The Cat's Out of the Bag

Okey dokey - so the big Veep selection is out, as you have surely heard by now: Joe Biden. Wow. All of this hoopla for HIM?? Frankly speaking, I am not a huge fan of his. Post 9/11, he found every opportunity to get his photo taken with President Bush in the Rose Garden. Oh, and all you one-note Obamarosa* cultists? He voted to authorize the Resolution on Iraq. So put that in your pipes and smoke it.

But here's the thing: the popular vote winner, the one who "would be on anyone's short list," according to Obama - just not HIS, apparently, as she was not vetted (then again, Obamarosa hasn't been either). Huh. I guess he wasn't all that "sincere" after all.

Add to that the incredibly petty, childish, vindictive, flat out punkish move to release this information at 3:00 a.m.. 3:00 a.m., get it?? As in a 3:00 a.m. phone call?? Yeah. That's the way to bring the Hillary supporters into the fold, Mr. Hopey Changey Unity Unicorn Man. Never mind those of us with any sense of decency. It is just plain bad form to drive a knife into the back of the one who bested you in votes. Just sayin'.

The choice alone, as many have pointed out already, demonstrates Obama's GLARING weakness - experience. By him picking Biden (ugh), he is saying loud and clear that he does not have enough experience. Heck - BIDEN said he didn't have enough experience (see this piece at No Quarter).

Funny, that is exactly what the poll done in the South said, too, in this article:
McCain Leads Big In South
Voters say honesty, experience, shared values important
Yep. The voters in the South seem to be taken more with experience, perceived honesty, and demonstrated leadership than "just words." I'll let the article speak for itself:

COLUMBIA — Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain enjoys a 16-point lead — 51 percent to 35 percent — among Southern voters over rival Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, a new poll by Winthrop University and ETV shows.

And, the further into the South you go, the larger McCain's lead grows, the poll of likely voters in 11 Southern states shows.

Likely voters in the Deep South — those in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina — preferred McCain by a 25-point margin, 56 percent to 31 percent.

Southern voters said what they want most in a president is honesty, experience and shared values. Southern voters rated McCain ahead of Obama in each of those categories.

McCain's strongest support comes from white working-class Southerners — who favor him by a 34-point margin — and white evangelicals — who favor the Arizonan by 54 percentage points.

The poll, which was conducted Aug. 1-17, has a margin of error of (plus or minus) 2.97 percentage points.

While political pundits have made much of Obama and Democrats trying to win over a Southern state or two from the Republicans in November, the Winthrop/ETV poll shows that will prove difficult.

"It's about keeping John McCain from sweeping the South. That's the key," said Scott Huffmon, associate professor of political science at Winthrop and director of the Winthrop/ETV Poll.

Rather than attempting to contest the presidential race across the South, a wiser strategy for Obama would be to concentrate on the closely contested Southern states, Huffmon said. "You cannot fight a regional battle anymore."

Individual state-by-state polls have shown Obama within striking distance of McCain in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

Those states account for 70 votes that are up for grabs. The 11 Southern states in this poll will award 161 electoral votes, and 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency.

On the issues, McCain trumped Obama nearly across the board in the poll.

The economy easily was the most important issue to Southern voters in the upcoming presidential election. McCain bested Obama on which candidate would handle energy and gas prices better, and who would do the better job on taxes.

McCain also far out-distanced Obama on who would do a better job of handling the Iraq war and terrorism.

None of that surprised Jeanette Smith of Chapin, S.C., who described McCain as honest and decisive, strong on national security and unlikely to be manipulated by a foreign government.

"The economy and national security are neck and neck for me," said Smith, a 54-year-old bookkeeper and mother of four. "In fact, I'm not even sure they are separate issues."

On illegal immigration, sometimes an Achilles' heel for McCain, and moral values, the four-term senior senator from Arizona again stood taller with Southern voters than Obama.

"Illegal immigration needs to be controlled," said 76-year-old Evelyn Perry of Fort Mill, S.C., who was among those surveyed. "I just haven't really understood what (McCain's position) is on that — but it needs to be controlled."

Even without those specifics, Perry said she trusts McCain more. "Overall, I just think McCain understands better."

However, in a glimmer of hope for the Democratic nominee-to-be, more likely Southern voters polled said Obama "understands the problems Americans face in their daily lives" better than McCain does.

However, Deep South and working-class white voters disagreed, saying McCain understands them best.

"Senator Obama has a great deal of work to do if he plans to turn the Southern states in his favor," said Adolphus Belk Jr., who helped design the poll and teaches political science and African-American Studies at Winthrop.

Belk said Obama has to do a better job at defining himself for voters, moving beyond simply being a new face on the national stage. Obama also has to overcome religious and ethnic misinformation that continues to plague his candidacy, Belk said.

That's no short order in the South, either, said Obama supporter John Hines Jr. of Effingham, S.C.. "For older Americans, I think color is still an issue," said the 53-year-old paper maker.

Of those polled, 86 percent said race would not be an important factor in how they choose to vote.

However, a quarter of all likely Southern voters surveyed said that if a candidate had a Muslim parent, it would impact their votes. Obama, who is a Christian, had a Muslim father.

Huh - imagine that. RACE is not that big of a factor down here in the South, despite the numerous attempts to paint us all as racist yahoos. No, not racist, just not willing to back the least qualified candidate ever to grace the national stage. IMHO, that is. Now, if CLINTON was in this mix, I think this story would be completely different. Again, not race, but having TWO qualified candidates from which to choose. (Again, I will say that I am not pro-McCain. I am pro-DEMOCRACY, and that is something the DNC has showed very little of of late.)

The Comments at this article were very interesting too. One said he'd vote for Spongebob before Obama. Others made fun of Obama for talking about McCain's houses when Obama pulled in $4 mil this year. Uh, yeah. Like I said, people in glass houses...And this was before the BIden choice.

So, once again, picking Biden just shows up Obama's weaknesses. I don't think having a Vice President who has the experience is enough. Especially when the inexperienced guy is running against the experienced guy. Huh. I guess the only way to solve this little dilemma is for the Conventioneers to pick the candidate who could actually win against McCain. That's not Obama. Just sayin'.

* Great thanks to "Jeremiah" and asimon for coming up with this name. There was another great comment last night. "Jill L" said she was hoping for Daniel Akaka, then the bumper sticker would be "Obamakaka"! What clever folks at No Quarter!!