WaxWorks
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Monday, May 03, 2004
New VP Name
Interesting Novak column yesterday suggesting that Sen. Joe Biden is being considered by Kerry as a VP choice. This is the first time I've heard this name mentioned, but my reaction is positive. First, Biden would bring a certain amount of firepower to Kerry's national security credentials. (Although I wonder, with Nader trying to position himself as the anti-war candidate, if Biden might move more liberals to Nader).
Second, Biden can give a great speech. Yes, he can be longwinded, and loves to hear himself talk. (Interestingly, Biden suffered from a stuttering problem when he was younger, which he tried to overcome by putting rocks in his mouth, as detailed in the unbelievably good "What It Takes" by Richard Cramer.) But Biden, circa 1988, was viewed as one the great orators in the Democratic Party. (I myself found myself so taken with his speech that on the one occasion I got to speak with Biden, immediately after the Thomas hearings, I reflexively praised his handling of the hearings, a sentiment that time, and Jane Mayer and Jill Abrahamson's's fantastic book, Strange Justice, ultimately revised dramatically.)
I don't think Biden's 1988 campaign or the plagarism charges would be a big issue. I'm intrigued by this choice. Certainly, I'd be more excited by Biden than Gephardt. Any thoughts?
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