We're seeing a lot of scuttlebutt lately on Obama's veep pick. This is good news for Obama since it gets the disaster that was the Rick Warren forum off the news cycle.
This morning it seems the latest best bet is Sen. Joe Biden. So what exactly would the Biden pick mean?
As we did before with Bayh, let's take a look at the three rules:
1) They can't hurt you. Can Biden hurt Obama? Definiately. He has a history of saying exactly the wrong thing.
2) Be competent. Biden has the resume to fulfil this requirement in spades. Does that mean I like Biden? No. It just means the media and GOP will have a hard time saying Biden isn't qualified for the job.
3) Communicate the message effectively. This goes back to #1. While Biden is going to have his missteps, he is also the perfect guy to pick if Obama feels he needs an attack dog.
So what does all this mean? It means Obama thinks he is up against a wall. Biden has the experience and chops to handle the VP role, but his ability to be a loose cannon means selecting him would mean taking a risk. Biden would clearly hold his own in the vice-presidential debates and as the #1 surrogate for the Party's nominee. But that doesn't mean he won't make serious missteps under pressure.
Obama isn't playing it safe. He senses the tide is turning against him and he needs someone who has the cojones to stand up against the GOP onslaught and show that the Dems can hold their own in a fight. Biden is the best guy for that job....unfortunately for Obama he also has shown a history of overreaching and getting himself knocked out.
Either way, I'll be very curious to see how the media reviews Biden's past rhetorical blunders.
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