Barack Obama selected Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate. So what does this mean?
It means that the Obama camp knows he is vulnerable on experience and gravitas. Biden certainly has experience and considerable knowledge of foreign and defense policy. But it is the wrong pick.
First, the very selection inevitably illuminates Obama’s inexperience and improvidence in most areas of domestic policy, not to mention foreign and defense policy. The choice does nothing to address one of the strongest arguments against Obama: The United States is at war and cannot afford the time to train Obama. Of course, were Obama elected, it is highly unlikely that Biden’s role in the administration would be significant.
Biden’s role will be closer to Mondale or Alvin Barkley than Cheney.
Second, it reveals the profound insecurity of the campaign because they know they are not ready to lead. They fear that the American people will realize this despite the attempts of ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and PBS, and Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post…well, it is easier to list the handful of media who do not support him rather than to recognize his legion of media supporters will guarantee the wind is always at Obama’s back. Even with enormous Old Media support, it is hard to fool the American people in a presidential campaign.
Obama’s argument that experience does not matter is belied by picking Biden. Hillary’s “3 a.m.” commercials really hit home, and with good reason. While he was appointed King in Europe, he was unable to translate those accolades into support in the States. His poor performance over the Georgian crisis, at Saddleback forum, and fall in the polls will not be reversed by this selection. The inexperience at the top cannot be erased.
All in all it was a disastrous pick.
So, cui bono? Who benefits. For the Democrats, clearly the pick helps Hillary. If Obama loses in November, as I believe he will, then Hillary is in place to pick up the pieces for 2012.
It also helps McCain, both tactically, Obama has made his choice so McCain may respond next week. But McCain also benefits strategically. Almost any of the Republican contenders will beat Joe Biden on domestic policy in the debate(s). And domestic policy is the traditional realm of VPs. Foreign and defense policy are well covered at the top by McCain.
Fundamentally, this pick also shows that the “Change” theme is rubbish. So much for the change that Obama promised. The more things change….
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