8/25/08

 

I love the Joe Biden pick. Joe would have been fine with me for President too, but I think he and Barack can offer a nice mix. Barack will be known for his oratory while Joe will be known for his folksiness. To put it another way, Barack will be known for speaking down to us while Joe will regularly put his foot in his mouth. All depends on where you stand, doesn’t it? I’m not worried.

 

You learn things about politicians that make you like them. We all have our different little buttons. With Barack Obama, I was blown away by his speech at the ’04 Democratic Convention. I was impressed with his academic background. But what warmed me to him were his friends’ recollections that he considered his black/whiteness an advantage because he could fit in naturally with either group. 

 

The Biden revelation that I found most attractive was when I learned about his successful run for the US Senate seat from Delaware. Here’s this 29 year-old kid, running against a longtime incumbent. He won the seat, became the youngest Senator since Jefferson (the one on the two) and did it all without going negative. He praised his rival then the way he praises John McCain now. Joe Biden understands a fundamental truth. He understands that in the southwest corner of America a lot of people admire John McCain so much that they have repeatedly sent him to represent them in Washington. Joe understands that he has a responsibility to find in John McCain and his 98 other fellow Senators the greatness their constituents have found. Further, he has to join with them to make this country better. Jerks like me can disparage politicians, but we’re just gadflies. The pros find ways to get along and Joe Biden has a long record of accommodation. It makes me like him all the more.      

 

I think Barack Obama is just about perfect, but I’m not a fool and I know how to read polls. I know that he has to change some minds to win. Joe will make Barack better. When Barack will be seen as aloof, Joe will make the message warmer. I think Barack’s take on international relations is right on the money. He’s been ahead of the curve on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and his claim to fame, the Iraq war. Still, a man with a long resume like John McCain gets lots of cred, even when he has been consistently wrong on nearly every major crisis and he has a horrible record of consistently voting against veterans’ benefits. Joe will, by dint of his long international service, give Barack some added years of international guidance that might reassure some voters.

 

But what I like best is that so far Barack has run a campaign where I can be proud of him. Joe will be the attack dog, to be sure, but pay attention to how Joe does it. He’ll go after the comment, not the person. Joe Biden and Barack Obama share a basic for what I want in politicians. They both believe that their opponents are wrong, not evil. They believe their opponents are good people who sincerely believe the wrong thing. People who believe that don’t Swiftboat. People who believe that don’t endorse lies or liars. I think Barack and Joe will be just great.  

For what it’s worth, I’ll be watching for those lies, but I’ll be watching Barack and Joe even more closely than the other side. After all, if I think they’re better, they should prove it and be better.