August 23, 2008
Biden His Time (Bob Franken)
Joe Biden has a lot going for him. First, there's his age. At 65, if Barack Obama is president for two terms, he could be the heir-apparent. He'd only be 73, the age of John McCain.
He is a Washington insider. As vice president he can apply his intimate knowledge of how all the mechanisms of government work to operate behind the scenes when political or legal obstacles get in the way, without even the president's awareness. After eight years of Dick Cheney, we all know how worthwhile that can be.
Unlike Cheney, he believes in explaining his decisions and thought processes in public. And explaining. And explaining. By the time he is through with a speech, we know every nuance, every intricacy that's involved, to say nothing of any childhood memory that might have something to do with it. Or not.
And if he is at a loss for words, he's shown a willingness to use someone else's.
This is somebody who absolutely believes in the public's right to know. He has appeared so many times on "Meet the Press" that it wouldn't be surprising if he was among those NBC was considering to be the next moderator.
None of these snarky observations will bother Joe Biden one bit. He has a great sense of humor. He'll need it when he's asked about his previous comment, that Barack Obama was "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” And if Mr. Racial Sensitivity gets past that one, he'll still have some explaining to do about his observation that Obama was "not yet ready" to be president.
But, as mentioned, Biden has a wonderful sense of humor, and the questions will give him a chance to show it off. At the same time, we'll get a quick look at Barack Obama's.
In all seriousness, Biden is a formidable choice. Not only does he have a depth of knowledge about the law, social issues and international relations — after decades of Senate leadership in all those areas, he is a truly nice guy, with a real, common touch.
He even gets along with his colleague, John McCain. In the Senate, that alone makes him a standout.
Visit Mr. Franken's website at www.bobfranken.tv.
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It's becoming an Washington insider race. Where is it written that only Washington insiders can elevate to the executive branch of government? That's the problem. They've been weaned on government and love nothing more.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — August 23, 2008 @ 10:02 am
So how much lobbyist money did Joe Biden take and how much will he give back?
Comment by John Simmons — August 23, 2008 @ 12:20 pm
[...] The Hill (Bob Franken): “In all seriousness, Biden is a formidable choice. Not only does he have a depth of knowledge about the law, social issues and international relations — after decades of Senate leadership in all those areas, he is a truly nice guy, with a real, common touch. [...]
Pingback by Reaction on Biden Pick: Slam Dunk | MNpublius.com — August 23, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
[...] Obama's pick has received favorable reviews by pundits and reporters. Brent Budowski of The Hill wrote, "In his first truly presidential decision, Barack Obama acted like a president and chose a presidential-caliber candidate for vice president." [...]
Pingback by The Johns Hopkins News-Letter — August 23, 2008 @ 9:31 pm
As unexciting as it gets. Two senators, one who knows nothing, one who hardly knows anything, and neither one has accomplished anything of value. Great executive team! Alsmost like Kennedy and Johnson, only without the positives. Way to go Barry! Now you can have someone to blame your loss on!
Comment by Igor R. — August 23, 2008 @ 11:41 pm
Simmons:
How many lobbyist does it take to make McCain president?
If you are lucky we'll never find out
Comment by Jim — August 24, 2008 @ 3:25 am
#6, 159.
Comment by M. Richard — August 24, 2008 @ 10:55 am
He keeps them hidden in the basements of his TEN houses and conveniently forgets about them!!
Comment by Theard — August 24, 2008 @ 12:56 pm