comment #1

IndyNick says ...

Oh Well...

Hillary 2012!

comment #2

Joe Leydon says ...

Good.

comment #3

deadre says ...

I know. Isn't it great, just great! I've watched Fox News tonight and Sean Hannity was practically pulling his hair out trying to figure out ways that this wouldn't work, his desperation was palpable.

That was before the announcement. Unfortunately he was off the air when it was revealed at 10:00.

Between that pig and Laura Ingraham it's just been a hilarious few hours, the spin, the desperation, and more spin.

comment #4

Chapman Carruthers says ...

For everyone wondering how Obama was going to win if he continued to take the high road and stay above the fray, well, here's the answer. Introducing the democratic party's attack dog.

comment #5

Adviltablet says ...

...Biden. FTW.

comment #6

buster says ...

Young, progressive, mixed-race candidate running against old white guy chooses an old white guy as running mate. That's not sending any kind of message to the electorate, now is it...

...sigh...

Remember the scene in Wayne's World (the movie) when Wayne and Garth are sponsored by the State of Delaware and they say "hey....we're in......Del-a-ware" ??

Rememeber that?

That about sums up the "lift" Biden will give to the Obama ticket.

comment #7

scooterzz says ...

sadly, not good news
doesn't bode well for the run
the race is over ....

comment #8

Walter Sobchak says ...

Does this mean that Biden will be appearing on television even more than he already does? Is that possible?

And I'm with you 100% deadre! In your face, Hannity! In your face Laura Ingraham! Just fuck off and DIE, already! How's THAT taste, bitches! You fucking members of the party of intolerance! Too bad Laura's cancer went into remission, she could've joined Tony Snow in HELL!

(oh... I'm sorry... I thought I was posting on a Daily Kos blog)

comment #9

D.Z. says ...

Walter: "Too bad Laura's cancer went into remission, she could've joined Tony Snow in HELL!"

Did Rush and Savage apologize for their trivializing of people with Parkinson's and autism?

comment #10

dangovich says ...

Joe Biden:

-Voted for war in Iraq

-Wants to expand NATO to Georgia and Ukraine (remember, an attack on a NATO country is an attack on all NATO countries ) And yes, Obama wrongly supports this expansion of NATO.

-Wants US taxpayers to send $1 billion to Georgia to help them recover from a war they started.

-Only Democratic candidate to vote for the 2007 Iraq war supplemental funding bill that did not contain a withdrawal timeline.

-Said it would be unconstitutional for Congress to cut off funding for an escalation of the war in Iraq, as opposed to a full-scale denial of war funding.

To be fair, he's done some good things of late, but I fear he's the same old "centrist" dem who thinks there's not a problem in the world the U.S. military can't solve. It's time to put these guys out to pasture.

comment #11

Walter Sobchak says ...

I don't know, D.Z. Why don't you ask Rush and Savage?

(A day in the life of D.Z. Daniel Zelter)

Random Person 1 - "Damn it. My pancakes are cold."

D.Z. - "So. America is murdering innocent prisoners at Gitmo. What's your point?"

Random Person 2 - "I can't believe that person just cut me off and nearly ran me off the road!"

D.Z. - "Just like the U.S. cut off the heads of innocent French citizens in the Argonne forest in World War One?"

D.Z. - "Why are you punching me?"

comment #12

Stephe96 says ...

Nothing says 'change' like a guy who's been in the Senate for 40 years, huh?

comment #13

Gaydos says ...

I know I've read big enthusiasm here in the last few days for Sen. Joe, but then "Live With It" seems to poetically sum up where all us true believers have now landed.

Soldier on.

To quote John Lennon, "Well, well, well. Oh well."

comment #14

Gaydos says ...

BTW: Don't know if anyone else has noted this already, but if ever a political announcement was timed to avoid right-wing talk radio, this was it.

Good. Rush has come to simply stating over and over he's the voice of the GOP. How long does the party of Wall Street have to keep screwing the average guy/gal before they get wise to the grift?

When does the average guy tune out of these characters on the big corp biz take and tune in to saving their families?

comment #15

Hickenlooper says ...

Hey guys, most of you guys know I lean conservative. However, recently, over the last year, I have felt the Republicans have betrayed their own principals. It has disgusted me. This country has become an oligarchy. I am sad and disgusted. I am now finding myself leaning towards the left. For the last eight months I have been supporting Obama and tonight I stepped out onto the floor of the DNC in Denver with my dear brother John who is the Mayor of this great city. He introduced me to Howard Dean who spoke eloquently about Obama. It was an incredible evening and and I felt an electricity in the air, I am sheding my Republican roots because I now feel that the core of saving this country from disaster lies in the hope and dreams of Obama. I am losing a lot of old friends because of my flip to the left but I feel in the end that the spirit of the individual, which before I felt lied in the Republican party, now lies in the future of Democrats who demand change. I join you guys. Biden is a great choice and I encourage all my fellow Republicans to see the light and realize that Obama is the man who can really facilitate change. GH

comment #16

Chris Willman says ...

Good intro to Biden in this NYT column from Friday, for anybody who missed it and needs to be told why Biden is the man...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/opinion/22brooks.html?em

comment #17

D.Z. says ...

dangovich: "-Wants to expand NATO to Georgia and Ukraine (remember, an attack on a NATO country is an attack on all NATO countries ) And yes, Obama wrongly supports this expansion of NATO."

I'm still not sure why it's wrong, unless you think Putin's somehow "misunderstood".

"Wants US taxpayers to send $1 billion to Georgia to help them recover from a war they started."

By that logic, we should also have done nothing for Rwanda, since both sides were at fault.

I take issue with his other decisions, though, but I imagine he's there to make Obama look good leaving Iraq, so the Republicans can't play the "It turned into another Cambodia because we left!" card.

Stephe: "Nothing says 'change' like a guy who's been in the Senate for 40 years, huh?"

And nothing says "We won't be fooled again" than a guy who manufactured false evidence to start a war.

comment #18

D.Z. says ...

Hickenlooper: Don't worry. You're not the only one who left the club. http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/22/susan-eisenhower-leaving-gop-for-good-cites-mccains-rove-style-politics/#comments

comment #19

filmsofdust says ...

Nothing says "change" like a guy that "officially" started running for the Senate when he was 29 years old in 1972 and won the office when he was 30 and has served in the same post for 35 years!

Not to mention he has never had a real job in his whole life. He began practicing law in 1969 and was soon elected to the New Castle County, County Council, where he served from 1970 to 1972.

comment #20

Bob Violence says ...

hack hack hack hack hack hack hack hack

Sorry, something in my throat.

I still rate Obama's chances pretty highly, but either way I'd already resigned myself to another decade or two of Democratic wishy-washiness and "radical centrism" (e.g. Republican but with a friendlier packaging), so nothing new under the sun as far as I'm concerned. For opportunistic bozos, only Edwards could give Biden any real competition among this year's Democratic field, and John was obviously out of the running for veep -- although maybe Obama should've gone with him anyway, to see just how far he can push things before the diehards finally throw up their hands.

comment #21

vansmith says ...

Biden's a live wire even though he's fully versed in the issues. they have to hope he doesnt pop off with any way out there imflammatory statements.. i just dont feel america will have the balls to vote for obama an anyone...

comment #22

D.Z. says ...

films: So he ran for Senate at a younger age than Obama, and...? Oh, I see, the "been in office for a long time" card. Well, Mr. "Uniter, Not a Divider" didn't seem to say anything about Confederate Flag-loving politicians in South Carolina or demand that Lott step down after defending Thurmond, in spite of comments he himself considered "offensive". http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/12/lott.comment/
Oh, and then there's the time he thought it'd be a good idea to fire everyone who doesn't like him or who won't investigate or jail Democrats for being Democrats. And no job? Please, what the hell has Bush done for a living without his Daddy's money?

comment #23

Stephe96 says ...

Biden on Meet the Press in 2007, on Hussein’s WMDs: “Well, the point is, it turned out they didn’t, but everyone in the world thought he had them. The weapons inspectors said he had them. He catalogued — they catalogued them. This was not some, some Cheney, you know, pipe dream. This was, in fact, catalogued.”

comment #24

Doug says ...

As I mentioned in another thread, there's tape of Biden in a Democratic presidential debate saying Obama is not experienced enough to be President. And when George Steph asks him about it directly, Biden reaffirms it. The tape played on CNN or MSNBC today, and I'm sure the Republicans will be running it many many times over the next few months.

comment #25

D.Z. says ...

Stephe: http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Joe_Biden_War_+_Peace.htm

Doug: I don't doubt that possibility, but Biden can argue that the fact that he trusts Obama, in spite of his reservations, is that he'll take the job more seriously *because* of his inexperience.

comment #26

K. Bowen says ...

Probably the best he could do. Obama's biggest problem right now is sitting in Moscow.

comment #27

Movie Watcher says ...

So the war begins. I am waiting for the obvious pick by McCain of Romney. What a joke. Doesn't he look like some slick used car salesman? His problem is not knowing he hired illegal aliens. Fox News will be all over the Biden pick, pimping out the republicans all they can, because they are a front for the GOP. I see Obama in a close win. Why? There more racists out there than you think. If Obama doesn't win, look for Hillary in 2012.

comment #28

Walter Sobchak says ...

Wow, Movie Watcher... reading your sharp political insight is like watching an old Vidal vs. Buckley debate.

Your only error was properly spelling "Fox News" instead of the preferred "Faux News" or "Fox Noise".

...And if Obama doesn't win, look for Hillary in 2012? ...Really? Well, you all heard it hear first.

comment #29

Stephe96 says ...

By the way, it doesn't seem as if Biden will be much of an 'attack dog' against the McCain campaign:

"The only guy on the other side who's qualified is John McCain." MSNBC, October 30, 2007

"John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off, be well off no matter who [won]" - The Daily Show, August 2, 2005

comment #30

D.Z. says ...

Stephe: I'm sure he meant a different John McCain.

comment #31

JChasse says ...

I suppose Obama thinks Biden is clean and articulate, too.

comment #32

PoisonSkin says ...

not to quote Tool but I will.

Hope this is what you wanted.
Hope this is what you had in mind.
Cuz this is what you're getting.

eh whatever. its all bad

comment #33

Discman says ...

Hickenlooper can drift if he thinks Obama is the Great Hope, but my conservatism finds its match in John McCain. I'll be enthusiastically voting for McCain in November, although most of my conservative friends are lukewarm toward the guy.

So feel free to dismiss my view that Biden is a pretty great choice for Obama. He's the one who, during the primaries, said the obvious to Obama and Hillary: We're not starting a pullout of Iraq the day either Dem candidate takes office. It takes MONTHS to coordinate something like that.

For his sensible comments, he took a beating. I'm sure all the libs on this board who now smile at the prospect of a full pullout by 2011 (!) were horrified by such an obvious, real-world-scenario like the one Biden laid out.

That's all conveniently forgotten now that Maliki has pushed further for withdrawal (and will get it -- by 2011!), but it's Biden, not Obama, who's been vindicated. Not that the "Live With It" crowd cares.

comment #34

alan says ...

I dreamed last night (before the official announcement) that Obama had chosen George Steinbrenner as his VP. Why? I don't even like or watch baseball.

comment #35

Ray says ...

@ dangovich - Let's not forget that Biden has accepted over $5 million dollars since 2003 from lobbyists. Oh, and Biden's son is a Federal lobbyist.

Bad move.

comment #36

K. Bowen says ...

If Obama had chosen a Kaine or a Chet Edwards, or some other lightweight, he would have seriously increased his burden. The biggest question about Obama is whether he's up to the foreign policy challenges, and the Georgia invasion made that seem much more urgent and scary. Biden has some baggage, but he at least brings some sensible foreign policy expertise to the ticket.

comment #37

Mgmax says ...

I have a lot of respect for Obama's campaign team, clearly the best in this election by a country mile, so I'm sure there's some reason this makes great sense.

Nevertheless it seems to me that the selection of a senator moves them no closer to the average person's average concerns, the selection of an old guy kills the McCain-is-too-old issue which had real traction (within Obama's second term, Biden will be as old as McCain is now), and the selection of an old guy senator with a 20+ year rep only points up that Obama is 4 years old in senatorial years and has accomplished zip in office.

In short, like Lloyd Bentsen, he only makes the guy at the top of the ticket look more lie he should be at the bottom of his own vp's ticket.

But I'm not the target audience, so maybe we'll see a different reaction from the public.

comment #38

Zimmergirl says ...

MEH. Safe choice. The hair plugs will do them all in.

comment #39

Josh Massey says ...

"...but I feel in the end that the spirit of the individual, which before I felt lied in the Republican party, now lies in the future of Democrats who demand change."

You're in trouble if you're looking to the government to find the spirit of the individual - especially the two major parties.

comment #40

moviemaniac2002 says ...

Dreary, unimaginative choice....virtually insuring
a recount election that'll be thrown into the
Supreme Court for a decision. And guess who
the Supremes will hand the Presidency ?

comment #41

JHRussell says ...

HRC supporters, especially the females, are outraged by the news that Obama did not even vet HRC for the spot, even after saying that she would be on anybody's short list (just not his, evidently). It is a tremendous snub and the GOP will do its best to remind those HRC supporters of the snub and their perrception of mistreatment she received during the primary season...a significant number of diehard HRC supporters are organizing, and they vow that they will either sit out the election or they will vote for McCain....

Obama blew it with Biden. Hillary was the pick. After her, someone with actual governing / admin experience would have been the best pick (Richardson, Bayh, even Kaine).

As a McCain supporter, I am very pleased with the Biden pick.

comment #42

astrophore says ...

biden time. hope they let him off the leash. now let's pick romney and get this started, yo. keep those non-events coming.

nothing changes anyone's Message or moves the needle in cuyahoga county. if the peeps like your #1, they'll tolerate dan quayle.

lots of shots of biden's driveway, though. that's helpful.

and let's lay off the fox news personas. it's like complaining about the iron sheik being anti-american.

comment #43

BurmaShave says ...

On August 23, 2008 at 03:35 AM, DailyKos achieved consciousness, calling itself MovieWatcher.

comment #44

TheJeff says ...

Hickenlooper says ...

For the last eight months I have been supporting Obama and tonight I stepped out onto the floor of the DNC in Denver with my dear brother John who is the Mayor of this great city.

I thought you and Hick were (distant) cousins. Is "brother" just being used as a term of endearment here?

comment #45

corey3rd says ...

And when has "unimaginative" and "vice president" not gone together? Maybe I missed out on the year that Ronald Reagan ran with Max Headroom?

Biden is what Obama needs - a guy who knows how to work the town. Although we all know that Biden sounds just like Bin Laden! Wait till all the Fox News Whores keep calling the ticket Obama Binden.

comment #46

corey3rd says ...

And when has "unimaginative" and "vice president" not gone together? Maybe I missed out on the year that Ronald Reagan ran with Max Headroom?

Biden is what Obama needs - a guy who knows how to work the town. Although we all know that Biden sounds just like Bin Laden! Wait till all the Fox News Whores keep calling the ticket Osama Binden.

comment #47

Balthazar says ...

I would absolutely love for McCain to now pick brilliant Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP. ... That would make for some fascinating dynamics in this election.

comment #48

SpinDozer says ...

'You're in trouble if you're looking to the government to find the spirit of the individual - especially the two major parties.'

But, if you believe Direct-rule by corporations is the place to find the 'spirit of the individual', allow me to introduce you to Bob Barr!

comment #49

va says ...

To Mr. Russell --- Hillary has been vetted since 1992 - she has been found lacking in character, and her husband has been found to be even a worse money-grubbing criminal than some Republicans. Plagiarism aside, Biden is a wise choice - he gives Obama inside help in getting the outsider message accomplished. GOP senators have crossed the aisle to work with Biden - Hillary can't get that help, and never will - thank God, because Obama will now win in November, and we won't have to hear the insipid "Hillary in 2012" remarks. Oh - and DZ and gruver1 - I'm flip-flopping back to Obama, now that Hillary was just a bad dream.

comment #50

Gaydos says ...

Damn it burns to say this, but as I watch the Obama Biden rally, I have to say you were right Jeff, as you were right when you were early to join the Obama train, you were first on the Biden train. Good on you.

I am ALREADY enthusiastic! That didn't take long!

comment #51

JHRussell says ...

"Hillary has been vetted since 1992 - she has been found lacking in character, and her husband has been found to be even a worse money-grubbing criminal than some Republicans."

If that is the case, then the 49+ percent of the voters in the Dem primaries who voted for her are idiots, I guess?

Hillary will get the last laugh - Obama screwed up. Her "Hillary 2012" campaign will kick off the day after McCain wins...

comment #52

Indeed says ...

How do you distinguish yourself from all those pro-war, evil politicians that voted for the Iraq war? By selecting a pro-war, evil politician that voted for the Iraq war as your running mate.

Change we can believe in.

comment #53

Movie Watcher says ...

Burmashave, I actually laughed when I read your reply. I laughed harder when Rove, of course on Fox News, shot his mouth off after Obama/Biden spoke in springfield. The bullshit begins, and of course the usual clowns are in attendance. Oh, and I read Daily Kos once in awhile, but I'm sure you're on there site regularly. I would not be surprised.

comment #54

Catman says ...

I thought we were going to have to mount an emergency rescue of Jeff from offing himself (probably by watching "Mamma Mia" a few dozen times straight) when he found the Messiah had chosen Pontius Pilate as his running mate, but we're safe! Poor Jeff's critical facilities have apparently been blinded by the Dazzling Light of Obama into accepting "Slow Joe", a long-time Beltway Hack and Sunday Show joke, as an "agent of change".

Or as Tim Roth sez, "Is that all you've got?"

comment #55

spoiled says ...

On August 23, 2008 at 03:35 AM, DailyKos achieved consciousness, calling itself

That is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on the web.

comment #56

D.Z. says ...

Discman: "Hickenlooper can drift if he thinks Obama is the Great Hope, but my conservatism finds its match in John McCain."

So your ideology which opposes wasteful spending and abuse in government supports a guy who continues blowing our money on a pointless war and who supports torture?

"He's the one who, during the primaries, said the obvious to Obama and Hillary: We're not starting a pullout of Iraq the day either Dem candidate takes office. It takes MONTHS to coordinate something like that."

Well, duh. The point is that they'll be leaving, period.

"For his sensible comments, he took a beating. I'm sure all the libs on this board who now smile at the prospect of a full pullout by 2011 (!) were horrified by such an obvious, real-world-scenario like the one Biden laid out."

Bush seems to be ready to pull out now...

Mgmax: "the selection of an old guy kills the McCain-is-too-old issue which had real traction (within Obama's second term, Biden will be as old as McCain is now),"

Well, Bush chose Cheney, and that guy had crappier health than McCain.

"and the selection of an old guy senator with a 20+ year rep only points up that Obama is 4 years old in senatorial years and has accomplished zip in office."

What exactly did Bush do for Tx. besides execute black people, push them lower on the education rankings, and pollute their air?

Josh: "You're in trouble if you're looking to the government to find the spirit of the individual -"

Well, all the major corporations are looking to governments in other countries with universal health care to define their own individualities, so...

JHR: Hillary supporters won't vote for McCain, because they know he'll pick judges who might overturn Roe v. Wade. And if they sit out the election, then they'll run the risk of an even crappier economy. They're just fronting, and they'll hold their noses going into the election booths the way we would, if she got nominated.

"Hillary will get the last laugh - Obama screwed up. "

I thought she was supposed to get the last laugh at the convention.

Indeed: "How do you distinguish yourself from all those pro-war, evil politicians that voted for the Iraq war? By selecting a pro-war, evil politician that voted for the Iraq war as your running mate."

He said he regretted his vote.

comment #57

Indeed says ...

D.Z.: "He said he regretted his vote."

Votes. Plural.

comment #58

Indeed says ...

And seeing as how every other post from Jeff is accusing someone of being racist, I wonder what his thoughts are on Biden's thoughts on Indians and 7-11 employees.

comment #59

Chapman Carruthers says ...

Track No. 11 on Joe Biden and the Ethnocentric Band's Greatest Hits: Indians who own 7-11 Stores.

Indeed, any chance you can come with some new material? Skip to track 12 and see what's playing. If you hear Biden calling his wife a trollip and a cunt in front of members of the media, like the Republican nominee, then we'll have something to talk about.

comment #60

Indeed says ...

Chapman, I despise McCain. Doesnt change the fact that Obama picking Biden is laughable at best.

But back to your partisan close-minded bullshit. Keep up the good work. People like you are what make our election process so embarassing.

comment #61

Chapman Carruthers says ...

Sounds like you despise a lot of things.

That's all I got. Carry on.

comment #62

BurmaShave says ...

spoiled I've said much dumber things than that. And clunky SKYNet references always win. You need to understand in college I would say "Natty Light achieved consciousness" before I would drink it.

I am what you would call a loser, but you are the guy chasing after a loser to tell him he is, so what fucking fungus level kind of guy does that make you? In the words of Grossman, take two steps back and fuck yourself in the face.

comment #63

spoiled says ...

Your concern is duly noted.