Joe Biden is the Senator from Delaware, we all know that. But, Philly news covers Delaware politics and a lot of Delaware (not that there's a lot of Delaware) gets the Philadelphia t.v. stations. They know Joe Biden, so I was interested to see how the Philadelphia Inquirer's take on the Biden choice. All in all, pretty good:
Democrat Barack Obama's selection of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running mate puts pressure on John McCain to choose an equally strong running mate for the Republican ticket.The editorial also cautioned on Biden's capacity for gaffes. Obviously, Biden will have to be on guard for that. It's critical because the Obama/Biden ticket is running against the GOP's one-man gaffe machine: John McCain.
Biden brings valuable foreign-policy experience as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Obama said he wanted a vice president who could help him to navigate dangerous international waters; Biden has a firm grasp of foreign affairs and national defense.
A senator for almost 36 years, Biden also understands how Washington works. He's an effective lawmaker and, for years, has been a prominent voice in evaluating Supreme Court nominees. The choice of Biden blunts the criticism that Obama lacks Washington experience.
On the electoral map, Biden could help Obama in Pennsylvania, where his family roots go back at least five generations. Biden was born in Scranton and lived there until age 10, when his family moved to Delaware. Obama said he wanted a running mate who would speak his mind and question his decisions; Biden fits the bill. He said famously in a primary debate that Obama wasn't ready to be president. Obama certainly hasn't chosen a yes-man.
The two didn't see eye to eye initially on the Iraq war, either. Obama opposed the invasion while Biden voted to authorize war. Since then, Biden has become an outspoken critic of the war and a leader in the Senate in trying to find workable solutions to the conflict.
