Early Obama-Biden Analysis (Wizbang)

I know it is early, but here is a bit of analysis of the Obama-Biden ticket. (The first is from several days ago on the possibility of a Biden pick).

Jack M. at Ace of Spades:

Now, aside from Joe Biden himself, is there anyone that thinks that Biden brings much of anything to this ticket? Aside from hair-plugs and an over-inflated sense of self-worth, that is. Oh, and possibly a dog-eared copy of Neil Kinnock's autobiography...
Conventional wisdom holds that Obama is perceived as weak on foreign affairs and international issues. Biden, by virtue of his time spent on the Senate Foreign relations Committee, and his high profile "fact finding missions" to places like Georgia, would seem to fill that gap in Obama's resume and narrow McCain's advantage on that set of issues. Conventional wisdom also seems to think Biden would temper the impact of that "3 AM" question with regard to handling national security.

But.

I think that's arguable. Biden is essentially a buffoon. He's quick on his feet. He's slick. He can put on a good dog and pony show. But if the answer to "who you gonna call" is "Joe Biden" you may be asking the wrong question. The truth is that a guy like Sam Nunn has pieces of guys like Joe Biden in his foreign policy stool.

Jim Geraghty at NRO:

It's hard for Obama supporters to play the age card any longer, as their potential veep is all of six years younger than McCain.
The candidate of hope and change selected a running mate who was first elected to public office when Obama was 9 years old. He was elected to the Senate when Obama was 11.

The bottom of the ticket running on change has been in Washington forever.

He voted for the Iraq War -- which Obama touted as the most important decision since the end of the Cold War.

Biden supports a ban on partial-birth abortion. He supports deploying U.S. troops to Darfur in Sudan.

His mouth will be an absolute time bomb. Will he refer to Delaware as a "slave state" again? Will he discuss who's behind the counter at 7-11s?

I'm reminded of a Rudy Giuliani response when Biden took a shot at him -- "Joe's a good guy, we all criticize each other during this time... But for Joe Biden to talk about qualifications -- he's never run a city, he's never run a state, he's never run a business."

That statement is true for both men on the Democratic ticket.

Follow the link to read the rest of Geraghty's post to find out how a McCain-Jindal ticket would open the door for the best debate line in the history of the world.

I agree with the commentary above. Obama is a loose cannon and he is as far as you can get from "change." He is Obama's attempt to fill the foreign policy/experience void and his past votes on issues like Iraq and partial birth abortion may help to counter Obama's incredibly liberal Senate voting record. I just wonder how much more material like this is going to be available for television ads. Biden's politically incorrect, shoot from the hip tendency that gets him into trouble could make him a somewhat endearing character though. He can get away with saying un-PC things that would bury most Republicans. I have not decided whether or not this is a net positive or negative for the Democrats. Biden is so unpredictable that it could go either way. What is a sure thing is that this campaign will not be boring.

Update: Here is McCain campaign reaction to the Biden pick:

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain spokesman Ben Porritt issued the following statement on Barack Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his running mate:
"There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden. Biden has denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing -- that Barack Obama is not ready to be President."

There are also some Biden quotes floating around saying how qualified McCain is to be president. I am sure we will be hearing all of those over the next few days.

Update II: Sister Toldjah has a great (must read) Biden post complete with analysis, video and Biden quotes.

Update III: Betsy Newmark has a great post with lots of quotes and links. More Biden analysis here.

Comments (12)

Heh. I'm popping the popcor... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by James Cloninger | August 23, 2008 5:06 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

James Cloninger:

Heh. I'm popping the popcorn as it unfolds.

Posted on August 23, 2008 05:06

We won't just hear them. I... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by just me | August 23, 2008 7:21 AM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)

just me:

We won't just hear them. I am sure the McCain ad guys are currently combing through the "best of" quotes in order to create the ad where the running mate argues the top of the ticket isn't ready for the job.

That is going to be an ad that hurts.

Posted on August 23, 2008 07:21

Biden in Dec '07:... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Oyster | August 23, 2008 8:29 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Oyster:

Biden in Dec '07:
"When this campaign is over, political slogans like 'experience' and 'change' will mean absolutely nothing. The next president has to act."

Biden in Sep '07:
"My impression is [Obama] thinks that if we leave, somehow the Iraqis are going to have an epiphany. I've seen zero evidence of that."

Biden:
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." (cue howls of rage at the time of the quote. Expect a healthy defense of the quote now)

And UH-OH, Kos doesn't like Biden.

Posted on August 23, 2008 08:29

You should check out this v... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Traveler | August 23, 2008 10:32 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Traveler:

You should check out this video I just saw on Hillary's plans for the ticket: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3y3HzioAlo

Posted on August 23, 2008 10:32

Biden's a disaster. This ha... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by Americaneocon | August 23, 2008 1:56 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Americaneocon:

Biden's a disaster. This has got to be God's gift to the GOP: Obama and Biden, birds of a lying, deceitful feather...

Posted on August 23, 2008 13:56

Slow Joe Plugs Biden - arro... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by John, Fitness Austin | August 23, 2008 4:26 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

John, Fitness Austin:

Slow Joe Plugs Biden - arrogant, boorish, clean and articulate, serial-plagiarizing, Dunkin-Donut-frequenting, elitist, grandstanding, narcissistic, mean-spirited, cerebral welterweight and consummate DC insider. What was BO thinking?

Posted on August 23, 2008 16:26

I think Biden is an excelle... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Weimom | August 23, 2008 5:10 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)

Weimom

I think Biden is an excellent choice and shows very good judgment on Obamas part. I hope he comes out swinging at John McCain who has been running an embarrassingly negative campaign full of lies. Now if Bidens biggest gaff was in 1988 plagiarizing a portion of his speech then he's got nothing to worry about as nobody seems to be up in arms about McCain plagiarizing Solzhenitsyn's 1973 Gulag Archapelago when McCain told the story passing it off as his own personal experience.

Posted on August 23, 2008 17:10

Obama/Biden, Obama Biden, w... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Kevin M. | August 23, 2008 11:16 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)

Kevin M.:

Obama/Biden, Obama Biden, wall to wall coverage....

I can not believe this, John McCain is literally RAPING and MURDERING democracy itself with his lawsuit to kick Bob Barr off the ballot in Pennsylvania, and all anyone can talk about is pretty-boy Obama and his new dad.

Won't someone PLEASE help stop McCain from destroying the right of the people of Pennsylvania to have the ballot options they have fought for, and deserve?

Posted on August 23, 2008 23:16

when the gop and mcbush pol... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by BERNARD MAHONEY | August 23, 2008 11:19 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)

BERNARD MAHONEY:

when the gop and mcbush poll just 10% of the vote in evrey other western country in the world , yet in america hes on 40% . is their somthing in our genetics to account for this? i dont know but i do know this countrys electrate is yet again being conned bye the same old right wing media tactics yet again . the mainstream media cnn , fox , cbs even msnbc are the propoganda wing of the american nazi party the or bye their fake name of the republican party . this nation is totally brain washed and we are all gonna fry under a nuculer sunrise under this warmonger facist republican govenment . and we disserve it . what a wicked ,wickked , wicked republican govenment this is .bernard.those poll figures prove this nation is brain washed bye the far right .

Posted on August 23, 2008 23:19

Obama needed a father figur... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by rey | August 24, 2008 1:39 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

rey:

Obama needed a father figure on his side-cannot handle the heat on his own. awwwwwww....how sweet....

Posted on August 24, 2008 01:39

Obama has shown such good f... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by TruePatriot | August 24, 2008 2:04 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

TruePatriot:

Obama has shown such good foreign policy judgement that the Bush administration is implementing everything he says. His election opponents are the only ones making the claim that national security is his weakness. But anything would be better than someone who is to the right of Bush in regard to war-mongering (uhhem, McCain). We'll have to pull out old bumper stickers: Four More Wars, Four More Wars! Drop McCain Not Bombs!

Obama selected Biden for other reasons, including advise from others in the Democratic Party who want to appeal to folks that like Clinton. And on that topic, Hillary did not want to be vetted for VP, because that would mean sifting through all that is connected Bill. So I wish her supporters would calm down about this and get on board already.

But as usual, wouldn't it be nice if the news media would stop with all this nonsense too? In this case the so-called liberal media is not fair and balanced.

Posted on August 24, 2008 02:04

Yeah, Obama is a real forei... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by Lorie Byrd | August 24, 2008 2:20 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Lorie Byrd:

Yeah, Obama is a real foreign policy genius for picking this guy.