Harvard's Election 2008 Blog

Obama's choice of Joe Biden as his Vice President reflects a strong long-term strategy that plays to many of the concerns about Obama while keeping with the main themes of the campaign.  In Biden is a long-time Washington fixture who isn't a Washington insider; a politician who is well-known enough to be credible but has a small-enough cross-section to not drag; and someone who is vitriolic and critical enough to add a new voice to the campaign and speak his own mind, but experienced enough not to cause problems.

Biden also brings age and experience.  At 65, he brings the "oldness" the Obama campaign needs-he is closer in age to resemble John McCain's run eight years ago-without being a skeleton.

Obama's life experience in Chicago, Boston, New York City, Hawaii, and Indonesia are well-complimented by Biden's life-long experience in Wilmington, Delaware, which is as rusty as any city out there, making the combination appealing to big-city liberals, rust-belt democrats and undecideds.  It also splashes an acknowledgement of practical realism on fresh-faced Obama's saccharine, exceedingly optimistic campaign.  All of these temper concerns and criticisms that Obama is arrogant or out of touch.

And, of course, Biden himself brings a lot to the table where a lot is needed: is a heavy-hitter in foreign policy and is the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

There are, of course, some drawbacks: the New York Times pointed out that some of his controversy has involved racial insensitivity, including racially charged comments about Obama being "clean" and "articulate," and saying that "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."  This alone shouldn't concern the campaign: it's Obama, after all.  Race won't sink the ship.

Also, his middle name is Robinette.  What's with that?