JOE BIDEN!!!!!

[frogcycle]

I just watched a replay on CSPAN of a meet-the-people thing he did in Iowa Monday.

I was absolutely transfixed.

I love this guy!

[Rydz777]

1. Biden will be our next Secretary of State. nt

[rodeodance]

2. would be fine with me.

[Lindsey]

3. I have to admit I'm warming up to him. n/t

[Like It Is]

17. I'd prefer President!

I know you like Al Gore, but his stupid son just finished him off. Go with Biden!

[ribrepin]

4. I'm liking Joe Biden over the front-runners

He lies out plans, unlike our front-runners. He wants to partition Iraq and at this point that's the only thing that may work. He wanted people to flood the White House switchboard. Hilary and Obama gave statements, but didn't give angry democrats a place to vent their anger.

I first started liking Biden when I saw him questioning rummy about body armor for the troops. He treated him like a second rate used car salesman trying to sell him a hunk of junk.

Go Biden

[LordJFT]

5. he also sold out to the repukes and voted to continue funding the war in iraq

[frogcycle]

7. and browbeat Gates into buying the upgraded vehicles with the money

[Jillian]

12. and got minimum wage passed all at the same time,

[ribrepin]

9. What did you expect him to do?

The Bushies would have continued the war and leave the troops to fend for themselves. The troops would have been panhandling on the streets of Baghdad because the congress didn't give them enough for Meals-Ready-To-Eat. Meanwhile Halliburton would have gotten their cut.

[Like It Is]

16. He voted to support the troops!

He did the right thing, not like the hypocrites Hillary and Obama who waited for the outcome before casting their votes in opposition. I wouldn't want either of those two for my Commander in Chief!

[frogcycle]

6. I first started liking him when he grilled Clarence Thomas

There was a moment during it when he just literally spit fire at Orrin Hatch - bared his teeth with that almost maniacal grin and just eviscerated him with a couple of words - don't recall what, and they weren't important - probably just something like "let me finish", but the delivery was spectacular - like Jack Nicholson in The Shining

[ribrepin]

8. That's exactly what he did to rummy

Bared his teeth, gave a maniacal grin and eviscerated him. I was cheering him on and this was before anybody would say boo to the Bush administration.

He was going for the Bush jugular before it was popular.

[beaconess]

36. Are you serious? He was CHAIRMAN of the Judiciary Committee who allowed

Clarence Thomas to get out of committee!!! Biden is largely responsible for Thomas being on the Supreme Court. Sure, he asked tough questions - better to show how tough and smart he supposedly was. But then he totally screwed up the Anita Hill thing and then allowed Thomas to come out of Committee for a vote on the floor, knowing he'd be confirmed. I'd have preferred fewer tough questions if Biden had put his money where his mouth was.

I will never forgive Biden for that.

[Jillian]

13. And he did the same to Condi, Roberts and Alito

Loved it when he wore that Princeton hat to the Alito hearings just to piss Alito off :)

[ribrepin]

15. Missed the bit where he wore a Princeton hat to the Alito hearings

Ha, Ha...Do you know if there is a clip anywhere?

[Jim Sagle]

10. Eh.

:boring:

[Like It Is]

18. Wake Up!

You look like you overslept.

[Jillian]

11. Biden vs the other candidates

The difference is that they are pre-packaged. They say the right things. All the right soundbites.

Not Biden. He just rolls up his sleeves and shoots the breeze with you.
Nothing prepared. He is so brutally honest. When that guy asked him about gay marriage becoming law - any other candidate would have said Yes - I will make sure of that, just to get their vote. Not Biden. He said probably not, but that the GLBT would have the same rights as everyone else, and then he went on and explained his answer.

With Biden you get someone that is not afraid to be himself.

[ripple]

14. I like Biden, as do a lot of dems in my red state

I could see him as VP

[Like It Is]

19. Biden doesn't play second fiddle.

You have to be out of your cotton picking mind! Obama, get real!

[Trajan]

23. Very few posts .... and your already straightening everyone out ...

By this time next week: you should have everyone toeing the line ....

Ehem ....

[Like It Is]

42. Just visiting from MSNBC.

Joined on: 08/25/06 11:20 AM
Messages posted (all forums): 3464
Last post: 07/09/07 09:14 PM
Is that enough experience for you?

[ripple]

26. If you think Biden is likely to get the nod,

perhaps it is you who should 'get real'.

Once he's out of the running himself, I think it's very likely that Biden would accept a VP candidacy if asked. Or perhaps a cabinet position with the newly elected dem president.

[jillan]

30. With all due respect

And I mean it sincerely, because I am trying not to bash any Democratic candidate....

But when is Obama going to get real?
I watch him on tv ~ and he is on all of the time on C-Span, and I never hear him say anything of substance.
All he talks about is how f-d up this admninistration is and how he wants to change everything.
But he never seems to say how. Especially if he is elected and there is so much partisanship in DC.
Obama is not going to be able to change the vile discourse coming from the repukes. Watching his rallies are
beginning to remind me of the pep-rallies I used to go to in high school and college. All about getting the crowd
excited, all glamour. Go Team! Go Obama!

Obama was my first choice for President. I supported him before he became a rock star.
But I got tired of hearing him say nothing.

I am looking for experience, honesty, and intelligent proposals. Something concrete to believe in.
I can hold out for hope with family and friends, but not with someone that is going to have to lead this country
out of the extreme mess it is in - at home, and abroad.

[ripple]

33. Maybe it's just a matter of preference

Personally, I prefer someone who takes a more nuanced approach to complicated issues, rather than someone who loyally delivers red meat lines to the faithful. I don't think either Biden or Obama are the type of politicians to rely on such methods, no matter how much it might build their popularity. Biden has the knowledge and experience to be a true leader, particularly in the area of foreign policy. I think Obama has proven himself to be a thoughtful, intelligent leader, who gathers as much information as possible before forming a judgment on a given issue. For that reason, I don't necessarily think that what some perceive as his inexperience is much of an issue. Too often, experienced leaders have a great deal of difficulty thinking outside of the box and adapting their way of thinking to changing circumstances.

Your points about Obama are well-taken and I agree that he hasn't solidified his positions publicly as much as he will need to as the election draws closer. To his credit, though, I think it's more a matter of strategy than a matter of him not knowing where he stands. And if I'm correct, it isn't such a bad strategy. Let people get to know him and like him, before risking their disapproval by saying some of the things they don't necessarily want to hear. Obama has already gone out on a limb with some of his statements regarding the black community, Iran, immigration, and other issues. Predictably, the response has been very mixed.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of the problem is with the simplicity of the electorate, rather than with anything Obama is or isn't doing. My best measure of him comes from his writing and past policy positions. Based on his record and previous statements, I believe he is much more progressive than he's coming across in this campaign. Our nation just hasn't caught up, yet.

[jillan]

34. I will say one thing about Obama

He is the most likeable candidate running.

If his strategy is to first make people like him, and then
lay out his plans - which will piss off alot of people as policy will, since you can't please everybody.
But people won't care as much since he already won them over....

then he is brilliant, and deserves to be POTUS.

Doesn't change my mind tho. I still support Biden, but you made me look at Obama in a new light - and I am pretty hard-headed

[Like It Is]

46. Maybe too progressive.

Not all Democrats are bleeding heart liberals. I consider myself a moderate. That's why I like Biden.

[Like It Is]

44. Dream On!

[themaguffin]

50. Kerry was "dead" before Iowa

[justinrr1]

20. Biden is the real deal

and eventually the polls will start to show. He is a great leader and would make a great President!

[ooga booga]

21. It's all about the hair........

I have a neighbor who's a fellow liberal Democrat, and he insists that the presidential race is all about the hair. You've got to have good hair to win the presidency! OK - it's wacky, but, like a lot of wacky notions, there's a ring of truth to it.

Anyway, if it IS about the hair, Joe Biden is not going to be a player. (I'm another folliclially challenged American male. I'd be in the same boat as Joe.)

[bunkerbuster1]

32. And the good news about the hair?

No way either Rudy or Fred wins the nomination.

[Like It Is]

40. What is he a Barber?

If not, he's a half a bubble off!!!!!

[fujiyama]

22. MBideNA?

No Thanks.

His enthusiastic support for the Bankruptcy bill is enough to dismiss him outright.

[LynneSin]

27. So Joe isn't allowed to support the industry that pretty much is all of Delaware?

First - there is no MBNA. It's Bank of America and they moved the bulk of their jobs out of the state.

Second - you can't go 10 feet in Northern Delaware without tripping over someone who either works for a major bank or is related to someone who does. BTW, I work for a major bank.

Third - This is not uncommon with other senators. Mary Landrieu supports the oil industry because they are a major employer of folks in Louisiana; Blanche Lincoln has been known to support Wal-mart in legislation that is oppose to them but then again Blanche is from the home of Wal-mart.

If that's the only lame excuse you can find to not support Joe Biden then well, it's lame. Joe; without a doubt, is much more liberal than the other democratic senator in our state. He's also be coming out even stronger against the war than what Hillary or Obama have been doing.

And hell, he called Bush 'Brain-Dead' on national news - gotta love that

[fujiyama]

38. Biden's problem

is that he's very clever and rips Bush on many occasions in pretty amusing and witty ways, but...he still votes with Bush on critical issues too often.

His voting record isn't bad per se (better than any southern Democrat that's for sure), and there's no doubt that his foreign policy would be a million times more reasonable than this group of lunatics in power. And to his credit, I'll admit that he's at least issuing ideas on how to get out of Iraq, rather than vague generalities, platitudes, and meaningless promises.

As for the bankruptcy bill, I still think it was one of the nastiest, mean spirited bills congress has passed in recent years. It was indefensible, and had NO justification whatsoever other than to protect an industry that needed none.

I know you constantly defend Biden's support for it since you live in his state, but I'm not buying the defense for one minute. It's not as though if this bill had not passed, people in Delaware would have lost jobs. And it's not as though the people who work for credit card companies and in the state of Delaware won't be affected by this. I understand that politicians will always support their local industry - even when they're clearly in the wrong. Likewise, I was very irritated with my own two senators, Levin and Stabenaw for refusing to support increased CAFE standards. And I think Obama's support for "clean coal" is idiotic. It's not a practice we should blindly defend. It shows a lack of any political courage. It's what we EXPECT Republicans to do.

Maybe it's a bit harsh to dismiss him outright for that one bill, but if that's indicative of how supportive he is of the financial industry's corrupt practices, I think I'll look for alternatives in the primaries.

That said, if in the unlikely even he got the nomination I'd support him and he's still higher on the list than Hillary.

But that doesn't mean I'm not critical of pandering and whoring out to companies.

[Like It Is]

51. Not Biden's Problem, Deadbeats Problem.

The Bankruptcy Bill needed doing for a long time. Too many dead beats were running up debt and then filing for bankruptcy, not once but several times. This added to Honest borrowers costs. Oh, and by the way, I don't live in Delaware.

[jillan]

31. That's pretty clever - did you think of that all by yourself?

[LittleClarkie]

24. He talks a good game sometimes

but often enough doesn't vote the way he talks.

Mostly, he just likes to talk, and be on camera as he talks.

They say that the most dangerous place in Washington is between Joe Biden and a camera.

[justinrr1]

25. He is the only one with a plan for Iraq

and isnt the camera joke about Kerry?

[LynneSin]

28. Actually that applies for Biden too - but you're right about the war

I think it was Rolling Stones that had a 1-paragraph summary from each of the democratic candidates about why they should be elected. Biden was the only one who said that we need to get out of Iraq - and it was the first sentence that he gave.

Yes, I know how he voted in 2003 - but what we need now are folks who are trying to get us out of that mess.

I'm not sold on Joe Biden yet but I'm starting to think I shouldn't discount him so quickly

[DangerDave921]

29. Met Joe

OK, maybe not met him. I saw him on the Acela the other day coming back from D.C. He looked like such a regular guy. Jacket off, talking amiably with his staff while standing in the bar car. I had to walk past him to leave the train and I said, "Pardon me Senator." He said, "Of course" as he patted my shoulder. Maybe a bit of a practiced move, but hey -- he seemed like a nice regular guy.

[DrDan]

35. I think he is the most presidential of all the candidates

on both sides.

I am just not sure of his loyalties - I think he is tied a bit too tightly to some corporate interests.

[jillan]

41. Actually Dr Dan - if you compare his

contributors, to lets say the top three,

you would find that Senator Biden receives very little corporate $$$.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=21&ItemID=13177

and then you can check it out on this site:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.asp?cycle=2008

[jsamuel]

37. Joe Biden is very very right some of the time.

He is also bat-shit crazy some of the time. And not in a good way either. He makes a pretty good Senator, but he would be a horrible president.

[Like It Is]

52. Right for America!

Biden beats Edwards ten times over. No contest. He also beats Hillary and Obama at least that bad.

[Like It Is]

39. Wake up early in the morning!

MEDIA ALERT: Senator Joe Biden will appear live on CBS's Early Show tomorrow morning at approximately 7:10 a.m.

[jillan]

43. Got the Tivo all ready to go :)

[grizmaster]

45. He's my choice

I'll be happy if he at least pushes the other dems into coming out with Iraq plans as detailed as his. I don't agree with Joe on everything, but nobody is offering up as much detailed and well thought plans as he has.

[LBJDemocrat]

47. I'd support him

No hesitation. If Edwards becomes unviable, I'd vote either Biden or Clark in the primaries.

[lyonn]

48. Biden so far is my favorite of our current candidates

It's hard not to be aware of the honesty he exhibits. Ok, he isn't perfect. He steps in it sometimes because of his enthusiasm. He is lacking money big time. I could only afford a small amout to his campaign, but, if enough little people drop some dollars in his bucket he might get more attention.

Would love to see Clark throw his hat in the ring. Talk about collecting some sheckles!

Today on c-span there was shown a 50 yr. celebration of the Truman Library where Bill Clinton was the main speaker. That guy has got "it". Great speaker. He makes you feel positive about the possibilities in America. No wonder he left office with more than 60% approval rate even tho he was bashed daily on the tube. If Hillary is our nominee there will be that added bonus of Bill.

[jillan]

49. I have to add this picture to this thread.

[Like It Is]

53. Good shot!

Joe is a whole lot more compassionate and understanding than the rest of the candidates.

[Like It Is]

54. Here's Joe discussing Iraq in the Senate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EU7YA-VDSc