With newly-printed Obama-Biden signs being waved by thousands in Springfield, Illinois today, it's almost hard to believe the Obama campaign was able to keep its choice for running mate a secret for as long as it had.
Twelve hours after buzzing cell phones across the country with word that he chose Joe Biden of Delaware, Obama brought him on stage for their first appearance together as the new Democratic ticket, calling the 65-year-old Senator a "scrappy kid from Scranton" who is "what many others pretend to be - a statesman with sound judgment who doesn't have to hide behind bluster to keep America strong."
He then introduced Biden as the "next president of the United States" before quickly correcting himself. But the smallest blunders are just what Obama's critics may be looking for to illustrate their point that he chose Biden to make up for himself not being ready for the White House. McCain's camp said today "there has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden."
In fact, as I mentioned in an earlier post, McCain's camp began running an ad soon after Obama's announcement this morning pointing out that Biden told voters throughout his own primary campaign that Obama wasn't ready to be president.
That same ad by McCain also quoted Biden in an earlier TV interview as saying, "I would be honored to run with or against John McCain because I think the country would be better off." But when it was Biden's turn to get behind the podium today, he was quick to take some jabs at McCain -- a man he referred to as a personal friend he's known for 35 years -- for his close alliance with President Bush over the last eight years.
We'll see how Biden's personal friendship with McCain will weather a political battle that will no doubt become more fierce as time goes on. And whether Obama's opponents will continue their attempt to capitalize on Biden's earlier comments. McCain may well find himself coming under the same kind of criticism a week from now, depending on his choice for running mate. That could be especially so if it's former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney -- McCain's fiercest competitor during the primaries.
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Posted by: Gary Hickman | August 25, 2008 at 11:06 AM