Obama has selected Biden as his running mate. I didn’t get the text message, although I signed up for it. This is great news for McCain.
It’s not yet clear how many homes Biden owns or if he was a POW.
It’s Biden
This post is in: Election 2008, Did You Know John McCain Was A POW?
dbrown
Wow, Biden – now he comes from a big State … well, it is bigger than … Guam? but he is such a heavy weight in … huh, well, he did run for president once … I think … but his great appeal to many people … well, he is well know for … at least he can’t out shine Obama.
wilfred
Biden said: “I am a zionist. You don`t have to be a Jew to be a zionist”.
This is the exact same discourse of the Hagees and Robertsons. For millions of people in the Arab world it means the constant physical and verbal abuse administered to Palestinians and…well, what`s the point?
Talk about dog whistles.
Nazgul35
What was the point of siging up if they released it at 3am in the morning?
Wait…stupid question. To get millions of cell phone users numbers…
If you want to unsubscribe, simply text stop back to the original number you set up the account with.
John
As I understand it, Biden is actually one of the only Senators with only one residence. He takes the Amtrak back to Wilmington every night.
jake
Here are my predictions for the top five concern trolling points we’ll have to put up with in the weeks to come:
1. No woman will vote for him now because he insulted Hillary.
2. His supporters will be angry because he pulled a silly stunt.
3. The press, ditto.
4. He’s more likely to be assassinated so we’d better not vote for him to keep him safe.
5. Biden will say something stupid and drive supporters away in droves.
I’m sure there will be others but those are the top five.
Michael D.
But what kind of countertops does he have?
cranker
I think the press scooped the Obama camp so they had to react. Email release should come out soon.
bud
Biden’s also one of the senators with the least net worth. (If not least).
jake
Crap, that should be
Obama has
selected BidenDELIVERED A SLAP IN THE FACE!!Right. Coffee. Now.
cgp
Ugh, a guy whose been in the senate forever and has an aggressive foreign policy towards Iraq. I suppose the good side to this, is that it shows that Barack wants someone with differing opinions on his staff.
JGabriel
Reposting from the previous thread, because it’s clearly more relevant to this thread:
4tehlulz
It looks like they’ll be a Biden/Romney VP debate.
Not quite the lolocaust that a Biden/Huck debate would have been, but this is a good substitute.
dmsilev
He’s an attack dog, and a loved-by-the-media attack dog at that. Just perfect for ripping into McCain.
“A noun, a verb, and 9/11” made Rudy a laughingstock; I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for Senator McMansion and Governor Mittens.
-dms
Xenos
I like Biden. For a white guy he is so well groomed and quite articulate. I wish more white men would be like him.
Jake
Biden has one house and is ranked 99th in the Senate in terms of net worth. He owns one home, in Delaware, and commutes into DC. So, some more contrast with McCain there.
I think he’ll be fine as a VP choice. The guy’s very strong on the morning talk shows and debates. And he doesn’t take shit from anyone.
Yes, he voted for the war, but he’s been a vocal critic of how it was being conducted throughout. Lastly, he’s got a son in Iraq.
JGabriel
Xenos:
You’re about the fifth person to make that joke, on this site alone. It’s getting overplayed.
If Obama can look past it, I suggest we do too.
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JGabriel
Jake:
Minor correction: Headed to Iraq, in October.
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Conservatively Liberal
I am happy with Biden as VP and I learned long ago not to second guess Obama. He sees something that is necessary, and I will trust him in that decision. Biden is a bulldog, and he is not some ‘elite’ liberal. He’s about as down home as they get. He has been around the senate for a long time and has seen a lot of stuff pass under the bridge over the years. I think he will be an asset to Obama in many ways, especially with the ‘old guard’.
I already expect the right to unload with everything that they stockpiled on Biden, and I hope Obama keeps forcing their hand in the release of it. Obama has pushed the McCain campaign for the last few days and it has left them reeling. I am sure that the Obama campaign is on top of playing defense for Biden, so it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
TR
Agreed. Joe Scarborough is praising this decision, for God’s sake, and they’re playing up his biography and “regular guy” aspect to the hilt. He delivers hits with a smile. No matter where you stand on the Democratic spectrum, you have to admire that this is the guy who destroyed Rudy Guiliani with his “noun, verb and 9/11” joke.
As for the issue about Biden being from a small state — he was born in Scranton and has regularly been called “Pennsylvania’s third senator.” He helps seal that state up, and plays well in the Rust Belt too. Plus, he’s Catholic and loved by seniors.
Biden wasn’t my first choice, but he’s no Evan Bayh. Fine with me.
Scruffy McSnufflepuss
As a native Delawarean, I know something about Biden. He’s a good union man, and a good liberal. He’s pro-credit card, but that’s the nature of his district. He was pro-war, but he’s realized his mistake a lot earlier than some people did. He’s a good attacker, and a likeable debater. He’s also a pretty good guy in person. I’m happy with this pick. Local boy done good.
Dave L
Biden will nail down Pennsylvania, and maybe deliver Ohio (“he’s Catholic and loved by seniors”). He’s a tough, aggressive debater – all of you who’ve been suffering agonies about the Obama camp not hitting back should be happy with that. He’s 65, and beyond nurturing his own presidential ambitions. And for a senator, he’s a man of modest means – more great contrast with a McCain/Mitt ticket.
Yes, the foreign policy gravitas stuff is annoying; apparently you still have to have gotten Iraq wrong to be taken seriously by Broder nation, but so be it – that will buy Obama better treatment from the press, but won’t have the slightest impact on his own policy-making.
I think it’s a great choice.
rob!
McCain already has an ad out against him, using a quote from Biden where he said (in 2005) he’d be “happy to run with OR against McCain.”
if I was Biden, my response would be “yeah, i would’ve been happy to run with the McCain of 2005. But that John McCain is gone, having been replaced the moral-less, Rove-led, base-fluffer he has turned into.”
Jake
That is, without doubt, what Biden will say Rob. McCain looks pretty desperate here.
The Obama-Biden fist-bump bumper stickers rock:
Dennis - SGMM
Finally, a Democratic ticket with someone who can deliver a one-liner.
Melina
This is the best case scenario at this point…Biden tells it like it is, he has experience and his son is heading to Iraq…he is a bulldog and he can be the bad cop. He does not mince words.
Have his statements and votes been perfect? No…but whats the alternative in this pool?…who else was a viable partner?
At some point we need to stop whining and get to work…no?
Jake
I think we can safely assume that “A noun, a verb, and POW” is on its way to a debate near you. Biden’s maybe the only guy that can deliver that one safely, for a number of reasons.
harlana pepper
It IS good for McCain. Just ask Ron Fournier.
jake
And don’t forget shit they just plain make up. It will work right up until the time McCain announces his pick and a large portion of his voters freak out.
I do hope it is Mittens. McCain/Romney ‘0$
colleeniem
Yes, Harlana. I love how an Opinion piece has become merely “Analysis.”
JGabriel
Jake, for whatever reason, that link isn’t working. It just displays an image tag, but no image.
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Trinity
I called my Mom this morning at 7am. She’s a Hillary supporter (not a dead-ender) and she was thrilled with Biden as VP. Makes her “more comfortable” with Obama. If it has this effect on my Mom then I know it is doing the same for a lot of older Dems like her and that is GOOD. Hell, that is GREAT. Biden was by no means my first choice but he was also not the worst choice. He has a great personal story and is much more of a “straight talker” than McSame. Plus, Biden will rip McSame/”whoever” a new one!
Get your popcorn kiddies.
Bey
From Hillaryis44:
They didn’t want in your stupid club anyway!
The
harridansbatshit insaniacs have decided they’re voting for McCain. Who could have predicted?!harlana pepper
But I’m quite pleased with the Biden pick. He’s a scrappy bastard. We’re gonna need that so Obama can stay all ‘above the fray’ since black people aren’t allowed to get pissed off.
chopper
ISRAAAAAAEEEELLLL!!
JGabriel
Jake:
Or maybe Biden will pull out the old George Berard Shaw saying: “Beware the man who uses his cross as a crutch.”
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TR
The “44” on that site refers to the number of regular posters, I believe.
DougJ
I got the text message. You must have forgotten to email back with your zip to verify.
The whole texting supporters thing kicks ass. I want them to do that with more stuff.
harlana pepper
Ben, it’s sad to see people destroy themselves, and the futures of their children and grandchildren for that matter, by feeding incessantly on seething anger and imagined insults day in and day out. It’s like a sad disease. It’s like being bi-polar without meds. Anyone who would vote for McCain out of pure spite needs to start taking their meds again.
dr. bloor
Still would’ve preferred Reed and returning Chafee to the Senate as an Independent, but I liked Biden as much as anyone on the short list, and it ain’t Bayh. Joe v. Mittens is going to make Bambi v. Godzilla look like a fair fight.
Mainieac
Although the deadenders who claim they care about women’s rights are and will be up in arms, Biden is actually THE top Congressional leader in policy about violence against women.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/23/7556/28748/44/551188
Bey
Watching the His44 site has been an interesting exercise in the dynamics of a mob. I stumbled across the link around SuperTuesday. They were partisan, of course, and emotional with lots of creepy Our Girl stuff. And that pink! But they have whipped themselves into a truly insane frenzy over the months by feeding one another’s rage and sense of entitlement. Quite instructive and rather frightening.
There is really no better illustration of their fantasy bubble than the picture of Clinton they have in the header. Years – no, decades out of date. It bears no resemblance to who she is and is a glamor girl shot, rather than an active, competent one.
Anyway, His44 is funny and I recommend it highly. If there were more maenads posting I’d be scared.
Meanwhile, in the reality based community, Biden as VP is sitting very well with me. Obama needed someone to take the messianic edge off and I think Biden will bring him down to earth effectively, without damaging the hope/change message.
Now if only Lieberman were the VP on the rethug side. Imagine, if you will, the dead-enders being forced to choose among an African-American, a pro-choice Jew, or staying home.
This could be the most fun election EVAH!
JGabriel
Dr. Bloor:
I can just see that one:
Mittens: I’m glad you asked that, Gwen, I was talking to my five boys – Sneezy, Dopey, Sleazy, Tagg, and Tagg – the other day about what an appeasing appeaser dude this Obama guy is and –
Biden: Oh, for crying out loud, this just bullshi… er, I mean malarkey. It’s outrageous. The Bush policies have made this country MORE vulnerable to terrorists, and he wants to pull out fu.. er, stinking, lies like this?
.
Brian
I got the text message, although it was sent between 4:50-5:00 AM. You have to think that, as others have said, Obama’s plan was for him to announce the pick through text message and then have everyone start talking about to people around them. You also have to think that even though such a plan didn’t get all the way there, he came pretty damn close. The first appearance the candidates together in Springfield, IL, is scheduled for 3:00 PM, and the newspapers didn’t start running headlines until 1:00 AM this morning. I like the fact that Obama’s running a tight ship.
Now, while Biden wasn’t the first choice I had in mind, I like the pick a lot. The guy is likely to stomp on McCain’s campaign pretty hard, which will be nice. But seeing as how the coverage this morning, from what I watched of it, is uniformly positive, perhaps the pick was good just for that reason. If Obama can prevent the media from sniping at him for the next two months, it’ll help in so many ways.
MJ
Did they find a cure for Biden’s chronic case of foot in mouth disease?
AkaDad
I always thought the “44” was the average I.Q. of their posters.
Observer
Today was the first time I’ve ever look at the His44 site. I find it hard to believe this is anything other than a GOP-supported ratfuck.
JGabriel
Bey:
Keep in mind that HillaryIs44 is a GOP ratfuck. Once you realize that some of the people there are being flamingly ridiculous, with the rest just being sad, pathetic and stupid enough to let themselves get manipulated and used that way…
Well, it kinda robs it of some of the humor. Not all, granted, it’s still batshit insane after all. But most of the humor is deflated once you fathom how truly Machiavellian and ugly the whole enterprise is.
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JGabriel
Observer:
Google “Roger Stone”. It’s got that bastard’s sense of style.
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Brian
“He’s pro-credit card, but that’s the nature of his district.”
I don’t like the fact that he voted for that POS bankruptcy bill, but based on just what I’ve seen from my own statements in the mail each month and watching the news, Delaware is the credit card state. Trying to go head-to-head with the companies there is like trying to go against corn in Iowa: doing so means you’re committing suicide.
Let me say that I suspect this pick may be good because it’ll help bring some people back into the fold, like my mom, who is a regular voter but relatively disengaged from the news at least compared to me and seemed to have a positive reaction to the news this morning, and like my boss at work, who was saying he’d have a lot of respect for Obama if he picked Biden. My boss is a guy who actually thought Biden was the best choice for the Democrats and said he was leaning towards McCain over Obama. If this election is closer than we think it might be, Biden’s probably the guy who can make the difference with voters on the margin.
JGabriel
MJ:
I doubt they’d want to. The occasional gaffe is the price you pay for gems like “a noun, a verb, and 9/11”.
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Mainieac
Just saw this clip of Biden ripping Bush on the war –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1op8vwF5UA
harlana pepper
Ben, agreed. I was not a huge Biden fan in the past, but I have warmed to him out of necessity. I feel like there are some neophytes here who want perfection and purity in their candidates and I have learned, you are just not going to get that with the Dem party. PUMAs need to suck it up like the rest of us poor, reality-based slobs.
Brian
“I doubt they’d want to. The occasional gaffe is the price you pay for gems like “a noun, a verb, and 9/11””
Do you think that finally having a shot on a ticket will force Biden to watch himself and prevent stupid comments concerning Indians at 7-11s and Obama being clean and articulate?
Observer
Out of curiosity do we know why Sebelius fell by the wayside so soon?
DougJ
Wow! Fournier went nuts on this one:
JGabriel
Brian:
Let’s just hope he gets through the next 10 1/2 weeks without any gaffes like that. I mean, the current VP shot a man in the face.
Nothing Biden says will ever top that.
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Dennis - SGMM
I’ve seen Biden described as “gaffe prone.” Odd that the same epithet has never been applied to Bush.
“Is our children learning?”
“More and more of our imports come from overseas.”
“Too many OB-GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.”
etc
JGabriel
DougJ:
I think we need to just start referring to Fournier as “Fluffer” and be done with it.
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CaseyL
Looking at what Biden brings to the ticket, my guess would be that Sebelius is, first, not as accomplished an extemporaneous speaker and not as well-versed in international issues. The fact that Biden is also v. popular with the punditocracy may hve been a consideration.
Really, the more you think about it, the more inspired a choice Biden is.
Dennis - SGMM
Biden’s strength in the crucial state of Pennsylvania pushes McCain toward pro-choice Tom Ridge as his VP. Inspired chess playing by the Obama campaign.
JGabriel
Dennis – SGGM:
It’s not really that odd. Especially when you consider that we usually call Bush things like:
Commander Codpiece, Captain Fuckwit, Fuckwit McGhee, Clusterfuck, Idiot, Fucking Idiot, Cheney’s Lapdog, Asshole, Major League Asshole, Fucking Asshole, Goddamn Fucking Moron, Clueless Jackass, Tongue-Tied Goober, Douchebag, Wanker, President-Select, Worst President Ever, The World’s Worst President, Whiny Ass Titty Baby…
Well, you get the picture. “Gaffe-prone” is pretty weak tea in comparison.
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Keith
We do currently know that he’s a friend and co-worker of a former POW, so that’s good for at least one free dead-girl OR live-boy allowed to be found in the trunk of his car.
JGabriel
Dennis – SGGM:
Ridge is not that popular in PA anymore. The general reaction to him is “Meh”.
Furthermore, Obama already had the big cities (Philly, Pittsbugh, Erie) locked up. Biden helps the Appalachian swath that cuts diagonally from South Central PA to NE PA, including of course Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Wyoming Valley.
That doesn’t leave anywhere else in PA for McCain to exploit.
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anne
I’m actually kind of excited because Biden is poorer then I am. I kind of can’t wait to see him go on attack either.
Laura W
The mayor of Denver just told Wolfman that Biden is the type of guy you’d like to sit at the bar and have a beer with. ‘Nuf said.
I am grateful to Obama for delaying his announcement till this morn because that was five less days of Joe and Mika beating the same old dead horse beyond-banal talking points. I wish they’d both go to FL instead of Denver next week.
cuzco
Been over at HillaryIs44 for the last hour or so. Damn! That “Hell has no fury” line is putting it mildly…
I was a gung-ho Hillary supporter back in the primaries and was pretty disappointed that Obama didn’t pick her for VP, but sweet Jesus, some of those folks over there are in serious need of psychiatric help.
I like Biden’s pugnacious personality and he takes absolutely no shit from anyone which Obama will need to be his surrogate “angry side.” Not as happy as if he had chosen Hillary but overall, I think Biden is a good choice. I just hope some of the folks over there cool down by November and realize what is at stake.
mrmobi
Have to agree, Brian. I’m willing to give Biden a pass on this, because I think he’ll make the best possible attack dog of all the choices Obama had. I just heard a speech he gave a couple of days ago on XM Radio, and he’s just terrific when he gets riled up. Can’t wait for the Biden/Multiple Choice Mitt debate!
All in all, I’d say this choice gets the base fired up, and that’s what it had to do.
D. Mason
I agree. You gotta take the bad with the good sometimes. This will allow the Obama campaign to savage McCain without Obama having to personally do any attacking or risk a gaffe of his own. Let someone who is known for the occasional verbal misstep take that risk so that when it happens there’s no story. In the meantime Obama can stay above the fray and write off the gaffes from Biden in any number of ways.
Martin
If I had to pick two things:
1) She’s not a strong campaigner. She’s a good executive, and that’s part of her appeal, but she would have trouble credibly fighting back the shit that would be thrown at her.
2) The electorate calculus simply may not have permitted a minority/woman ticket at this time. Personally, I don’t believe that it would have hurt him, but the Obama campaign has the math down like nothing I’ve seen before (compare the primary spreadsheet that was leaked in Feb with the actual results – it’s so accurate it’s disturbing) so I have to assume that they’ve got this worked out for all the possibilities.
Scruffy McSnufflepuss
Pretty much, yeah. I worked for a credit card company myself, when I lived there. Tons of jobs, tons of votes, tons of political contributions and down-ticket supporters relying on that money. It’ll be good to see Vice President Biden move beyond that particular political straitjacket in January of 2009.
srv
You people are so completely disingenuous or clueless. The jacket fits so well because he likes it.
Next we’ll be hearing about how relieved he’ll be to free of his extremist, pro-intervention foreign policy and drug war fan boyism.
The only difference between him and Lieberman is which convention they’re speaking at.
maxbaer (not the original)
Well, there’s always Rick Santorum or Curt Weldon. They’re both available.
Just Some Fuckhead
I said early on Obama needed a older white male Catholic for a variety of reasons. However, I woulda never seen a Biden pick coming because Biden has been a part of the DC establishment for 35 years. We can split hairs about his never meeting with lobbyists and commuting home to Wilmington every night but Biden is every bit a part of the problem that original Obama supporters thought they were trying to clean up by supporting Obama.
I’m a Democrat and will vote for the Democratic candidate but I sure woulda liked to have seen a younger candidate who would be able to effectively lead the Democratic party in eight years. Biden ain’t that guy and Obama picking him shows that despite his rhetoric, change ain’t on the agenda and he ain’t looking past November at this point.
srv
Muwahahaha!
That kind of talk would have gotten you branded as a Hitlery lover just a few weeks ago.
Lowered expectations….
Just Some Fuckhead
I’d assert that lowered expectations are still better than what a Hillary presidency portended: Evan Bayh as the VP and an agenda set by Al From & Associates.
I’ve surrendered money and my vote to the Obama campaign. I’m not giving up my critical thinking skills.
Scruffy McSnufflepuss
Go vote Nader, you concern troll douchebag.
Lynn Lightfoot
Can’t resist chiming in on the business of what Biden said all those months ago re Obama. As Biden himself said on the Daily Show, by “clean” he meant politically unsullied by scandal. That makes perfect sense, and I’m sure that how Obama understood it at the time.
Lynn Lightfoot
Oops. Last clause should read “I’m sure that’s how Obama understood it at the time.”