How in the world does anyone named "Beau" get elected outside of the state of Louisiana?

Heh heh. Just kidding. The last name would more than make up for it, you're right!

-CW

You're gonna love this! Forget about the Governor - Delaware has someone much better than that if you're looking to fill a senate seat.

I can hardly contain myself...are you ready for it and sitting down?

Okay...Delaware has a Democratic Attorney General and his name is Beau Biden...yeah, the Senator's son.

How does that grab ya!?

I'm not disagreeing with you. I'd put it this way: "The Wizard of Oz" was a great movie. All around. Just a fantastic piece of filmmaking. I don't think anyone would disagree with that statement.

But it didn't win Best Picture Oscar that year (1939, I believe).

Because "Gone With The Wind" came out the same year.

That's all I'm saying -- sometimes even deserving movies (or candidates) don't win, due to factors beyond their control.

Hey, I like Biden. I pushed hard for his (and Gelb's) plan when it came out. At the time (and to this day) it seemed like the most intelligent plan ANYbody had for the aftermath of Iraq. And while it just didn't happen for him this year in the nomination race, I still think he'd make a great cabinet member!

One question, though: does Delaware have a Democratic governor? It's going to be important to keep that seat in the Senate Democratic! Or maybe they're one of the states that hold special elections to fill vacancies, I don't know....

-CW

So, it just wasn’t Joe Biden’s time, eh? I feel compelled to set that record straight and then I will end my incessant harping, ad nauseam, about the senior senator from Delaware...or, at least, I’ll try not to sound like a bad broken record...all of the time... :-)

It is not hyperbole to suggest that the next ten years will be a critical decade for America's future. The reality is that eight years of a unique and unprecedented blend of neoconservative-inspired hubris and incompetence have ensured that the next President of the United States will have virtually no margin for error as he is confronted with any number of critical foreign policy challenges along with the exciting opportunities that they will present. By 2009, we will all be in very desperate need of having someone in the White House with a finely tuned foreign policy prowess and comprehensive world view if the US hopes to protect Americans at home and begin to regain its credibility throughout the world and reclaim its global leadership role.

The reality is that Senator Biden stood alone, head and shoulders above all of his rivals, in having the most relevant experience along side an unmatched depth and breadth of knowledge, with a demonstrated capacity for building bipartisan consensus by attracting the support of Republicans and independents and, most importantly, a proven track record for action, consistently resisting the status-quo conventional wisdom and working against the grain to make change happen.

The reality is that Senator Biden is uniquely qualified to provide the kind of leadership that will be required to deal with the pressing issues of the day and to help define the role of the US in our post-9/11 world and radically change the course of the ship of state, at home and abroad. In a very real sense, he has spent his entire senate career learning about, preparing for, and acting to meet the critical challenges that face us all during this crucial time in history and restore honor to the promise of America.

I would even go so far as to suggest that a Biden presidency was practically written in the stars and should have been a virtual coronation, all things considered! Unfortunately, too many people had their sights set quite a bit lower, willing and content to settle for so much less than the very best.

And so, the reality is that this was EXACTLY Senator Biden’s time...unfortunately, for reasons that would be fodder for a whole other blog post, the electorate and media live in a fantasy-based world and failed to recognize great leadership when great leadership was bloody staring them squarely in their collective face.

I have to say, your first comment to Stan about not letting the door hit her was pretty funny...

As for Biden's tendency to gaffes, I seem to remember having this conversation at the time with a certain "LizM" commenter over at the Huffington Post. And actually apologizing to "LizM" for the use of "partition."

Heh heh.

But I appreciate your kind words about my fairness. I really do strive for this goal, so to hear it back so strongly from a commenter is music to my ears.

I do like Biden, really I do, but this just wasn't the year for him. Like the sign says, it's "reality-based political commentary" here at ChrisWeigant.com.

:-)

-CW

You do that too!!?? Ain't dat a pisser!?? I hate it when I do that!! :D

Michale.....

Everyone seems to realize the dance is done. Except Hillary.

Now, Obama has a real chance to impress me mightily and show me where he stands..

Is he a Democrat first and foremost, who will choose Clinton as his VP for the good of the Party??

Or will he state loudly and clearly that he is an American first and foremost and choose a VP that is best for the country??

To paraphrase from the latest Pacino movie, 88 MINUTES.....

"Tic Tock, Obama.. Tic Tock"...

Good flick, by the way..

Michale.....

I have a tendency to comment on blogs and posts that I have not bothered to read in full. It's a very bad habit that gets me into trouble sometimes. In this case, I should have known better - absolutely, positively, unequivocally! I don't like to admit to being the least bit sensitive to anything but I do have certain buttons, as they say, some of which tend to go off when they get looked at the wrong way! Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Anyway, I just wanted to say - shout out loud, even! - that your readers have nothing to complain about when it comes to your great efforts to be fair and neutral, with all of the candidates. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty to do your part to inform the electorate and tell them what they need to know. If there were more journalists and bloggers out there who take as much care as you do in reporting on the people and issues who matter, with intelligence and humor, then the media would not be in the sorry state of affairs that it is today.

Now, just one more thing about your examination of Biden...I don’t suppose anything can be done at this late stage to eliminate the word, ‘partition’, is there?...just kidding...sort of...

But, do you REALLY believe that his biggest weakneess is a "tendency to run mouth without first engaging brain" or were you just pointing out that the "history of gaffes" is a media-driven national myth of epic proportions?

Hey, c'mon, I said "so-called 'minor' or even 'fringe' candidates." I meant it as a commentary on the media, not the candidates. No disrespect intended... quite the opposite!

-CW

..sour grapes...you betcha!

However, it is my experience that politicans do not always know when it is time for them to bow out gracefully and have to be given a shove.

...Stan