As everyone knows, one of the rules of dailykos is that you may not call people out in a diary, so the names of the people who wrote the comments I'll be posting below will not be included.
When it became well known -- and then finally announced -- that Obama would be picking Senator Joe Biden as his running mate, it became impossible to for this Clinton supporter to stay away, strike or no strike, boycott or no boycott. (More info, full disclosure, I consort with the loonie PUMAs, but I am PUMA in name only, btw. I may still end up voting for Obama.... get this!!!!! I like Biden!! And consider an Obama administration a better proposition now than I did 48 hours ago! At least someone who knows what he's doing on Foriegn Policy will be involved. One way to put it, I guess, if Obama was trying to reach out to a certain kind of voter with this selection, then that certain kind of voter might be me.)
But I know my opinion on Biden is a minority opinion on this blog. Or at least it used to be. After realizing that I could not stay away, I then realized what a curious adventure it would be to stick Biden's name in the search engine and take a trip back in time to a less informed, less evolved DailyKos.
Here's some highlights.
Biden has gone halfway... (none / 0)
Biden has only gone halfway..
To hell. He still supports this war, parrots Bush talking points and wants more troops. UGH.
His mantra appears to be: "Lets do the wrong things, only better."
I personally think he [Biden] is a tool.
Biden ain't my man (none / 0)
And nation-building is a neo-con stratergy. They just call it "Operation Freedom" rather than "build a state based on Shari'a law that will sell us oil".
I'm all for peacekeeping, but as far as nation-building goes, the one I live in needs enough fixing as is.
This is a grand strategy for continuing to lose. What the public wants, any public, any time, is leaders who they feel have a clear vision and will stand up for that vision and can articulate that vision well enough so they can believe in it, too. This is not Hillary, this is not Biden, this is not the DLC.
Just because many of us would like to end this unmitigated disaster before another thousand or two thousand Americans get killed (for what?) and who knows how many Iraqis, doen't mean we are "afraid to use force."
Hillary Clinton, Bay [Evan Bayh] and Biden can go to hell.
Sometimes, Biden is excellant (none / 0)
such as in attacking Bolton and the nuclear option.
Then he goes repeatedly on national television and handles Bush's Iraq policy wit kid gloves. His position appears to be the same as Hillary's: The Iraq war was a generally good idea that just needs to be better managed to be sucessful.
Hopefull Senator Feingold will get some exposure on the talk shows this Sunday.
At this point I would like to add some commentary. The one thing I noticed is that Biden would rarely be mentioned without Hillary, Bayh, or From being mentioned. There appeared at that time on DailyKos a general impression that Biden was involved with the black arts neo-con cabal, the
D
L
C
Which should be considered an error of enthusiasm. Biden himself was never as involved with the DLC as much as people liked to pretend he was.
But one of the things I never understood about this process is why Senator Feingold was never even considered. An outsider. Maverick credentials. Fits the bi-partisan schtick (if it's a schtick we'll never know for sure either way). But also had the judgment to oppose the war from the beginning. Just like Obama. A judgment not shared by Biden.
Anyway, a few more quotes:
Biden is no longer the Democratic Senator from MBNA. He is now the Democratic Senator from Bank of America.
Note to Joe Biden: (4.00 / 3)
Joe,
Most Iowans and New Hampshirites don't watch the Sunday morning shows. They have no idea that you're on every fucking week, blathering on and on about whatever it is you usually blather about to further inflate your already bloated ego.
Take a week off. Have a cup of coffee with the wife on the back deck. Enjoy a leisurely read of the Sunday papers. Read the Sunday comics. Take the dog for a walk. Braid your hair plugs. Something. Anything.
But please give those few of us who actually watch the Sunday morning talkers a needed respite -- a break from your smarmy, greasy, "aw-shucks" bullshit -- at least for a week or two.
Combined, the pundits who populate your favorite Sunday morning nesting places account for less than 0.000000000001% of America's voting population. I'm sure they're all impressed by your knowledge, your regular-guyness, and your keen insights.
But the rest of us are sick to fucking death of you.
Go away, you freaking camera slut.
God, I'm sick of you...
Yours truly,
Now, in stunning contrast, here are some quotes today from some random diaries:
He may put it in his mouth once in a while, but mostly he's using that foot to kick opponents in the a.. or the b...s.
He's exactly what we need to help Obama win.
OK so I wasn't crazy about the Anita Hill hearings he chaired but Biden showed today he knows how to body-punch. McNovacaines solar plexis is in for a very painful experience.
And in a parliamentary system he would be the logical party leader and candidate for prime minister. He has the political skills plus the character to do the job of national leader in a democracy, and that is the prime requirement for VP. And even my own serious disagreements over his support for the Iraq War and the infamous "bankruptcy reform" bill do not change the reality that he is the ideal choice.
my dad just loved Biden, his toughness, his energy, and his smarts.
biden is attractive and not just to an older demographic. he's authentic and has a biography and character that matches obama's.
Sharp? He had gotten sharper and wiser. 20 more years of knowledge and experience made him that much more formidable in debates. His mastery of events, issues, and policies were beyond question.
An altogether remarkable change has taken place, and I think I would be wise to never question the transformative power that Barack Obama has on people.
I think DailyKos grew up a little bit over the last couple days.
Good luck.
p.s. my opinion of Biden is, as stated above, a generally very positive one. He was my second choice after Clinton. I believe he is a soft-power advocate who believes the consequences of Iraq becoming a failed state are equivalent to the consequences of of Bush's execution of the war itself. That is what I think he brings to an Obama administration and I believe it will be better off for it in the long run.