Obama picks Biden: For his respectability and experience. Joe Biden--who would have thunk it?
Text Revised slightly and links added, below, at 4:30 pm (CST) on Sunday to Public Affairs shows, including one featuring Senator Obama, DLC Chairman Harold Ford, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Chicago Mayor Daley, Cong. Rahm Emanuel and Illinois AG Lisa Madigan
Obama-Biden? There is a certain symmetry to this ticket. One, both names have five letters. And, that would be it in terms of similarities. Biden represents a small state (Delaware), went to a small, nothing law school (Syracuse University) and is not noted for much other than he has been in the U. S. Senate for a long, long, time—36 years. Elected at 29, he is one of the youngest to serve in the U. S. Senate. But, now at 65, Biden is almost as long in the tooth as Senator McCain (who will turn 72 this coming Tuesday). McCain, at least, is not looking to be number two, as a senior citizen.
Obama, on the other hand, went to Harvard Law School and then taught at the University of Chicago Law School. After only two years in the U. S. Senate, Obama announced his run for President. That was in part because when Obama speaks, people listen. When Biden speaks, they tend to fall asleep, whether he is engaging in plagiarism (Biden’s 1987 Presidential campaign), or not. And Obama, at 47, is a man in a hurry-- to be President, that is.
On the other hand, Biden has had stints as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for three decades. This is no doubt a major reason why he was chosen over Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (No foreign policy experience) and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh (very little foreign policy experience and only ten years in the U. S. Senate). Moreover, unlike Kaine, Obama insiders viewed Bayh as extremely unpersonable and not a good campaigner. But, more to the point, neither was viewed as a good attack dog. It is team Obama’s thinking that Biden can play that role quite well.
So, an attack dog with foreign policy experience, and thirty six years in Washington, DC. That may offset Obama’s thinness in experience, but it hardly fits the “Change you can believe in,” theme of the Obama campaign. It will be interesting to see the spin Axelrod puts on that.
However, the main point about Biden is that line from the movie Chinatown. How are prostitutes, politicians and old buildings alike? They all become respectable if they stick around long enough. Welcome to the respectable Joe Biden. He certainly has stuck around long enough. It is interesting to see that Obama apparently decided he needed not only supplemental experience, but also someone with an aura of respectability and yet possessed the ability to attack Senator McCain. A whole new meaning to the word, “Change.”
Further, Obama picked someone for his VP who is a bit prone to gaffes, including the time about a year and a half ago when Biden referred to Obama as, "The first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." As Biden made clear after the statement, he meant, "Clean-cut." But, still. Obama's VP? What a contest this is gonna be. This reporter can hardly wait.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain, tomorrow night's C ity of Chicago edition of Public Affairs w/ 8th CD Republican Nominee Steve Greenberg, this past Monday night's Chicago and Aurora edition of Public Affairs with Senator Barack Obama, Gov. Sebelius (D-KS), DLC Chairman Harold Ford, Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Attorney General Madigan, WTTW's Carol Marin, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan, Sun-Times Abdon Pallasch and much more, prior shows with 16th CD Democratic Nominee Robert Abboud(Barrington Hills Village President), Cook County Cmsr. and Republican State's Attorney Nominee Tony Peraica and shows with many other pols (including some archived as far back as 2005 at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page soon to include this week's Chicago Metro suburban edition of Public Affairs with State Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago) and currently including tomorrow night's City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs w/8th CD Republican Nominee Steve Greenberg, this past Monday night's Chicago and Aurora show with Senator Obama (D-IL), Gov. Sebelius (D-KS), DLC Chairman Harold Ford, Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Attorney General Madigan, WTTW's Carol Marin, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan, Sun-Times Abdon Pallasch and much more, recent shows w/ 16th CD Democratic Nominee Robert Abboud, who is taking on 16 year, 16th CD Republican incumbent, Cong. Don Manzullo; Cook County Cmsr. and Republican State's Attorney Nominee Tony Peraica, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan , 13th CD Demoratic Nominee Scott Harper,State Rep. Candidate Tim Stratton (R-Glencoe, 58th Dist.), Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago)- ; State Rep. candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) on the Obama Presidential campaign and shows with many other pols.
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Obama-Biden? There is a certain symmetry to this ticket. One, both names have five letters. And, that would be it in terms of similarities. Biden represents a small state (Delaware), went to a small, nothing law school (Syracuse University) and is not noted for much other than he has been in the U. S. Senate for a long, long, time—36 years. Elected at 29, he is one of the youngest to serve in the U. S. Senate. But, now at 65, Biden is almost as long in the tooth as Senator McCain (who will turn 72 this coming Tuesday). McCain, at least, is not looking to be number two, as a senior citizen.
Obama, on the other hand, went to Harvard Law School and then taught at the University of Chicago Law School. After only two years in the U. S. Senate, Obama announced his run for President. That was in part because when Obama speaks, people listen. When Biden speaks, they tend to fall asleep, whether he is engaging in plagiarism (Biden’s 1987 Presidential campaign), or not. And Obama, at 47, is a man in a hurry-- to be President, that is.
On the other hand, Biden has had stints as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for three decades. This is no doubt a major reason why he was chosen over Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (No foreign policy experience) and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh (very little foreign policy experience and only ten years in the U. S. Senate). Moreover, unlike Kaine, Obama insiders viewed Bayh as extremely unpersonable and not a good campaigner. But, more to the point, neither was viewed as a good attack dog. It is team Obama’s thinking that Biden can play that role quite well.
So, an attack dog with foreign policy experience, and thirty six years in Washington, DC. That may offset Obama’s thinness in experience, but it hardly fits the “Change you can believe in,” theme of the Obama campaign. It will be interesting to see the spin Axelrod puts on that.
However, the main point about Biden is that line from the movie Chinatown. How are prostitutes, politicians and old buildings alike? They all become respectable if they stick around long enough. Welcome to the respectable Joe Biden. He certainly has stuck around long enough. It is interesting to see that Obama apparently decided he needed not only supplemental experience, but also someone with an aura of respectability and yet possessed the ability to attack Senator McCain. A whole new meaning to the word, “Change.”
Further, Obama picked someone for his VP who is a bit prone to gaffes, including the time about a year and a half ago when Biden referred to Obama as, "The first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." As Biden made clear after the statement, he meant, "Clean-cut." But, still. Obama's VP? What a contest this is gonna be. This reporter can hardly wait.
*******************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain, tomorrow night's C ity of Chicago edition of Public Affairs w/ 8th CD Republican Nominee Steve Greenberg, this past Monday night's Chicago and Aurora edition of Public Affairs with Senator Barack Obama, Gov. Sebelius (D-KS), DLC Chairman Harold Ford, Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Attorney General Madigan, WTTW's Carol Marin, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan, Sun-Times Abdon Pallasch and much more, prior shows with 16th CD Democratic Nominee Robert Abboud(Barrington Hills Village President), Cook County Cmsr. and Republican State's Attorney Nominee Tony Peraica and shows with many other pols (including some archived as far back as 2005 at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
*************************************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page soon to include this week's Chicago Metro suburban edition of Public Affairs with State Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago) and currently including tomorrow night's City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs w/8th CD Republican Nominee Steve Greenberg, this past Monday night's Chicago and Aurora show with Senator Obama (D-IL), Gov. Sebelius (D-KS), DLC Chairman Harold Ford, Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Attorney General Madigan, WTTW's Carol Marin, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan, Sun-Times Abdon Pallasch and much more, recent shows w/ 16th CD Democratic Nominee Robert Abboud, who is taking on 16 year, 16th CD Republican incumbent, Cong. Don Manzullo; Cook County Cmsr. and Republican State's Attorney Nominee Tony Peraica, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan , 13th CD Demoratic Nominee Scott Harper,State Rep. Candidate Tim Stratton (R-Glencoe, 58th Dist.), Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago)- ; State Rep. candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) on the Obama Presidential campaign and shows with many other pols.
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