Biden to Bush: "Bullshit!"
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/15/biden-calls-bush-comments-bulls-t/Despite all the hoopla about John Edwards being a possible running mate for Obama, this is one of the many reasons why I would really like to see Joe Biden on the ticket. Obama is not one to go on the offensive. Edwards isn't either. Joe Biden has been tirelessly attacking McCain and his statements for the last several months. We need someone who is not afraid to get in the ring with the Republican fear mongers and call them out on their rhetoric. Biden can out debate anyone in the Republican party on foreign policy affairs. An Edwards vs. Rice debate on foreign policy would be a disaster.
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soulcamp said, (71 days ago)
I think Biden's confrontational style and unwillingness to parse words is the perfect compliment to Obama's campaign. Plus, I think Edwards is even weaker on foreign policy than Obama (Obama at least sits on the foreign relations committee with Biden and Dodd). Adding a domestic policy stalwart like Edwards is not going to help when challenging McCain's supposed experience on foreign policy. And that's where the attacks from McCain are going to come, because McCain's domestic policy is a big loser.
soulcamp said, (71 days ago)
@Matthew: I contributed to Biden's campaign. I have not yet done so for Obama.
Matthew said, (71 days ago)
I haven't contributed to any of the campaigns. I contributed to moveon and a couple local charities instead. I figured the machines were getting too well oiled by the time I was ready to contribute. I do follow the Obama campaign, however. Volunteered for them once as well. So I do try to participate.
scurvyman said, (70 days ago)
I've been watching a lot of punditry for months now and the consensus for a while has been pretty solidly that Edwards would make a great cabinet-level position for, say, poverty, but not a VP just yet. And the first thing I thought of when I read about this earlier today was you, man.
Biden was never one of my top choices (donated once to Kucinich and twice so far to Obama) but I really do think he'd make a great VP candidate. He's got policy mastery, like you mentioned, which could make him a good accomplishing-important-things-in-the-limelight VP like Gore. He's more aggressive, like you also mentioned, which would mean that Obama could continue to rise above bickering and trifles, but that somebody important in the Democratic campaign could still fight back. Also important: he's an ever-important white male, which is a characteristic in higher and higher demand since PA and WV. He's from PA, which could dampen some of the pessimism that Obama wouldn't be able to take that state.
As much as I'd love it, I'm still worried that people are going to call for a southerner or a woman for the VP slot to cater to certain demographics. Also, I don't really know about the guy -- does he have more of whatever they call "blue collar appeal?" If we have two well-spoken, educated, well-dressed guys on the same ticket, they might be vulnerable to some kind of elite, effete, San Francisco liberal smear from McCain's people (and the media!)
soulcamp said, (70 days ago)
@scurvy: I'm not sure whether he's considered an elitist by the "working class". He shouldn't be. However, I don't really think that trying to win over the "working class" is really something the Democratic ticket should be spending a lot of effort on. People who voted in the Democratic primaries are going to vote Democratic, regardless of whether it's Hillary or Obama, as long as they do a good job of linking McCain's domestic policy with Bush's.
I think the key to winning this election is to continue to take the high road. Use Bush as a argument that we NEED the best and the brightest President to fix everything that he screwed up. Target the people you can win over instead of trying to appease those you can't.
BTW - here's one more nice video of Biden on Chris Matthews tonight:
(ZA WARUDO!!!) KMFCM said, (70 days ago)
nice
i still want someone to tell him "shut up, no one likes you"
scurvyman said, (70 days ago)
@soulcamp: Well, I think the key is what you said -- AS LONG AS they do a good job of linking McCain's domestic policy with Bush's. You and I know that they're basically the same exact thing, but that gets barely any play on the news, and there are a shit ton of Clinton supporters saying they'll vote for McCain come November if Obama gets the nom. It's retarded and counterproductive and very "I'm taking my ball and going home" of them, but I think a lot of the people saying that honestly don't realize how bad McCain would be. Which is why we need to get the word out!
I agree with you about the high road though. And it's promising that all the downticket Congressional races where they're running anti-Obama campaigns by association with the Dem candidate... are favoring the Democrats, even in deep Republican territory like Mississippi, and even against whatever Wright/Rezko kind of shit they sling. Which is what it sounds like is the best ammo their side HAS for these ads, according to the guy who ran the swiftboat campaign and the guy who ran the Willie Horton campaign.
Speaking of Chris Matthews last night, please tell me you saw this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/15/hardball-shoutfest-matthe_n_102020.html
If you don't believe me, go back and watch the 2004 debate between Edwards and Cheney. Edwards got creamed.