Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in Biden? Really???

Re: Biden? Really???

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:42:49 -0000

I agree that Lieberman and Edwards weren't smart picks. They seemed to me to be strikingly unconvincing, weak, and not particularly enlightened candidates. I was surprised it took so many others so long to turn against them. Sebelius strikes me as an exceedingly reasonable and deeply self-aware politician, though I understand that others feel differently both about her and the import of those qualities in this campaign.

About the demographics question, small, tightly-targeted groups like 'Jewish Floridians,' and 'southern white men,' aren't on the level of magnitude of women voters. Like I said, they're more than 50% of the electorate. The value of their vote is of an entirely different order than the much-smaller, more targeted groups, and the party that delivers policy and power to them most effectively won't have to deal in the Mark Pennish, micro-targeting bullshit that produced candidates like Lieberman and Edwards.

About McCain's POW sleeve-wearing, the Obama campaign actually went furthest in dismantling his credibility last week with their 'housing' media offensive. And of course that was all before Biden was even picked, let alone on the attack against McCain's POW cred.

Finally, I personally think Biden isn't an unredeemable pick. To his credit, he's about as liberal as pres ticket candidates are willing to be these days. But the Times reported that Obama picked him particularly for the micro-targeting reasons that you decry.

Re: Biden? Really???

CO — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:39:17 -0000

I agree with Miranda. McCain's camp is trying the divide and conquer tactic-- with Hillary's women and African-Americans.

Powell has repeatedly praised Obama's presidential run, and has offered him foreign policy advice. I very much doubt that he would do anything to derail Obama. In fact, Powell has refused to even endorse any candidate.

Re: Biden? Really???

CO — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:32:09 -0000

Why all the hostility? Obama is working to keep your cash in your pocket. Look beyond skin color.

Re: Biden? Really???

BARB — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:35:45 -0000

Remembering Joe Biden and Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill:

http://www.feministing.com/archives/010594.html

Biden's also a long-serving member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which, because it vets and approves Supreme Court nominees, has an incredibly important role in protecting choice. There's good and bad on Biden's record here. He chaired the committee from 1987 to 1995, presiding over the confirmation hearings of Robert Bork (who was rejected) and Clarence Thomas.

Biden's role in the Thomas hearings, particularly his treatment of Anita Hill, are something that get little mention these days. (Although some women remember.) Biden says he did not vociferously pursue Hill's charges of sexual harassment because he didn't want to go after a Supreme Court nominee the way Republicans would. Here's Charles Ogletree, who represented Hill, on why Biden's excuse is bullshit:

OGLETREE: (Senator Biden) doesn't understand that by sitting back and taking no position that he has encouraged the victimization of Anita Hill. She has civil rights and civil liberties, too. She wasn't applying for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. She was not coming forward with an agenda to change the landscape of America.

And so for him to say that he didn't help her because he didn't want to be like the other side, to me, is to acknowledge that he has neglected to do his duties. He was the chairman. He was supposed to ask tough questions. He was supposed to get to the bottom of issues....And the bottom line is that Anita Hill was pilloried from beginning to end without any protection from anybody in that process....

What the senator did regrettably was to bend over in the wrong direction, and I think he did a great disservice in the sense of civil rights by being so tolerant of the lack of responsiveness on the part of one party and being so intolerant of efforts on the other side to bring out issues that may have shed light on (Thomas' character).

Some believe that thanks to Joe Biden, and his refusal to let those testify who confirmed Anita Hill's allegations, we now have Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court.

Re: Biden? Really???

Sombody_took_my_username — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:23:01 -0000

Larry King has GOT to go! Claire McCaskill was on, and he asked her if she was disappointed that she wasn't VP pick....WHAT A JERK!. Larry had that female Colombian hostage on, he asked her if she was raped...CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? Larry had Rick Warren on, the guy who lied about the "cone of silence". Larry treated Rick with kid gloves, throwing him softball questions and virtually answering them for him. The richer you are, the more humanely you're treated on Larry King.

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:20:55 -0000

TruthSeeker: Me 2!! Sometimes, she doesn't let an opponent get a word in edgewise!! She's a great surrogate!! :>) :>)

She "LET IT [them] GO!!! :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:17:12 -0000

TruthSeeker: I'm still laughing - "and it WASN'T Hillary!" Yaaaaa!!! :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:15:10 -0000

taritac: Great stuff! :>) :>) Thanks!! :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:11:53 -0000

Nick: Thanks for this info. :>) BarackObama.com has a t-shirt 2! :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:10:26 -0000

Antoine: "Big Bill zipper . . . . ." LOL x10 :>) :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:06:55 -0000

So, I'm running into my house, STR8 to my computer, booting it up!!! :>)

Whew!! Really out of breath DEEP Breaths!! :>) :>)

Did I miss anything???? JUST KIDDING!!!! :>) :>)

Here's the song - - "Ebony and Ivory" [Stevie Wonder] :>) :>) :>)

So B O has been transformed into O - B and to me this says . . .

DING! DING! DING!! We have a WINNER!!!!

billary WHO???? :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

Sombody_took_my_username — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:03:28 -0000

Thanks, Angela.

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:24 -0000

Co-signing BIG TIME!!! :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:58:27 -0000

rikyrah: So, I'm on the bus going to see my mom and an older [80's] white gentleman gets on the bus sporting an OBAMA SHIRT!!!

I said - "Nice shirt!" He said, VERY LOUDLY - "He's the only one to vote for! He's my man!!"

There was a thunderous applause on the bus!!! It was a great moment!!! :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

GreenLadyHere — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:53:47 -0000

miranda: Co-signing, enthusiastically!!! :>) :>)

Re: Biden? Really???

everett — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:33:01 -0000

as an old white haired, white man - enjoy your short time - because you ain't won yet -
besides i am putting trust in Mr latino who will out number both the whites and blacks and you know what-I would rather have them taking my last bit of cash than your obama

Re: Biden? Really???

Sombody_took_my_username — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:18:08 -0000

Ah....thanks.

Re: Biden? Really???

Antoine Larotre — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:36:00 -0000

Biden was the best choice after HRC. HRC would have been too much of a headache, and Big Bill zipper will have cause more headaches for Obama. Biden reassures all those: Hard Working White People". He will wink at them and tell them that Obama is "one Of Us"! That's what counts, WINNING, and not inspiring.

Re: Biden? Really???

Miranda — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:32:06 -0000

Colin Powell is not going out like that.

McCain's camp is just trying to get some PRESS. What is crystal clear is that the Obama camp managed to make choosing his VP pick a week long media frenzy which built up to a huge peak, expertly carried out so that the entire day today, its been wall to wall coverage on MSNBC, CNN and Fox. A Saturday, so that all the people that work Mon thru Fri got the full brunt of the excitement. The biggest day of the week for print news is the Sunday paper and Obama and Biden are on EVERY front page tomorrow, and every Sunday talk show will have full VP coverage and then right on schedule, its Monday and time for the convention. Brilliant.

By Monday McCain's camp might be putting out the rumor that Oprah is a potential VP pick for him.

Re: Biden? Really???

jenny4434 — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:26:55 -0000

His granddaughters. He and Jill have one daughter, who's 25, and he has two sons in their their 30s with the wife who was killed.

Re: Biden? Really???

NMP — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:11:16 -0000

McCain camp is now floating Colin Powell as the pro-abortion rights VP they've been entertaining. Would Colin Powell actually allow himself to be used AGAIN this time to derail the candidacy of another black man?

Re: Biden? Really???

NMP — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:08:31 -0000

Team Obama is more than aware of the gamble they are taking, but they are betting that they can not find a woman that can reassure Americans she can fill the Commander and Chief role in the event that 71-year-old McCain dies in Office.

Did Lieberman and Edwards not prove that picking someone from a much sought after demographic means nothing if voters don't connect with them. Lieberman couldn't help carry what is effectively Jewish state, Florida, and Edwards not only didn't care the South, he couldn't even carry his on state of North Carolina. What Team Obama has to do is figure out how to make the POW and Maverick appeal unappealing. George Bush damn sure figured it out. As a matter of fact, ALL southern states in 2000, which are more pro-military than any other region in the country, picked a draft dodger over a POW. If Conservatives weren't persuaded that McCain is owed the presidency because he was a POW, why should the rest of the country, specifically Democrats?

Re: Biden? Really???

Nick — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:48:30 -0000

One House, One Spouse, Obama/Biden 08: http://www.cafepress.com/politics2go

Re: Biden? Really???

pcmadison — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:39:46 -0000

Look...I don't deny that the future is important. The future of America is very important to me and that is why I support Obama (not because he is a Democrat) because I believe that he will help to create a better future.

I am just not about the whole future of "the party" mantra because I've grown extremely tired of the whole Democrat vs Republican battle.

Re: Biden? Really???

Angela1 — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:47:43 -0000

it was a quote in an article over at politico.com titled Obama on Biden "He Gets It"

"He knows McCain better than anyone else. He intimidates McCain more than anyone else. He can call McCain out better than anyone else on some of his positions," said Biden’s pollster, Celinda Lake, in a recent interview."