It's official - presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (IL) has chosen Senator Joe Biden (DE) as his vice presidential running mate. Biden, who once upon a time implied that Obama lacked the experience to serve as president, is both well liked and well respected within the Democrat Party. Biden brings some much needed balance to Obama's youthful campaign, at age 65 Biden has served as a United States Senator for 35 years and is currently the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.CNN Breaks the News
If building a team is about having people around you whose strengths compensate for your weaknesses, then the Obama camp has found a more than adequate running mate in Biden. Where Obama lacks most - foreign policy experience and an ability to reach middle class White America - Biden counterpoises with his vetted experience and populist ideologies. Beyond that, an ideal vice-presidential candidate must be a person that the Democratic constituency would trust to assume the role of president - Biden definitely passes that test.
Although there are a lot of positive aspects to this team, the twosome is far from a political juggernaut. Firstly, neither Obama nor Biden has served in the military, making the Obama-Biden ticket the first ticket in 68 years to feature no military alumni. This will presumably be an issue that the McCain camp will use to their advantage. Secondly, Obama has run on a platform of "change' so it may prove interesting to see how Bidens 35 years of experience fits into such a message. Thirdly, there is still the issue of the scorned Hillary supporters who will undoubtedly feel slighted once again by Obama's VP selection.
For those paying attention, the announcement was not without comedic merit. First reports of the official announcement came at around 3:00 a.m. - perhaps a last "ha-ha" to the Hillary Campaign? Who knows...
Sources and More Information/Opinion:
"Joe Biden" on Wikipedia.com
"Biden is a wise choice for Obama" - KansasCity.com
"Obama -Biden: First time in 68 years a ticket with no military experience" - Michael Midved
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