I must admit that while I felt that I had been educated enough to monitor American politics reasonably well in recent months, I was actually one of those who got so surprised when Democratic Party presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama had announced Senator Joe Biden of Delaware to be his running mate come November ---not Hillary Clinton as I expected he would be picking or at least John Edwards (if only he wasn’t blotched by an admitted affair.)
So Senator Joe Biden becomes the man of the hour, being set into the middle of the race despite being inconspicuous for most of the much-ballyhooed Obama-Clinton race for the Democratic Party nomination, one that had ended with a little bitter taste in the mouth. He is suddenly into the thick of things like having a bye in Wimbledon or a wild card slot in major league baseball.
Senator Biden is as white as any American could possibly be and I couldn’t help but immediately make out of this as the main quality that had gained him Sen. Obama’s nod. You know, to put a compromise to his being the first-ever African-American presidential nominee, where despite being so fancied for that, is sadly his greatest disadvantage. I felt now, that the contrast might be too obvious for comfort and turn away blue collar votes (where he is seen to be so weak at) instead of gaining them, losing further votes of middle-of-the-road white American workers that had supported Sen. Clinton’s almost successful run, and the vote that is considered to be as prevalent as the white vote itself.
Accordingly, it was Sen. Joe Biden’s competence on foreign policy matters that had earned him the Democrat’s vice-presidential nomination, a field where Sen. Obama is seen to be wanting. In this age of global warming, rising oil prices in the world market, rigid WTO negotiations, and spurts of conflicts in central Europe and the Iraq tension still permeating, foreign affairs would be an immense concern for the next president of America.
And in an ever-expanding global community, where borders disappear from one place and reappear in another, where regionalism is the new game that nations play, foreign policy or foreign affairs should become all the more essential as a national interest issue, now more than ever, and not only for America, but to every state or country there is.
Sen. Joe Biden no doubt has the foreign policy credentials that Barack Obama clearly lacks. If Obama was George W. Bush, Biden is the Dick Cheney of the team, one who lends intellectual muscle to a candidate who who is perceived as lacking in substance.
However, I have my own misgivings about Joe Biden. The candidate is prone to gaffes because he tends to talk too much. In addition, although he may be intellectually smart, this does not necessarily mean that he has the political charisma to connect with the voters. We shall see in the next couple of months if he would be able to help Obama secure the White House for the Democrats.
Comment by Panaderos — August 25, 2008 @ 1:59 am
wow! people have been waiting for this. now joe biden is the man.
Comment by donG hO — August 25, 2008 @ 2:25 am
I don't know Biden, but he seems to me a better choice for running mate than Hilary. She is intelligent and experienced alright and I admire her for that, but she is also ambitious enough to act like the president, as she did when hubby was in power. =)
Comment by barrycade — August 25, 2008 @ 10:33 am
i was also surprised. i thought it will be hillary. but oh well. it's their dance.
Comment by prinsesamusang — August 25, 2008 @ 10:51 am
To Panaderos: Smartness and intellect is often not enough in politics. Charisma should be the main thing.
Comment by Major Tom — August 25, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
To dong Ho: Surprisingly it seems; this year's US Election is never wanting in twist and drama and feels like more coming in the next few months.
Comment by Major Tom — August 25, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
To prinsesamusang: I guess there was just too much bad blood that had pertained between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton. I thought it could have been repaired; but it didn't happen.
Comment by Major Tom — August 25, 2008 @ 11:01 pm
To barrycade: Hey, you notice that too. I thought I was alone in somehow seeing how she felt that the presidency was a birthright that should be handed down to her, just because he was Mrs. President before and that she was so famous for that.
Comment by Major Tom — August 25, 2008 @ 11:04 pm
Being an intellect himself, it's no surprise Obama would choose an intellectual as his running mate. I mean, what the hell would they talk about had he chosen someone with an IQ of Bush Junior, hehehe.
Comment by snglguy — August 25, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
To sngl: I am afraid though how it would be an overkill of brains that it could turn out to be a very boring team...You know, sometimes, people with high intellect could be so tight-assed and so lacking in humor.
Comment by Major Tom — August 26, 2008 @ 12:08 am
Oo nga.. who the heck is Biden? But anyway, I don't like Hillary... she looks a bit like GMA.
Comment by Toe — August 26, 2008 @ 6:12 pm
i just love the title of your entry, major tom. and i kinda said the same thing when i heard this news. all the while i envisioned hillary clinton to be the vp, and obama as the first african american president. excited pa naman sana ako bumoto this november. pero mukhang nawalan ako ng gana after hearing his new vp candidate. i don't know what obama's campaign is thinking, but i sure am not happy with this choice.
Comment by sardonic nell — August 27, 2008 @ 12:23 am
dropping by major!
Comment by prinsesamusang — August 27, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
To Toe: She looks like could be as high-handed...But just as a perception. Today, she made a class act by rallying her supporters in favor of Sen. Obama.
Comment by Major Tom — August 27, 2008 @ 7:54 pm
To sardonic nell: Yun nga, Joe Biden seem to have come out of nowhere and lacks that enigma voters are looking for. This decision of Sen. Obama might just cost him the election.
Comment by Major Tom — August 27, 2008 @ 7:55 pm
To prinsesamusang: Thanks, I'll be hopping over there too.
Comment by Major Tom — August 27, 2008 @ 7:56 pm
tanong ko rin iyan. biden who? hehe.
Comment by Atticus — August 28, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
Frankly, I would have preferred an Obama-Clinton tandem.
Comment by AdB — August 29, 2008 @ 8:57 pm
To atticus: It's almost everybody's reaction. I just hope this ain't a blight to Obama's path to glory.
Comment by Major Tom — August 29, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
To AdB: I was feeling that way too. Maybe so much between have been said and done that could not really be unsaid or undone anymore. too much animosity in their campaigns against each other, that is. if only it weren't that way.
Comment by Major Tom — August 29, 2008 @ 10:25 pm
let's just hope it's a choice obama wouldn't or shouldn't regret.
thanks for visiting my blog.
Comment by beatburn — August 30, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
All i know about Biden is that he was accused of plagiarism back in the 1990s. Other than that, I guess he's a good politician. I thought Obama would've picked a southerner for a running mate since that seems to be the conventional strategy. Then again, as they say, its an unconventional election year.
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Comment by American Traveler — September 1, 2008 @ 4:54 pm