Liberal in the Land of Conservative

The media has been increasingly mentioning Delaware Senator, Joe Biden as the potential VP pick for Barack Obama. While some in my own party are less than thrilled about this choice, I couldn't be happier that Obama may choose Biden. He was my first pick to be the Presidential nominee and I truly believe he is one of the brightest public servants we have in this country:

WHY Joe Biden?

First, Senator Biden is as strong a Union (A 91% rating from the NEA and a 100% rating from the AFL-CIO) supporter as any one could possibly be. As an educator I am always concerned about the tactics used by many Republicans that work tirelessly to chip away and eventually abolish the teachers unions that provide the relatively meager wage I currently enjoy.

Second, and far less calculated, is the sense of the man. When I see and listen to Joe Biden I see a man I would be proud to call my President. While others may disagree, I see a father figure or amusing uncle that always seems to have a bit of advice (probably good) to impart to you. I see a man of strength that Republicans would have a hard time portraying as a weak liberal as they are prone to do. This strength is evident in his passion, his eloquence, and yes, even in his loquaciousness!

Third, and very much related to the second, is his solution for the debacle that it is this Administrations handling of the war in Iraq. He cannot be pinned with the label of offering no plan for success because his plan is apparent and has even been parroted by at least one of the Republican hopefuls. The creation of a Federal System in Iraq may be the only way to quell sectarian violence at the same time keeping the country from breaking apart or falling into utter anarchy. As of right now it is the main thrust of my support for Joe Biden as I have yet to hear anything more than "stay the course" from this Administration (which, by the way, is not a solution!) and what appears to many as a pullout without a contingency for cleaning up the mess we created from the Democrats.

Beyond the calculations of geography, because we all know that Delaware is going to vote Democrat, Biden brings a couple of very important features to the ticket that compliment Obama:

1. Biden as policy wonk to Obama's vision: Barack Obama is perhaps the best speaker of this generation and lays out a vision of the United States that is appealing to a vast swath of the American public. When you couple that with the ability of Joe Biden to get into the minutae of issues and come to common sense solutions you have a lethal combination that might be able to truly solve the pressing issues of our day. Specifically, on the issue of Iraq, Biden remains the only person to get to the heart of the problem and offer a solution that will bring our troops home and keep Iraq from descending into chaos.

2. Biden as attack dog: There are few politicians out there who can match the beat down skills of Senator Joe Biden. During the primaries, Biden was more than willing to smack down people such as Rudy Giuliani and President Bush and highlight their utter incompetence. Unfortunately, during the past couple of election cycles we have not had someone willing to get down into the muck where Republicans spend their entire existence and match them blow for blow. While Obama has made some attacks on McCain, a Biden partnership could turn those few jabs into a barrage the likes of which we have not seen in a very long time.

Of all the choices Barack Obama could make to turn the Democratic ticket into an unstoppable force, the right choice has to be Joe Biden.