ABC News provides a Nightly News segment introducing the nation to Joe Biden:
His dominant positive characteristic is also his greatest weakness – the propensity to speak his mind. Fortunately, it has had a positive outcome, with Biden leveraging the latest McCain gaffe of not knowing how many houses he owns into a zinger soundbite [via TPM]:
“Your kitchen table is like mine, you sit there at night after you put the kids to bed and you talk about what you need. That’s not a worry John McCain has to worry about. He’ll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at.”
Early polling data shows Biden has minimally affected Obama’s chances, although there are some interesting data points. Simply put, it wasn’t much of a surprise to the press nor a game changer for the American voter. Expect much more attention to be paid to John McCain’s choice for Veep, particularly in regards to age, religiosity, and temperament. In the meantime, expect the media narrative to focus on the disgruntled (and manufactured) former-Hillary supporters who back McCain over Obama, and the coincidentally-themed advertising from the McCain Camp.
Many in the liberal blogosphere are somewhat “meh” (see Hullaballoo, All Spin Zone, Firedoglake, and the G-Spot) with regards to Biden. He was my personal favorite, although I could have lived with Hillary if need be. All told, Biden is Obama’s best choice, bringing to the campaign a compelling personal story, Republican supporters in Congress, a variety of American electoral firsts, and a geographical demographic advantage.
I look forward to the Veep debates between Biden and McCain’s probable pick, Willard Mitt Romney.
