Mitt Romney Taps Paul Ryan As His Running Mate

Make it (99.9%) Official

There's a damn good chance Senator Joseph Biden will be the Vice President of the United States in January, 2009.

Hallelujah.

Biden may have been one of a few great candidates on Obama's "shortlist," but there are precious few statesmen like Biden left in politics, and Obama is lucky to have him on the ticket.

...though we agree with the comment left by "Eli" (likely an Evan Bayh supporter) on NBC New's online forum:

Suffice to say Obama will not win Indiana now no matter how many offices he opens there.

If...Then

If Andrea Mitchell is correct that Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine are out of contention for the VP spot, I have only one thing to say:

I'VE LOVED JOE BIDEN FOR A LONG TIME (click HERE)

...which is not to say that I won the VP prediction contest by any means. Rather, that it pays off to see all the presidential candidates during the primary season and see who impresses you the most; if they're a downright impressive candidate and they don't end up winning the nomination, put them on VP watch...

Hands Down

"If they [Republicans] think they're getting into the ring against someone who doesn't know how to punch back, they've got the wrong guy."

THE best speech of the 2008 campaign so far.

Fiery.

That's not a word you hear much these days in the Democratic party.

Sticking Around

My audio recording from Joe Biden's event at Plymouth State University this past Saturday is the longest in my collection—2:35:17 is how long it lasts.

I expected to stick around to hear Biden speak for around an hour before heading back down south for a Romney event in the evening--what would Biden have to say anyways?

Turns out Senator Biden kept me enraptured just listening to him, and I ended up clearing my planned events for the rest of the day.


The event took place in a small hall at Plymouth state that could probably hold ten times the number of people who showed up, and Biden began talking by pulling out a line he picked up in his years as a politician "there are crowds too small to give a speech to, and too large to have a conversation with." Erring on the side of intimacy, Biden said he'd enjoy conversing with those assembled, and he certainly didn't hide behind a podium.

Throughout the hour and a half Biden spent speaking and answering questions from the audience, he would repeatedly take a seat next to the person asking him a question, hold someone by the shoulder and speak directly to them, or put the weight of his leg up on an empty chair. Even Biden's idea of a conversation was more affectionate than most of the event's attendees could have anticipated, and the relaxed atmosphere allowed both Biden and the audience to loosen up and answer and ask questions in a more straightforward fashion.

Hillary Clinton take note—your "conversations" with voters ain't nothing like this.


Biden is known as the "foreign policy expert" of the field of presidential candidates, and is often mentioned as the ideal Secretary of State for the more "viable" candidates, but his knowledge of America's foreign policy wasn't the only bit of intelligence that stood out. The questions posed by professors and students of Plymouth State, as well as some local residents, were by far the most articulate, detailed, and sincere questions I have seen asked of any candidate since the presidential campaign season kicked off early this year. And unlike the candidates who stumble when the zingers are thrown at them, Biden shined the most when the details of his federal proposal for Iraq were asked about in detail, or another example when he was asked to explain the intricacies of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and how it could be remedied.

Yes, after only two questions that brought out passionate and well-crafted answers from Biden's amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill, one member of the audience expressed enough confidence in Biden's way of thinking that he was curious to see what the Senator thought about one of the most difficult and nuanced conflicts in the world. For a moment it seemed as if the audience of professors and parents were asking questions of some visiting professor themselves; Biden's course would certainly be an enlightening one.

"Professor, how do you fix the conflict between two hostile nations?"


Biden tackled the question by first asking if anyone else had questions that had to do with Israel and Palestine, obviously preparing for a long string of remarks that could be adapted to address whatever anyone wanted to know about.

Nobody else had anything to add, and Biden took about twenty minutes to give his explanation. For every minute, however, both the political science professor and the first-year undergraduate nodded in approval. Biden's words fit in perfectly with the educated and historical perspectives the teachers and students were familiar with from their studies. Unfortunately, in presidential politics it is often the professors and students that watch in disbelief as our leaders repeat every mistake of history and see the world through naive eyes and make imprudent decisions.

Biden is often labeled as "long-winded" and "rambling," but those words seem better fit on someone who doesn't know what they're talking about and ends up tracking all around an issue before finding the answer they want. Biden instead is intelligent and well-versed in the things he talks about, and his mastery of public speaking enables him to adjust his volume and passion whenever he becomes involved in explaining an issue.


I thought Biden would hop in a campaign vehicle and speed off after he finished answering questions, but he did nothing of the sort. True to his thorough tendencies, he not only signed his campaign posters and took photos with students, but he answered questions one-on-one for over an hour. As time passed, Biden grabbed a bottle of water, took off his suit jacket, and took a seat in the first row of seats. Around him a small group of reporters, students, and supporters filled in the chairs around, and I even felt so comfortable to take a seat on the floor in front of him.

A true conversation began--those who stuck around, myself included, would throw in words in the middle of Biden's sentences, seeking more specific explanations or suggesting possible ideas to him. Many candidates can't afford to take the time to engage in such a personal interaction with voters, but if I'd never seen the true "New Hampshire campaign way" before, this was it.





(all photos: 2007 by Luke N. Vargas. All Rights Reserved.)

A Few Days Behind

I havn't had time to write up anything about the events of today or yesterday, but that doesn't mean I will forget them easily.


To say that Joe Biden's event at Plymouth State yesterday was anything short of unforgettable would be a disservice to his character, his extraordinary political knowledge, and his exceptionally generous and warmhearted campaign.

In fact, I ended up staying at Biden's event for nearly three hours, consciously allowing myself to miss the final two events I was planning to cover yesterday. I couldn't have cared less.



Throw in some Mitt Romney, yard sales, what felt like a summer day at Lake Winnipesaukee, and Elizabeth Edwards and you've got two busy days in New Hampshire.




(all photos: © 2007 by Luke N. Vargas. All Rights Reserved.)

"Desperate for Bipartisan Success" sounds a lot better

So here I sit--sick for the fifth straight day, stuck inside the house for 48 consecutive hours, repeatedly hearing the "ping" of new emails as midnight approaches.

"Update from HQ: 10 hrs. left!"
"Big news"
"Tonight at Midnight"
"Less Than 5 Hours"
"A Special Request"
"Closing in on Our Goal"


God forbid an email asking for money should brag about something other than staggering campaign donations by people richer than me, how selfish I am for not wanting to save our country, or how Hillary's $1000/plate dinners are so terrible compared to the contributions from every millionaire trial lawyer.

Of all of these URGENT REMINDERS, only one message managed to stay out of my trash folder.


Joe Biden's campaign has been touting the Senator's recent Iraq amendment calling for U.S. policy to encourage a new federal system in Iraq. It would divide the country up into regions according to religious affiliation instead of pursuing a plan of uniting the whole country under a central government. In recent months Biden hasn't been all over the airwaves promoting whichever Iraq policy seems most popular at the time, instead he's been working behind the scenes to pull together a plan that would eventually get the kind of bipartisan support that Nancy Pelosi can only dream about: a 75-23 vote of approval.


What's most encouraging is that Biden co-authored the bill with Republican presidential nominee Sam Brownback. Isn't it nice when a Democrat and Republican can rally support around the same thing without having to attack anyone else?

I can't help but noticing that one of Biden's Democratic competitors, Governor Bill Richardson, seems to like Biden's proposal a great deal. Richardson says, "I would also study Senator Biden's federation [proposal]. I think that may be ultimately the right solution." [Christian Science Monitor, 9/27/06]

Funny that Richardson's official Iraq strategy is summed up in three headings on his website: "Remove ALL Troops," "Withdraw as Quickly as Possible," and "A Diplomatic Surge."

Shows that taking time to develop a viable strategy works a lot better than rushing on the scene with some clever, yet naive bullet points.....

Changing Gears

Tonight's debate was not as revolutionary or record-breaking as CNN likes to make it seem, but it did seem to mark a new period in the months leading up to primary season. Previous debates have seen a rush by the press and many voters to identify winners. Now, after a few rounds of no real movement, things are starting to change as real losers--the second tier candidates who still can't break out of their anonymity--are being slowly left behind. I'll take two candidates as examples here to show what's changing.

Chris Dodd

Here's a guy with experience and some great ideas that addressed a number of the issues raised in tonight's debate. Save perhaps his brief mention of his national service plan, Dodd failed to break from the rambling oration that he's so used to and get down to talking about the things that make him strongest. I was sadly unimpressed by his ability to articulate the plans I know he has for the environment, the Iraq war, and health care. Post-debate surveys show that 3% of viewers believed Dodd won tonight's debate (the lowest of all candidates), and 12% believed he lost (the second highest behind Mike Gravel). Dodd's campaign has changed a lot since the first debates--he's brought on some new advisors, picked up some endorsements, hit the trail in Iowa and New Hampshire as hard as anyone--but when it comes time to make a name for himself on the national stage nothing seems to happen.

Joe Biden

Polling only one or two percentage higher than Chris Dodd going into today was Delaware Senator Joe Biden. Biden has had difficulty establishing himself on the national stage in the past few months as well. There was a different energy in the air tonight because of the new debate format, and Joe Biden adjusted, and succeeded as a result. People saw his strong and no-nonsense speaking style and his ability to address the point on hand. At times he even responded in a quiet, emotional manner when appropriate. And what did viewers think? 14% said he won--putting him only 1% lower than Barack Obama and higher than Senator Edwards.

It's hard to say what the long-term reason behind these changes we're seeing now is. One explanation is that voters are picking up on smart energy: the ability to passionately speak about your position on an issue--even if it's not the best position. Chris Dodd might win an election on paper, but he's not doing enough to get us inspired enough to read about them at his website. Don't be surprised, however, if Joe Biden sees a surge in online donations, a small increase in media coverage, and it's not unrealistic to predict that he could start to move up a bit in the polls.

There's a cushion that people like someone like Hillary Clinton enjoys; she doesn't have to worry about the endlessly annoying "thank yous" she gives to anybody that asks her a question or does anything immediately before her. The same luxury doesn't exist for someone like Chris Dodd or Joe Biden because Hillary Clinton can count on waking up tomorrow with 40% of all Democrats supporting her.

It's that 5-10% undecided vote right now that is looking for an energized candidate that they think has a shot of making a mark on things. And to give him credit for the way he's handling himself, Joe Biden IS that passionate, sensible, experienced candidate that seems to show the hope of having some election-class mobility that makes me start to like him more and more.

All in all, it may not have been the element of YouTube that did the trick tonight, but we're finally seeing some changes in this election. To me, I'll sacrifice two hours of my time to see it unfold on CNN.

When Opposition Needs a Commanding Voice

Nobody's voice was louder at the New Hampshire Democratic Debate than that of Senator Joe Biden. Whether directing his criticism at George Bush's handling of the Iraq war or the Democrats' belief that continuing to block the recent troop funding bill could end the war, Joe Biden hasn't been shy about making his feelings known.

I'm not in favor of a candidate who uses anger and his or her intimidating presence to convince anyone of anything, but I have a profound admiration for that candidate who matches the absurdity of the current war with a spirit of fury and inspired righteousness. It's about time that a Presidential candidate shed the polished image of what is perceived to be the television-friendly indifference towards critical issues such as Iraq that we have seen from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards.

If YouTube could conjure up some clips of politicians from America's early years--when holding your ground on a political matter was an honorable thing to do (and doing so in a forceful manner even more so), I'm sure those politicians would be very similar to Joe Biden.