The DNC in Retrospect

Well, the Democratic National Convention is over, and let me tell you, it was a historic and nearly flawless one. Here's a recap.

Day 1:

Monday night was more special than I expected it to be with the surprise primetime addition of Sen. Ted Kennedy to the itinerary. Kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier in the year, and has made few public speeches since then.

But he gave a rousing speech Monday comparing Barack Obama to his brother, John F. Kennedy, in their themes of hope and passing the torch to the next generation of Americans. Kennedy sounded strong and got a huge ovation from the crowd both before and after he spoke.

The headline speaker that night was Michelle Obama, who delivered a wonderful and touching speech talking about her family growing up and being a mother among other things. In her speech, she also went on to praise Hillary Clinton for the 18 million cracks in the ceiling that she created during the primaries in the first major attempt at the convention to unite the party.

There were lingering concerns about Michelle Obama's patriotism stemming from her quote earlier in the year about how she was proud of her country for the first time in her life. She completely alleviated those concerns in her speech by repeating (I think, genuinely) that she indeed loved her country and the opportunities it offered her and Barack. In short, she accomplished exactly what she needed to accomplish in her speech and I am under the impression that it was warmly received by the vast majority of viewers.

My only major criticism about Monday night was the fact that the Democrats completely failed to go negative or even mention John McCain. And God knows the Republicans won't be as kind next week.

But besides their lack of attacks on John McCain and the GOP and their lack of backbone, the Democrats started off on a good note Monday.

Day 2:

Hillary Clinton gave a rousing endorsement of Barack Obama Tuesday night in what was--what I think--the best speech of her political career. She told her supporters that they had fought a good fight but now the battle is over, Obama won, and the party must unite to elect him. She was gracious toward Obama and extremely supportive of him while still potentially leaving room for a future candidacy.

She even went on the attack, saying "It makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities, because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart." Bam! My only criticism of the speech is that it seemed to lack any reference to Obama's strong character or his ability to lead as commander-in-chief.

But she did the best she could to unite the party with her speech Tuesday night, and if she keeps her promise in campaigning for Obama, she will have done her job.

In addition, former Virginia governor Mark Warner delivered the keynote address Tuesday night that stressed mostly the strained economy and bipartisanship. Warner is a rising star in the party who is running for Senate and is expected to pick up a seat for the Democrats this year.

Day 3:

Wednesday marked the official end of the Hillary Clinton's candidacy as the delegates at the Democratic National Convention officially nominated Barack Obama as their nominee for president.

When the roll call got to New York, Hillary Clinton moved to suspend the voting and declare Obama to be the nominee by acclamation. Although this was clearly planned out ahead of time, it still received a thunderous round of applause and was truly a historic moment.

Also, Bill Clinton gave a fantastic speech, perfectly complementing his wife's speech the night before praising Obama's leadership ability, intelligence, judgment. He compared Obama to himself in 1992, when Republicans attacked him as too inexperienced, and how when he left office, things the economy and the country, he argued, were in good shape.

He then went on the offensive attacking McCain and the Republicans both on domestic and foreign policy. Perhaps the most memorable quote from his speech was "People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power."

After Bill's speech, Joe Biden took center stage, accepting his nomination as Obama's running mate. At first, Biden emphasized his working-class roots and his inspiring life story. After that, Biden went on the offensive going after George Bush and John McCain. At one point in his speech, he mistakenly called McCain "George, " calling it a Freudian slip.

He strongly criticized the handling of Bush and McCain's war pointing out that it was a failure and it was and still is costing $12 billion of the taxpayers' money each month. He then spoke about the economy, criticizing Bush, McCain and the Republicans for the swift downturn. Biden clearly understands his role as the attack dog in this campaign--I'm glad someone's started to do it.

Day 4:

Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president last night in front of 84,000 screaming enthusiastic supporters at Mile High Stadium in Denver last night.

His speech was an absolute masterpiece. It had the usual soaring rhetoric but in addition had plenty of policy details that many undecided voters really felt that they had not heard enough about.

He talked about his not-so-exotic background, his family and his American heritage. He noted that when he was a child, his mother was on food stamps because she couldn't afford to feed her family. He also pointed out that after he got his degree from Harvard Law School, instead of getting a high-paying job at a big law firm he decided to go to Chicago to help organize steel workers who had been laid off.

Then, he got into the specifics. He promised to cut back taxes for 95% of all working families, paid for by rolling back the Bush tax cuts (which McCain now supports) for the rich and large corporations. He talked about eliminating the capital gains taxes on small businesses. He also promised to end America's dependence on Middle East oil in the next ten years by investing $150 billion in alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, biofuel, nuclear, clean coal, and natural gas.

Obama also went after McCain on foreign policy, which is usually McCain's greatest strength. Obama talked about turning Iraq back over to the Iraqis and focusing the War on Terror on Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the majority of al-Qaeda still roam free. In a blistering attack on McCain, Obama said that McCain loves to say that he'll chase Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but in reality would not even follow him to the cave where he currently resides.

Obama attacked McCain relentlessly on his record, comparing his potential presidency as being Bush III, noting that McCain has voted with Bush over 90% of the time in the Senate. He said it's not that McCain doesn't care, it's that he just doesn't get it. He said McCain thinks that anyone making under $5 million per year is middle class. That's why he proposed billions in tax breaks for big corporations and nothing for ordinary Americans. That's why his health care plan taxes employer-paid health benefits. That's why he wants to gamble with people's retirements by privatizing Social Security.

With this speech, Obama did exactly what he had to do: outline clear policies and put John McCain on the defensive.

These attacks show that the Obama campaign realizes that they have been too soft with their attacks on McCain and foreshadows a change in campaign strategy for the next 67 days.

He did make a lot of promises that he probably can't or won't keep, but the overall message stayed true. But the bottom line is that Obama clearly succeeded with his Mile High gamble and left the convention with a strong advantage over his opponent.

Obama Picks Biden

So the hype is finally over. At 3 AM early Saturday morning, Barack Obama told the masses who his running mate would be via text message.

The message read:"Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.barackobama.com Spread the word!" My guess is that he'll probably keep those millions of phone numbers handy come election day.

So now that it's official, here's a quick bio of Biden, and it's an interesting one.

He was born in Scranton, PA to a working-class Irish Catholic family. His father, Joe Sr., was a car salesman and struggled to make ends meet.

At 10, Biden and his family moved to Delaware. He went to college there and then got his law degree at Syracuse University. At 27, he was elected to the local city council in Delaware. Two years later, at 29, he ran for the U.S. Senate and won.

A few weeks after his election to the Senate, his wife and baby daughter were killed in a car accident and his two young sons were almost killed. He wanted to resign from the Senate, but ultimately decided to stay on, commuting back and forth from his home in Wilmington every day--something he does to this day-- to take care of his boys.

In 1987, he ran for president but dropped out quickly after he was caught plagiarizing a speech from a British politician. In 1988 he suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm but recovered fully.

But Biden came back from that and is now a widely respected Senator, from both sides of the aisle. He is now the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was previously the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Here come the pros and cons of pick Biden. Let's start with the pros.

No one knows more about foreign policy than Biden. Anyone in the Senate--even John McCain--or anyone who follows politics would tell you that. And that's incredibly important considering the fact that many people are concerned with Obama's lack of foreign policy experience. Expect the attacks from the McCain campaign regarding Obama's inexperience on foreign policy to lessen in the coming weeks, because they don't want to pick a fight on that topic with Biden.

He also brings along with him 35 years of experience, which balances out the ticket because the main concern undecided voters have with Obama is that he's inexperienced. Older voters especially might feel more reassured about voting for Obama now that's he's got someone old (Biden is 65) and experienced on the ticket.

Biden could also potentially help Obama electorally by appealing to working class folks in northern Appalachia. He could emphasize his working class roots while campaigning in states such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio. Obama should have no trouble winning Biden's home state of Delaware.

Also, after seven senatorial and two presidential campaigns, he has become a solid campaigner, an excellent debater (as long as he knows when to shut up), and a great attack dog. This especially will be important because Obama is clearly afraid to go negative, even though he knows he has to.

Biden has also become a pro at dealing with the media. And they love him, much like they love Obama (excluding FOX News, of course).

Here's the cons.

Biden cannot stop talking. He always says what's on his mind, and frequently makes verbal gaffes and blunders, like calling Obama "articulate," and going on and on and getting incredibly off-topic during the Roberts and Alito Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and so on and so forth.

The Republicans might also attack him on his plagiarism charge from '88 and say that we can't trust him. Biden has apologized for it several times, and might just do it again along with saying that it was literally decades ago. Two to be precise.

Also, in a debate during the primaries, Biden stood behind a statement he had made about Obama saying that he was too inexperienced to become president and that the job doesn't lend itself to on-the-job training. On top of that, early on in the campaign, Biden said that he would be happy to run with or against McCain. The McCain campaign has already put those two quotes together in a new ad of theirs.

That's about all I've got on Biden. Obama made a great pick. We'll see how long it is until he makes his first gaffe.

All Indications Point to Biden

After a day of painful political drama craftily created by Sen. Barack Obama, several recent events and leaks indicate that Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware has been selected as Obama's running mate.

All day, much of the media and many other curious individuals (myself included) who waited for the imminent text message bearing the message of Obama's pick were sorely disappointed when no such message came.

But several news media sources confirmed tonight that Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia--the two other apparent finalists on Obama's short list--had been phoned by Obama telling them both personally that they had not been selected.

Also, a senior Democratic official who had spoken to Sen. Hillary Clinton earlier told CNN Friday night that the Obama campaign has communicated to Clinton through private channels that she would not be Obama's pick.

On top of that, ABC News reported that the U.S. Secret Service has dispatched a detail to assume the immediate protection of Biden at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. This is yet another indicator that Biden has been selected as Obama's running mate.

The Obama campaign has revealed that Obama's pick will be announced Saturday morning via text message, before he speaks in Springfield, Illinois--where he launched his campaign 20 months earlier--with his vice-presidential nominee (Biden) tomorrow afternoon.

After that, maybe all the hype will die down, and we can all (again, myself included) stop making a big deal out of something that will probably not even matter all that much in the end.

Last Minute V.P. Speculation

Well, I’m back, and this time it’s for good. Here’s what’s happened since I’ve been away.

John Edwards admitted that he had an affair back in 2006 and his wife, Elizabeth, knew all about it. This means that his political future is basically over and he certainly will not be in Sen. Barack Obama’s cabinet, should he become president. Too bad, he might have made a great attorney general.

In addition, Russia invaded Georgia and started an “armed conflict” over a pro-Russian region in Georgia called South Ossetia. The United States has only verbally defended their close Georgian allies. And thus, another Cold War may have begun. John McCain has been active on the campaign trail, using this to his advantage by flaunting his foreign policy knowledge while Obama ate ice cream in Hawaii.

Other than that, all the political hype has centered on the non-stop speculation about who Obama and McCain will pick as their running mates. The short-lists have narrowed since we last spoke, so here’s my take on the remaining few. Since Obama will pick his in the next five days, let’s start with him.

When the Edwards scandal broke, his name was immediately taken off of the short list (if he was even on it). He didn’t really have much of a shot anyway, and admitted that he did not want the job at one point. But that just makes things official.

Former governor Mark Warner of Virginia’s name was officially taken off when it was announced that he would be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. He also was also an unlikely pick to begin with.

That leaves Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas on everyone's short-list of Obama’s most likely running mates. And none of them are perfect or completely safe choices.

Joe Biden would bring oodles of foreign policy expertise to the ticket if he were to be selected. He is the chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and—coincidentally—just got back from an “information gathering visit” in conflict-torn Georgia. He also has enough experience for himself and Obama--he is now in his sixth term as a U.S. Senator. He is an enthusiastic campaigner and can hold his own in a debate, as demonstrated by his performances in his struggle for the nomination.

On the down side, Biden’s age and 36 years of experience in the Senate would go against Obama’s theme of change and would conflict with his image as a Washington outsider. He is also a loose cannon who often says the wrong thing, like calling Obama “articulate.” Earlier today at his home in Delaware surrounded by reporters, Biden shouted “I’m not the guy,” suggesting that he wasn’t going to Obama’s running mate. Later, he dialed down his earlier comments by saying that he had not spoken with anyone from the Obama camp recently. In fairness, he may have just been bluntly lowering expectations, but it’s those kinds of blunders that could bring harm to the ticket. But all in all, I think he’s the best choice Obama's got at this point.

Tim Kaine would be an interesting pick. He is a popular governor from a red state that Obama has prioritized that has 13 electoral votes. He was and early supporter of Obama’s and the first governor to endorse him. Kaine has executive experience and would be considered a Washington outsider, which would fit perfectly with Obama’s theme of change. However, he is a newcomer to national politics and is only four years older than Obama. He also does not have any foreign policy experience, something that many pundits believe is necessary to balance the ticket. Outside of Virginia, he would not make a whole lot of a difference, but if he could tip that state in Obama’s favor and not cause any harm, he would be a fantastic pick.

Evan Bayh was a popular two-term governor and is a current senator from Indiana, a state with 11 electoral votes that Obama hopes to make competitive this November. Bayh could help win Indiana and other rust belt states by appealing to blue-collar Democrats who have thus far been wary of Obama. In addition, many of his votes and credentials could compensate for Obama’s weaknesses, and he could complement Obama in areas such as economic expertise and executive experience.

However, there is one major downside: he was an ardent supporter of the Iraq War back in 2002. If Obama picked Bayh, he would alienate many progressive Democrats and anti-war independents. It would also undercut his theme of change, and he could no longer flaunt his judgment in opposing the war from the start. Other than his vote on the Iraq War, he would be a safe pick. Some have even gone so far as to call him bland, unexciting, and even a cream puff. But all in all, he’d be a solid pick, but one with a good deal of baggage.

Kathleen Sebelius would be another interesting pick. As the second-term governor of an overwhelmingly Republican state, she has worked across party lines an incredibly successful way--in a way that fits with Obama's theme of unity and bipartisanship. Also, she might appeal to women who were excited by the prospect of having a woman (Hillary) on the ticket. But at the same time, these women might see her as a lesser Hillary, and might ask "what does she have that Hillary doesn't?" She also has the same gaps on foreign policy that Obama has and she would not put her home state, or any specific state, in play. In addition, her response to the State of the Union fell flat, as she often seems to do in such situations. All in all, Sebelius would not hurt Obama, but would not really help him either.

Now, on to McCain. He has already announced that he will reveal his running mate to the public on August 29, his 72nd birthday (yikes) and the day after the Democratic Convention is over. It’s all a part of his plan to recapture the media spotlight and deaden any bounce Obama might get from the convention.

The first and most obvious pick is Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. His new-found conservative views make him popular among conservatives in the party, who have been lukewarm, at best, to McCain. His business experience makes him an appealing pick during a recession. Romney was fantastic at fundraising during his bid for the presidency and would help out an outmatched McCain campaign in that department. He is well-known nationally, is an excellent debater, and has already been vetted and tested by the media. His ties to Michigan may help McCain carry that much sought-after swing state, and his Mormon appeal could help in western battleground states such as Colorado and Nevada.

A downside to picking Romney is that he’s a major, major flip-flopper. Even McCain said that he has changed his position on nearly every single major issue, and voters could believe that he changes his views when it is convenient. Also, his Mormon faith would not sit well with the religious right, who have not been warm to McCain from the start. Also, McCain and Romney have never really gotten along all that well since the bitterly contested New Hampshire primaries. But overall, he’s a helpful and fairly safe pick and the one who I think McCain will choose on August 29.

The next best pick in my book is Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. She would be a surprising yet bold pick, and picking her would certainly steal the spotlight from Obama after the convention. Her age (she’s 44) would certainly balance out McCain’s, and she would add to the maverick…ness of McCain’s campaign. Having a woman on the ticket might be appealing to the many Hillary supporters who wanted to see a woman in line for the presidency, and could potentially steal millions of votes from Obama. She’s extremely popular with the conservative wing of the Republican Party—something McCain has never been—yet is disconnected from the current administration. She’s a fiscal conservative, a lifetime member of the NRA, and is staunchly pro-life.

However, she only has two years of experience, which could get in the way of the party’s ongoing accusations that Obama is too inexperienced. Another major concern is that she would outshine McCain, which would be a major problem. She has also not been included in any reports from the McCain campaign as being a finalist in the veep speculation, so it is unlikely she will get picked. But overall, she would be a very interesting and I think rewarding pick for McCain.

And finally, we have Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota—the ultimate safe pick. The strongest reason for picking him is solely to win his home state of Minnesota, traditionally a blue state with ten electoral votes. The polls are showing that it’s a close race there, and losing it would certainly be a thorn in the Democrats’ side. Pawlenty was also one of McCain’s earliest backers and a close friend. Also, at 47, his youthfulness could offset McCain’s abundance of age. His immigration plan is stricter that McCain’s which could be good and bad. Conservatives would warm up to the ticket more but the new plan would alienate Latinos, who like McCain and his policies on immigration to some extent, and might cause them to lose southwestern states such as New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada. In other departments he is generally well-liked by the conservatives, but would not wake them out of their overwhelming apathy.

Former Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania would make a good pick, except for the fact that he’s pro-choice, which for McCain is not even an option right now. He needs the religious right more than ever. Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida has been floated around as a possibility, but if McCain can’t carry Florida on his own, then he doesn’t have a shot anyway. Another plausible pick could be former Rep. Rob Portman of Ohio, who would bring economic expertise to the ticket, and could be greatly rewarding to have on the ticket during a recession. But essentially, I think it’s down to Romney, Palin, and Pawlenty.

There’s my take on the veep speculation. Just to recap, for Obama it's down to Kaine, Biden, Bayh, and Sebelius, and I think he should pick Biden. For McCain it's down to Romney, Palin, and Pawlenty, and I think he should pick Romney. Feel free to comment, and I’ll keep you posted over the next week.