In the Dead of Night, Obama Picks Joe Biden As VP

This has to rank up there as one of the most bizarre roll outs of a vice presidential nominee ever. I can't ever recall an instance where a Presidential candidate ever decided to announce their choice prior to a convention where it didn't get prime time positioning.

And it stemmed from the fact that the campaign decided that they were going to announce Obama's selection via text message instead of the more traditional press conference. When media outlets started getting wind of Obama's choice, the campaign decided that it had no choice but to run the text message.

At just after 3AM. 3AM!

It must be amateur hour at the Obama campaign when they can't maintain operational control on an issue as delicate as selection of a running mate. You would think that there would be only a small group of people involved in the process - the selection committee, Obama, and a few trusted aides. Well, someone decided to leak things to the press early, and the Obama campaign didn't know how to react to it.

The Obama campaign mismanaged this process from the outset, and it is quite possible that other possible candidates told Obama they didn't want the job, leaving them with their eventual vice presidential pick. Instead, Obama chose Joe Biden, the senior senator from Delaware.

How exactly does this help Obama? Biden has longevity in the Senate, but it is a mostly undistinguished career punctuated by delusions of grandeur. Biden's run for President several times, never getting beyond the first few primaries. That was the case this year, when he didn't even make it out of the Iowa caucus.

He's been the Chairman of several committees in the past, but you see just how inadequate he can be when trying to go toe to toe with judicial nominees for the Supreme Court. John Roberts blew him out of the water and made Biden look absolutely foolish.

His experience on foreign policy is similar to that of another failed Presidential candidate, John Kerry. Biden is as liberal as they come, and hasn't exactly piled up a legislative record of achievement, again like John Kerry.

And it's curious that Obama would pick the guy who made this statement:

I mean, you’ve got the first sort of mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a story-book, man.

Then again, Biden also said that Obama wasn't ready to serve because he was inexperienced. I can't disagree with that statement.

UPDATE:


UPDATE:
Stop the ACLU has a big roundup as does Outside the Beltway.

Don Surber weighs in on the presidency with training wheels selection of Obama and his new running mate.

Vodkapundit notes that you finally have "...change you can believe in — because it’s been in Washington since 1973 already."

Most of the world knew that Biden was the choice last night when CNN was camping out outside Biden's home and the Secret Service showed up to start providing protection. That was the tipoff that he was the selection. Too bad the Secret Service can't protect Biden from his verbal gaffes. Dan Riehl riffs on that.

Others blogging:
Flopping Aces, Ed Driscoll, AJ Strata, and Donklephant. Memeorandum has the ball.

UPDATE:
McCain didn't waste any time this morning getting up a new ad highlighting Biden's positions vis a vis both McCain and Obama. These ads write themselves.

UPDATE:
Jammie notes that he was on the Biden VP track a while back. Then again, pretty much every Democrat was being considered, except Hillary. And pretty much every single choice would have had more experience than Obama. Biden has 30 years in the Senate, and yet his most memorable events have to do with badgering judicial nominees and showing his cluelessness.

Tigerhawk notes that all McCain has to do now is select someone who has just as much experience as Obama as a VP selection. That shouldn't be too hard to do. Pretty much everyone in contention has more experience - from Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin to Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney. Those four have executive experience, sorely lacking on the Democratic ticket.

UPDATE:
Michelle Malkin notes that it's smarmy and smirky 2008 with the one thing standing in the way of a Biden candidacy being his mouth. She also points out the true nature of the text messaging option - it was to generate a new list of people to hit up for campaign contributions. Problem is that most journalists were already on the list.

Still others weighing in: Stuck on Stupid, RS McCain, and PJ Media has a big roundup.

UPDATE:
Is Biden going to run full tilt for the Obama campaign, or will he try to keep his seat in the Senate safe just in case things don't work out for the campaign for the White House? Biden is up for reelection this year. Or, will he pull a Joe Lieberman and run for both - knowing that if it doesnt't work out, that he's got a fallback into the Senate.