Obama Makes the Right Choice

As the selection of Joe Biden becomes clear, the only remaining mystery is how political observers could have possibly doubted that Obama would make it.

Stooping to self-quotation, “It is more than Biden’s years in the Senate that recommend him. During the Democratic primary debates, the phrase ‘Joe is right’ was heard so often that it became the theme of his ultimately failed campaign.

“Since he entered the Senate in 1973 at the age of 30, Biden has embodied the kind of brains, character and compassion that national politics should have but rarely gets. Now, at 65, he would bring to Obama’s ticket the good judgment and experience a change candidate needs to persuade wary voters that the best of the past would not be swept away in enthusiasm for the new.”

If Obama had not already been inclined toward him as a running mate, John McCain and Vladimir Putin this month must have helped make up his mind.

“In the bitter campaign ahead, Republicans would have a harder time persuading voters of their candidate’s superiority on national security against a ticket anchored by Biden’s five-year record of attempting to resolve the political knots in Iraq rather than pushing on with McCain’s mindless flag-waving about victory that is still costing American lives and billions of dollars.”

Unless Obama has gone to extraordinary lengths to fake us out and text-messages differently a few hours from now, he has made the best possible choice.

Cross-posted from my blog.