Joe Biden on McCain and Obama

I think what he said about McCain...deeply felt, glowing endorsements...are more damaging to the ticket than what he said about O. But, I have to say...I like Biden mostly.

Biden, if you could get rid of the baggage which is the dem party, would be qualified to be president. Obama clearly is not.

I still have a half dozen or so huge problems with the pubbies, but I still see no reason to change my practice of voting against dems. The dems are a vastly bigger problem.

I don't think it will hurt at all.

Biden, and Obama, both want to run a positive campaign. Biden will repeat what he said "I would be happy to run with him or against McCain, but Obama represents a change from the tired old politics of the past".

Biden has a fairly progressive record on basic economic issues, and has gotten more progressive on specific issues like trade.
He’s also been a strong voice opposing unilateral war against Iran.
And rhetorically, he seems comfortable painting a stark contrast between Democrats and Republicans on issues.

He is one of the most arrogant and conceited people in Washington - one of the jokes in D.C. when I was there is that Biden uses the term “I” more than anyone else.
Because of this self-importance, he consequently shoots his mouth off in ways that can undermine progressives.
For example, he has made insulting racial comments about African Americans and Indians.
This might not only be dredged up by Republicans, but Biden may commit additional errors in his new platform as VP nominee.
Additionally, Biden is an insider’s insider, having spent most of his life in Washington, D.C.
That doesn’t exactly underscore Obama’s message of change.

He was one of the most ardent supporters of the credit card-industry written Bankrupty Bill of 2005, which was one of the most regressive pieces of economic legislation in the last generation.
And though he cites his foreign policy experience as an asset, he used his position as one of Democrats’ top foreign policy voices to support the Iraq War.

So, all in all, the Biden choice is a shade on the good side of mediocre, though Obama’s willingness to anoint a senator who voted for two landmark travesties - the Bankruptcy Bill and Iraq War - gives us some disturbing clues about the Illinois senator’s attitude toward the economic progressive movement and the antiwar movement.
It also shows how much work those movements have in front of them - and how, in particular, the antiwar movement’s strategy of focusing all attention on Republicans has actually helped create the situation whereby the Democratic Party feels perfectly comfortable rewarding supposed Serious Foreign Policy Voics like Biden even after they voted for the war
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/23/11114/

Since this is the latest on the election, I thought I'd post it here about why this election makes it difficult to pick our president. I don't agree with everything the article says, but the idea about "choice" is the issue; not good.
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Voters have misgivings about Obama, McCain: polls

2 hours, 17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US voters have serious misgivings about both US presidential candidates -- Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain -- faulting the former for lack of experience and the latter for close ties with President George W. Bush, according to a new opinion poll.

The survey by USA Today/Gallup showed that Obama was still leading McCain 47 percent to 43 percent among registered voters and 48 percent to 45 percent among likely voters.

Both leads were within the margins of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

The survey came as Democrats prepared to launch their national convention in Denver, Colorado, on Monday.

Half of those surveyed worry Obama "may be too closely aligned with people who hold radical political views," and 57 percent said they were concerned he lacked the experience to be an effective president, USA Today said.

Moreover, 53 percent of the respondents said Obama can handle the responsibilities of commander-in-chief and 44 percent said he cannot.

On the other hand, four in 10 said they are worried McCain, who turns 72 next Friday, is too old for the presidency, and 67 percent said they're concerned he'll pursue policies too similar to Bush's.