Biden a good choice?
So as everyone knows by now, Joe Biden was chosen as Barack Obama's running mate. I did a little hunting through YouTube, and picked a few clips out:
Joe Biden on Iraq
Joe Biden on Berevity
Joe Biden on Guiliani
Joe is Right
My Take
I believe that the above videos show that Joe is a great speaker, knows his stuff, and will be a good asset to Obama for this election. It's nice to have Obama paired up with someone who you has a lot of experience.
Compared to McCain, Obama is a clear pick to me. To me the most important issues for us today are the economy and the war. The war directly influences the economy, in that it's one of our greatest expenses.
McCain would have you believe that the only course of action for the US to take is to stay the course, for up to 100 years. We might even want to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran. He blasts Obama for not having foreign policy experience.
Yet, what has happened? Obama has pushed for timetables for a long time. All the republicans kept disagreeing, including McCain. Yet, a few days ago Secretary Rice agreed upon timetables for withdrawal. Obama has been stressing how we must get back into Afghanistan before it's just as bad as Iraq, and has been suggesting 12,000 troops. A little over a week ago, the Pentagon decided to send 12,000 additional troops.
On the economy, McCain admits the economy isn't his strong spot. His own top economic advisor called us a "nation of whiners". McCain doesn't even know how many houses he owns. He critized Obama's suggestion that properly inflating tires and maintaining your vehicle would save the US nearly as much oil in the short term that offshore drilling would deliver in 12 years. He even started selling $25 tire guages labelled, "Obama's Energy Plan." However, Obama's statement is backed up by the Bush administration's highway department, as well as many other independent groups. The next day, McCain went back on the record saying he didn't disagree with Obama's statement.
Clearly, McCain is disconnected from reality when it comes to foreign policy and the economy.
Living in the heart of Texas and attending an "evangelical" small-town church, I shudder at the logic of politics. Of course, one must always tread lightly, but I had an opportunity to discuss politics with someone who shared interest in a common candidate: Ron Paul. However, what shocked me was that now that Ron Paul is out, he was "most likely" going to vote for McCain. We discussed it a bit, and the true concern came out: he was worried about Obama secretly being a muslim. I did my best to dispel that rumor.
I'm hopeful that Obama will be elected. Do I think he's the epitome of my beliefs in government? No, far from it, I'm much closer to Ron Paul. Given that Texas is not a close state at all (currently 96% McCain), I have the joy of being able to vote for my heart, and not the lesser of two "evils." On the other hand, I wish I was in a swing state in which I could attempt to make a difference.
Sorry for the rant, had to get this out and in writing. Now, back to our normally scheduled geek stuff.
