By Jwilkes from Eyes on Obama:
For some reason, the Monday morning quarterbacks are out in full force, lamenting over Obama’s decision to pass on Hillary Clinton ("if only he’d picked Hillary, Sarah Palin would be no problem!"). First and foremost, that claim is downright absurd. As Gloria Steinem said, the only thing Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin share "is a chromosome."
Democrats need to stop second guessing: Joe Biden was 100% the right choice for Obama’s vice presidential running mate.
For some reason, the Monday morning quarterbacks are out in full force, lamenting over Obama’s decision to pass on Hillary Clinton ("if only he’d picked Hillary, Sarah Palin would be no problem!"). First and foremost, that claim is downright absurd. As Gloria Steinem said, the only thing Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin share "is a chromosome."
But people seem to forget that just a few weeks ago, the Obama/Clinton ticketwas universally a bad idea. Had Obama put Hillary on the ticket, he’d be in a world of trouble, far worse than he is now. He would have alienated thousands of people who simply do not want to see Hillary Clinton anywhere near the White House. Don’t be mistaken: there are a lot of them.
Here are ten more reasons why Obama made the right choice:
- An Obama-Clinton Ticket Would Have Lacked Experience
Hillary Clinton is just under two years into her second term. Barack Obama is just under four years into his first. An Obama/Clinton ticket would have less than two Senate terms under its belt combined. The fodder that would have created for Republicans would have been never ending, especially considering that McCain’s chief charge against Obama up until now has been his lack of experience. Not so for the Obama/Biden ticket. Biden has been in the Senate for six full terms. That’s more than 35 years of service- more than enough to be a learned counselor to a young president with relatively little experience dealing with the complexities of American government.
- Clinton Would Have Undermined Obama’s Message
Selecting Clinton would have directly undermined his message of change. By George W. Bush’s selection of the very men who ran the presidencies of his father, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford (i.e., Cheney and Rumsfeld), it was very clear that change was not on his mind. Obama’s mantra in the Democratic primary was that while the 90s were good, the best years are ahead of us. He hammered the point that he didn’t want to go back to the way things were then, he wanted to go a new direction. Hillary Clinton is a vestige of her husband’s administration. And while one knows exactly what kind of success they were signing up for with Clinton, theoretically, an Obama Administration knew no bounds when it came to potential. Picking her would have been a direct contradiction of his intent to bring new ideas to Washington.
- Clinton’s Presence on the Ticket Would Have Galvanized the Right
There are a lot of conservatives who simply do not like John McCain. He alienated the religious right by calling their pastors "agents of intolerance." He shot himself in the foot when it came to advocates of immigration reform with his support of the amnesty bill. Gun advocates? He burned that bridge when he effectively neutralized the NRA’s ability to donate to the campaigns of Second Amendment supporters. But put all that aside: if there is one person the right could not stand, it was Bill Clinton. Hell, they impeached him. There is no doubt that Republicans and conservatives across the country would have swallowed their pride and pulled the lever for McCain, if for no other reason than to prevent another Clinton from getting into executive office.
- Clinton Would Not Likely Have Shared Power Nicely
If you just look at Hillary Clinton’s campaign, the people who ran the show are the same people who ran the White House back in the 90s. Upon getting into office, these people would have to play second fiddle to Obama’s hand-chosen staff. That sets up a power play between the president of the United States and the Vice President that is highly undesirable. Also, consider this: Bill Clinton will have no official role in the government. Putting him so close that he can smell the action but expecting him not to interfere might be a tall order. Bill Clinton was a great president, but a lot of that had to do with the fact that he was an extremely effective micromanager.
- Clinton And Obama Have Hit Each Other Too Hard
The first attack ad the GOP released after Obama picked Biden was a list of criticisms Biden had made against the Democratic nominee. Had Obama chosen Clinton instead, the laundry list of shots Clinton and Obama exchanged would have been center stage. Both of them went on the record saying, in so many words, that the other was not fit for office. You can’t just gloss over the fact that the primary battle was downright bitter.
- Biden Is Relatable
Hillary Clinton is not an easy person to relate to. Quite simply, Joe Biden is. Biden’s rhetorical style isn’t that different from George W. Bush’s: it’s direct, it’s convincing, and it’s effective. Plus, Biden’s background story is one that mirrors the average American. He came from blue collar parents, went to school, worked hard, endured tragedy, and emerged a stronger man. As inspiring as Obama’s story is,- and by that I mean his quest from Hawaii to Harvard to Chicago- it’s not one to which many people can relate. The same goes for Clinton, who grew up a privileged Chicago girl who went to Yale and married a politician. But Biden’s is the stuff American dreams are made of.
- Biden Has Across the Board Appeal
Hillary Clinton might very well have shored up the Democratic vote, but let’s face it: the Democratic vote wasn’t enough in 2004, nor was it enough in 2000. Her policies are solidly Democratic, which leaves a lot of voters wondering whether they are dealing with a partisan or a leader.
Biden, on the other hand, has made a practice of confronting real-life problems with real-life solutions. He was one of the few Democrats to back the building of the border fence, despite the fact that many of his colleagues called it an ineffective solution to illegal immigration. But Biden had a common-sense take: it may not stop illegal immigrants from hopping the fence, he said, but it will stop a truckload of cocaine from ending up on our children’s schoolyards. That’s the kind of leadership that most of America wants- someone who deals with the problems that effect them every day in an effective, logical manner.
- Biden is Has Strong Foreign Policy Credentials
The accomplishments of Clinton’s Senate career are not nearly as well known as Biden’s, whose career has been a testament to the success of Democratic principles on the world stage. His work in the Balkans during the unrest there earned him accolades not just on both sides of the aisle in the United States, but internationally as well. And he applied that same credibility to the situation in Iraq. When politicians across the country were heavy on criticism but light on realistic solutions, Biden came forward with a plan (crafted alongside the president emeritus of the Institute on Foreign Policy) that received accolades from everyone from Bill Richardson and Bill Clinton to Bill O’Reilly and Bill Kristol.
- Biden Has a History of Bipartisanship
Biden represents a kind of old school that advocates hard ball politics during the day and a firm handshake when its all over. For that reason, he’s been able to work and maintain friendships with some of the most revered Republican Senators for the entirety of his career. Chuck Grassley, John Warner, and Dick Lugar all consider Biden one of the most knowledgeable Senators in the chamber, and each has cosponsored legislation with him at some point in their careers. Even Strom Thurmond- a scion of the GOP- considered Biden one of his friends, and found enough common ground with his colleague from Delaware to craft legislation that benefited his constituents. In fact, when Thurmond died, it was Joe Biden who delivered the eulogy at his funeral.
- Biden Is the Yin to Obama’s Yang
Where Clinton and Obama likely would have clashed on issue after issue, Biden brings a kind of completeness to the Democratic ticket that allows Obama to press forward confidently. Obama is young, and has little experience in Washington, whereas Biden is a seasoned veteran. Obama’s rhetoric is lofty and appeals to the average American’s hopes and dreams of what can be, whereas Biden’s is frank and straightforward, appealing to their common sense and everyday judgment. Obama is inspiring- a fantastic orator and a visionary. In many ways, so is Hillary. But the honest truth is that brand of politics needs to be offset by a certain relatability. It’s why Bush-Cheney was so successful; Except in this case, Bush was the smile, Cheney was the conservative substance.
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