The Obligatory Biden Is the VP Post

First of all, I don't understand why so many people were involved in the speculation game of who would be the VP pick. In my opinion, there is nothing more useless than some commentary over who was and wasn't going to be the pick. I think at least ten names have been mentioned somewhere is near sure things, including John Edwards. Even so called experts with "inside sources" knew about as much as the typical person in the end. I decided long ago not to get involved in the speculation because I know my limitations, and I knew I didn't have any special perspective on the pick. Now, of course, I know as much as everyone else and Joe Biden is the pick.

A couple days back, Fox News/Opinion Dynamics released the results of their latest poll.

Overwhelmingly, the thing voters like the most about Obama is that he is new, a fresh face, is for change, intelligent, inspiring, a good speaker, outspoken, and charismatic. 57% of all voters use one of these phrases to describe him, including 48% of Republicans and 55% of Independents. But only 13% of all voters cite any specific position of Obama’s, including his signature opposition to the war in Iraq. Only 2% mentioned the war in citing what they liked about Obama and only 1% cited the economy and jobs. So Obama is still a personality running for office and the voters have yet to identify him with any policy or proposal. And the one identification he used to have — opposition to the war — has faded. But Obama has vast potential appeal. Even though the Fox News poll gave him only a three point lead over McCain, four voters in five cite something they like about Obama in open-ended questions (including 66% of Republicans and 78% of Independents).

Opposition to Obama is also centered on fears of his youth, inexperience and lack of qualifications. 31% of all voters, 33% of Independents, and 29% of Democrats cited this concern in open ended questions. But just as Obama’s positive ratings do not include much in the way of specific mentions of his issue positions…his negatives don’t either. Only 19% of all voters said they disliked his liberalism, connection with Rev Wright, radicalism, religious views,elitism or even said they disagreed with him about anything. Another 8% disliked his flip flops on issues. But the potential for Obama to fall apart is also enormous. 78% of all voters, including two-thirds of all Democrats and four-fifths of all independents cited something about Obama that they did not like.

So, across the board, the voters agree. Obama's positives are he's young, fresh, new, and charismatic. His negatives are roughly the same. He's young, inexperienced and unqualified. Picking Biden clearly recognizes his weaknesses. At the same time, it also undercuts some of his strengths. While Biden brings all sorts of experience, it undercuts the theme that someone outside D.C. needs to come in to shake things up. Biden, unlike someone like Bayh, is also perfectly comfortable as an attack dog, a quality that is vital in a VP.

All in all, this pick is safe and solid and in my opinion totally uninspiring. Biden may bring foreign policy gravitas to the ticket and yet he is a fairly unaccomplished, egotistical, typical politician. He brings his own baggage including a plagiarism scandal that derailed his 1988 Presidential bid. Furthermore, McCain wasted no time in using Biden's own words against him.




In my opinion, this pick won't hurt Obama but it won't do much to inspire his candidacy either.