August 22, 2008

Brooks Dreams of Biden

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David Brook’s column today is a pretty good indication of what the Very Serious people of Washington will think of a Joe Biden pick.

Brooks likes Biden because of Biden’s working class roots, his straight-shooting nature, and his experience in Washington and abroad. One suspects it is this last that really matters. “When Obama talks about postpartisanship, he talks about a grass-roots movement that will arise and sweep away the old ways of Washington,” writes Brooks. “When John McCain talks about it, he describes a meeting of wise old heads who get together to craft compromises. Obama’s vision is more romantic, but McCain’s is more realistic.”

So Biden is a liberal, not-evil Cheney. I’ll agree that’s a good thing. I’ll further agree that having people like David Brooks on-board with the Obama VP pick is a good thing for Obama. But I won’t agree that experience is the primary consideration when choosing a VP. Is Brooks not aware how that undercuts Obama’s entire case for the presidency? If we value experience, why settle for a ticket with a VP who has 25+ years of experience in Washington? Why not pick the ticket with the nominee who has 25+ years of experience in Washington?

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It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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