He is from a small state. He is known for occasional (and sometimes serious) gaffs. Why was Biden selected by Obama? Part of it clearly was his experience in foreign affairs, his identity as a Catholic, and his affable appeal. But the real reason that Biden was selected, I think, is that Obama already at that point had his eye on what he wanted to achieve once he was president, namely transformational changes in health care, taxes, and other areas that would require legislative support. Biden was selected because he is knows the ropes legislatively and is well liked here. In addition, because Biden is from Delaware where many corporate headquarters are located, Obama will need to use Biden to convince these corporate leaders of the benefits to them of various changes.
What is most striking about Obama's choice is that he had the confidence to select someone not for help in getting elected (someone from say Indiana or Virginia) but for help once he was in the Whitehouse.
Relook at this brief segment of the Couric interview and forget for a moment about Palin's comments about Dick Cheney and his bad mistake in duckhunting (spare me). Listen instead to what Biden says. His favorite vice president is Lyndon Johnson because he knew Congress so well and was able to bring them on board for key policies. Think about the Johnson highway program, the Johnson civil rights initiative. These are the sort of big initiatives that Obama seems to have had in mind in selecting Joseph Biden.
Thank you Senate Obama!
Good luck Senator Biden in the debate underway!!