There will be thousands of trees and pixels murdered over the next few days on this one. I'm simply going to stick with the following, since I don't really have an opinion on Biden as VP myself:
Here's hilzoy on Obama's choice of Biden as his running mate. And here's some commentary from John Cole on Ron Fournier's snarky attack on the choice. From Fournier's piece:
Analysis: Biden pick shows lack of confidence
By RON FOURNIER, Associated Press Writer Sat Aug 23, 2:12 AM ET
DENVER – The candidate of change went with the status quo.
In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness — inexperience in office and on foreign policy — rather than underscore his strength as a new-generation candidate defying political conventions.
***
The picks say something profound about Obama: For all his self-confidence, the 47-year-old Illinois senator worried that he couldn’t beat Republican John McCain without help from a seasoned politician willing to attack. The Biden pick is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative — a strategic decision that may be necessary but threatens to run counter to his image.
For more on Fournier and his "objectivity," see this take-down from Steve Benen. Fournier, it seems, has been one of the most faithful of the Washington stenographers.
My own take on reactions like Fournier's is this: OK, boys and girls, I realize you've gotten used to the idea that the VP is The Real Deciderer, but don't you realize that's the result of electing a stump as president? Somehow, I don't think Biden's going to be calling the shots in an Obama administration. If you do, it just proves you've had too much Kool-Aid.
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