Friday, August 22, 2008
Brooks On Biden
David Brooks has a nice opinion piece today in the NYT about the wisdom of picking Biden, yet more fuel on the fire, I believe. At this point I'm basically keeping my fingers crossed because I think Joe is a pretty great pick. Any thoughts to the contrary? Ideas of folks who might rival the strengths of the Senator from Delaware?
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I still think Biden would be the best possible choice. My only regret is that Biden isn't on the top of the ticket, where, in my opinion, he should be. (but then I'm one of those old-fashioned sorts who believe that the most important and demanding foreign policy job in the world should go to someone who, well, has foreign policy credentials.) I just don't know of anyone who could be a better VP. Bayh and Kaine may make more sense from an electoral college perspective, but I don't think either of them would bring as much as Joe.
I found this paragraph odd:
Loyalty. Just after Biden was elected to the senate in 1972, his wife, Neilia, and daughter Naomi were killed in a car crash. His career has also been marked by lesser crises. His first presidential run ended in a plagiarism scandal. He nearly died of a brain aneurism.
How do those relate to loyalty, I asked myself. I read the paragpraph that elaborated on that:
New administrations are dominated by the young and the arrogant, and benefit from the presence of those who have been through the worst and who have a tinge of perspective. Moreover, there are moments when a president has to go into the cabinet room and announce a decision that nearly everyone else on his team disagrees with. In those moments, he needs a vice president who will provide absolute support. That sort of loyalty comes easiest to people who have been down themselves, and who had to rely on others in their own moments of need.
but I still find the "family killed in car crash --> loyalty" link kinda weak.
Oh well a writer can't be perfect.
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