If I was running and people said I was weak, I would pick the Incredible Hulk. If they said I was stupid, I would pick Stephen Hawking. If they said I was boring, I would, of course, choose Snoop Dogg.
Together, we would offer a whole package, a team people could count on to bust heads, crunch numbers, or smoke bodaciously phat doobies while rapping about the ladies.
But if anyone wants to second guess Obama's choice, all they have to do is look at that thing called history. The last two democratic Vice Presidential nominees were chosen for awfully weak reasons. Edwards was chosen to help deliver the South, which he completely failed to do. Lieberman was chosen, as we now know, because at the time Al Gore was just acting incredibly stupid.
On the other hand, the successful Republican veeps have been chosen because they filled out one specific glaring weakness in the resume of the prospective candidate. Cheney was chosen for his foreign policy expertise (and probably because he scared George W. into hiring him.) Bush's father was chosen by Ronald Reagan for - that's right -- his foreign policy expertise.
Biden's a much tougher candidate than either Cheney or Bush I. After countless years spent sweating it out on campaign trails and fighting off rabid GOP attack dogs on the Hill, he's going to come out swinging hard in this race. He's going to be a formidable opponent.
Some of the press, and the AP especially, are already scolding Obama for picking a seasoned pro. They say it only underscores Obama's weakness on foreign policy. They also say by choosing a politican with a long and accomplished resume, he is betraying his principles of being an agent of change.
That's ridiculous. He picked a pro to fill a hole in the lineup, which is what any great manager would do. Coincidentally, Obama also chose someone who is tough, smart, and at times pretty entertaining. Maybe not as entertaining as Snoop Dogg, but still.
It's a solid move. One that should reassure us about Obama's ability to make tough, smart decisions. It shows he is able to learn from history. It shows he is not too proud to have someone by his side who, on some issues, is more experienced than he is. It shows that he is worthy of our support.