Obama finally has chosen his running mate, selecting Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.
Mr. Biden has twice attempted to get the Presidential nomination, in 1988 and twenty years later, in 2008. Perhaps he sees the VP office as a great way to make the White House his home eventually?
Obama has made a carefully measured choice. Biden is a Democratic Senator with loads of experience, having served six terms on Capitol Hill. He’s also an Irish-Catholic, another example of how Obama plans to court undecided, church-going constituents. Biden is a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, serving both before and after 9/11, and has the experience Obama lacks.
By all accounts, he is a good politician. He is the father of a soldier, and his son will be going to Iraq in October. His children praise him as a family man, and he lives within his means.
However, Biden has his share of controversy. Despite his public stance as a Catholic politician, Biden has differed from Catholic teaching and policy on a variety of issues, most notably abortion and embryonic stem cell research. He also initially supported the Iraq war, which the Vatican called unjust.
Catholic politicians and the reception of communion has been a hot topic in recent weeks, as Catholic bishops across the nation take tough stances on wayward politicians. Biden’s high profile will fan the flames.
Obama has chosen an upright, scandal-free (so far) running mate. While Obama appeals to minorities and the young, Biden is calculated to get the critical demographic of white, working class voters on board.
Recently, a poll indicated that just over half of Hillary Clinton’s supporters will vote for Obama. Can Biden change their minds, and bring them back into the fold? Only time will tell.
