Biden Supporters: Why Joe?

[rjones2818]

This is the sixth is a series of postings asking people why they support their candidate. It started with another posting asking Hillary's supporters to do so, and I've continued with Kucinich, Obama, Edwards and Richardson. Now's the chance for Joe Biden's supporters to tell us (and, maybe, convince us) of why they support Joe!

Have at it!

:beer: :toast:

[Byronic]

1. Thanks for the opportunity

I am a Biden supporter for the old fashioned, very simple reason, that, in my opinion, he would make the best president of the United States.

I think he is the most qualified, both through his professional and personal experiences, and, after the nightmare of the Bush Administration, the 'best person for the job' is my sole priority when judging a candidate.

Biden doesn't 'wing it', he doesn't make it up as he goes along. He doesn't have to use smoke and mirrors to mask gaps in his knowledge. He is curious about the world, and has a genuine passion for the issues.

Is a president who actually knows what he is doing, and is passionate about the arduous tasks ahead of him, too much to ask for in this media-driven, image-driven, age of ours?

I don't think so.

Joe Biden for President.

[gateley]

35. I trust him. I believe what he says. He has integrity. He's passionate.

I was very impressed when he offered his plan for leaving Iraq, stating it would take time even though he knew that's not what we wanted to hear. The other candidates were just saying "I'll bring the troops home" and not telling us HOW.

Not a requirement but nice nonetheless, he's got a great sense of humor and can laugh at himself.

I really feel we'd be in good hands.

[jillan]

50. Gately -

Welcome to DU:hi:

[gateley]

59. Hey, Thanks! I'm THRILLED to be here! n/t

[Orsino]

2. I will wait with interest...

...for specific claims about Biden that manage to reconcile his past behavior with any promise of future performance.

I am not expecting to be persuaded his way.

[murbley40]

3. I support Biden because......

He shows strength,without being threatening,speaks directly to the people,explains his positions and how he arrived at them,and when he does this,it is in terms that I,an average voter understand. He explains his policies thoroughly. I like that in place of little quick answers with no details. He can also(he is getting much better at this) speak briefly if called for,however I find that he says more in 30 seconds than others say in 3 minutes. He is no BS, he believes we deserve to be told the truth and does even if it isn't pretty. If you have questions,he will take as much time as you want to answer them. He is a uniter,for real, is skilled in the art of compromise. Senator Biden is consistent in his stand on issues,he doesn't change with the political winds. He can identify with me and you because he has lived our lives and suffered our tragedy and rebounded from it. He is not a millionaire,in fact is the least wealthy Senator in the present Senate.

Biden is as you know, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, serves on the Judiciary Committee and is a former chairman of the Judiciary Committee and teaches Constitutional Law at Widener College, in Delaware. He respects you and me and most of all the constitution(wouldn't that be a welcome change?) He has met with many ,many heads of state,they know him and they respect him.
He would be great at helping us return to our place of respect in the world. He has a good record on domestic issues both nationally and in our state.

He has strong family values and he is the candidate that I trust and feel safe with.

Senator Biden is the most underrated candidate of either party, this may be our country's loss..

.

[murbley40]

4. kick

:kick:

[bryant69]

5. There really is a lot to recommend Biden -

But on the other hand, he's seen as a bit of a hawk, which might be enough to sink him. I would say this, if Edwards or Obama selected him as their Vice President I would be very happy with that selection.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[murbley40]

6. kick

[Jillian]

12. I doubt that Biden would be their VP

Biden is not a hawk. That is crazy. He is completely for diplomacy.

[PatSeg]

23. I doubt it too

I don't see him as a VP.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. What, precisely, are "strong family values".

Can you tell us? Specifically? :shrug:

[murbley40]

10. Strong family values...

In Joe's case I was referring to the fact that he was raised in a family that believes you help one another if needed and don't wait to be asked. Family first! Another example is that Joe has for 34 years commuted home at the end of the day from Washington to Wilmington, Delaware by rail. He started doing this right after his wife and child were killed in an automobile accident,so that his two boys who were seriously injured would not worry that he might not make it home. He has been married to the same woman for 30 years. His Mom lives on the same property with him and his wife,
they look out for one another in his family. His sister moved in and helped raise his boys after the death of his wife and child. How do you define family values? If this doesn't answer your question I will continue.

[Bucky]

15. This is setting the bar low, but try "Doesn't create unnecessary multitudes of orphans"

If you can't check that box, you ain't family values.
.

[jillan]

17. You won't find him playing footsie in the men's bathroom.

Need I say more :P

Actually, since he lost his first wife and daughter, he goes home every nite to be with
his family. He comes from a tight-knit family.

[PatSeg]

7. He is clearly the most qualified

I've been following Joe Biden for several years now, so I didn't come to support him quickly or easily. I feel this election is vital for the future of our country and our choices will have long range consequences.

Experience does count and I am not willing to take a gamble on any candidate who claims to have enough good judgment and intelligence to compensate for a lack of experience. Joe Biden's career in the senate is not only a long one, but a distinguished one as well. He has been an advocate for unions and the working man/woman. He has realistic plans for health care reform, education, and energy conservation, not just slogans.

Of course, the all important issue of the day is foreign relations and Biden is light years ahead of the other candidates. When it comes to Iraq, he won't tell you what he thinks you want to hear - he'll tell you the TRUTH! This is his style and it has gotten him some criticism, but I'm tired of watching a candidate weigh his/her words carefully so as not to alienate someone. Joe Biden is refreshingly unscripted and slogan-free. You ask him a question and you get a direct, honest, and informed answer.

I may not always agree with everything Biden does or says - it is unlikely that such a candidate exists - but I really trust Biden to be straight with me. I don't envy our next president. The current administration has left a mess unlike anything I've seen in my lifetime and it will take a truly competent, experienced person to clean it up. You can be sure that who ever gets the job will be closely scrutinized and heavily criticized each and every day. That person will have to be continuously visible and accessible to the American people. We need a president who we can truly trust to make informed decisions and difficult choices.

If I want to gamble, I'll go to Vegas. When I go to the voting booth, I intend to make an informed decision. I'm voting for intelligence, good judgment, competence, and experience. I'm voting for Joe.

[murbley40]

8. kick

[jillan]

11. First - he is not full of BS, he doesn't pander

He will say the same thing to voters in Maine as he would to voters in California.

Likewise, he doesn't pander to foreign countries. I recently read a speech he gave to Israeli-Americans about Iran.
He told them the truth, and didn't just say whatever they wanted to hear.
The same thing with GLBT - he told a group what he believed he could accomplish in his administration, and didn't make empty promises.

He has proven leadership skills in foreign affairs.
He once told Milosovec that he (Milosovec) was a war criminal and Biden would do everything in his powers to take him down.
Biden was successful.
You have seen Biden's passion about Darfur. Last month he and Lugar got UN peacekeepers into that region.
In the first CNN debate, the one with Wolfie, he told us the truth about Iran...how they were years away from a nuclear weapon and that there was plenty of time for diplomacy.
He has an actual plan for Iraq, whether you agree with it or not. It is a plan based on the Iraqi constitution - which Biden can recite from memory. And he has a plan for AFTER we leave so we never have to go back.
He forced Hillary to tell the truth at a recent debate how long it would take for us to leave Iraq.
He has already met with the Top 5 UN leaders asking them if they would help in Iraq - they said yes.
He is going to Iraq in the near future to meet with his contacts and to see for himself what is really going on so he will be able to intelligently debate the Petraus report.

Our troops love him because he has worked his a** off to get them MRAPs, which would save 70% of deaths and injuries due to IEDs.
That is why he voted yes in the last funding bill (which he announced 2 days before the vote - not like certain candidates who waited until the vote was over to place their vote). And after the funding got approved, he followed up with Gates to make sure the MRAPs were on schedule to get to our troops.

Domestically -
he has authored the Violence Against Women Act which has made a law against domestic violence, and provides for the needs of abused victims.
He was the author of the Cops on the Streets act during the Clinton administration that resulted in a drop in violence and crime.
He has proposed legislation for lithium ion batteries – those needed for super-efficient plug-in hybrids which can get 100 mpg to help us get off of foreign oil.
He has a higher rating on energy efficiency than most of the other candidates because he is against ALL coal production.
He has a detailed plan to put 100,000 new nurses in the workforce in the next five years. If you have had the unfortunate experience dealing with hospitals, or critical care centers - you would know that this is badly needed. Nurses are the middle man between you and the doctor - they are your best friend when you are ill.
He has the actual leadership skills to get through this divided Congress a universal plan for healthcare.
He has detailed plans to improve Medicare and education.

He is a fighter for civil rights.
He was very involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 60's and throughout most of his career has maintained a 100% rating from the NAACP.
He has recently proposed legislation to close secret prisons, stop torture, restore habeaus corpus.

I could go on and on.

Overall Joe Biden is a great statesman, with the right experience needed to clean up the mess that will be left by this administration. And he will tell the American people the truth.

As he always says (paraphrasing) that this is not a time for on the job training ~ that the next President is going to be left with no margin of error.

I'm looking for proven leadership this election. Biden is my rock star!

[KittyWampus]

13. Biden is the candidate most likely and ABLE to take on the issue of bloated Defense spending

All three of the "top tier" candidates would HAVE to be hawkish and perpetually shovel more money into the corrupt pit in order to avoid be called soft on defense.

Hillary- because she is a woman, a democrat and because we have her husband's performance as a guide from the past for her likely behavior in the future.
Edwards- so very little experience with military and foreign policy. He blathers on about addressing poverty but unless Defense spending is addressed you're just window dressing.
Obama- same.

Biden (and maybe Dodd and Richardson) are the ones who'd most likely be able to take on the MIC.

I am not a Biden supporter yet, but am leaning that way.

[Bucky]

14. I'm leaning his direction. He speaks the most cogently and most convincingly.

He speaks with real passion. He is probably the best informed person in the Senate on international affairs. He's from Delaware and yet still has a strong union voting record and a strong environmental record. He could close the deal in several swing states--Ohio and Florida being the big concerns. Sadly, West Virginia has turned into a swing state. Thankfully Virginia classic has become one too.

The most effective attacks the Republicans already have lined up against our leading contenders just won't score points on Biden. He also has just about the strongest track record on anti-crime legislation in Congress, but has achieved it without jeopardizing Civil Rights.

He's being charming right now, but he can be vicious in a debate. His hair plugs fucking bother me, but I do think he's probably the strongest contender in November. His IRW vote still bothers me. I have yet to see him explain that. When he does, I'd like to hear him clear it up in a way that doesn't make me want to scream "You dumbass, how could you be so gullible?" as when Clinton and Edwards justify their votes.

I'm close to supporting Biden; I've even come up with a good slogan for him:

Biden: like Bob Graham with an edge.

[PatSeg]

22. Great slogan!

The hair plugs bother a lot of people for some reason. I have a problem with Hillary's wardrobe at times, but it isn't a consideration, just an observation.

I love seeing him in a debate. He can express anger without being mean or arrogant. He certainly isn't bland and he is very outspoken.

[donkeyotay]

16. I've listened to Biden carefully, and he's impressive.

Experience and intelligence are important qualifications. Democrats should consider him before committing to any of the top three.

[Bucky]

18. Seriously, did you ever expect to read "I'm supporting Joe" on DU?

it boggles :dem:

[jillan]

19. you did almost knock me off my chair :)

:toast:

[PatSeg]

24. We're slow, but we're finally getting out there!

I didn't see John Kerry as a viable candidate in 2004 - campaigns are full of surprises and I think its going to be an interesting ride!

[murbley40]

52. No.

When I first posted on Du and mentioned Joe Biden,I was blasted so bad I didn't come back for a while.

[jillan]

20. Biden is leaving for Iraq tonite - please go to his site and send him your wishes

http://blog.joebiden.com/?p=1016

[hogwyld]

21. Kick

I'm leaning towards Joe since he seems to be the most forthright of the candidates, and says what he believes whether it's popular or not. I really believe he is more interested in doing what's right for our country than for the special interests.

[jillan]

25. and one more!

[demommom]

26. Why Joe?

Senator Biden is my choice, because I trust him. I trust him because he tells it like it is,whether it's what we want to hear or not and believes that the people should be told the truth. He looks people in the eye when he speaks and he is consistent on the issues,doesn't change his stand according to where he is speaking. He is a fighter,doesn't
give up easily. Loves his country and wants to do what is best for it.
He can be passionate without being angry when making his point.

He absolutely has the most experience in Foreign Relations,very important
at this time in our history. He has continued to do his job while running for the nomination,authoring and helping to get passed legislation important to our country.

He was the first one to come out with a detailed plan for leaving Iraq
without creating a regional war and to recognize the need for a plan for after we leave. He voted yes, on the Iraq supplemental, to make sure there was money for the vehicles to protect our troops from roadside bombs. He knew it would be better for him if he voted against it,but he voted for the troops. There is a lot more that I could say,but others have already told you about a lot of his legislation.
We need straight forward Joe Biden with his experience and knowledge to be our next President.

[jillan]

29. Trust ~

That says it all

[iverglas]

27. just want to thank the answerers

I'm an outsider, but I'm an oldster with a TV. I was glued to it during the Clarence Thomas hearings, and I still have the tapes somewhere. That's where I 'met' Joe Biden, as I was just saying in the "whom do you love?" thread. ;)

I wanted into that club - the US Senate Judiciary Committee. The smartest, richest, most powerful, whitest old boys in the world. Mostly: smart. Damned smart, all of them. Some for better, some for worst. All worth spending some time with. And Biden most of all. (Kennedy ... all that baggage ...)

I didn't realize until I saw the recent primary debate that he actually isn't rich. I may be richer than he is. One more mark in his column.

I do really appreciate what people have said in this thread. There are truly excellent reasons for supporting him -- entirely without denigrating anyone else, I note as well.

And look -- he gets his picture taken with Canadians!


"Senator Joe Biden is seen with 18 year old Alyssa Stea of Ontario Canada following his departure from a taping of 'The Late Show with David Letterman' at the Ed Sullivan Theater on July 31, 2007 in New York City"

Obviously his war vote is more than problematic. On the other hand, there are things I can think of on which he compares more than favourably with some of his fellow candidates, from a specifically Canadian perspective, and one that is therefore relevant to foreign policy matters. But I'll leave those things out for now. My own gut feelings have been similar to those expressed here -- he is intelligent, honest, straightforward, thoughtful, curious, knowledgeable, honourable, passionate, determined -- and they're all things that are of the absolute utmost importance to me.

[jillan]

28. I don't know if you like to read - but if you do

you should read Promises to Keep.

He goes into detail about what was going on behind the scenes before that vote.
alot of questions, alot of confusion....not only from him.
But it does give you some understanding. And he is so sorry now.

[iverglas]

30. thanks for the suggestion

(And I'll assume you're not making oblique reference to my adamant defence of television watching in that thread the other day. ;) )

I just don't know whether there's anything that could explain / justify it to me. I knew. I hoped I was wrong, even as I was hoping I was right because I really didn't want Bush to be right and the things he was doing to be the right things to do (I had represented refugees from Saddam Hussein's Iraq for years, so it's not like I didn't want him gone), and I never actually expected to be as right as I was -- but I did know. There's my conflict: I have always thought of Biden as smart and honest and honourable ... and I'm smarter? Or am I more honest, or more honourable? Well, maybe I was just lucky to be out of the loop of deceit, and it would be worth looking into.

I don't want to turn this into argument about Biden, I assure you; it's just that this is kinda the elephant in the room. I just might send someone to buy the book next time he heads downtown, because I don't doubt it's worth reading even if it turns out to be ultimately unsatisfying on that point. It would be nice if more people read it, I suspect, but I also agree with others here that it is important for Biden to address it directly outside the book.

[jillan]

37. No - no reference to your tv watching - believe me!!

There was alot of back and forth before the vote.
Biden was so close to not voting for it. But was convinced to by the idiot-in-chief himself.

The book is good reading. I don't get a chance to read much but found myself making the time.
Heck - it even made it to the NYT bestsellers list after a few weeks :P


Biden often speaks about how he never thought this administration would be so incompetent.
And that he says was his biggest mistake.

[NNN0LHI]

31. I support all the Dem candidates but is what I like about Joe is...

...he is out there on the TV shows communicating things to us constantly. Almost to the point of being aggravating sometimes. But dammit at least he is out there doing his best to answer the hard questions. He doesn't always have the answer I would have preferred, but at least he will give a straight answer that I can understand most of the time. Which is saying a lot.

I like Joe and would run down to vote for him next year if he is our candidate.

Don

[skyblue]

32. I support him because

He is more accessible to the larger audience. People will listen to him and he can kick ass and be taken seriously by all voters.

I don't think Democrats have the mainstream voter as much as we think inspite of the aweinspiring corruption & cetera, because the polls show in individual matchups lead Democratic candidates don't always beat lead Republican candidates.

Biden hasn't gotten out there as much as I'd like. But at the same time I would also support my 2nd and 3rd choice candidates anyway remembering the Dean-scream-that-was-not-a-scream-but-was-perceived-as-such and how any of my 1st 2nd or 3rd choices do something stupid that might hurt them in the Primary or General. cuz I think some candidates are more electable in the General election.

I understand that the USA is not like other countries otherwise Shrub would have been gone a loooong, loooong time ago.

He's a MWM which I think helps as far as being electable. I just think voters tend to be narrowminded. Again, Shrub did not get totally blown out of the water in 2004.


Also, 1 of the 1st things I said to myself was a Biden-Gore ticket would be un-beat-able. :smoke: :kick:



But, I also like Biden-Richardson, and Biden-Clinton, Biden-Clark, possibly Biden-Dean, Biden-Kerry maybe.

Read some of his book which gives more insight to his personality etc. which makes me like him even more.

[jillan]

33. skyblue -

Why don't you join us over at the Biden supporters group?

We need more people like you over there:)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=404

[skyblue]

60. Thanks for the Heads Up!

[BlooInBloo]

34. Because people with medical catastrophes don't DESERVE bankruptcy protection. Duh.

Lazy schmucks.

[TahitiNut]

36. "Your money or your life!"

It's not just for highway robbers anymore.

[BlooInBloo]

38. Nor just for Adam Ant. :)

[saltpoint]

39. For my cousins and me growing up in the midwest, one of our moms the

Democratic county chair, politics was a very vivid arena. We understood it to be a matter of dedication and discipline and high seriousness. It was in my aunt's face and in her words. She was a magnificent local interpreter of national Democratic matters and trends.

Mr. Stevenson was to be honored for his intelligence. Mr. Kennedy as well. Note also with Mr. Kennedy the style, the energy, the impact of speaker-to-audience. Mr. McCarthy's earnestness. Mr. McCarthy's poetry. Mr. R. Kennedy's face when he spoke. Note also the faces of those he spoke to.

Note at conventions this young Biden fellow from Delaware. One of the 13 original colonies. Only 29 and there he is, keen on foreign relations. Take note of that one.

If we wanted to be Democrats, and we certainly did, these were among the Democrats we wanted to emulate.

Joe Biden is one of the great Democrats.

You don't like his vote on the bankruptcy bill? Neither do I but I love his principled fight against John Bolton. I have his voting record in mind in the whole, the entire landscape since he was elected many years back. Perfect? No. Find me someone who is. You don't get to hold Biden to "Perfect" unless you can match "Perfect" yourself, and I'm here to tell you it can't be done. We've all tried, we've all failed to be perfect. Biden's in the public eye, has been for years, and there've been some missteps.

There have also been some tremendous accomplishments and moments when his light leads. You want to know who Joe Biden really is? Watch again the footage of the SFRC for the Bolton hearings. There he is. And the Joe Biden you see outflanking Dick Lugar and carrying the day against Bolton is the Biden who would be president.

Polls say otherwise but I predict Biden contends for the nomination. He's better than any poll anyway. Always has been.

And he'd make a hell of a fine president.

[jillan]

40. One of these days OC - I want you to start a thread

on Edwards. You are better at complimenting Biden than all of his supporters!
And if you can speak so eloquently about another candidate other than the one you
support, I can't wait to hear (read) your feeling about Edwards.

Besides - I like Edwards too.

[saltpoint]

41. I like my Democrats. Edwards gets my vote in the primary because I

identify so strongly with the veins in American political life he's drawing blood from -- the Robert Kennedy vein especially. I want a government as close to a Robert Kennedy government as can possibly be.

We Democrats are a varied bunch. No amount of slamming this or that or the other Democrat on these boards is going to change most of our votes. Maybe it will come down to Biden and Edwards in February or March of next year, or maybe both of them will have been eliminated. I have no idea.

But I love the exchange on DU and the chance to meet other kinds of Democrats. The Biden group is a great group. I've been wlecomed very warmly by the Edwards camp and before that, the John Kerry camp. Valued exchanges all.

And 14 months from now, we're going to put a Democrat in the White House! I'm countin' the days!

[jillan]

42. What I love about Edwards is his passion for the working class &

the poor. When he speaks, I believe him. I don't hear rhetoric or talking points.
I hear a man that sincerely wants to make life better for many Americans.
Robert Kennedy is a great comparison.


14 more months seems like eternity to me- But I too am confident that there will be a Dem in the WH.
There will be much celebrating on 1-20-09:toast:

[saltpoint]

44. Yep. Let's toast to that Democrat tonight.

Plenty of hard work lies ahead, sure, but it's work worth doing.

I'm in, pirhana.

:toast:

[Steve_in_California]

51. The Kennedy brothers

were more about image than substance. It was their inexperience, an invitation to Russian/Cuban aggression, that brought this nation to the brink of nuclear war.

[Debi]

53. Welcome to DU Steve_in_California

:hi:

[saltpoint]

61. Hi, Steve, and welcome to the DU boards.

I don't quibble that image was a potent additive to JFK's and RFK's careers, but I don't think they can be faulted on substance.

Think of the difference in the east coast aristocratic Bush clan and the east coast aristocratic Kennedy clan, and the difference IS substance, particularly the notion of public service.

I ask myself whose son I would rather have been -- Robert & Ethel Kennedy's or GHW & Babs Bush.

It won't surprise you that I pick Bobby and Ethel every time.

[Swamp Rat]

43. "I love his principled fight against John Bolton."

I agree, and I love your description of Biden as he outmaneuvered Lugar and the others. :D

"I want a government as close to a Robert Kennedy government as can possibly be." Music to my ears.

"But I love the exchange on DU and the chance to meet other kinds of Democrats." It's great to have this opportunity to come together, in this new medium called cyberspace.

However, just beyond our temporal reality of being here together right now, our ad hoc totality, we are but just a drop in the ocean of possibilities.

:hi:

[saltpoint]

45. Hey there good person.

True -- we're a drop in the bucket.

But's it's a nice blue bucket and I like it!

Hope all's well your way.

:hi: :dem:

[Swamp Rat]

47. Way'at Old Crusoe!

Hope all is well on your side of the Great Blue Globe. :hi:

I was watching the History Channel's "The Universe." What a great series! It was both humbling and ennobling at the same time. It also made me long for the time when I studied astronomy and read Alan Guth's theories about our ever expaniding universe. I had a blast working the refractor telescope and tracking sunspots, using remote sensed data to do spectral analyses, computing parallax distance measurements, etc.

Here's a nebula I discovered, the "Impeach Nebula": :D

[saltpoint]

48. And modern people wonder why the ancients worshipped the heavens.

When a message is written in the stars, we gotta follow it.

Nice stuff.

[Steve_in_California]

46. The General Election Must Be Won By a Considerable Margin

I am one of "those" people. "We" outnumber all the rest of you. Who are "we?" "We" are the people who are so disgusted with they way these campaigns are run that we don't even bother to accept any of the choices forced upon us . . . by people who dare to imagine themselves as some sort of owners of the political process. "We" don't participate in primaries or caucuses and "we" don't get to attend conventions--nor do "we" want to. The beehive is not for us and the latest "buzz" is only more insect noise. "We" are that 48 to 53% of the adult population you never hear from on election day, and the only "lobby" we have is that front porch that needs painting. "We" don't like liberals and we can't stomach conservatives. "We" think that people who need to define both themselves and others using labels are of the sort who take refuge and find solace in generalization. You can't convince "us" of anything. "We" don't care to listen to all the election talk because "we" know that most of what is said has a shorter span of life than your average fruit fly. People like "us" have been the thorn in the side of every political movement this world has even known. Who are "we?" "We" are the fully vested and "we" own everything in this country.

In past elections our numbers have remained silent. Some have called this apathy. But note that apathy is what the other calls it when he can't get you to play by his rules.

During the Nixon years, that national disgrace referred to us as "the silent majority" even as he claimed solidarity with that vast ocean of silence. Then, one day, the ocean rose up and swept this nation clean of that scourge of liberty.

Just such an uprising is now again underway.

This election "We" will choose the President. The next President must be as formidable in matters of foreign policy as he is compassionate on social issues here at home. He must know, not merely how to win narrow victories, leaving embittered rivals in his wake, but possess the wisdom and experience, skill and objectivity to appreciate and take full advantage of the fact that nothing lasting can be accomplished in this country without a clear consensus, requiring all to compromise.

"We" don't choose candidates based on party affiliation and the lessor of two evils leaves us wondering. While many of "us" are inclined to vote Democratic this time, we will not do so unless we feel that all sides will be content with the outcome once the smoke has cleared.

"We" are the people who will elect Senator Joe Biden as the next President of the United States--not because he is a lifelong Democrat, but only because he is a lifelong patriot who has always put the interests of this nation ahead of his own.

"We" will vote for him because, rather than draw attention away by defending himself against false charges, he withdrew in 1988 and promptly returned to the floor of the Senate to continue to do his duty to his country by making sure Robert Bork learned that the United States Constitution is expansive of rights and liberties as opposed to, in Bork's view, limiting of those rights and liberties.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because he lead this nation to the understanding that violence against women will not be tolerated in a civilized nation.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because his record reveals him to be a man who votes his conscience and not the party line.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because he has shown that himself to be a person who knows that compromise is a two-way street--sometimes you have to give so that later you can get.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because it was he who backed Bill Clinton in to a corner and got him to intervene in Bosnia.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because he was wise enough to craft an amendment to the Iraq authorization, requiring the President to make good on his verbal assurances that he would not go to war until all diplomatic options had been exhausted and our allies joined a broad coalition. The amendment did not pass. And someone needs to ask Hillary Clinton, who sat on the Armed Services Committee, why that amendment did not pass.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because, when the so-called party leaders were all pushing for a no vote on the Iraq war supplemental--clearly a symbolic gesture--it was Biden who put his political future on the line in order to cast a vote in favor of the bill to which his amendment ensured our troops would be better protected from injury and death by the new MRAP vehicles.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because he is moderate and he will draw votes from people of all political stripes. It is his "electability" that will win him the nomination.

"We" will vote for Joe Biden because "we" will not tolerate yet another presidential election plagued by scandals and improprieties, dredged up from the past or otherwise.

And most of all, "we" will elect Joe Biden President because, he is one of us, a person of average means, who shares our core values and beliefs, and he tells "us" how things really are and what it will take to make them better. "We" welcome challenges and "we" despise being misled.

[iverglas]

49. I don't usually do this

because, well, it just feels odd for a number of reasons, but this is your first post, so I'll make it my first ...

Welcome to DU!

[murbley40]

55. Welcome Steve

You pretty much covered exactly how all Biden Supporters feel. Come join us at the DU Biden Group. you brought tears to my eyes. :bounce: :toast: :thumbsup:

[jillan]

57. Great post Steve!

Welcome to DU :)

[Annces]

54. He has vast experience

in dealing with the Republicans. I remember watching him and Edward Kennedy grilling Justice Rehnquist before he was appointed chief justice and they are both strong leaders IMO.

He is not a progressive, but I think he is a genuine human being.

[murbley40]

56. kick

[demommom]

58. kick

[themaguffin]

62. He would kick any wingnut's ass, AND win over America

He has the knowledge and passion to lead and would shove wingut conversative talking points right up their asses and demonstrate what real knowledge of foreign (and domestic) policy is. He already has other Dems and Republicans jumping on his plan for Iraq - an actual plan for the country beyond our leaving. He is honest about leaving it as well and wants to lead on Darfur. He represents old school Democratic values - what I mean is - he hasn't abandoned them. Others touch on it in different capacities, but some are afraid to go there on economic issues. I believe he can be passionate, principled with these liberal values and win the hearts and minds of independents and even some Republicans with his strong leadership, ideas, and no nonsense approach that is actually backed up with depth.
I like our field, but I really believe that he stands out as a leader. I didn't notice at first, since it's hard to see him when the coverage is mostly the top "tier" but to me, it's been clear in the debates (what little time he has been given to speak that is) and off the stage with his actual actions.... I would highly recommend that others just take a little time to learn more from his own words.

[frogcycle]

63. there are plenty of more substantive reasons, but

i would just LOVE to see him in a head-to-head debate with whatever fool the pugs nominate. When he gets that look in his eye and sort of pulls his lips back in that evil-looking grin, and snaps out a two-or three word comment... priceless!