Biden would give Obama the necessary gravitas, and the straightforward delineation of issues.  He can make the case for a Democratic presidency better than Obama. I think Biden would ensure victory.

Extremely bad advice. I love Joe Biden, but he's a human gaffe machine who never got beyond single digits in any primary. Maryland is already in the tank. Joe Lunchbucket? You must be drunk.

By far the best choice is Evan Bayh. He's a two-term red state Governor and Senator who serves on the Armed Services and Select Intelligence Committees, chairs the Subcommittee on Foreign Trade and Security, has perfect Mid-West White Boy chops honed by years of flawless performances on Sunday talk shows, and won't make any mistakes during the campaign. He's been throughly vetted by serious campaigns against the Republican machine.

If foreign policy gravitas, ability to deliver a big swing state, total campaign reliability, youth enough to bring party continuity, and major credibility with Independents and sensible Republicans count, Evan Bayh is the guy.

I always thought you would getting the same thing with Webb (namely, major foreign-policy bona fides, appeal to the working-class, and shoot-from-the-lip straight-talkiness), plus the added benefits of someone who was against the war from the start, major swing-state appeal, and perhaps, most importantly, someone with the foreign-policy experience that still didn't manage to run counter to Obama's outside of Washington message. Webb's exotic resume made him very unique in this sense. Biden however, runs directly counter to Obama's outsider message.

And btw, does anyone else feel uncomfortable posting a comment on a "comment of the day" post?

www.senate.gov/.../roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm

Robert, Biden doesn't represents Delaware, not Maryland. He is originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Sorry, William, You're right of course. Delaware's in the tank too, and Biden can't bring PA.

Robert,

Cheney wasn't bringing a swing state with him either.  That's not why you pick a guy like this.

The "gaffe machine" argument is a lousy one in my opinion.  Those "gaffes" come because Biden says what he thinks and doesn't script all of his responses in advance.  The same dynamic plays out with Ed Rendell.  Two points about this.  The first is that, as a practical matter, voters appreciate that sort of openness far more than pundits realizes.  Biden and Rendell haven't enjoyed their political success because they're bad campaigners.  The political good generally outweighs the bad on this one.  The second point is tha, regardless of whether or not it helps win elections(and as I said, it doesn't),  the ability to doggedly stick to talking points and the tendency to answer questions as if the person asking them was a six-year-old is not a desirable quality in our leaders.  We need less of that, not more.

Incidentally, I agree with most of what you said about Bayh.  He looks great on paper.  I just don't really know enough about what he's actually like at this point (Richardson also looks great on paper; you have to know a bit more than his resume to understand why he wouldn't be a good choice).

Yeah, Joe Biden would be great.  Except, has nobody noticed that he's kind of a goofball?

Another thing about Biden, he's a condescending son of a bitch.

I'll never forget before the Iraq War, he was grilling in a hearing Scott Ritter, the former Marine and outspoken WMD inspector.  

Ritter had the temerity to say something that Biden didn't agree with and he told Ritter, "...you're making judgements way above your paygrade."

Not only was that insulting bullshit, but it bespoke a Washington bureaucrat's mentality that just turned my stomach.

So, respectfully, screw you Joe Biden.  The vice presidency requires qualities way above your pay grade.

Seems there are certain qualities a VP choice must have: Good debating skills, Foreign policy experience, Domestic policy experience, and must be willing to take on the other party's nominee.

Chan, was that before or after Scott Ritter was caught in the Dateline NBC-like sex sting?

As much affection and respect as I have for Joe when he is on, I'll catch your back on Joe's infuriating insidery arrogance sometimes Channy.  

The only time I have ever called my bank to cancel a check I'd written (to the DNC) was after watching Joe tell Alberto Gonzales during the confirmation hearings for AG:  "I love ya man!"  Arrrrgh!

This was years after it was common knowledge that Gonzales had been Bush's torture toad from day 1.  It was also in the middle of Kerry's Presidential campaign.  

Biden's gaffes don't always fit the Kinsley definition of telling the truth in public. I mean, while I agree that Obama is "clean" and all, that was the kind of foot-in-mouth disease Biden epitomizes.

Again, I like Joe Biden just fine--there's probably no one in Washington with whom I've more consistently agreed with about Iraq, for example. But the idea that this often-smarmy, condescending guy appeals to "Joe Lunchbucket" is borderline bizarre. He's in many respects a perfectly standard member of the Eastern Establishment elite, and as a campaigner one has only to look at the results he got in the primaries. He brings no balance whatsoever in terms of Obama's image as a lefty which, however unfounded it may be is a very real perception out there, and we all know that at election time perception is reality. Obama badly needs someone who will present as dead reliable, experienced in foreign policy, AND DLC moderate. The facts that Bayh performs so well on tv and has major family political infrastructure in a swing state are bonuses, but the balance he brings to the ticket is key.

In terms of foreign policy cred, Biden isn't in the same universe as Dick Cheney--he's just a Senator, not an ex-White House Chief of Staff, wartime Secretary of Defense, etc. Besides, look how Cheney's vice presidency turned out.  While I agree that the selection is no longer so much about geography with television being the major campaign format, there's simply no question that Bayh's credentials in that regard far outstrip Joe's.  He's been on Meet the Press a thousand times, and I'll bet no one can name a single Bayh gaffe.

I've heard the "gaffe machine" argument used against Biden before, but it really doesn't hold water. For all the supposed "gaffes" he's made, most voters can't name one. But EVERYONE remembers his "a noun, a verb, and 9/11" shot at Giuliani.

Biden is definitely worth the risk.

Robert...

I'll bet nobody can remember anything Evan Bayh has ever said.  

You mean Evan Blah?

I think it's worth nothing that Biden has been in the Senate for more than half his life. He was elected in 1972 at the tender of age of 30. It's hard to imagine in a more inside-the-beltway candidate than Biden, which might give the Obama message machine some trouble. He has a lot of great qualities and certainly would be prepared to take over, but you have to consider the negatives of being what amounts to a lifer in the Senate. I like the guy, but I can see why Obama would take a pass here.

Evan Bayh?  Bo-ring!  

I don't understand what people see in Bayh.  He's so stiff he makes John Kerry look like Bill Clinton.  

And oh, by the way, the only reason he has a political career is his name -- do we really want another son-of-a-powerful-politician on the ticket?  Biden at least pulled himself up by his bootstraps.  

Also, I think Biden would pull a lot of votes in Southeastern PA -- and his Scranton roots may help the ticket up there, too.  

The idea that the running mate should "bring" a state is a myth. Tons of details here:

www.fivethirtyeight.com/.../can-vp-nominee-win-state.html

I like boring for Obama's running mate.

ALso, and I know this is going to sound stupid, but as Robert said, perceptions are reality in election seasons: Biden doesn't "seem" like an insider.  For most voters, August/September will be the first time they have heard of either Bayh or Biden (just to stick with whom we are talking about here).  Biden is kind of a loosey-goosey guy, funny, the "have a beer with" candidate.  Bayh is like John Edwards without the passion.  I was in school in Indiana when he first ran for Senate, and went to a debate, and while I agreed with him on things and found him likeable in small settings, he is a stiff.  In terms of perception, Biden seems more of an outsider, even though reality makes that a lie.  Ah, but between the two lies the shadow, right?  And that is where elections are won.  

Also, the not-as-experienced-as-Cheney thing is absurd.  Sure, maybe Biden doesn't have the sterling resume, but no one in Washington seems to think as seeriously and as deeply, and realistically, about FP as Uncle Joe.   He would shore up Barack.  

And can we retire "gaffe machine".  I want to throw that cliche under the bus, along with "under the bus".  

boneill says: "Bayh is like John Edwards without the passion."

I could never quite put my finger on what was wrong with this guy, but I think you've nailed it.

(And while you're throwing political cliches under the bus, can you add "in the tank"? Thanks.)

jyunis,

Regarding your comment about commenting on the "comment of the day" thread, I think I'll decline to comment.

Well, Wonder Boy can go one of two ways.  Foreign policy cred, Joe Biden.  Boring, but with good paper credentials, Evan Bayh.  A two-fer would be Scoop Jackson, but last I heard he's still dead.

Willaim-g, gosh, I can't believe I missed a good sex scandal.

What's the Scott Ritter thing to which you refer?

I think people who find Bayh boring should think a bit about what "balance the ticket" really means.

Obama has all the flash the ticket needs. What he REALLY needs is a straight-man who won't hog the spotlight with off-the-wall remarks and an image as a kind of goofy one-trick pony who is as much of a Washington insider as anyone I can think of. I expect Biden to get a top appointment, but on the ticket he'd be a Big Mistake.

Bayh's a solidly reliable choice who performs plenty well on tv (on balance a HELL of a lot better than Biden), and has been hand's on in top positions with regard to our most important foreign policy issues for a decade.

RobertP, good analysis.  Yin and yang beats yin and yin.

Robert,

I don't understand your obsession with Evan Bayh.  It's not merely that the man is boring (that might fall under the catagory of "do no harm"), but that he's almost radioactively boring.  He takes mere boring to new heights.  It's one thing to be an empty suit, it's another thing to look like the invisible man, so obviously and indisputably empty that you give emptiness new meaning.  He's a cipher as a personality and brings absolutely no heft, or weight, or gravitas or interest or anything that might be construed as adding anything, to the ticket.  The only thing he might bring is Indiana.  And that ain't beanbag, but I wonder if Barack really needs Bayh to be competitive in Indiana.  I sure hope not.  The thought of an Obama-Bayh ticket is really depressing.  The only thing more depressing might be Obama-Casey, for many of the same reasons.

I'm not obsessed, I just think naming Bayh is a good idea.  I've been impressed with his performances on Sunday talk tv for years, and think he brings not only a much better chance of carrying Indiana, but lots of moderates and independents nationally.

It's a matter of balance. Obama needs someone who's NOT flashy, with good moderate cred, and I can't think of anyone else better. I certainly agree that Casey would be a bad choice.