Why I have a man crush on Joe Biden ....

I have long professed to friends and fellow teachers my admiration for Joe Biden. Had he not dropped out before the Massachusetts primary, I would have considered voting for him.

As a supporter of Barack Obama, I've been dismayed by the way the campaign between him and McCain has devolved into a series of personal attacks that doesn't focus on issues. I've been frustrated by the way Obama has been forced to dive into exactly the type of politics that he aspires to change. Why are we focusing on how many houses John McCain's wife owns and the fact that Obama told us to keep our tires inflated? Why are we turning offshore drilling into an end all be all campaign issue when it will have a negligible effect on energy prices? To score cheap political points. I've come to accept the fact that in order to win in this game, you have to change who you are, and you have to learn how to score cheap, ultimately meaningless political points. That's the reality of politics, and so for Obama to win, he needs a running mate who can deliver powerful punches and balance the ticket in ways that matter most only on the surface level. I think that Joe Biden is the best choice for a number of reasons:

1) He gives Obama's claims and attacks more credibility. On his own, Barack Obama can say whatever he wants, and the McCain campaign can always can always say "shut up, you're young and inexperienced and don't know what you're talking about." Have Biden echo Obama's sentiments, or have Biden make some of the points on his own, and the McCain camp no longer has their best comeback. This will be particularly helpful in areas of foreign policy. As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden brings much needed credibility to Obama message on issues such as Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as relationships with China, North Korea, and Iran.

2) He brings a different kind of passion that can reach a broader swath of Americans. Check out this video of Biden talking about Darfur during one of the Presidential debates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irdHYG_jpgw

Biden's passion, energy, and optimism speaks for itself.

This clip is a montage of debate clips that show his ability to answer directly, honestly, and effectively.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9lpiDzeQcI

I always thought Biden was the best debater of the Democratic bunch, and when I watched the debates, I really found myself looking forward to his answers. He's entertaining, smart, and funny. If only he had more than one opportunity to debate as VP.

3) He should appeal to voters Obama struggles to reach ... the white, blue collar Democrats that went for Clinton and continue to resist Obama. I hate to say it, but if Obama had chosen anyone but a seasoned, tall, white male with a working class background, he would not have effectively "balanced" the ticket.

I love Obama. Once it became clear that it was down to Obama and Clinton (and that didn't take long) I've been an Obama guy all the way. But let's be brutally honest here ... if the race was between Biden and McCain, then I think it would be a landslide Biden victory. He would have been the "safe bet" in a year that should have been a cakewalk for the Democrats. Democrats chose to go with Obama because he was everything Biden wasn't ... something young and new that represented change. I voted for Obama and I fully support that view. Let's hope Biden brings back that safe choice feeling. Of course, Biden brings his share of baggage. People have a knack for interpreting some of the things he says as insensitive (Remember, he did call Barack Obama an "articulate" African American during the primary season). But it's precisely because he's rough around the edges that makes him a good choice. He's a straight talker and he's got nothing to lose. In the end, it's not about the policies, it's about the personalities and the political gamesmanship. Biden brings the personality Obama needs, and the Biden choice was political gamesmanship at its finest. Get Biden on TV as much as possible, and people who didn't want to vote for Barack Obama WILL vote for Joe Biden.