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Obama-Biden: Democrats Give a Sigh of Relief

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Forums » washingtonpost.com forums » Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood » Obama-Biden: Democrats Give a Sigh of Relief

Obama-Biden: Democrats Give a Sigh of Relief

posted at 8/23/2008 9:50 AM EDT

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Eugene_Robinson

First post: 5/23/2007
Last post: 7/24/2009
Total posts: 79

No, Joe Biden isn't exactly a new face to complement the new politics that Barack Obama promises. But tell me if you agree that most Democrats, having nervously checked the text message that arrived from the Obama campaign at three in the morning, are breathing signs of relief.

Tim Kaine would have been new politics, all right -- so new that he hasn't even finished one term as governor of Virginia. He would have reinforced Obama's "negative" of having scant experience. Evan Bayh? Not exactly Mr. Excitement. Chet Edwards? Please. And besides, through no fault of the Texas congressman (blame goes to the former North Carolina senator), this year the GOP would have loved to run against any ticket that included the name Edwards.

Hillary Clinton? It just wasn't going to happen. She knew it, he knew it, and we should have known it too.

Joe Biden gives Obama experience, gravitas, gray hair -- and, perhaps most important, a sharp-tongued pugnacity. He'll have Obama's back. He's fiercely smart, and he knows it. (Should I add that he's "articulate" and "clean"?) All in all, I think, probably the choice that does the Democratic ticket the most good and the least harm.

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Re: Obama-Biden: Democrats Give a Sigh of Relief

posted at 8/23/2008 10:18 AM EDT

miminaguib1

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/24/2008
Total posts: 4

Biden give me a sigh of worry. He is the wrong guy. I could not imagine how Obama could blow it that badly. I will never vote for Obam now. I see him as a kid and all what he wants is to be a president. What change is he talking about? Whom is he fooling? Goodbye Mr. Obama. We thought you are real, but alas you are fake.

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I'm happy with the Biden choice

posted at 8/23/2008 11:40 AM EDT

chunche

First post: 10/4/2007
Last post: 11/14/2009
Total posts: 18

People like my 70-yr-old "lifelong" Republicans (in the fiscally conservative, socially moderate mold) have a lot of respect for Biden. I'm rubbing hands together in gleeful anticipation of recruiting them to vote Democrat for the first time since Kennedy.

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Obama Ensures Rallying of McCain's Base

posted at 8/23/2008 11:42 AM EDT

Curious5

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/23/2008
Total posts: 1

Could Obama have picked a worse VP?

First, no vetting of Clinton puts off key women in party. Second, Biden is guaranteed to get out the Right for the Repubicans because of the Bork nomination--be prepared to hear about that one to rouse the base. The Bork hearings were the beginning of the politics of personal destruction in Washington (for our generation anyway). Biden was present at the creation of that politics--he's the epitome of the old politics that Obama claimed to be running against. They must be dancing in the McCain camp--now McCain picks a qualified woman and the game is over.

Finally, all this gets compounded today given the Illinois comparison that Obama has handed the Repubs after his gaffe on abortion: "It's ironic that Obama castes himself as Lincoln's heir: Lincoln stood for life in the major moral issue of his time...and he knew where he stood."

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Re: Obama-Biden: Democrats Give a Sigh of Relief

posted at 8/23/2008 12:04 PM EDT

jjcrocket

First post: 12/8/2007
Last post: 1/30/2009
Total posts: 52

Just another old white guy connected to everything Obama says he wants to change!!
The Hillary crowd will be up in arms over this!! Two legislative hyper lawyers is not what this country needs!!! This ticket will talk the world to death - filibuster - and do nothing significant!!

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Re: Obama-Biden: Democrats Give a Sigh of Relief

posted at 8/23/2008 12:10 PM EDT

TedK1

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/23/2008
Total posts: 1

Some people will make fun of Biden's bad choice of words and his alleged plagiarism. But these are trivial problems. I just learned that about the mean and vicious comments by John McCain at a Republican fund raiser in 1998 about Chelsea and Janet Reno. Anyone can google it and find the exact words he said.

I am surprised that the press and the public haven't paid enough attention to this Mean aspect of McCain. Compared to that, Biden's faults are trivial.

Obama needed someone with Biden's experience. Personally, I think Hillary, for all her faults, would still have been a good and surprising choice. But Biden is the next best and the party should unite around this ticket.

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No one is perfect ...

posted at 8/23/2008 12:18 PM EDT

s_charles

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/23/2008
Total posts: 1

But I have tremendous respect for Biden, he is one of the most ardent believers in the rights of Americans to know what is going on in their name. He is intelligent, thoughtful and intimidated by no one.
How he dealt with the tragedy in his personal life is a testament to his ethics and strong personal values. You might not like everything Biden has to say but you cannot quibble with his candor.
I think he is the perfect choice and if not him I would have wanted Sen. Webb.

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Obama-Biden: Democrats Give a Sigh of Relief

posted at 8/23/2008 12:22 PM EDT

rbaldwin2

First post: 3/15/2008
Last post: 11/28/2009
Total posts: 41

As you said, there were really only two choices here - Clinton and Biden. Both are highly qualified to defend against the Rove-Clones that run McSame's campaign and neither are flustered by the stupidity of McSame's lobbyist masters.

Biden brings vast international experience to the table which I believe most in the US don't understand, or worse don't want to understand, that no one else could bring. He also sharpens his teeth every morning with a file so the demagogues of the Rovian-blinded NeoCon fringe better be ready for or he'll eat their lunch- quickly. (good thing)..

The risk here is one that was pointed out last evening..the Clinton folks (which I am one) will cringe a little with this choice, but hopefully will see that this actually helps the Democrats long term. Biden is not in "grooming" mode - he's in "winning" mode.

Hopefully now that this is settled, most of the Clinton supporters will realize that NOT voting for Democrats versus staying home is not in our best interest - now OR in the future. If we want to rid ourselves of the likes of Bush, Cheeeney, Gonzales, Johnson, Dorn, Addington, et.al. we gotta get moving.

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Smart move by Obama...

posted at 8/23/2008 12:22 PM EDT

outlawtorn103

First post: 1/8/2008
Last post: 3/12/2009
Total posts: 88

I don't think there was a better pick for VP to go alongside Obama. Biden just makes plain sense. Everything that Republicans claim as a weakness in Obama is actually a strength in Biden (age, experience in both domestic and international issues, being from a strong blue-collar family).

Plus, one of the really nice things: Biden teaches a seminar in constitutional law at a law school in Delaware every semester -- so, unlike President Bush and VP Cheney, he actually knows what the Constitution says.

And in response to Curious5, I find it pretty hard to believe the whole Bork thing is a rallying call. It happened too long ago, is something few still remember -- it's just too obscure to get people emotionally upset about. Americans don't have a knack for long attention spans and history lessons.
Biden is a centrist in the left-centrist party. He's going to appeal to more people than he turns away.

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Good choice

posted at 8/23/2008 12:22 PM EDT

scissormen

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/23/2008
Total posts: 1

I think Obama's choice of Biden shows that he's serious about winning this election. Biden may not be perfect choice for Dems (around my house, he's referred to as the Senator from Mastercard), but he's a strong choice who will take the fight to the opponent. He's funny (Rudy - a noun a verb and 9-11) and VERY smart, especially on foreign policy. Lastly, on the point of how smart Biden is: He's smart enough to realize the first step is getting elected.

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Hillary Hilbillies Get Over It

posted at 8/23/2008 12:33 PM EDT

charice33

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/23/2008
Total posts: 1

Biden's working class prism is a great choice and rounds out the Obama ticket well. I wish the Hillary Hillbillies would get over it and stop looking for justification to vote against Obama. I am a middle-aged woman and it's embarrassing to hear Hillary supporters lamenting over her as if the Clinton baggage was a viable option for Obama.

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A GALLANT FIGHT IS PROMISED BUT ITS HOPELESS

posted at 8/23/2008 12:57 PM EDT

rc115shepherd

First post: 2/19/2008
Last post: 11/14/2009
Total posts: 16

The most telling reality is that this does not help Obama in Pennsylvania, Ohio or West Virginia. It will be a gallant fight with Joe Biden on the ticket, but in the end it will be a hopeless task to try and use the VP candidate to get Obama to a national average of 36 to 38 percent of the white vote that he will need to win 270 the Electoral College votes.

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Re: Obama Ensures Rallying of McCain's Base

posted at 8/23/2008 12:58 PM EDT

obamacan1

First post: 3/25/2008
Last post: 9/20/2009
Total posts: 156

Replying to:

Could Obama have picked a worse VP? Second, Biden is guaranteed to get out the Right for the Repubicans because of the Bork nomination--be prepared to hear about that one to rouse the base. The Bork hearings were the beginning of the politics of personal destruction in Washington (for our generation anyway).
Posted by Curious5

BORK? are you nuts! Like Thomas has demonstrated, neither deserves to be on the highest court. The Supreme Court is the ultimate appointment and should not be used for political statements - it should be granted to judicial authorities. Which is why I would vote Democrat for President NO MATTER WHO THEY NOMINATED! The Court is way far to the right - we are in danger of having no individual ability to sue corporations. Read Grisham's latest book. Corporations have very deep pockets and the only reason "trial lawyers" are willing to go after them is that every now and then they get a big check when they win. The Republican judicial nominations are judges that don't like big judgements. Considering the corporate lobbyists altering all the laws in their favor - and criminals get away with robbing pension funds, getting huge stock options while laying off US workers - the ONLY deterrent left are big law suit judgements.

And BTW "Obamacan" stands for "republican for Obama" and all my republican friends are "against trial lawyers" (they drink the kool aid) UNTIL they want to sue someone!

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Biden is a fighter

posted at 8/23/2008 1:11 PM EDT

obamacan1

First post: 3/25/2008
Last post: 9/20/2009
Total posts: 156

Considering the Rove-trained core of McCain's campaign who will continue to pound Obama with lies (that curiously the news covers as "news"??) the thing I like about Biden is he has been great on the attack on news shows.

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Hon Bidden Competent as Hon George Bush I for Hon Reagan.

posted at 8/23/2008 1:23 PM EDT

thomasxstewart

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/23/2008
Total posts: 1

Believe Hon Barak Esq has made Wise Choice, Very Middle American, Strong Liberal & Religous Mainstream. Leadership of near 4 Decades is NO slouch.

Hon George Herbert Walker Bush was Similarly Capable Vice President.

Hon Joseph Bidden Esq is Step Up.

Signed:PHYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART VON DRASHEK M.D.

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Perfect Pick in Biden

posted at 8/23/2008 1:38 PM EDT

laurelrest

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 10/7/2008
Total posts: 2

Catholic, working class, personal biography, directness, respected by the likes of Lugar, Specter, and Hagel, Biden works to the perceived weakness that Obama doesn't speak to the "white, working class voter."

Obama just needs to play a loop of McCain's answer to Pastor Rick's question about his favorite SC judges: Roberts, Alito, Scalia, and Thomas

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The choice I'd been hoping for

posted at 8/23/2008 1:39 PM EDT

NormDePlume1

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 8/23/2008
Total posts: 1

I don't know whether Joe Biden is the right choice to get Barack Obama elected (although I suspect he is) but I think he's the right choice to be Vice President and a good compliment to Mr. Obama.

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Two hyper-talkers

posted at 8/23/2008 1:42 PM EDT

drzimmern

First post: 3/12/2008
Last post: 5/23/2009
Total posts: 49

Biden never shuts up, and Obama's greatest asset is his deliverance of long speeches in huge arenas. The future of the Democrats is now ensured as filled with hot air. That's not a new change in politics, but at least Biden has always been a solid, honest fighter and will add foreign policy gravitas. Its a good move.

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Love the guy.

posted at 8/23/2008 2:08 PM EDT

ALSF

First post: 8/23/2008
Last post: 10/22/2008
Total posts: 2

Yes, Biden will be a fierce campaigner. Yes, Biden will make anyone look foolish in a debate. Yes, Biden is genuinely down to earth, affable, and caring. Yes, hes an older, whiter, more experienced counterbalance on an Obama ticket. And yes, he might be helpful with Pennsylvania and Catholics.

More importantly hes also the best man for the job! We have important things to do people! If you've been suckered into the Karl Rove school of permanent campaigning, only appearances matter, you're part of the problem. Biden is a man of strong substance, a marvelous counterpoint to the empty suit of one Mitt Romney should McCain decide that way.

Who would you rather have jetting around the world, meeting dignitaries, cementing international deals, brokering peace?

Once again Obama rises above the noise of politics and does whats best for the country.

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BIDEN IS A GREAT CHOICE! PUGNACIOUS & GRACIOUS

posted at 8/23/2008 2:22 PM EDT

mstratas

First post: 1/16/2008
Last post: 9/15/2009
Total posts: 119

Sen. Biden has charm even when he is arguing and ranting agains the stupid Republicans. He is smarter than George Bush, Cheney and McCain combined. Yes, he can talk but that's ok, he can outtalk the mumbling mumbling senile McCain. Biden is a brilliant choice for VP.

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