It’s a wonder that so many people have not heard of Senator Joe Biden (D-DW) before the vice-president nomination. Biden has been in the Senate since 1972. For those of you counting, that is 14 years longer than Senator John McCain, 33 years longer than Obama, and 34 years before McCain’s running mate, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, ever even held a federal office. After hearing so much about “experience” in the election so far, it seems that Biden has them all beat.
Over the years, he has crossed the infamous “party lines” to pass important legislation, and his plan for Iraq is the only bi-partisan plan that has past both houses of Congress as a responsible method of getting out.
Biden’s plan calls for Iraq to be divided equally among the three major groups, with oil rights governed by all. The best part is that the Shiite’s, Sunni’s and Kurd’s have already started to separate on their own, and the Iraqis support a plan like Biden’s. Oh, and American soldiers will get to come home too.
Not only does Biden have a means to an end in Iraq, but he speaks his mind as well, which is rare in Washington. He is what McCain used to be back in 2000, qualities that endured McCain to the American people eight years and a sell out ago, a maverick that talks straight. Yes, that talk has gotten him into some trouble in the past, and there is even a whole website dedicated to his fowl ups!
Biden has been to Iraq, and not just the green-zones with armored trucks, some Black Hawks and Apache gunships, and a whole slew of soldiers protecting him like McCain. Also unlike the McCain-Palin ticket, Biden didn’t use his son’s deployment to Iraq as a sound bite for the masses. The masses had to find out on their own, be it with a subtle hint from son Beau, but Biden still hasn’t felt the need to exploit that fact or even comment on it.
Comparing Biden to McCain is one thing, but Biden has many qualities that George Dubya was thought to have during his campaigns. He speaks his mind, he is a ‘normal’ guy that you could have a beer with, and he is a hard-ass. Biden is also very well respected in Washington and his state of Delaware. A nine-term senator would have to do something pretty scandalous to lose an election, and with how campaigns go, someone has surely gone through his closet a dozen times already.
At least with Biden in the co-pilot’s seat, as it where, the American people will know that, for the first time in eight years, someone will know what the hell is going on in the world, and not just so his oil and weapon manufacturing friends can line their pockets. Everyday might not uncover yet another scandal, arrest, or indictment. Sure it might not be as fun to watch,
America will have to turn back to celebrities and reality shows to see a new train wreak each week, and some television and radio programs will have to change the format a little bit, but do we really want our democracy to be a laughing stock?