As everybody and their mother now knows, Obama’s Vice Presidential running mate will be Senator Joesph Biden of Delaware. Very clever of Obama to wait the whole week, gathering the cell phone numbers of thousands of potential supporters wanting to be the “first to know” via text message (well eat it guys because this post is up even before you got your lousy text message…at ~3:30 a.m. EST). His campaign now has the ability to send get-out-the-vote texts to thousands of young and new voters, many of them who don’t even keep land lines and are traditionally hard to reach on election day. Anyways, we here at Sepia Mutiny have of course written about Joe Biden’s predilection for verbal gaffes before (see Donutgate here and here), which is probably his greatest weakness. However, it is no doubt his considerable strengths that led Obama to choose him as the running mate. Here Obama, in his own words, describes what he was looking for:
“Obviously, the most important question is, is this person prepared to be president? Second-most-important question, from my perspective, is: Can this person help me govern? Are they going to be an effective partner in creating the kind of economic opportunity here at home and guiding us through some dangerous waters internationally? And the third criteria for me, I think, was independence. I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a yes-person when it comes to policymaking…” [Link]
 |
|
Biden walking with Kerry and Nawaz Sharif near Lahore earlier this year |
<
p>Arguably, the most dangerous waters to be waded through internationally in the next few years will be the tribal areas of Pakistan and it’s border with Afghanistan. There is probably no one in the Senate who knows more about these issue than Biden. In fact, remember this article I blogged about last November:
President Pervez Musharraf and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto each placed telephone calls from Pakistan to Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to discuss the country’s crisis before either talked to President George W. Bush.
On Saturday, Bhutto stressed to Biden the need for parliamentary elections in January with Gen. Musharraf remaining as president but leaving the army. Musharraf called Biden Tuesday and asked that their conversation be kept confidential. Biden got the impression Musharraf could accept January elections although he had triggered the crisis by suspending the constitution. [Link]
Obama could definitely use Biden’s counsel on Pakistan given his own awkward statements earlier in the political season. Even the pundit class (on Face the Nation in the clip below) gives Biden his due when it comes to his foreign policy chops:
<
p>
<
p>
<
p>
<
p>
Don’t misunderstand me, there is lots to like about Biden as a potential VP as David Brooks pointed out on Friday in the NYTimes, but it is his deep knowledge of Pakistan and the problems the United States faces going forward in that region that drove this pick in my opinion. In fact, just three days ago Biden had this to say:
“I congratulate the people of Pakistan on the peaceful resolution of their political crisis, and I applaud the decision of President Musharraf to give up his office for the good of his nation.
“The two major parties in the governing coalition – the PPP and the PML-N – worked together to bring about a change in government through constitutional and nonviolent means. This transition represents the first time in Pakistani history in which a president installed by the military has been removed by constitutional political action.
“I urge Pakistan’s leaders to focus now on the pressing challenges of the future and resist the temptation to settle scores of the past. President Musharraf made the right choice in stepping down. I hope his resignation marks the end of the political turmoil that has immobilized the Pakistani government in recent months…” [Link]
<
p>Also, in July Obama joined Biden and Republican Dick Lugar in announcing a bill to increase aid to Pakistan:
Barack Obama will announce today that he is co-sponsoring legislation with Sens. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) that would triple non-military U.S. aid to Pakistan.
Obama will highlight his support for the bill, which will be unveiled this morning, in a speech today on national security.
“We must expect more of the Pakistani government, but we must offer more than a blank check to a General who has lost the confidence of his people,” Obama states in excerpts pre-released by the campaign. “It’s time to strengthen stability by standing up for the aspirations of the Pakistani people. That’s why I’m cosponsoring a bill with Joe Biden and Richard Lugar to triple non-military aid to the Pakistani people.”
Biden and Lugar will unveil their bill at a news conference this morning. It would authorize $7.5 billion to Pakistan over five years to be used for development purposes such as building schools, roads, and medical clinics. It also calls for “greater accountability on security assistance,” according to Biden’s office, pushing Pakistan to step up its counterterrorism efforts against al Qaeda and the Taliban. [Link]
If he wins the election Obama will have lots of advisors, including governors, to help him try and revive the U.S. economy, the most important issue to voters. Over the last eight years however, our nation has learned that you need critical thinking, independent minds inside the White House when it comes to our foreign policy. Have no doubt that the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan will drive a significant chunk of our foreign policy, and thus Obama decided that Biden was his man.
Biden — the perfect foil for Palin!
Abhi: I think Biden is a good choice. Let’s go and celebrate at a local “Dunkin Doughnuts”.
It’s official. The website was updated even before the text messages went out!
It’ll be interesting how Biden backtracks his “President cant need on-the-job” training comments. Yes his South Asia views are knowledgable but also his dealings with Caucus regions are ever more important now. Biden does well in townhall meetings and pancake breakfasts can hopefully corall Catholics and lower income whites (Hillary voters).
Also interesting: Biden advised Kerry in 2004 to pick McCain as his VP. And Biden has repeatedly praised McCain during the primaries. Ah, politics and bedfellows.
Dash is back again…a big kiss to my lovely Anna! I can’t believe my fellow Desi’s on this site is supporting Obama….espeically when he picked Biden!
Do you clowns remember what the good Senator from Deleware said of us: “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.”
Of course, am not suprised by Abhi’s commentary….some people never learn!!
Well you need somebody to counter McCain’s temper tantrums. I think it is an excellent choice and blows a hole in anybody’s argument that Obama’s candidature is weak on national security/foreign policy.
5 · Dash Riprock said
What’s wrong with running a 7-Eleven or Dunkin Donuts? It’s an honest way to make a living. It’s a service business and very hard to run a make a profit out of. Sen.Biden, if yoy read this I heart you for saying that. We Americans originally from India thank you for appreciating our spirit of enterprise in Delaware. And Senator, any accent will do, not just an Indian. Although if you want to learn that the lessons are free! All the way Obama-Biden!!! Hestory beckons!
What exactly is wrong with the Senator’s statement?. Do you think there are not many 7-11 / Dunkins in Delaware that emply Indian immigrants?.
Biden did praise Obama too if you remember :
And this one is strictly for Mumbaikars/Bombayites/Bombaywalas/Bambaiyyas – how would Bal Thackeray greet Sen./VP Candidate Joe Biden?
Hi Bidooo? Kasa? Kai?
Dash, maybe you can actually read the post before leaving a comment.
Delaware is going crazy right now with BidenWatch2008 coverage. The First State loves having its day in the sun.
Biden is one arrogant SOB. Anyone who says, “I am pretty sure I have a higher IQ than yours,” on C-Span and says it in an adversarial mode is someone I cannot be a fan off. His Indian comment hides a latent racism imo.
I think the Biden 7/11 comment was not offensive at all. It would be classist (“class” -ist) to say that it was offensive. Anyone who has ever lived in a medium size American city, has by now the WRONG impression that all Indians are smart because most are Doctors/Lawyers/Techies. Heck, we are getting over represented in wall street too. I fail to understand this urge of playing the “victim” ??
I think Biden is a good choice but Hillary would have been better. In anycase the VP part of the ticket has historically not help win the whitehouse, however it might have helped in losing.
13 · Vic said
Biden, asked on Fox News how he would sway southern voters. One of his responses was that Delaware used to be a slave state..lol. But anyways, it’s good that Biden fills in the foreign policy gap.
Hey! Nice to see so many Indians here. Thanks for stopping by. Can somebody get me a slushie? I need a drink. You know why that clean, well-spoken black fellow over there picked me. It’s because I’m smarter than the Senator from Punjab. I have a higher IQ than you guys. I could clean up at the spelling bee if there wasn’t an age restriction.
Ahhhh. Abhi…..are you jealous that I did not blow a kiss out to you? Well, here’s a big fat, wet for ya…..muah….:-*
Funny. Forgot to mention my participation in hair-club-for-men… good for bonding with the parrot-heads. Was in a Dunkin’ Donuts in South Carolina a few weeks ago… nary an Indian in sight.
All you Biden supporters and defenders of the Dunkin Donuts comments… look deep deep into your souls and think hard about if you would really let this comment slide if some random stranger on the street made it or somebody at your university or workplace or a Republican politician.. think really hard about it.. be honest with yourself. Free your mind.
This is incredible. Of the entire pool of people with foreign policy experience that Obama could have chosen from, he went with Biden. I think he just lost my vote.
The infamous clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XUEMUnvWY4
Doesn’t anyone ever READ the actual post 🙁 The links to Donutgate are in the post!
So you’ve got Mr. Apu who thinks that Mr. Being Called a Muslim is a Smear is not ready to be president. Dream ticket for the brown crowd, right?
Another desi connection to Biden from TOI –
LOL. We Delaware-based Indians tend to like Joe Biden. He always comes to our Indian functions and supports the Indian-American community. He’s appealing to both first and second-geners alike. To the first generation immigrants, he’s a source of pride. They like his policies on India/Pakistan. If people come to him telling him so-and-so received a deportation notice after working hard here for five years, he takes care of it, little to no questions asked. He acknowledges South Asians’ accomplishments in Delaware and doesn’t think of the South Asian people as some unidimensional, moneyed class that’s just waiting to contribute to his campaign.
As for us second-geners, I remember a little more than a decade ago he (probably inadvertently) explained his thinking to us. He told us about how he can’t wait to see us grow up and represent the Indo-American community and represent America. He understands the differences in both experiences and political stands between Indians and Indian-Americans.
Joe’s the farthest thing from racist or paternalistic. If he had exclaimed “You can’t walk into a pub in Delaware without a slight Irish accent,” it would never be construed as racism. He genuinely thinks all of us Delawareans are part of one community, whether we be brown or white or purple, and I think that’s a good sign in a country recently so obsessed with 9/11 witch-hunts.
I don’t know why people are getting offended by Biden’s comments. If you want to talk about offensive people, listen to Michael Savage. Haha.
Since a few vocal commenters never developed reading comprehension skills let me be explicit: There is nothing in my post that says I support Biden (or Obama for that matter). This post explains why I believe Obama picked Biden. If you aren’t willing to read a post then please think twice before commenting on it so that I don’t have to waste my time responding to you. Thanks.
Proving, yet again, that the dumb term:** “post racial”, applies solely to black people.
So who thinks “the maverick” is going to see & raise, the Dunkin Donuts gaffe by selecting the articulate, brown, Christian, quentissentially American guy Jindal? Not that you want to be pandered to or anything.
**in his 2nd book, he explains that he doesn’t think the US is post racial at all if we consider SES indicators between b-w America. (Chapter 7 :”Race” pg 232)
Hey Quaker, are you willing to give George Allen the same benefit of the doubt?
It is an interesting V.P pick indeed, particularly from the Desi angle.
Joe Biden was one of the first U.S. Senator’s to meet Indian politician Narendra Modi during his first trip to the states in the early 90’s and the Biden-Modi relationship is a secretive, low-key and enigmatic.
kinda a anticlimactic, huh?
Oh please Abhi, Cut out the c**p. We have very good reading comprehension skills, thank you. For example, your own profile admits (or did admit) that you are a left-liberal. Do we really believe that you do not support Obama? Pffft. Besides, SM had a highly fawning post on Obama winning the grueling Democrat contest. That post was removed after realizing it was way too partisan. Also, a search of SM has 497 articles on Obama, 188 articles on McCain. Yeah and SMers don’t support Obama and the sky is not blue. Please
I’ve never met George Allen.
bidens a good pick:
Abhi: Of all of the potential 2008 presidential candidates on the Democratic side, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden has been in my top 5 (Gore, Warner, and Edwards being one through three). Biden always comes across as very articulate, often times blunt, and usually seems more knowledgeable about issues across the board than almost any other senator
Biden is a good pick for Obama, particularly because of his labor connections and his ability to appeal to the working-class voters. In terms of net worth, he’d be a great contrast with McCain and any potential Republican VPs. I wonder if Biden’s racial gaffes will actually help Obama with the probably large group of voters who are uncomfortable with a non-White candidate.
Why the hell does it matter who I support? Show me where in my post is it relevant?
Wait, are we talking about Abhi or “SM” (as if it was some monolithic entity), I’m already confused by your argument? Would you like to produce this fawning post I wrote endorsing Obama? I would love to see it.
Ummmmm, so I guess that means we are no different than the Washington Post then. Ok, I’ll take that company. Maybe its because he gives good quote.
Thanks Bleh you just made me look rather, dare I say, prophetic. My analysis/prediction back in 2006 turned out to be solid huh? Wish I got paid for these skills yo. 🙂
Hi Abhi, This is Madhavi. I read your post.this is my first comment on your site. pls meet my site also.
Quaker said
Yes.. speaking of net worth, so now having a high net worth is a bad thing, as opposed to 2004 when the liberals ran a near-Billionaire in John Kerry.
Quaker said
So more of Biden calling Obama “clean” and “well-spoken” can convince people that Obama’s not really Tupac Shakur but more like Bill Cosby? Wow. Kinda “I’m a racist and I’m going to vote for him, so you can, too”. My head just exploded trying to comprehend that.
Since we are talking about racial slights, allow me a quibble. Why do South Asian Liberals like Mira Nair, Kal Penn and those desis who support Obama label the “Obama is Muslim” a smear? Why hasn’t a single Obama supporter stood up and responded, even if he is a Muslim, so what. Is winning the election more important than standing up for what is right? After all the US constitution affords us Muslims the right to run for the President of the country, as long as we were born here.
To me and to many, many of my co-religionists who are too scared to complain, lest they enrage the liberal too, the silence is nothing but Islamo phobia in disguise.
Do we really believe that you do not support Obama?
Why the hell does it matter who I support? Show me where in my post is it relevant?
Why then do you defend the fact that you do not support Obama so vigorously. It matters as we cannot expect unbiased political coverage. Thats the point
Besides, SM had a highly fawning post on Obama winning the grueling Democrat contest. Wait, are we talking about Abhi or “SM” (as if it was some monolithic entity), I’m already confused by your argument? Would you like to produce this fawning post I wrote endorsing Obama? I would love to see it.
Umm,its been deleted, how can I produce something that no longer exists,as I made clear. Also I made clear that SM not you had made that deleted post. BTW, Here is the proof
http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/005230.html
Ummmmm, so I guess that means we are no different than the Washington Post then.
So the fact that all major news media have been horribly biased in their coverage validates your bias
Ok, I’ll take that company. Maybe its because he gives good quote.
So does Jay Leno. Does it mean he is qualified to run for Prez
It should read – label the “Obama is Muslim” rumor a smear? and not, label the “Obama is Muslim” a smear?
40 · Zainab M. said
Not to mention his comments on being tested for AIDS.. “i’d rather make clear that I got tested with Michelle”.. not you know.. because I’m a homosexual.. i’m mean not that there’s anything wrong with that.. but err uhh.. ahhh… not that only homosexuals have AIDS.. because er.. ya know.. HOPE AND CHANGE!!!
43 · bleh said
This is stupid. You are reaching here.
Reaching right… pray tell.. what do you think he meant then?
Desidude please show me an example of a “bias free” blog on the internet that anyone reads. I’ll paypal you $5 if you succeed. Blogs were created so that people could share their opinions on topics. If you want to look for bias you will always find it no matter what we write because bias is in the eye of the beholder. Do you think you are the only person who has made this stupid argument in the last 4 years? We get just as much grief from folks on the left. If you want a place where you can “expect unbiased political coverage” why not try a place like FoxNews? I think their tag line is “Fair and Balanced,” right? I’m still not sure what your argument is and I don’t think you know either. What do you want us to do? Write a post that says “SM loves John McCain.” Will you be able to sleep tonight if we do? It’s all about you dude so I am willing to help how I can.
To Zainab M: I agree with your post almost completely. I just wanted to point out that Obama has pointed out quite a few times that the Obama-is-Muslim line of attack from conservatives is meant to feed into the Islamo-phobia that drives American, esp. hyper-conservative policy. That does not mean that Obama’s campaign has not fallen into the cynical trap of trying to dissociate him and his campaign from Islam… they definitely have… there’s the story of the Muslim women being removed from being seated behind Obama, but also if you look at the DNC schedule, there are a million Catholic, other Christian and Jewish religious reps. but only one Imam (and one Buddhist rep.), again I think a cynical response to conservative Islamophobia. Yet, if I had to choose between McCain’s “we are at war with evil and evil must be defeated”… well, is that really a choice?
And for the Biden-bashers, I agree that some of his comments can definitely be construed as racist. But if his comments do get broad national-play, it will finally force McCain’s racism and misogyny onto the national stage too… finally!
45 · bleh said
he meant he got tested with michelle, not joe…as joe’s comment could be contrued. very funny. slightly homophobic, u r right. but isms should have a comedy exception.
SM is biased because people are biased i’ve observed the left liberal slant on some posts with amusement. and i do think that how you interpret someone’s comments depend on what you think of that person. assertion X by person Y is offensive contingent on the prior facts about person Y, and how those facts relate to yourself (e.g., republicans and conservatives have to be above suspicion to a far greater extent than democrats and liberals for a variety of reasons). but blowing a gasket about this sort of stuff is pointless. you don’t have to be a genius to observe that SM’s posters and commenters average out left of center. but, the fact is that indian americans are on average left of center. so big surprise.
if you are right-wing and political congeniality is what you are looking for, SM is not your place. even v-man’s posts often bristle with hostility toward his political positions. those of us who are non-liberal hang out here for other reasons. if the liberal politics bothers you that much, you have the right to choose. moaning and groaning just adds noise into the system that isn’t ever going to change the equilibrium of the system.
but also if you look at the DNC schedule, there are a million Catholic, other Christian and Jewish religious reps. but only one Imam (and one Buddhist rep.), again I think a cynical response to conservative Islamophobia.
huh? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schedule_for_2008_Democratic_National_Convention#Interfaith_gathering
can you show me which schedule you’re looking at, cuz it looks like you’re wrong. seems that protestants are way underrepresented, while the convention is getting its jew-on.