Monday, April 23, 2007

Being the Best Joe Biden He Can Be

It seems that Joe Biden is being the best Joe Biden he can be at the Polk Co. Spring Dinner on Friday.

Here's the details from iPol...

Joe Biden challenged his fellow candidates, and Democrats generally, to stop being tentative, stop beating around the bush. The American people, Biden went on, want leadership and are not afraid of the challenges confronting the country. The American people have never let this country down, Biden exclaimed, and “I am sick of Democrats being cowards.” Biden appealed to the audience for support as a candidate “who you know where they stand” on issues. In the best line delivered by any speaker on the night, Joe Biden concluded by saying, “It ain’t complicated, folks. It just takes courage. Join me to make hope and history rhyme.” The press was all over him as he left the rostrum, and he worked the hall for another 15 minutes after the speech.

This was not the Joe Biden you read about in the mainstream media, the long-winded, academic, bloodless Joe Biden. That characterization may have been true in the past, but tonight I saw a different candidate, different even from when I met him last month, one who, indeed, is not running just for the exercise. Judging from his speech at this gathering, Joe Biden has stopped playing safe in his campaign, stopped parsing his words, and has started speaking from the heart. It was an extraordinary thing to witness, and if continued, may just be the approach that shakes up his prospects and get him out of single digits.
Now, I am not a huge fan of Joe Biden, but I liked what I read about him. I am right with Biden when he said he is sick of Democrats being cowards.

Over the weekend, I saw him on CSPAN, speaking at a house party in New Hampshire. Biden does know what he is talking about when it comes to foreign policy matters and Iraq. I hope Biden's foreign policy ideas get debated in this campaign because they have a lot of merit.

Here's is what I wrote back in March...
Biden is knowledgable on foregin affairs and has a plan on exiting Iraq, rebuilding the country, and stablizing the region. When Biden talks about Iraq, people should listen. I am glad that he is speaking out and leading on the issue.

If I agreed with Biden on other issues, he would be near the top of my list for President.

Visit iPol for writeups about John Edwards and Bill Richardson.

1 comment:

desmoinesdem said...

I saw Joe Biden speak in Des Moines several months ago at a small event. He fielded the questions well, even when I grilled him about the bankruptcy bill. I still disagree with his position, but he gave just about the best explanation he could have for a vote I disliked.

The only thing that was really "off" about him was that several times he would step toward someone he was talking to (answering a question) and get way too close. Like within a couple of feet close. Maybe it's an east coast thing, but I talked with a couple of women after the event, and they felt like he was in people's personal space.

Anyway, Biden obviously has a clear grasp of the issues, and though he is not my preferred candidate, I understand why he is running.