Friday, August 22, 2008
Obama Picks His Cheney
Eight years ago a young and untested George Bush chose Dick Cheney, considered then to be a wise old man of Washington, to be his vice-presidential candidate. How did that turn out for you? Now Barrack Obama, if the cable news shows are right, is following the Bush playbook and has chosen Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's wise old man of Washington. The difference, of course, is that Cheney knows how to keep his mouth shut. Biden has never met a silence he doesn't feel it necessary to fill.
Cheney and Biden remind me of an old Thomas Jefferson saying: "It is better to remain silent and presumed a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
Cheney probably did little to change the election results in 2000 and 2004. But he has been an extremely influential Vice-President. Biden's regular guy persona is more likely to benefit Obama during the campaign. But his tendency to run his mouth and say foolish things is likely to make him a less influential Vice-President. That's my counter-intuitive opinion, anyway.
-tdr
Cheney and Biden remind me of an old Thomas Jefferson saying: "It is better to remain silent and presumed a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
Cheney probably did little to change the election results in 2000 and 2004. But he has been an extremely influential Vice-President. Biden's regular guy persona is more likely to benefit Obama during the campaign. But his tendency to run his mouth and say foolish things is likely to make him a less influential Vice-President. That's my counter-intuitive opinion, anyway.
-tdr
Labels: America, Elections, Politics
