contorting itself to place a pretty dose of lipstick on this obvious PIG … Alter goes on to conclude that with Joe Biden, one can not fake working class “street cred”.
A Gaffe out Gaffed by a world-class Gaffer (and plagiarist) to go on to win an election for the most powerful political office on Earth … sounds like a recipe for strong Democrat Party leadership to me!
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:42 am 31. Peg C.:What a dilemma Obama had. He desperately needed a veep pick with balast to his helium balloon, yet obviously didn’t want to be outshone by a brighter light.
Biden is the answer. Definite balast yet a total dim bulb. This is supposed to help?
It was always a Catch-22, Barry. Now hilarity will ensue.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:42 am 32. Right Angles » Blog Archive » Seriously?:[...] was he thinking? Joe Biden? Where’s the “change” in that [...]
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:44 am 33. TexEd:Beavis and Butthead? But, which is which?
Biden became a politician about the time that civil rights legislation was being developed. Delaware was a slave state (IIRC). Do we have any text of Biden speaking against civil rights legislation (as we would with Al Gore’s father, for example) or has it all already been disappeared?
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:15 am 34. Say It Ain’t So, Joe! « The View from Alexandria:[...] Jennifer Rubin: “the selection of Biden as VP seems to cast doubt on the entire premise of the Obama campaign which is that experience doesn’t matter.” [...]
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:18 am 35. TexEd:Another thought. Any YouTube video that demonstrates Biden’s stupidity will soon disappear as will any other record or document that shows what a doofus Biden really is and is held by the anti-American, BDS crowd. The C-SPAN tapes of the Senate Judiciary Committee are full of Biden nuggets.
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:30 am 36. jdwill:Edmund Jenks,
Actually, I was thinking this same thing. Joe Biden has no serious holes (Kinnock plagariasm seems to be the worst available). So, he can deliver and draw fire and take heat off the more vulnerable Obama.
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:36 am 37. AlexinCT:This was a desperate move by people with buyer’s remorse to shore up a losing campaign with some credibility. The funny thing is that I recently had an exchange with some lib that told me at least the democrats would never pick a candidate that was like Cheney to give Bush credibility but would end up pulling his strings (yeah, that old democrat conspiracy theory). The funny thing here is that Biden was picked precisely to give Obama gravitas and experience and the argument that he could be the one pulling the strings could easily be made. At a minimum this move will kill that stupid conspiracy theory as the left will not like having anyone point out that in their case, because their candidate is simply an inexperienced twit picked because of ideological guilt, this is true.
I had recently become convinced that this election is now McCain’s to lose. This pick has cemented that feeling for me. Not even the effort from the MSM to help cover for these two will be enough to convince enough people to elect the return of another democrat disaster. The left will be totally wrecked after losing the third election in a row they where told by the MSM they would hand them on a silver platter. I expect the usual lunacy and handwringing. But in the end they will never go back to the root of the problem: their agenda is destructive and based on pitting people against each other (Obama’s message the last month has been totally about class warfare and an attempt to convince people the rich have stolen from them). Crash & Burn, baby!
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:47 am 38. A. C.:Rush Limbaugh has lots of achival videos on Biden. It should be hilarious! Can’t wait!
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:51 am 39. race42008.com » Blog Archive » Race 4 2008 Essential Reads: Joe Biden Edition:[...] So Much For Change: Obama Picks Joe Biden – Jennifer Rubin, Pajamas Media [...]
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:52 am 40. PWT:Rachel Peepers for VP!
I love this woman’s comments that I read all over the blogs.
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:06 am 41. judithod:Brilliant and hilarious.
Apparently, Obama’s handlers finally recognized that he is a neophyte with no qualifications or achievements. Bring in the “old guy” to achieve “the change we’ve been waiting for” and give us “hope” for a new style of politics. Can hardly wait to see how the MSM will nuance Obama’s choice.
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:11 am 42. Lisa:Doug- you actually believed Obama’s “change” platitudes? Really? To quote Obama, “…just words, just speeches…” Look at the man’s associations (Wright, Ayers, Dohrn, Rezko), his plans for a trillion dollars in ADDITIONAL SPENDING, appeasement policies, NO ENERGY policy… I could go on and on.
I didn’t need Obama’s selection of Biden to tell me that this man is nothing but a radical leftist, with a blame America mentality (typical of the left) and a paper-thin resume. He’s a community organizer for crying out loud!!
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:34 am 43. Joe Biden: Target rich environment | BitsBlog:[...] Blog, The Corner and Hot Air , Right Wing News, : Pajamas Media, Flopping Aces, OTB and even Talk Left. — Clicking here supports [...]
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:35 am 44. Snapped Shot · Always Watching the All-Seeing Eye:[...] links here and here for a reminder of how insensitive Joe Biden has shown himself. Nice linkage here even. Moreover, the selection of Biden as VP seems to cast doubt on the entire premise of the [...]
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:41 am 45. JOE:BIDEN BRINGS SOME OF THE CATHOLIC VOTE.ON TOP OF THAT VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA ARE STATES OBAMA NEEDS NOT TO MENTION OHIO WHICH IS A KEY STATE.HE ALSO HAS ENORMOUS FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIANCE.NOONE WOULD CALL BIDEN ELITIST HES A REGULAR JOE.BEING 65 HE ALSO MAY BRING IN A PORTION OF THE SENIOR VOTE.FOR ALL HIS FAULTS MAYBE NOT TOO BAD A CHOICE.
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:45 am 46. Rachel Peepers:PWT:
You made my day. Or did Barack’s silly pick of Joey make my day? No.
You did. Thanks.
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:54 am 47. Keegy United States - So Much For Change: Obama Picks Joe Biden:Regards, Rachel
[...] So Much For Change: Obama Picks Joe Biden [...]
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:00 am 48. BC:Obama picking Biden is no more than the equivalent of how Bush picked Cheney — bringing someone on board with more experience. Tactically though….Clinton would likely have been a better choice, if for no other reason that you would get Bill as an guard & attack dog against the inevitable escalating smear and disinfo campaigns by the GOP and their proxies. The news media is in even a worst state than it was in 2004, and given the success of the Republican swiftboating efforts back then and media’s timid response to it, it would be utterly foolish of the Obama campaign not to be better prepared for it. Biden has a history of making silly misstatements. While nothing remotely bad as Bush’s, you can expect that every single one will be gathered up and put together to make Biden look like a idiot.
Of course, if the election was based on merit and what would be best for the country, it would be Obama in a laugher, but that’s not how things are done. And you conservatives out there better think long and hard about the consequences of a McCain victory — besides being a terrible thing for the country (if for no other reason than he would likely do little to purge the army of corrupt incompetents now peppering the entire federal government thanks to 7 1/2 yrs of Bush), it would also mean at least another 4 years of fiscally irresponsible free spending, religion interfering with science, Big Brother spying, no action on illegal immigration and long term energy management and planning, more blood soaked and badly confused foreign policies, ever growing financial instabilities (few have any idea of how much of the economy is now absurdly leveraged — we might as well be using Monopoly money), and the continued slide of the US on the World’s playing field. If you want to return to traditional conservative values, you better hope McCain and his neocon team lose badly.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:07 am 49. Mwalimu Daudi:I think that choosing Kansas Governor Sebelius would have been better for the Messiah. She is dumber than He is (her performance during the disaster caused by the tornados last year was Obamaesque), so there is no chance she will outshine Him.
Plus having a woman on the ticket (her sole qualification for public office) would have allowed Democrats to savor the prospect of an All Victim Dream Ticket. Vote for Us, or you are a racist/sexist enemy of Hope and Change.
Alas, by picking an typical white male attack dog the Messiah may have thrown away the White House.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:07 am 50. Self-hating boomer:REALLY JOE? I DIDN’T KNOW THAT.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:16 am 51. HRPKathy:Joe,
Biden only brings the pro-choice Catholic vote which vote for dems anyway – unless in this case they are still so mad about Hillary they vote for McCain. And Biden brings 3 electoral votes, which always go dem anyway. A zero net sum gain.
This selection blunts Obama’s ‘old white guy whose been in DC forever’ attacks on McCain, mutes the ‘change’ mantra and the ‘we were lied into Iraq’ arguments because Biden was out arguing for Iraq as late as 2005.
Biden on the economy – the number one issue? Send $200,000,000 to Iran to ‘make us look better to Arabs’. (Betsy Newmark’s essay for Fox is my source.) And there’s always his Faustian deal…..
Just looking at them you wouldn’t know what they have in common, but Robinette and Hussein both hate their middle names.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:26 am 52. John the Libertarian:Joe shouted: NOONE WOULD CALL BIDEN ELITIST HES A REGULAR JOE
Man oh man, you don’t know Biden at all, do you? His telling people he has a higher IQ than they do (lie) and graduated top of his class (lie) on a full scholarship (lie)? Doesn’t get more snooty than that.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:29 am 53. pappy:b-ho and his 300 advisors came up with another liar, that should tell us something. they have nothing else to choose from.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:38 am 54. pappy:osama obama and his 300 advisors pick another liar,why am i not suprised? thats all they have to choose from.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:46 am 55. Tom:BC- – since there is no other real altenative but McCain, it sounds like you are implying that voting for O is a better way to return to traditional conservative values, that would make you certifiable and clearly incapable of making a rational decision – ergo, a Democrat.
Also, Biden needs no help whatsoever from anyone to look like an idiot -
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:57 am 56. jdwill:Three points:
1. Joe Biden elitist? He is not the sharpest tool in the shed IMHO.
In this clip between 7:45 and 8:56 Joe mislabels a McCain claim (that I think is valid) to more experience with veterans than Obama as ‘ad hominem’, but gets a little closer to the mark with a variant example of Appeal to Authority.
I like him some, but he is bit of a bloviator.
2. Joe Biden may not help Obama that much.
Initial polling says Biden does’t help that much.
3. To whomever is posting in all caps – I never read all caps posts, I just roll past them. Experience has taught me the odds of the comment being worthless are astronomical.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:58 am 57. SAF:Barron’s has a good article about the difference it tax policies between Obama and McCain.
The Biden choice has no effect on this. Obama will be bad for the US, end of story.
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:15 am 58. Peggy:What a shame he had a chance to make history and let it slide I will not vote democratic this year and I have never votd republican befor its so sad
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:15 am 59. This Will Be Fun « Tai-Chi Policy:[...] This Will Be Fun August 23, 2008 Posted by taoist in Democrats, Obama, Politics. trackback Obama chose Biden for his running mate, a candidate with a long history of comments that won’t help the Obama campaign, plagarism, plenty of lobbyist ties, a long, controversial record, who doesn’t exactly represent “change.” [...]
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:19 am 60. Silvera:I don’t actually care who Obama picked as VP because really, everyone knows Michelle will be the real 2IC for an Obama presidency.
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:40 am 61. Obama plays it safe and proves he's an insider who never really believed in change - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!:However, the difference in experience levels is amusing, especially since Obama has long claimed that political experience isn’t necessarily important for a President who stands for “Change.”
Happy mocking!
[...] Pajamas Media
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:40 am 62. Red Blooded American:What you get wrong is that Obama’s pick of Biden does not reflect “nervousness and defensiveness” in the least. Rather, it shows confidence. Obama is confident of victory and has chosen Biden as a the best person to by VP. He did not choose Biden because he is the most politically expedient choice or sends the right message of “change” or whatever other pundit-fodder nonsense you want to dredge up. Obama selected Biden because he felt he was the best man for the job. I fully expect McCain to make a selection based on pandering and posturing and that will make the contrast between Obama’s decision making and his all the more clearer. Obama’s decision exudes confidence.
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:53 am 63. Ryan:McCain should pick Kay Bailey Hutchison from Texas. She’s experienced, well-spoken, telegenic, conservative, and has a good record on taking leadership positions in the Senate and pushing women’s issues. I would be confident with her answering that 3am phone call. I think a lot of women would be hard-pressed to vote against McCain if he goes with her. He would be the agent of change.
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:19 pm 64. david levavi:Nice fella, Joe Biden. Great smile. A pleasant alternative for lite political chat if you’re channel surfing and there are commercials on Fox News and the Military Channel.
A hack’s hack. The definition of pol. But nice ya know? A regular guy with somewhat irregular hair.
That, the Justice Thomas grilling and some barely recalled business about plagiarism is all this shallow Fox-Newswatcher, preoccupied with life’s minutiae, knows about Senator Joe Biden.
Which is more than I know about his running-mate, come to think, so I guess, bottom line, he’s an addition to the ticket.
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:29 pm 65. Tom:RBA – “Obama selected Biden because he felt he was the best man for the job.”
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:31 pm 66. cedarford:Just wondering after this decision has had a chance to digest, want to place a bet that he retracts his choice and tries again? could be the first election where a candidate goes through half a dozen VP choices before he hits the ‘right’ one….
Democrats have been playing with identity politics so long that people forget that only blacks vote predictably and tribally on that premise. But the pundits take it as Gospel that a Lloyd Benson “locks up the white Texan vote for Dukakis”, Lieberman ensures Jewish vote and big donor money, Geraldine Ferraro seals the woman’s vote, and if only Bill Richardson was the VP – all Hispanics would surge to the Dems in racial pride.
Predictably, people are now saying the mindless Catholic drones will come running because Biden is Catholic and despite 36 years in “The Most Elite of Clubs” – an outsider, working-class guy committed to change.
On the Republican side, you have Meg “bailed from the EPA” Whitman, former TV newsreader
Kay Hutchinson, old Liddy Doyle, and the women who are nearly indistinguishable from Democrats – Snowe, Collins, and Gov Rodi Rell.
And Sara Palin – 2-year governor, before that the housewife/mayor of a town of 5,000.
And so many praise Condi Rice as perfect as VP because she is black, female, unmarried, and a former minority ice-skater, and “key Advisor”.
Believing, no doubt that “identity politics” will drive minority ice skaters, unmarried women, blacks to all flock to the polls for Bush’s closest confident.
With a statistically significant chance McCain may not last 4 years, shouldn’t Republicans avoid stupid identity politics and have someone “ready”, with ample executive experience, should McCain go down?
What has caused the big gender gap with white females between the Parties is not the paucity of female candidates or “role models” to gear up women to vote their feminist solidarity convictions – but far-Right wingnut convictions the Republicans have pandered to, too long.
All too many women have reasons to vote Republican in some areas, but what they see as valid threats to them from the theocrats of the Christian Taliban (Save Terri Schiavo! Eliminate all godless pro-choice people from the Republican Party).
And what they see as an eagerness to rip away the social safety net that families, especially women, count on.
(Dump social security! Don’t have health care? Get a better job with health benefits! Kids have no dental? That’s your family’s fault! Outsourcing and globalization are wonderful, and because we must be competitive with Chinese peasants – it’s time we end most environmental constraints and social programs!)
If Republicans want more women votes, the answer is not in trotting out some token and getting into the identity politics biz.
Put the Religious Right in their place, after Bush allowed the theocrats too much leeway over moderate Republicans or conservatives theocon/neocon wings having final say.
Signal that with a VP selection or policy that shows the Christian Taliban does not have supremacy over the whole Party and can dictate appointees and all policies. The Republicans would be wise to say they will commit to strict constructionists, but when SCOTUS finally overturns Roe, then they will live with what the States want, not try to impose Southern Evangelical and Catholic Right To Lifer creed Federally.
Put the wealthy, corrupt corporatists in their place. Most women now economically suffering or fearful for their family’s future healthcare, financial well-being do not want to hear that if they had worked harder, or their husband had, they’d have a great-paying job with super benefits. Or that they are stupid to live in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Missouri when “other places are doing better”. The crony Republican corporatist message that they have no reason to whine about matters that are their own fault or their family’s is highly resented, and the Democrats sure have a more reassuring, diplomatic approach even if it veers into sugar daddy promises and victimhood..
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:18 pm 67. Doug:Mwalimu Daudi…where do you live?
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:20 pm 68. forme lifelong Demcrat:I find it interesting that Obama would choose Biden, who supported the war and voted many times in support of the Iraq War bills, unlike Hillary and Obama who voted against the war bills.
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:21 pm 69. John:Hillary was criticized for originally voting for the Iraq war as did Biden, but Biden has suddenly been given a free pass.
Biden does represent change.
A change from the failed policies of Bush and his Rubberstamp Republicans, like John McSame McCain, that have ruined America for the past 8 years.
Obama/Biden will end Bush’s war that is killing America’s economy as well as America’s young soldiers. They will also end the tax cuts for the special interest buddies of the Republicans like the oil companies and the multinational conglomerates that send American jobs to China.
America started along the road to change in 2004 with the congressional votes. The Rubberstamp Republicans are still blocking any real change in congress. This year, Americans can’t wait to continue the change to bring America back to it’s rightful place as a respected world leader.
Obama/Biden 2008!!!
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:22 pm 70. craig:OK, the man of change, the man of vision, has decided that a plagarizing old school liberal extremist is the correct man to run with him. You who fell for Obama’s “happy happy change change” message are finally seeing a glimpse of what’s behind that message. A big bag of nothing. Joe biden indeed.
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:25 pm 71. craig:Quote from John: “Obama/Biden will end Bush’s war that is killing America’s economy as well as America’s young soldiers.”
Hang on there Johnny, your boy Joe voted FOR the war. Fact check before espousing dribble.
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:29 pm 72. bill-tb:Hopey changey is dead, it’s just old time same old same old.
Neither has accomplished anything of significance in their entire lives. Neither has had to answer for their mistakes — Like Biden agreeing with Reid declaring the Iraq war lost, and Gen Petraeus dead flat wrong — It was Biden who wanted to partition Iraq. Some judgment …
Biden said his Iraq war vote was a mistake … How many mulligans does POTUS get?
It’s going to twist the gaff-o-matic off it’s hinges.
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:52 pm 73. Sheelagh:It’s a great testimonial to Senator Obama that he feels secure reaching out to a person of such great stature, and it’s a testimonial to Senator Biden that he’s still willing to go back and contribute some more to government.
The most important thing about the selection of a vice president is not the vice-president himself but what it says about the presidential candidate that did the choosing. And that’s why I think this is not only a great choice substantively for the country but I think it’s a good choice politically because people who are looking at Barack Obama outside of Chicago for the first time are seeing the first real governing decision that this prospective president has made – and that’s what the choice of a vice president is – it’s your first really governing decision—reflected a tremendous stability, a tremendous amount of judgment. It reflected putting conventional political considerations like ideological balance or geographic balance behind you and putting ahead of you somebody who has serious experience in the legislative branch of government foreign policy, the business sector, somebody who clearly can walk in and be President of the United States tomorrow and everybody would be comfortable with it.
I changed the names…but Vin Weber wrote this when Bush chose Cheney.
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:53 pm 74. Robert P:Cedarford,
I agree with most of your reflections on identity politics but can’t discount the opportunities a woman VP candidate might offer McCain.
In discounting Whitman I think you mistake Meg for Christie Todd. McCain mentioned Meg at Saddleback so she is obviously on his mind. Her political abilities are a complete unknown but she has a stellar executive record. And most important she is not a creature of the Senate.
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:54 pm 75. Sheelagh:Three Senators already in this race are probably two more than we need.
It’s a great testimonial to Senator Obama that he feels secure reaching out to a person of such great stature, and it’s a testimonial to Senator Biden that he’s still willing to go back and contribute some more to government.
The most important thing about the selection of a vice president is not the vice-president himself but what it says about the presidential candidate that did the choosing. And that’s why I think this is not only a great choice substantively for the country but I think it’s a good choice politically because people who are looking at Barack Obama outside of Chicago for the first time are seeing the first real governing decision that this prospective president has made – and that’s what the choice of a vice president is – it’s your first really governing decision—reflected a tremendous stability, a tremendous amount of judgment. It reflected putting conventional political considerations like ideological balance or geographic balance behind you and putting ahead of you somebody who has serious experience in the legislative branch of government foreign policy, the business sector, somebody who clearly can walk in and be President of the United States tomorrow and everybody would be comfortable with it.
I changed the names but Vin Webber wrote this about Bush when he selected Cheney
Aug 23, 2008 - 1:54 pm 76. student:Red Blooded American,
Keep right on believing that.
Aug 23, 2008 - 2:18 pm 77. Tom:Sheelagh – if you think the choice of Biden was anything other than a calculated decision for the DNC to ‘get’ something out of it, you are from another planet. Between Michelle, his grandmother and now Biden, the O could conceivably just take a 4 year vacation and let them make the decisions.
Aug 23, 2008 - 2:32 pm 78. Miriam123:“Peggy:
What a shame he had a chance to make history and let it slide I will not vote democratic this year and I have never votd republican befor its so sad
Aug 23, 2008 – 11:15 am”
Not sad at all – Welcome to the party, sistuh!
Cedarford (1:18pm) – Since when did Elvis die and make you God (or God die and make you Elvis)?
Aug 23, 2008 - 2:39 pm 79. Not2shabbe:You speak of ‘women’ and what they think and want – as if you are appointed the spokesperson for the entire gender… Dude (or dudette – doesn’t matter) – speak for yourself, and I’ll speak (and think) for myself.
Biden is suppose to be the premier expert on foreign policy how could he make such a big mistake on voting for the war in iraq and barry (the chosen one) got it right ? i’m sure the people of germany are thanking god for us taking care of business and not leaving @ the end of world war 2 . Barry introduced Biden as next president of U.S maybe he knows something or maybe he was to busy studying how many houses he owned to remember what he was running for!. Bushes approval rating is down but its twice as high as barry and biden”s.
Aug 23, 2008 - 2:52 pm 80. AlexinCT:I would like to point out to all you moonbats claiming Obama’s choice of Biden shows confidence to that AP article saying precisely the opposite. Even the 5th column in the MSM saw throught this disaster and pointed out it was a bad choice. But keep making like this choice shows anything but desperation and promises just more of the same collectivist identity politics the left has been telling is is the way to go with for the last 4 or 5 decades. Basically you libs after picking Obama where left with only bad choices, and it shows with the pick of Biden. If this is how you project confidence I am dying to see how you project grace after you lose another election. I can’t wait for November.
Aug 23, 2008 - 3:05 pm 81. Believer:Not2shabbe brings up Barry’s gaffe in introducing Joe.
He said, “Here’s the next President of the United States” before correcting himself.
Perhaps Barry was thinking what I was thinking as he rattled off some stuff this guy has done over his 30 year history of service. It wasn’t really all that impressive, but…
I couldn’t help thinking ol’ Joe, the white-haired dude, should be at the top of the ticket rather than the Community Organizer Extraordinaire.
Looks like Barry might agree.
Aug 23, 2008 - 3:14 pm 82. Anonymous:Keep up the good work george soros you got your moneys worth
never underestimate ignorance & stupidity !!!!
KEEP AMERICA STRONG!!!
REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!
Aug 23, 2008 - 3:25 pm 83. cedarford:Miriam 123 – Cedarford (1:18pm) – Since when did Elvis die and make you God (or God die and make you Elvis)?
You speak of ‘women’ and what they think and want – as if you are appointed the spokesperson for the entire gender… Dude (or dudette – doesn’t matter) – speak for yourself, and I’ll speak (and think) for myself.
You play the old child’s game of telling someone who speaks of general matters as presumptuous in their opinion – which should only be individual, and experiential.
Thus it is easy to rail on people speaking their opinion on what is good for the military, what is good for women, what is good for Florida. or Darfur.
OBVIOUSLY people don’t speak for all military members, not even McCain. Same with women and Darfurans. But saying no one has a right to say what they think will be welcomed by ALL women, Darfurans, etc. is cheapshot sophistry.
My advice for you and your huffy little “outraged act”?????
STFU.
Aug 23, 2008 - 3:36 pm 84. Red Blooded American:Pretty funny list of comments. So who should Obama have selected to meet with you all’s approval? The only thing that would meet with your approval would be for Obama to declare himself to be a fraud and withdraw from the race. Newsflash: it ain’t gonna happen. You don’t like him, everyone knows this. And therefore you’ll be stuck not liking him for the next 4 1/2 years at least. And just because an AP story spun the VP selection one way doesn’t make it correct. I wonder how an AP writer would spin McCain’s choice of Meg Whitman? “Bold choice!” “Bridges the Gender Gap!” But do you want her taking over the most powerful position in the world if McCain blows a gasket?
Aug 23, 2008 - 3:40 pm 85. chrisarabia:Not to be a PITA, but “paper-thin resume” is a poorly constructed term in this context. Most resumes are 1 or 2 pages, and even 2 pages is virtually “paper-thin” because each sheet has so little thickness.
You could fit McCain’s resume on 1 page: Navy, Beer, House, Senate, with short descriptions of each. So McCain has a paper-thin resume, too. And that is NOT a criticism of McCain.
Aug 23, 2008 - 3:47 pm 86. Ed Wallis:“Red Headed American” – “So who should Obama have selected to meet with you all’s approval?”
According to modern-day Democrats [WE KNOW BETTER, sonny]: MICHAEL MOORE, SEAN PENN, any CODE PINK MORON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG (for the older-but-not-as-old-as-McCain-NEO-SOCIALISTS), yada yada yada.
BUT, THANKS ANYWAY FOR THE LOSER YOUR FOLKS CHOSE….
Aug 23, 2008 - 4:24 pm 87. Self-hating boomer:Where’d all the trolls come from? Mom took the car?
Aug 23, 2008 - 5:29 pm 88. Judy, NYC:barry obama’s strange candidacy continues, as americans age faster than we ever thought possible. joe biden, who covets the presidency and has the qualifications, is too old to hope or change much, but put into service to ensure that someone in the white house will know something… barry, having no qualifications, including knowing nothing about anything, no doubt chose biden after an epiphany. a sudden, terrifying realization that he better get biden’s notes on world affairs and pull an all-nighter. despite that, barry is still petulant and annoyed about how hard the task of actually being president. an especially distressing thought for a narcissistic, corrupt, lying, polarizing ass who thinks if it weren’t for the whitey racists, god damn american democracy he could be king.
Aug 23, 2008 - 6:03 pm 89. Another View:I know all you people would rather see another failed GOP president, than a smarter, connected DEM. Why not embrace Obama instead of playing the same old tune. And cutting your nose to spite your(his) face. You kids will suffer. What have you learned from the last 8yrs? Please ask yourself. The U.S has only been around 240yrs. Stop the sense of entitlement.
Aug 23, 2008 - 6:27 pm 90. RnR:I wonder how many votes barry won’t be getting from the Operation Chaos voters that won’t be coming back to the democrats could be close, maybe some of barry’s delegates will jump ship that voted for him before rev wright and bill ayers reports
Aug 23, 2008 - 6:37 pm 91. craig:Who in their right mind thinks Obama/Biden is a good idea? Take politics out of it and look at it from a “real person” POV. Biden is a breath away from being a socialist, Obama thinks we can eliminate fossil fueled vehicles/dependance in our lifetime. In your craziest left wing eco nut minds do you think thids is posssible? Is the rest of the world going to fall in line while we outlaw oil and go to bicycles/tricycles and electric cars? On a simpler level, how is your shampoo, ground meat,paper plates, anything from Wal Mart going to get to the market? Fuel cell vehicles are terribly under powered and have a short range. Electric vehicles? Forget it. we have become the global apoligist for the earths “climate” change and as a nation think we have a way to change it. Mars is going through a severe climate change and I will be damned a human has never stepped foot there. Maybe our solar powered rovers did it. I guess what I am saying is you fools who follow lock step with a political/results unknown are more dangerous than the candidate himself. I am sorry to pull the race card here but you didn’t see him nominating Jesse or Al Sharpton for the VP did you? He is a politician just like Bush and Mccain and he grabbed a politico white guy to run with him. Get away from idealistic thinking and look at it for what it is.
Aug 23, 2008 - 6:47 pm 92. AlexinCT:Why not embrace Obama instead of playing the same old tune.
For me it is simply the fact that the man, even if he will not admit it and his defenders pretend it is otherwise, is an America hating marxist and I have 100 years of proof that marxism is a death sentence to whatever people it enslaves. The day democrats abandong their collectivist class/gender/race warfare agenda is the day I will consider one of them worth of my vote.
Aug 23, 2008 - 7:51 pm 93. SeeAre:Hillary Clinton… yeah, that`s real change.
Aug 23, 2008 - 8:49 pm 94. Pete In Peru:AlexinCT: well put. I actually would consider as well voting Democrat as soon as the party gets off its class/gender/race warfare agenda. Will that happen in the next 20 years? Perhaps…
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:19 pm 95. John Samford:I caqn’t wait for the late night guys to land on this one. They have ben whineing about Ohhhhhh……BAAMA not being funny, well, Bloviating Biden will change that. Spewaking of change, the Democratic party slogan for ‘06;
“Vote Democratic, vote Obama bin Biden and keep the change.”
With an empty suit and the Senate’s biggest gasbag, there needs to be a warning sign on the campaign bus; “No Sharp minds allowed”.
They still there? 16 Days and counting.
Aug 23, 2008 - 9:57 pm 96. John Samford:I can’t wait for the late night guys to land on this one. They have been whining about Ohhhhhh……BAAMA not being funny, well, Bloviating Biden will change that. Speaking of change, the Democratic party slogan for ‘08;
“Vote Democratic, vote Obama bin Biden and keep the change.”
With an empty suit and the Senate’s biggest gasbag, there needs to be a warning sign on the campaign bus; “No Sharp minds allowed”.
They still there? 16 Days and counting.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:01 pm 97. Stally:Even if I was going to vote for Obama, which I was certainly not going to, “VAWA” Biden, ensured I would place my vote elsewhere.
Aug 23, 2008 - 10:39 pm 98. Believer:End the VAWA.
Stally
Yikes, it just occured to me — with the “Senate’s biggest gasbag” at his side, there’s another warning just for Barry.
Though tempted, should the going get rough, he can’t risk old habits.
Hide the lighters!
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:03 pm 99. dayton:republicans always talk smart but they are slow I mean reeeeeeeally slow. Funny though a demorat could set them strait. I don’t know mabye I should keep it simple I mean they are special.
Aug 23, 2008 - 11:05 pm 100. Ed Wallis:Hey, “dayton,” you’re a really ‘funny’ guy for someone with nothing to add here!
That’s spelled F-U-N-N-Y. Go ahead and cut those letters out of the construction paper that mommy got you with the round-edged scissors the school supplied, and paste them on your wall.
Aug 24, 2008 - 3:11 am 101. Ed Wallis:I THINK JENNIFER RUBIN *MEANT* THE TITLE TO READ “So Much Change”
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/black_guy_asks_nation_for_change
Aug 24, 2008 - 3:57 am 102. BC:To Tom: your comment “implying that voting for O is a better way to return to traditional conservative values, that would make you certifiable and clearly incapable of making a rational decision – ergo, a Democrat” demonstrates the defensive, nasty, and not to mention moronic attitude running all through Republicans these days, especially among the neocons. An Obama win would greatly help true conservatives, some of whom are friends of mine, take back their party from the Machiavellian fools now running/screwing up things.
Aug 24, 2008 - 5:09 am 103. Vivienne Avare:Not only do the Obamagans hate Bush etc., they must abhor Hillary, the sure winner for the Rookie”0″. She is the best of the rest; to risk a lightweight Biden for VP, how smart that isn’t! Now more then ever, Go MCCain! Disillusioned, Ex Democrat
Aug 24, 2008 - 9:50 am 104. Not2shabbe:Biden says McCain would make a great President and even went so far as to say he would run with him (God forbid)
Aug 24, 2008 - 1:19 pm 105. Tom:and now the new dem. vp. says that McCain’s not in touch because he has 10 houses instead of the 7 originally I would hope after all he has done for the U.S. he should have 10 castles and a White House, this is capitalist America we live in and he made the ultimate sacrifice,not like Eisenhower, his military service alone should not win him the presidency, but he pays in many ways to help the economy,mortgage,insurance,utility’s,possibly remodeling,taxes and household staff and i’m sure he payed asking price for them ,good for him , and he was never implicated by keating for receiving property for favors unlike his arrogant self serving opponent, Obama bin Biden are desperate playing this i got you last game!!! its making them look amaurist NA NA NAH!!! and his son is fighting for U.S. in Iraq
BC – the only way an O win would possibly help the conservatives is that it would open 2 seats in the senate – that the Republicans would be highly unlikely to capture, so…. – we are still suffering from the Carter years – how long would it take to recover from the O years??? Better for all those people who insist on voting for a candidate of color – switch to Alan Keyes – a good case could be made that a majority of conservatives and evangelicals would back him, too, – so everyone is happy -well, except maybe Nancy Pelosi….
Aug 24, 2008 - 2:45 pm 106. Not2shabbe:Sheelagh:
It’s a great testimonial to Senator Obama that he feels secure reaching out to a person of such great stature, and it’s a testimonial to Senator Biden that he’s still willing to go back and contribute some more to government.
The most important thing about the selection of a vice president is not the vice-president himself but what it says about the presidential candidate that did the choosing. And that’s why I think this is not only a great choice substantively for the country but I think it’s a good choice politically because people who are looking at Barack Obama outside of Chicago for the first time are seeing the first real governing decision that this prospective president has made – and that’s what the choice of a vice president is – it’s your first really governing decision—reflected a tremendous stability, a tremendous amount of judgment. It reflected putting conventional political considerations like ideological balance or geographic balance behind you and putting ahead of you somebody who has serious experience in the legislative branch of government foreign policy, the business sector, somebody who clearly can walk in and be President of the United States tomorrow and everybody would be comfortable with it.
I changed the names but Vin Webber wrote this about Bush when he selected Cheney:,end
Make no mistake Biden is no Cheney he has no executive experience he has never been secretary of defense in a successful war , (gulf war) , or chief of staff, ceo of Halliburton, Biden is chairman of foreign relation and being the premier expert on foreign relations voted for the war in Iraq and now says it was a mistake after saying what an honarable man John McCain is, He’s not ready to take over the highest office in the land, and now with political arrogance saying McCain’s got 10 houses,WOW so much for capitalism (Kennedy and Kerry both have one house Too!) Biden can’t even sell himself he came in last in the primaries and this is supposed to be the first decision of the presidential canidate what a failure,barry would have done better picking Mickey Mouse at least he’s funny and knows when to shut-up, at best Biden should try working his way up, maybe start with head librarian first in Iraq after he splits the country into thirds ,let barry and hillary/bimllbo handle the other 2/3rds.
Aug 24, 2008 - 6:49 pm 107. Believer:Sorry to be OT, but I’m smelling some fear over at “Guess Who’s Opening the DNC?”
“Judy, NYC” posted a comment about the Islamic Society of North America’s president making some opening remarks at the Convention tomorrow.
I don’t think BO supporters want too many people to know about it, so I’m making sure I pass the word around.
If you go to — atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com — you’ll find Pamela Gellar has some interesting things to say about ISNA.
And about Joe Biden as well — as a not-so-great foreign policy advisor. There. I’m on topic afterall.
Aug 24, 2008 - 8:39 pm 108. john from cinncinati:MCcain needs to cover any ground between him and Obama. anyone right of JMCcain isn’t going to vote for Obama. he’s got to close with, and lock him in.
Aug 24, 2008 - 10:07 pm 109. Kevin:Someone mentioned Kay Bailey Hutchinson as a potential running mate for McCain. Won’t happen. She has already set her eyes on the governorship of Texas. That’s why she won’t seek re-election for her Senate seat.
Aug 25, 2008 - 8:33 am 110. Vivienne Avare:Funny how things turned around. The so called CHANGE master picks the old shoe, Insider Joe, for VP, while the Insider McCain picks a new kind of politics and outsider Lady Sara! Go John and Sara Ex Democrat
Sep 1, 2008 - 10:06 am 111. dale:democrats heard what they wanted to hear about obamas message of hope and change.
obama never lied or mislead anyone about change.
they mislead themselves to beleive he meant anything other than policy change.
but as you are all realizing, policy change wont fix this country, we need the systematic change offered up by mccain and palin.
why is it that democrats are so consistantly wrong?
perhaps its because they base thier opinions on how a person looks. obama comming out of the political woodwork must have seemed like the messiah farrakhan claimed he was.
oh well, as long as the democrats base who they vote for on thier race, thier iconic appearance, and thier youth, the republicans will be seen as racist, old, and ugly when they chose people based on thier intellect.
Sep 8, 2008 - 5:40 am 112. Ev:Guess there’s no fact-checking done on this site. I want to thank everyone for your contributions here. Reading this article and associated comments has convinced me not to waste anymore time looking for truth at this location.
Oct 6, 2008 - 8:00 pm