Biden Responds to Rightwing Talking Points

Last week Joe Biden did an interview with a local TV station in Florida. The questions he was asked were full of conservative talking points and Biden did a great job responded to them.

Biden "Look him in eyes and say it"

Analysis of the Vice Presidential Debate

The best analysis that I read this morning about the debate came from DemFromCT at Daily Kos...

• Joe Biden is the story for me, not Sarah Palin. I was delighted but not surprised with his remarkably strong and empathetic performance. Joe is a strong Democrat, and a proud family man. He's smart, he's experienced, and he can <> be disciplined. If there's a candidate who exceeded realistic expectations, it was Biden who knocked it out of the park and exposed Palin for the attractive, but callow, candidate she really is. His discussion of his injured family was the deal-maker for the audience, a moment Palin handled awkwardly afterwards in her response.
• Sarah Palin's expectations were ridiculously low, set by the punditocracy that, as Jon Stewart might say, is hurting this country. Get a grip, folks. No one cares whether Andrea Mitchell thinks Palin reached her (Mitchell's) expectations. They want to know whether Sarah Palin can help the family pay the mortgage and pay the college tuition bill.
• Two completely separate conversations go on about Sarah Palin. She's lost thoughtful conservatives and independents, and Democrats were never her audience. Social conservatives and wingers like Pat Buchanan may love her, but who cares? Buchanan, I will remind the media, was a fringe candidate who did very poorly when he ran. Palin's audience may love her but they are a small portion of the electorate and they do not count any more. This is not a base election. It will take a loss for the media to get it.

Here's my liveblog from last night in case you missed it.

Biden asks how are McCain's policies different than Bush's?

Here's a key point from last night's debate and key argument of this election.

How are McCain's policies different than Bush's?

Liveblogging the VP Debate

I will be liveblogging the VP debate on Twitter and will post it here after the debate.

Head on over and check it out.

**Update**

Here's it is...

commoniowan: The debate was a wash. If you came in liking Palin then you thought she did a good job. If you didn't like her then you probably thought she was annoying. She isn't going to swing many independents. Biden did his job by challenging McCain's record and linking him to Bush's policies and laying out Obama's plans.

commoniowan: Palin didn't answer any of the questions. She had her talking points and attacks on Obama and ignored the questions completely.

commoniowan: Biden says that it is all about dignity, respect, and hardwork. We want to bring that back. "It's time for America to get back up together."

commoniowan: Palin wants more chances to talk to Americans, but the media won't let her. We need more fighting in America or we lose our freedom.

commoniowan: Biden says McCain has been no maverick on every issue that matter most to people's lives. Not on health care, education, tax cuts, or war.

commoniowan: Oh yeah, Palin was asked what her achilles heel was. She responds by saying that her and John McCain are perfect for each other.

commoniowan: Wow, Palin's talking about her strengths of being an executive and being part of the heart of America and the CNN dials go nowhere.

commoniowan: To quote my 2nd grade students "Oh snap!" Palin slams Ifill for saying that Palin said she didn't know what the VP even did.

commoniowan: Palin: "John McCain knows how to win a war." That doesn't mean he has to make up for Vietnam by staying in Iraq forever.

commoniowan: Biden: "I never supported John McCain's strategy in Iraq. John McCain's strategy was exactly the same as Dick Cheney's."

commoniowan: Palin: "Wow, man, I am just so much a Washington outsider." CNN voter dials drop.

commoniowan: Biden asked about intervening in Darfur and says we can take a lead if we take a hard stand and stop the genocide.

commoniowan: Biden gets the focus back on McCain by saying he hasn't heard anything about how McCain's plans are any different than George W. Bush's.

commoniowan: Palin talks about being all mavericky and that Biden is just pointing fingers and looking backwards because he isn't a maverick like her and McCain.

commoniowan: Biden brings up that Ahmadinejad doesn't even control the military in Iran and that the clerics do.

commoniowan: Biden: McCain still believes the front on the war on terror is Iraq. He is wrong, it is in Afghanistan.

commoniowan: Palin response " ... (crickets chirping)... then reads rightwing talking points about waving the white flag and surrendering."

commoniowan: Biden: "We will end this war. For John McCain there is no end in sight."

commoniowan: Palin is asked about their plan for the Iraq War and Biden calls her out for not mentioning what their plan is.

commoniowan: Palin agress that she agrees with Biden and Obama on gay marriage and equal rights for same sex couples. I am sure that will ruffle the feathers of some evangelicals.

commoniowan: Palin is asked about equal rights for same sex couples and tries to dodge the question and now I am lost.

commoniowan: Palin calls Joe, Senator O'Biden.

commoniowan: Biden: I think it is man made. "If you don't understand what the cause is, it is virtually impossible to come up with a solution."

commoniowan: Palin: Can't say that man affects climate, but will say what man should do to fix it. Doesn't that mean you think man affects the climate?

commoniowan: Palin says there is a toxic mess on Main St. and it is affecting Wall St. I think she got it backwards.

commoniowan: Palin talks about taking away the tax breaks for oil companies in Alaska. Would she plan on doing that if she were elected vice president?

commoniowan: Palin hasn't promised much of anything because she has been hiding from the media.

commoniowan: Palin dodges the question again and gives her own answer about something else.

commoniowan: Biden calls McCain's health care benefit tax the ultimate bridge to nowhere but the explanation was a little hard to follow .

commoniowan: Biden on McCain's plans to tax health care benefits... "WIth the one hand you giveth, the other hand you taketh."

commoniowan: Palin forgets to mention that McCain plans to tax health care benefits and won't do anything to cover more people.

commoniowan: Palin believes the government is the problem, yet wants to lead the problem. And we wonder why our government can't get anything done when Republicans are in control.

commoniowan: Biden "We have a different value set" and explains why everyone does better when everyone does better and the middle class is strong.

commoniowan: Palin cut property taxes as mayor and left Wasilla millions in debt.

commoniowan: Palin repeats the lie that Obama will raise taxes on those making as little as $42,000. Obama will cut taxes for people making less than $250,000.

commoniowan: Biden brings us back to reality, Obama talked about sub-prime mortgage crisis 2 years ago while McCain has continually pushed deregulation.

commoniowan: Palin: Not Americans fault the economy is hurtin', but it is a chance for us to learn our lessons.

commoniowan: Palin is speaking in talking points and cliches..."team of mavericks", "getting down to business", "hockey moms", "joe six pack".

commoniowan: Palin mentions soccer moms. I didn't know they play soccer in Alaska.

commoniowan: Biden said that a downside is if people make money off the bailout. I think he meant if irresponsible CEOs make money and taxpayers don't.

commoniowan: Ifill asks if the bailout bill debate represents the best of times or if it was the worst of times in Washington DC.

commoniowan: Joe Biden needs to debate John McCain tonight and let Palin get herself in trouble.

Obama up 55% to 39% in new KCCI Poll

A new KCCI poll done by Research 2000 shows Barack Obama with another large lead in Iowa.

The new poll interviewed 600 Iowans on Monday and Tuesday who regularly vote in elections for opinion on the upcoming presidential election.

The latest KCCI poll shows that if the election were held today, 55 percent of those surveyed would vote for Obama, 39 percent for McCain. The poll has a magin of error of 4 percent.

Obama has lead in Iowa by double digits in 4 of the past 5 polls done since the conventions.

However, the McCain campaign is seeing things differently...

"We've seen such a variety of polls. Sometimes we're up. Sometimes we're down. I think the bottom line is this is going to be a very close election," said Dave Roederer, McCain's Iowa campaign state chairman.

I think it is safe to say that no other state, besides Obama's home state of Illinois, knows Obama as as well as Iowa.

The poll shows that Iowans believe Obama is qualified to be president. 65% of Iowans think Obama is qualified to be president compared to 63% for McCain. 55% of Iowans think Joe Biden is qualified, while just 37% think Sarah Palin is qualified.

Biden Goes After McCain for Saying the Economy is Strong

Joe Biden nails John McCain for saying the economy is strong...

Biden: It's What I Didn't Hear at the Republican Convention

Excuse me Governor Palin, You Failed to Mention those Pesky Little Facts

Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican Convention outlined her record and was full attacks on Obama. However, she seems to have failed to mention those pesky little facts in her speech.

Palin said...

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.

and the facts say...

As Governor she slashed special needs education by 62%. As Joe Biden says, "don't tell me what you value, show me your budget and I'll tell you what you value."

Palin said...

I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.

If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska.

and the facts say...

She was in favor of the Bridge to Nowhere while campaigning for governor then was against it when it became a national laughingstock. Then, as Governor, she took the money for the bridge and spent it on something else.

Palin said...

I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending … and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.

and the facts say...

As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation.

Palin said...

Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

and the facts say...

Obama worked with Republican Dick Lugar to pass legislation to track down loose nukes and keep them out of the hands of terrorists.

Palin said...

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights?

and the facts say...

Obama believes in this piece of paper called the Constitution. You know that thing that gives us our freedoms. Those freedoms the terrorists are jealous of and want to attack us over.


Palin said...

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.

and the facts say...

The independent Tax Policy Center did a study that shows those earning less than $111,000 earn more tax cuts under Obama's tax plan and the majority of McCain's tax cuts go to those that earn more than $600,000.

Palin's speech sounded good, but it would help if she checked her facts next times.

Who really is Joe Biden?

Most people know Joe Biden as the guy on the Sunday morning shows that talks a lot.

This video from ABC News tells who Joe Biden really is.

Biden Can't Wait to Take on the Republicans

I am happy with Joe Biden being picked as Obama's vice president. Biden wasn't my first choice, but was close to the top and a much better choice than Bayh or Kaine would have been.

I will be working on a couple posts about Biden in the next few days. In the meantime, here is a video of Biden speaking at a campaign event in Marshalltown.



Here are the my posts on Biden leading up to the Iowa caucuses...

Joe Biden
Biden Can't Wait to Take on Republicans
Biden and Edwards Stand Out at AARP Debate
Biden Stresses the Importance of Iowa and New Hampshire being First
Joe Biden Liveblog in Des Moines

Send the Text Message Already

The Obama campaign will be sending out the text announcing their vice president pick on Saturday morning.

All signs looking like Biden.

Noam Scheiber makes a great point...

You can let the suspense build and build if you've got a Hillary or a Gore socked away somewhere. Possibly a Biden or a Webb (or some unorthodox pick like a general or a Republican). But you'd better not come with Jack Reed or Evan Bayh after toying with people for over a week.

Predicting Biden

Barack Obama is supposed to announce his VP candidate this evening or tomorrow morning by text message to supporters. There will be an event in Springfield, Illinois tomorrow afternoon with Obama and the Vice President candidate.

I am predicting that the choice will be Joe Biden. Biden is known to talk a lot and, except for a comment midweek that he's not the guy, he has been pretty quiet the past couple weeks. Biden is coming off a trip to Georgia where he talked to leaders in the region about the conflict with Russia. Biden best quality in my opinion is that he isn't afraid to throw elbows and go on the attack.

Bayh and Kaine's names have been put out there before Obama made campaign stops in their respective states and the buzz wasn't always positive. I think that was basically a test run and the campaign has decided against those two. Another reason that going against Kaine is that Obama just spent two days campaigning in Virginia, a key battleground state, so it wouldn't make sense to announce your naming the Governor of Virginia VP at an event in another state.

I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary Clinton gets the nod. This diary at Open Left makes the case that Obama will name Hillary Clinton that makes a lot of sense.

If, in June, Clinton told you she should be your VP and you were seriously considering it, what would you do? You would probably tell her that the only way it could happen is if you wholeheartedly endorse me, make it clear you have gotten over the joint ticket idea, have those under your influence (such as the "Vote Both" folks) drop all of their efforts on HRC's behalf. You'd say, I can't look weak by picking you, like I was forced by circumstance. It must look like a choice I made that I didn't have to make but I did because I'm such a big person and I care about the country and I care about victory.

There are three candidates that I would most like to see be named vice president. I would love for Obama to name Kathleen Sebelius, who was campaigning in Iowa yesterday, is still a choice, but there hasn't been much buzz about her lately. And Tom Harkin is pushing for Chris Dodd, which I think would be a great choice. Finally, I have been a little surprised that Bill Richardson hasn't been mentioned as much. I think he would bring a lot to the table.

Then it could be a complete dark horse candidate like Tom Daschle, John Kerry, Mark Warner, or Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (one of the battleground states Obama is visiting after the announcement is Montana).

Now it's just time to sit back with my cell phone in hand and wait for the announcement.

Obama Expected to Announce VP Next Week

Barack Obama is excepted to announce his choice for vice president next week (which he will be announcing via text message).

From MyDD...

John Kerry announced his choice of John Edwards for VP on July 6, 2004, exactly 20 days prior to the first day of the 04 Democratic convention. If Barack Obama follows the same schedule, he will announce his choice on Tuesday, August 5. Certainly one suspects the announcement will come prior to the commencement of the Olympics on Friday, which means the likelihood is that the announcement will come some time in the next 5 days.

In the rest of the post they run down the complete short list (would that be the long short list?). The names that I am hearing pop up the most are Sen. Evan Bayh, Sen. Joe Biden, Gov. Tim Kaine, and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Out of those 4, Biden and Sebellius would be by far my top choices. However, I still prefer Bill Richardson and Wesley Clark.

Over the next couple days, I will be posting more about the possible candidates.

In the meantime, DesMoinesDem chimes in with her thoughts over at Bleeding Heartland.

Thank You Senator Biden

Joe Biden talks about Bush and McCain threatening to bomb Iran.

Obama Will Look at Qualifacations, Not Geography When He Names His VP

From Marc Ambinder...

In a briefing with reporters here in Washington, Obama manager David Plouffe offered the campaign's first public comments on what criteria Obama would use to choose his vice presidential ticket-mate.

Responding to a reporter's question, Plouffe said that Obama would choose someone "qualified to be president and someone who'll be a partner in governing."

"We certainly don't want to pick someone who will hurt," he said.

He then referred to President Bush's choice of Dick Cheney as any example of a pick that didn't help Bush politically but didn't hurt him either.

And he noted that the pick of Al Gore didn't help Bill Clinton win Tennessee in 1992; without Gore, Clinton would have won anyway.

Richardson and Webb have the best geographic arguments to be VP, so you'd think this might help the chances of Joe Biden and Kathleen Sebelius.

What Obama Needs in a Vice President

The most important thing that Obama needs to consider when looking for a VP is foreign policy experience. Obama was attacked during the primary for not having enough experience and he will be attacked for this in the general election even more. However, if Obama picks a VP that has a ton of foreign policy experience, but voted for the war in Iraq then it would totally undercut Obama's message that judgement matters more than experience.

It would be helpful for the VP to put more states in play. A quality VP choice should give Obama a chance to win a few states in the Mountain West or Southwest or the mid-Atlantic regions.

It would be a plus for the VP to be viewed as a Washington outsider, as it would strengthen Obama's message of changing Washington.

Knowing that it would difficult to find a VP candidate that meets all of those, I think there are 4 names that bring the most to the table...

• Joe Biden
  
• Wesley Clark
• Bill Richardson
• Jim Webb
  

What do you think?

Obama's VP

The American Prospect takes a look at possible VP's for Obama. The two names that came up the most in the discussion were Senators Jim Webb of Virginia and Joe Biden of Delaware. I think both would be excellent, with a slight edge going to Webb. Biden is a Washington insider and Webb is less connected to DC, while still bringing foreign policy experience (the same could be said for Bill Richardson).

There are a lot of Clinton supporters listed (Ted Strickland, Wesley Clark, Tom Vilsack, Evan Bayh, and Ed Rendell) and I would think if Obama names a Clinton supporter as VP then it would probably be Hillary herself.

The most intriguing name listed was Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. He is a solid progressive and could help turn Montana, Nevada, and Colorado blue.

The most interesting long shot was former Colorado Senator Gary Hart, who has a long resume on foreign policy and terrorism, but would bring some monkey business to the campaign trail.

After Chris Dodd endorsed Obama yesterday, I was surprised his name wasn't even on the list. Matt Browner-Hamlin, who worked for Dodd's Presidential campaign, takes a look at a possible Obama-Dodd ticket.

Caucus Results from My Precinct

Thursday was my first time participating in the caucuses. I expected it to be a little crazy and it was even crazier than I had imagined. People were told to show up at 6:30 and the doors closed at 7. I arrived at 6 and the room at the Iowa Veterans Home was already crowded.

I signed in and then helped people who needed to change their party to Democrat or register to vote. I would say I collected well over 50 registration forms from people who are now new members of the Democratic party and this was just one of 8 precincts in Marshall County. This is great news for Democrats come November 2008.

People were all signed in by 7, the doors were shut, and people made their way to their preference groups. There were 22 delegates to be had in my precinct. The caucus chair gave the introductory speeches, read a couple letters, and announced there were 372 people in attendance and each candidate needed 56 people to be viable.

Here is a look at the results...

First Count
140 Obama
103 Clinton
55 Edwards
33 Richardson
23 Biden
4 Kucinich
1 Dodd
6 Uncommitted

A few minutes were given for the non-viable groups to move around. Edwards needed 2 people to become viable and they quickly grabbed 2 from the Biden group. Then 10 people from the Biden group moved to Richardson. 3 of the 4 Kucinich people went to Obama.

Second Count
144 Obama
103 Clinton
57 Edwards
43 Richardson
25 Uncommitted

Then the 30 minute period to realign began. I was in the Obama corner and my job was to be the persuader. I talked a girl, who was home from college. She was concerned about Obama's stance on invading Pakistan to find Osama bin Laden. I was unsuccessful and I think she went to Edwards. There were two former Biden supporters that I tried to bring to Obama by saying that I grew up in the house they now live in. That personal connection didn't work and they went to Clinton. I did have some success. I talked the one leftover Kucinich voter to come to Obama over Edwards by telling her a lot of the same things I wrote in my endorsement of Obama.

While this was going on the Richardson group was able to get 3 more people, but were still 10 people away from becoming viable. They tried to pull some people from Clinton and Obama, but no one would budge. Finally, after 20 minutes or so the Richardson group gave up the hope of becoming viable and their group dispersed. The Richardson supporters split pretty evenly between Edwards and Obama, with just a couple going to Clinton.

Finally the 30 minutes were up and the counting for the final numbers began. The Obama group counted 3 times because we had some people that had left over the realignment time. Someone said 4 people, who are residents of the Veterans Home, had to go take their medication and then couldn't return. The final count numbers didn't match to the total number people at the beginning, so other groups had this problem also.

Final Count
159 Obama
107 Clinton
77 Edwards
5 Uncommitted

Delegates Won
10 Obama
7 Clinton
5 Edwards

2008 Iowa Caucus Posts

Here is a roundup of my top posts on each candidates over the past year and half (I will be updating it and adding links throughout the day)...

Common Iowan Endorses Obama

Ranking the Speeches at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner
2007 Jefferson Jackson Dinner Liveblog
Philadelphia Debate
Democratic Debate in New Hampshire
CNN/YouTube Debate

Barack Obama
Michelle Obama: We Suffer a Deficit of Empathy
Obama Highlights Real World Experience and Action
Obama Saves Christmas
Video from Oprah and Obama in Des Moines
Heartland Presidential Forum: Barack Obama
Video of Obama's speech at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner
Did Harkin Make His Endorsement at Last Year's Steak Fry?
Obama Liveblog in Oskaloosa: The Speech
Obama in Newton
Report from Obama Event in Marshalltown: Part 1
Report From Obama Event in Marshalltown: Part 2
Live Blogging from Obama Event in Ames: Part 1
Live Blogging from Obama Event in Ames: Part 2

John Edwards
Edwards Bus Tour Stops in Marshalltown
Heartland Presidential Forum: John Edwards
Trade is a Big Issue in Iowa
Video of Edwards' Speech at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner
Edwards Calls on Iowans to Not Caucus for Anyone Who Takes Lobbyist Money
Edwards Calls for Campaign Finance Reform
Biden and Edwards Stand Out at AARP Debate
Harkin Steak Fry: John Edwards' Speech
This Needs to Be John Edwards' Next Commercial
Edwards Calls for Halt on Coal Plants in the Backyard of Proposed Coal Plant
Live Blogging John Edwards Event in Marshalltown
John Edwards in Marengo
John Edwards Community Meeting in Newton
Edwards Presidential Announcement in Des Moines

Joe Biden
Biden Can't Wait to Take on Republicans
Biden and Edwards Stand Out at AARP Debate
Biden Stresses the Importance of Iowa and New Hampshire being First
Joe Biden Liveblog in Des Moines

Chris Dodd
Heartland Presidential Forum: Chris Dodd
The Oath of Office
So Why Not Dodd?
Harkin Steak Fry: Best Line Goes to Dodd
Dodd Calls for Free Community College
Report from Chris Dodd Event in Pleasantville
I Really Want to Like Chris Dodd in 2008

Bill Richardson
Richardson Supports Clean Elections and the VOICE Act
Richardson Lays Out Plans on Iraq
Only a US Withdrawal Will Stop al Qaeda in Iraq
Richardson: Get Out of Iraq This Calendar Year

Hillary Clinton
Could Hillary Come in Third in Iowa?
Clinton's Political Philosophy
Heartland Presidential Forum: Hillary Clinton
Clinton's Slipperiness on Trade Issues
Is Hillary a Fair-Trader?
Hillary is In, but She Won't Win