ProudProgressive

I wrote previously that I was unexcited about Joe Biden. I had never questioned Biden’s qualifications, which are superb. Instead, I hoped that Barack Obama would pick someone other than “a respected white male (boring) politician.” Well, Biden is still white and male. But after hearing him speak, I can retract the boring part. He will definitely be an asset to this campaign, particularly in its attempts to woo working-class white voters.

And now that John McCain has announced his choice of Sarah Palin as running mate, I can see just how bad a vice-presidential choice can be. Palin is so extreme that her views on science education, global warming, and choice, among other issues, that they almost manage to overshadow her complete lack of foreign policy experience (scroll down to the section on “Foreign Policy.”) In fact, Palin makes McCain himself look halfway reasonable by comparison. Perhaps that’s McCain’s real strategy.

Finally, a memo to the media: selecting a hard-right conservative in line with the Republican Party on practically every issue is a not a “maverick” choice for a Republican presidential candidate.

Tags: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin