Joe Biden is Obama's Cheney
→The Human Conspiracy Blog: http://www.jaygaskill.com/blog3
→The Policy Think Site: http://www.jaygaskill.com
All contents, unless otherwise indicated are
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 by Jay B. Gaskill
Please contact Jay B. Gaskill, attorney at law, via e mail at law@jaygaskill.com
Print link: http://jaygaskill.com/JoeBidenIsObamasCheney.htm
JOE BIDEN IS OBAMA’S CHENEY
Senator Biden is about Dick Cheney’s age and enjoys some of the former Defense Secretary’s foreign policy / national security gravitas. “Blue Dog” democrats would have much preferred Biden at the top of the ticket. Indeed, Victor Davis Hanson’s hilarious essay of 8-21 (http://www.victorhanson.com/articles/hanson082108.html ) implies that Barack himself might agree. [Hanson is a Hoover scholar and a conservative democrat.]
Cheney brought only Wyoming to the electoral mix and Biden brings only Delaware; in each case no electoral value was or is added, since both were in the tank for the nominee anyway. But each VP nominee brought what the presidential candidate (and –outcome pending – the president elect) was clearly understood to need: adult supervision.
But Governor Bush was required to listen to Mr. Cheney because of a family legacy and was likely to heed the VP because of his sheer force of personality. There is no particular reason to believe that a President-elect Obama will listen to the loquacious Mr. Biden more than to Nancy Pelosi.
JBG
Comments
I agree with the comments below in three important respects: (1) Biden and Cheny have strikingly different personalities -- though each was 'tougher' in the national security area than the POTUS nominee, at least in the beginning; (2) Biden, for all his gravitas, won't be 'pulling any strings', which is a polite way of acknowledging that the Delaware Senator would be window dressing in an Obama administration; (3) If McCain picks Lieberman, he will lose ground with the GOP base in a big way.
Thanks, Loretta..
JBG
Hi Jay,
With all due respect, I find this essay a bit cursory at best and not well thought-out.
I don't find many similarities between Cheney and Biden at all. Biden has been in the Senate, and thus a legislator, for 30 years. Cheney was a short-term legislator and then employed as part of Republican administrations (and questionable ones at that) before his brief foray into private business with the ever-popular Haliburton.
While it could be argued that Cheney *was* running the Bush administration from his fabled bunker, I do doubt that Joe Biden will be operating the strings on Obama.
Not that there aren't any strings on Obama, because there are always strings attached. It matters more whose agenda will be played out.
Joe Biden's sunny, straightforward disposition, his nonchalance that contrasts so much with Obama's reticence, his political savvy and connections will prove a powerful complement.
Meanwhile, if McCain picks Lieberman, it's going to be the kiss of death for the Republicans.
Posted by: loretta | August 23, 2008 08:39 AM