’)
“Hey Joe? You want in?”
“Bring it, bro.”
Apparently official now. The campaign is a malarkey free zone now!
Senator Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running-mate, turning to a leading authority on foreign policy and a longtime Washington hand to fill out the Democratic ticket, people told of the decision said.
Mr. Obama’s selection ended a two-month search that was conducted almost entirely in secret. It reflected a critical strategic choice by Mr. Obama: To go with a running-mate who could reassure voters about gaps in his resume, rather than to pick someone who could deliver a state or reinforce Mr. Obama’s message of change.
From Obama’s site:
Biden — the perfect foil for Palin!
Cool!
Last democratic ticket to win without a southerner: FDR/Henry Wallace, 1940.
Hope you got yer hiking boots on, folks. It’s all uphill from here.
Last Democratic ticket to win with a minority: Never.
Sometimes you don’t let history restrain you.
Also – last non-incumbent to do so: Woodrow Wilson/Thomas Marshall, 1912.
Last Democratic ticket to win with a minority: Never.
Sometimes you don’t let history restrain you.
True enough sir, true enough. Wishing I lived in a battleground state lately, so I could volunteer and feel like it would matter.
I like it. Shores up the “experience” angle and gives Obama a running mate who everybody already thinks of as shoot-from-the-hip attack dog…instead of having to deal with “oh no, Obama’s being mean!” he can farm that work out to Biden.
How you like a Biden v. Romney debate? Wow!
McCain is rolling out whatever thoroughly civil critiques Biden offered of Obama right now. Can you imagine the hay the Democrats can make with Mittens’s quotes about J-Mac?
“Wishing I lived in a battleground state lately, so I could volunteer and feel like it would matter.”
I know what you mean. I live in NY. Have you got a car and a weekend off? Or even just a telephone? You can go to the Obama website and get involved in voter reg road trips, or phone calls to others states.
Can you imagine the hay the Democrats can make with Mittens’s quotes about J-Mac?
“I’m Reagan.”
“No, I’m Reagan. He gave me hope in the POW camp.”
“NO I’M-”
Aaaaand so forth.
I know what you mean. I live in NY. Have you got a car and a weekend off? Or even just a telephone?
Yeah, I live in deep Obama country, statewise anyway. We ain’t called the left coast for nothing. The phone idea is interesting though. Perhaps “Operation Blue Idaho?”
Oliver, did you or did you not call Biden a racist?
Poor choice.
In my opinion, this is a mistake on Obama’s part. Why couldn’t he have picked someone who didn’t have a history of making racist comments? Why couldn’t he have picked someone who didn’t have any past scandals (Biden’s withdrawal from the 1988 presidential race because of his plagiaring of others’ speeches)? Obama blew it.
OOOH bet the hillary supporters are burning little obama dolls right now,nice ticket though a fraud and a plagarist.Good thinking to pick a guy that didnt believe obama was right for the job,to fill in the blanks on Obamas cue cards.Doesnt matter if Bien is experienced Obama is not he has too many ifs surrounding him so still NO thank you VOTE NADER!
Joe Biden is a farking idiot. And a racist.
http://www.oliverwillis.com/2007/01/31/joe-biden-is-a-farking-idiot/
Why didn’t Obama just skip the copy and name Neil Kinnock his running mate? Oh, yeah. He’s British.
Things just got considerably more entertaining…
J.
Joe Biden is a farking idiot. And a racist.
Uh-huh. I mean, If you really believed that then you’d be a lot more worried about them siphoning off a lot of Republican votes, wouldn’t you?
Yeah, but…. um….
DAMN YOU! permanent binary storage of data
August, it was Oliver himself who wrote that Biden is a racist.
August, it was Oliver himself who wrote that Biden is a racist.
And? It was Obama who picked Biden as his running mate. Go bitch to him if you think he needs convincing about what he feels about his running mate.
Again, it’s going to be hilarious watching the Republican “Where’s the birth certificate?” Party of John “gooks” McCain try and cast Obama as the racist ticket. Maybe they’ll go for the twofer and try to say Biden is the biggest flip-flopper.
Yeah… I’m not thrilled with this pick by Obama. Then again, he already had my vote, and this certainly isn’t going to change my mind to vote for him.
Wes Clark was the if-wishes-were-horses pick, Biden the best strategic choice. And keep in mind every white yanqui Biden’s age is TO SOME EXTENT a racist: came with the territory-we were creatures of a wraparound context. (vid: Andrew Hacker) Biden’s of the relatively benign sort, the Patronizing racist.
You couldn’t get the experience of a 65 y/o on the ticket without that.
Best of all, I think Obama realizes all this.
I’m not feeling this either. His foot in mouth tendencies aside, his role in the Bankruptcy Bill, I mean this is the best we could do? Seriously?
Well at least he’s articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.
Biden = Change? Now that’s funny.
Well, at least Biden is a pick both Oliver and Republicans can agree on! How often does that happen?
Wow August, it’s rare to see someone miss a point so completely.
Oliver wrote that Biden is an idiot and a racist. It doesn’t matter if he is or not (I happen to like Biden and think he is neither,) but Oliver will need to spend the next 3 months singing the praises of a ticket with a VP who he called a racist idiot. When he goes to vote, he will be voting for someone he called a racist idiot.
And keep in mind every white yanqui Biden’s age is TO SOME EXTENT a racist: came with the territory-…Biden’s of the relatively benign sort, the Patronizing racist.
Maybe you should dash off a telegram to the campaign so they can start working this winning message into their material.
I know this will come as a shocker to some of you conservative types, but people can change their minds. Without being named after a certain open-toed shoe.
For the record, I don’t think Biden is either an idiot or a racist.
What I do think he is is a pompous, arrogant, self-centered windbag with a tendency to shoot from the lip. I think he is a career hack, first elected to the Senate when Obama was 11 years old. He has been in Washington over half his life, arriving over a decade before John McCain was first elected to Congress. I think it’s a disaster to have a ticket made of two Senators, neither of whom have ever held any sort of executive position.
As interesting as it will be to watch Oliver back away from his “idiot and racist” remark, it will be more fascinating to see how fast Biden backs away from his own previous statements and positions. As well as the “good-looking and articulate” description of Obama, he also has that debate remark where he said about Obama “the presidency does not lend itself to on-the-job training” and said he’d be proud to run “with or against John McCain,” as the country would be well served.
Biden also voted for the Iraq war, for banning partial-birth abortion, referred to Delaware as a “slave state,” bragged that he graduated in the top half of his class at law school when he was in the bottom 10%, boasts of his superior IQ…
Oh, yeah, this is gonna be so much fun…
J.
Parthenon…
Of course people can change their minds! If Oliver has changed his mind about Biden in the past few months, I would be very interested to hear what new information caused him to do so.
Without being named after a certain open-toed shoe.
A sandal?
Biden also voted for the Iraq war, for banning partial-birth abortion, referred to Delaware as a “slave state,” bragged that he graduated in the top half of his class at law school when he was in the bottom 10%, boasts of his superior IQ…
And McCain cheated on his wife after she was disfigured in an accident so he could marry an heiress who robbed Mother Teresa’s charity for drug money and buy seven houses, a private jet, and a Senate seat with her money.
But yeah, Biden is smart; total negative.
A sandal?
I knew you were gonna be a birkenstock about it.
Of course people can change their minds! If Oliver has changed his mind about Biden in the past few months, I would be very interested to hear what new information caused him to do so.
Well good. One gets a bit sick of the ol’ “YOU SAID THIS A YEAR AGO AND NOW YOU SAY SOMETHEENG NEEEEW!!!” attitude. My word for somebody who never changes their position is ‘idiot.’
I think he is a career hack, first elected to the Senate when Obama was 11 years old. He has been in Washington over half his life, arriving over a decade before John McCain was first elected to Congress.
Let’s just settle this: Is experience a good thing or a bad thing? Or is it that Sen. Obama is not experienced enough, Sen. Biden is too experienced, and Sen. McCain is juuust right, like baby bear’s bowl of porridge?
See that’s the problem when you see racists under every rock, and then you’re stupid enough to…what’s the word?…articulate that thought.
If everyone’s a racist, you thin out your allies very quickly. And expose those few who might return to exactly this sort of attack.
This is what you reap when you sow emotional, irrational short-term thinking.
Eat hearty, Democrats. You’ve provided a fine feast for yourselves.
Parthenon…
Once, again, I think it’s fine to change positions over time. But it is highly unlikely that OW learned anything new about Biden in the past few months. What IS likely is that OW has a habit of flinging insults at people with whom he is upset, and apparently he does not always believe the things he says. I wonder if that’s the case here?
And the match goes to Parthenon
My word for somebody who never changes their position is
‘President Bush.’
Fixed.
Personally, I was hoping for someone completely off the radar, just so the punditocracy would be mind-numbingly wrong once again. In effect, a way for Obama to say “Do not underestimate me, I will not be pigeonholed.”
But I’m not disappointed. If Obama can get around Joe’s verbal face plants, so can I.
I can’t wait for the debates.
Parthenon, I dunno where the line is drawn, but it seems to me to be somewhere between Obama and Biden. When a Senator is first elected, he or she “owes” his constituency the full six years of that term. Obama was in office barely a year before he started running for president.
On the other hand, Biden is coming up on 36 years in office — over half his life. He’s become “part of the problem” and thinks like a legislator, not an executive.
McCain has probably been in Congress too long as well, but at least he has some leadership/executive experience from his Navy days. And nearly all the leading contenders for his veep have solid executive experience to back him up.
I never thought of it before, but Scratch raises a point — Oliver is kind of like Biden, in that they both tend to shoot their mouths off in ways that later come back and bite them on the ass.
J.
I did think what Biden said was stupid and racist. I also think he’s smart guy and even with me being pissed at the remark he made I wanted him to be secretary of state if/when Obama won. Furthermore, in the inbetween Sen. Obama said the following:
On the issues, Joe Biden is solid. Even with his stupid comments he’s far better than any jagoff the GOP is likely to add to their already craptacular ticket.
at least he has some leadership/executive experience from his Navy days
Uh-huh. Okay.
The Great Walkback has begun.
Oliver, January 2007: “Joe Biden is a farking idiot. And a racist.”
Oliver, August 2008, after Biden has been redeemed and anointed: “I did think what Biden said was stupid and racist.”
(emphasis added)
Funny how things change… and why…
J.
Well, this clearly means you shouldn’t vote for me in November. The Willis campaign soldiers on.
“I think it’s a disaster to have a ticket made of two Senators, neither of whom have ever held any sort of executive position.” – Jay Tea
I feel I must remark on this viewpoint which seems a hallmark of right wing thought. By “executive” I am assuming you mean “corporate executive”, such as CEO? I have never understood the fetishization on the right of our mighty Armani-clad boardroom warriors. It’s as if simply having sat in a comfy corporate chair qualifies one to be an unquestionable autocrat. Why? I attended a University with one of the top factories for producing these Wall Street “masters of the universe” (Wharton) and I can say from experience a lot of the people planning to join the queue of our mighty corporate overlords were some of the most ignorant, overbearing, condescending assholes I’ve ever known. I live near New York, and have friends who have worked with Wall Street gurus who would not allow one to enter the room while wearing a red tie (since red ink=deficit, this was a superstition). You’re telling me that a superstitious twit like that deserves to helm the country just because he convinced somebody to place him in some position of authority in a banking firm?
We now have occupying the former seat of Speaker Dennis “the Fridge” Hastert a man whose prime occupation has been as a physicist at the Fermi national laboaratory. Is he unsuitable? What about Rush Holt from NJ, former director of the Princeton plasma physics lab? According to this article, there are
Are these people insufficiently “qualified” to serve? If being a corporate whore is such an all-fired important thing, why didn’t the founders write it into the Constitution as a qualification for elected office? They didn’t because they would have been horrified at the concept that the only class of people “suitable” to helm the nation should be the ones serving the needs of the “malefactors of great wealth”.
I don’t know why you people don’t take instruction from me. Andrew Hacker convincingly argued that all white people, disavow it or not, inherit a racist perspective from our racist heritage. Even the most enlightened betray that meme occasionally, as when Bill Clinton, who is not a racist in any conventional sense, made a racist comparison (Obama = Jesse Jackson).
Thus every white guy–particularly one who works his mouth a lot–will be caught with the occasional racist slip. But Hacker (who demonstrated this brilliantly on Oprah once) would say white Americans are all racist to some extent. In that light, Oliver’s right. But this nuanced point is far too nuanced for public campaign discussion. And there are too many conscious racists around (who proudly say “I’m not comfortable voting for a black man.”) to deal with patronizing and look-how-liberal-I-am types.
I feel I must remark on this viewpoint which seems a hallmark of right wing thought. By “executive” I am assuming you mean “corporate executive”, such as CEO?
No by executive, he would be talking about gubernatorial. You know, executive vs. legislative.
You go on a rambling diatribe based on a faulty assumption. Nice work.
The Rocky Mountain West is no longer in play.
Let’s hope Biden helps in Florida, Ohio, and Indiana because the Democrats just gave Colorado and New Mexico to McCain.
Now, why exactly are we holding the convention in Denver?
They didn’t because they would have been horrified at the concept that the only class of people “suitable” to helm the nation should be the ones serving the needs of the “malefactors of great wealth”.
Jefferson, probably… Maybe Madison, late in his career. Possibly the blowhard Patrick Henry. Washington, John Jay, John Adams, Hamilton – most others really – not so horrified.
And nearly all the leading contenders for his veep have solid executive experience to back him up.
This is why my preferred candidate was Bill Richardson, but we can’t have everything.
Jay – fine, my point still stands for 2 reasons:
1. The people I cited as examples also don’t have gubernatorial experience, so are they still unqualified to serve? Even if Rush Holt or Bill Foster were to run for President later?
2. You can’t deny the number of people who have run for elected office based on nothing more than their corporate credentials. “Elect me to governor because I ran a successful corporation”. Why is that a supposedly more enviable campaign slogan than “Elect me to governor, because I treated the sick for 20 years” or “Elect me because I understand what we’re talking about when we make legislation regarding energy, medicine and scientific issues”?
In the light of day, I’m thinking this choice is actually worse than I thought last night. Way too much baggage all around, doesn’t bring a state to the table, and now I’ll live in perpetual fear of Biden saying something really stupid and/or arrogant before November. He’s incapable of melting into the woodwork like a good veep should.
What the fuck was Obama thinking? He seems bent on destroying all of his momentum. Actually, it’s pretty much gone now.
God. This is so frustrating.
The president is the CEO of the government, responsible for executing the policies of the board of directors (i.e. Congress).
Let’s hope Biden helps in Florida, Ohio, and Indiana because the Democrats just gave Colorado and New Mexico to McCain.
Obama leads by 7 in New Mexico.
McCain has a 2 point lead in Colorado.
When did we get all these Chicken Littles in the Democratic party.
(Posted w/out links – original stuck in moderation…)
The president is the CEO of the government, responsible for executing the policies of the board of directors (i.e. Congress).
From the website http://www.managementhelp.org — “In an incorporated organization (including in a nonprofit), the chief executive officer is the singular organizational position that is primarily responsible to carry out the strategic plans and policies as established by the board of directors.”
And from Wikipedia — “The President is at the head of the executive branch of the federal government, whose role is to enforce national law as given in the Constitution and written by Congress.”
Naturally a site dedicated to enhancing the cult of management is going to analogize between the president and a corporate board. But there are a lot of dissimilarities which are glossed over in such an analogy as well. Are we better off with a President who relies on his “gut” as our cowboy management culture generally encourages, or who analyzes data to see what conclusions can be drawn from the facts and proceed accordingly, such as a scientist would do?
Damn. This is a huge mistake.
Well, get ready for at least 4 more years of a republican white house.
Damn it!
Rheinhard, point taken.
I really, really don’t want to be a thread hijacker, but I didn’t bring it up so I don’t accept all blame. But some.
But there are a lot of dissimilarities which are glossed over in such an analogy as well.
Even if there are loads of dissimilarities, I haven’t heard anyone argue that there aren’t. But the point was that private sector executive experience is relevant to government executive experience, not that it was a perfect parallel.
Are we better off with a President who relies on his “gut” as our cowboy management culture generally encourages, or who analyzes data to see what conclusions can be drawn from the facts and proceed accordingly, such as a scientist would do?
Probably the scientist, however… I’ll confess I’m no expert on the corporate world, but is it really appropriate to say that the median CEO is a ‘cowboy’ that relies on ‘his gut?’ That the culture ‘generally encourages’ such behavior? I don’t see many shareholders saying ‘come on, risk my money. It will be fun. Go play the slots.’ Not according to what I’ve read, anyway. But if you have some other info I’ll cheerfully admit I’m wrong.
A person or group having administrative or managerial authority in an organization.
The chief officer of a government, state, or political division.
This is exactly what the democrat ticket misses. Two senators, especially one like Biden who is so steeped in the “insiders” washington, will likely be excellent at strategizing getting bills through congress. At the same time, the stuff they try to get through will be crap, because they have never had to LEAD. Everything they have done has been about consensus.
John McCain went to a college that specialized in leadership. He then took leadership roles in the Navy, where he made command decisions, and then lived with the consequences. Of course he also has a very rich legislative experience as well.
The democrats are doomed…..They have taken what should be a 15 point handicap if you just looked at a generic R and D, and are barely running neck-and-neck with the republicans.
But if you have some other info I’ll cheerfully admit I’m wrong.
Bush’s SS proposals spring to mind.Isn’t he supposed to be the CEO President?
where he made command decisions, and then lived with the consequences.
IN PRISON!!!111!!! Did you know he was POW?
Of course he also has a very rich legislative experience as well.
Yes, very rich. You’re not helping your cause, dude. Just sayin’.
John McCain went to a college that specialized in leadership.
And barely made it to graduation.
>I did think what Biden said was stupid and racist. I also think he’s smart guy and even with me being pissed at the remark he made I wanted him to be secretary of state if/when Obama won.
Charges of racism are so malleable when applied to Democrats. I find myself skeptical that you would be so forgiving if the speaker had an R after his name. Party before principle as usual.
John McCain served as commanding officer of a naval air squadron. That’s all about leadership, administration, decision-making, and accountability — and “executive.”
Yes, he was at the bottom of his class at Annapolis — but it’s like the old joke: “Know what you call the guy who graduates at the bottom of the class in medical school? ‘Doctor!’” He graduated, served, and retired as on O-6 (Captain — for those not up on naval ranks, that’s the equivalent of a full Colonel in the other three services).
In one sense, Biden might be well qualified to be vice-president. The only Constitutional duty (besides daily inquiries as to the health of the president) is to preside over the Senate, and his 36 years of service may just serve him well in heading up his former colleagues.
Another possible plus for the nation is that his current term is up this fall. I don’t know the precise laws in Delaware, but in most states one can’t be on the ballot twice, so it’s likely that either way the next Senate will be Biden-free.
Hell, I don’t know if anyone’s noticed it so far, but a Democratic victory for the White House will take two Democrats out of the Senate — including one of its most senior members. That could have an interesting effect on the makeup of the Senate — depending on the replacement rules for Illinois and Delaware.
As far as brains in one field equating to excellence in other fields, I give you William Shockley — absolutely brilliant physicist (won a Nobel Prize for his work on inventing the semiconductor), unrepentant racist and asshat when it came to genetics and eugenics and intelligence and race.
J.
Do we execute for two dumb comments now? Any Republican branded a racist by virtue of two bonehead comments, or is there typically a lengthier record to back up the charge?
(Note the distinction – ‘His words were racist,’ v. ‘he is a racist.’)
Interesting question, Parthenon. I’d love to see a discussion comparing and contrasting Trent Lott’s words at that event honoring Strom Thurmond and Biden’s comments about Barack Obama that “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” his statement that “in Delaware the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans, you cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent,” his comment about Delaware being a “slave state,” and so on.
But Lott was a Republican, and therefore EEEEEVIL and had to go. Biden, as a Democrat, gets a slide. Kinda like Robert Byrd got a slide for his comments about “white niggers.”
Consistency? What’s that?
J.
January 7, 2008, over at Prometheus 6:
Acorn, meet blind pig.
Obama leads by 7 in New Mexico.
McCain has a 2 point lead in Colorado.
When did we get all these Chicken Littles in the Democratic party.
Oliver those numbers are before Biden. Having lived in Colorado for the last 30 years I can tell you Obama just lost Colorado.
Did you read David Brooks’ column on Friday? I am sure he was hoping for Biden for the noblest of reasons and not because it weakens Obama.
I’m not sure how Joe Biden would lose Colorado, but like I said, Sen. Obama is only down 2 in CO.
Again, I ask, why do a small but vocal few think the sky is always falling?
“…neither of whom (Obama or Biden) have held any sort of executive position”.
What past “executive position” experience did either gentleman on the Dole-Kemp 1996 Republican ticket have?
This is exactly what the democrat ticket misses.
First it was a lack of experience in national government, now it’s executive experience? Talk about moving the goalposts.
daniel rotter:
Jack Kemp was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1989-1993. Chief executive of an entire federal agency.
Any more really, really easy questions?
J.
Biden looses Colorado because he will be tagged as a 30 year Democratic Senator from the East Coast.
I have every intention of voting for Obama no matter who is the VP. I am a strong liberal Democrat. Actually I’m a bit to the left of you Oliver. The words “Senator Biden” brings to my mind thoughts of Gephardt, Daschle, Bayh, Leahy, and hosts of ineffective Democrats who have been running scared of the Republicans since 1984.
What do you think an independent on the plains of Colorado is going to think?
One slight correction, Colorado: 36-year Democratic senator from the east coast. He’s been in the Senate for over half his life.
He kinda represents a lot of what a lot of folks Hope will Change in DC.
My one personal ray of sunshine out of this whole election: we’re guaranteed at least ONE US Senator with a couple of decades on the Hill will be out of that office. I’d have no problems with every single incumbent of both parties getting tossed out on their ass.
That being said, I’ll probably vote for my incumbent, because he’s being challenged by someone I know all too well… but if Sununu had a decent primary challenger, I’d vote for that person instead.
J.
Joe Biden’s foreign policy credentials:
Shortly after 9/11, when our economy was heading towards the crapper, he thought a good move to show we’re not “anti-Arab” was to give — no strings attached — Iran $200,000,000.00 Of which, I’m sure, not a single penny would have gone towards their nuclear program. (Note to Senator Biden: Iranians ain’t Arabs.)
Back in 2006, he suggested partitioning Iraq along sectarian and religious lines.
In his defense, he actually helped unify the then-fractious Iraqi government — pretty much every single one of them was totally disgusted by the plan.
I dunno if “I’ll help unite the Iraqi government by giving them someone to disagree with” was his intent, but it worked out pretty well…
J.
I’m not sure how Joe Biden would lose Colorado, but like I said, Sen. Obama is only down 2 in CO.
Let’s talk about that next Monday.
Of which, I’m sure, not a single penny would have gone towards their nuclear program
You mean the non-existent nuclear program? Gotcha.
Thanks for proving my point, Zython.
Biden, October 2001: “Let’s give two hundred million dollars to Iran. No strings attached.”
NPR article you cited: “Iran may be able to develop a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015 — but the country halted its nuclear weapons development program in 2003 due to international pressure, according to a new National Intelligence Estimate report.”
The “non-existent program” was apparently shut down two years after Biden’s suggestion.
Thanks, Zython!
J.
“I’d have no problem with every single incumbent of both parties being tossed out on their ass.”
The only thing you’ve ever written that I (mostly) agree with.
You do know the Republicans stand to lose 22 seats, the Dems 12, right?
Bruce, I’d heard something like that, didn’t care much. And while you’re technically correct about this November, I meant it across the board, all 100 of ‘em.
But does that number include McCain and Obama? Come next January, one or the other will be out of the Senate.
Presuming, of course, Hillary doesn’t pull a coup at the convention, but that wouldn’t change the numbers — McCain, Obama, and Clinton are all not up for re-election, but Biden is.
J.
Jay Tea, I often go “over the top” when discussing politics. I’ve occasionally said that I’d be happy to see every incumbent turned out and their opposites installed, too. But that is based on my disgust with the contribution-driven politics of today, as I’m sure it is with you. I don’t really mean it now that we control Congress, just as I’m sure you wouldn’t have really meant it in 2006.
But if we win the election, control of Congress will be a non-issue. Barack’s coattails, and the climate of the country, will ensure that. If, God forbid, we lose, I think we’ll still pick up enough seats to make up for Biden’s. And stymie any initiatives from a one-term President like Gramps.
Jay (Tea), since I have never heard of those stories before, and you provided no links (whah whah, the big bad moderation monster is so mean to you), I’m going to assume you’re either exaggerating, or lying, or both. Probably both.
Apologies, Zython. I should have included at least one link (two seems to trigger the moderation monster). The $200 million:
http://www.tnr.com/columnists/story.html?id=ba9b09bb-ed01-4582-b6ec-444834c9df73&k=93697
That’s one. I’m going to bed now, but if you want the other one (the partitioned Iraq one), I’ll post it later.
J.
Oh, what the hell, here’s the partition one:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLN9698420080823?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10112
J.
Ok, for the 2nd one, I’ll grant you the validity there. I understand his reasoning, but see that it’s a bit after the fact and doesn’t help in that current situation. OK
The first one, however, sounds completely made up, and the fact that you linked The New Republic does nothing to assauge that feeling. I’m sorry, but this is setting off my BS meter.
To get back on topic, I have my reservations about Obama’s VP pick, but I’m certainly willing to give him a chance. Let’s just see where this goes.
By the way, thanks for the links, Jay Tea.
Biden is a spectaclar choice, given the enormous significance of the Delaware vote in the last 15 presidential elections.
Sarcasm, aside…while it’s true Biden is a very capable, smart guy, I’ve always found him a bit of a loose cannon. And, let’s face it, if he were any good on the stump, he’d have won a primary or two, or at least been competetive.
Given that Obama “limped” across the finish line against Clinton and didn’t win the vast majority of the major states (eg; PA; Ohio, CALIFORNIA) that you absolutely need to win as a Democrat, and that the Obama camp is in total free-fall as of late, I’m starting to sense a McCain landslide may be in the works.
Amazing…considering the early energy generated early on by Obama.
I am absolutely stumped as to how Obama wins this thing at this point. And it makes me happy.
JK
The only way Biden makes sense is to lock up Pennsylvania. If the Dems saw Pennsylvania as toss-up picking Biden to lock it up makes sense.
The big problem is how much Biden costs the Dems in areas (THE WEST) where we have been making up ground.
Anyone who is canvasing or phone-banking for Obama in the RM
West just had their job get that much harder.
I am absolutely stumped as to how Obama wins this thing at this point.
My guess is by being the better candidate.
And it makes me happy.
4 more years of denying homosexuals civil rights and pointless wars! Hooray!
Given that Obama “limped” across the finish line against Clinton and didn’t win the vast majority of the major states (eg; PA; Ohio, CALIFORNIA) that you absolutely need to win as a Democrat,
That only makes any sense if the vast majority of people who voted for Clinton go to McCain. We’re seeing 10% at worst I believe.
and that the Obama camp is in total free-fall as of late,
He’s been picking up lately since McCain’s 7 houses & 7 families gaffe.
Given that Obama “limped” across the finish line against Clinton and didn’t win the vast majority of the major states (eg; PA; Ohio, CALIFORNIA) that you absolutely need to win as a Democrat,
California?
Seriously?
Heh.
Heh heh.
You ever been there?
“Biden, October 2001: ‘Let’s give two hundred million dollars to Iran. No strings attached.’”
Jay Tea, if you read that whole TNR article you’d understand that this is not a serious policy proposal on Biden’s part but indicative of his rhetorical and personal style. Yes, throwing out grandiose ideas designed to provoke certain responses or simply saying what’s on your mind are bound to get any politician in trouble which is why most of them don’t do this sort of thing. Biden doesn’t seem to give a shit. Would Joe Biden ever actually propose and vote for giving $200 million to Iran, no strings attached? I highly doubt it. But Biden was trying to make a larger point about how the US should respond to 9-11 and he did it by throwing out the most provocative idea he could think of to start the ball rolling. Of course, Biden had moved on to something else seconds after saying. He wasn’t seriously proposing it.
At the same time, when McCain goes off half-cocked and starts singing about bombing Iran, there’s considerable doubt about whether this is rhetorical flourish or really want McCain wants to do regardless. That’s a little more frightening to a lot of people.
Helpful hint for JK: California was still won by a Democrat. Because it was the DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. There weren’t any non-Democrats on the form.
Andrew Hacker convincingly argued that all white people, disavow it or not, inherit a racist perspective from our racist heritage.
Been thinking about this comment a bit. I thought it was blather when I first read it, but the more I think about the more it seems to make sense. Just as it would have been politically radical in Lincoln’s time to believe African-Americans were capable of being intellectually and socially equals to white Americans, so men Sen. Biden’s age may have inherited a (to put it politely) less progressive perspective, having been 11 years old when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act.
Not an apology for dumbo comments. Just a half-baked thought.
Parth, I was 10 years old when LBJ signed the 1964 Act. I’m 54. Biden is 65. So he was 20 or 21 at the time. Which further buttresses your, and Hacker’s, point. It’s a good one.
This is coming from a native white Southerner who has struggled to put away my (practically) inborn prejudices all my life.