How did you react to Obama picking Joe Biden in 2008?

[NYCButterfinger]

Seven years ago today, then Illinois Senator Barack Obama picked then Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden to be his vice presidential running mate in Springfield, Ill., where Obama had announced his presidential campaign in February 2007. Biden brought foreign policy chops and a classic blue-collar appeal that revved support among Obama; some of the blue collar supporters had supported Hillary in 2008; Obama defeated Hillary Clinton for the 2008 nomination in June '08, some of these blue collar Democrats had become unenthusiastic to an Obama candidacy. How did you originally react to Obama picking Joe Biden in 2008? Did you receive that famous text message that Obama had sent to his reporters and to the media about the choice? Did you want another choice such as then-Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, then-Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, etc?

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/obama/obama082308text.html

[Egnever]

1. It was my dream ticket

First and only time in my life I got exactly the candidates I wanted. Will never happen again.

[woolldog]

2. Loved it.

I was for Biden in the 2008 primaries before I was for Obama.

[leftofcool]

3. I was excited and happy about Joe Biden being Obama's choice.

As well, I would have no trouble with Joe entering the race. Hillary could still be my first choice but he would become my second choice and if he won the nomination, I would campaign my ass off for him.

[msanthrope]

4. I was glad he listened to HRC, the Big Dog, and James Carville. nt

[left-of-center2012]

14. Obama chose Biden

Obama has always said he chose Biden because he liked the way Biden performed in the Democratic debates.
I've never heard Obama chose Biden on Hillary's advice.

[msanthrope]

15. Yes....he did, on the advice of others. nt

[edhopper]

5. Thought it was a good choice then

still do.

[tularetom]

6. Sort of meh

I liked Obama enough that it didn't matter who he chose as VP.

I guess I was happy it wasn't Hillary Clinton.

[Thinkingabout]

9. Naming Hillary as SOS was an excellent choice.

[tularetom]

10. In retrospect it was not but I suppose a bargain was made to appease the Clintons

She actually would have done less damage as VP, but there was always the chance that she would become POTUS and I'm pretty certain Obama did not want that.

[Thinkingabout]

13. In your opinion, she had a big job trying to right the wrongs the US did under the Bush

administration, this counts in my book, she did a great job.

[brooklynite]

12. But what about the "blood on his hands"? You were willing to look the other way on his IWR vote?

[dsc]

39. He has a penis though

so his vote doesn't matter.

[abelenkpe]

30. Same

My reaction was meh.

[Arugula Latte]

36. Same reaction. Kinda -- "Huh -- Joe Biden? Really? Okay, well, it could be worse ..."

[gwheezie]

7. Biden was my 1st choice in 08

Then Hillary, then Obama. So I was glad my top 3 had such important positions after the election. Basically any combination of the 3 was OK with me.

[Runningdawg]

17. This sums up my POV nicely too

n/t

[Thinkingabout]

8. Biden is a heavy in foreign affairs, he had the ability to speak strongly on the

campaign trail, Obama knew he could depend on his advice and Biden committed himself to serve the president. I thought it was an excellent choice. We can thank Biden for speaking out on same sex marriage, the ball started rolling very fast and now look where we are.

[virtualobserver]

11. I felt that it communicated wonderful things about both Obama and Biden

The "clean" gaffe was a pretty big deal. I don't know of any politician who would have chosen a "VP"
who had made a comparable one. It showed what Obama saw in Biden's character.

[Frustratedlady]

16. I was overjoyed. I like Biden because he refuses to be a part of the machine.

Joe is Joe and if Obama didn't want him at first, I think he's glad he chose him at the present time and wouldn't be surprised if he urged Biden to jump in the race in the event Hillary fails to get control of the process.

[Bluenorthwest]

18. Not impressed, and as you might recall Biden had to run around promising he'd be 'as liberal as

Obama' because people thought Obama was a big liberal back then. To me, Biden is Senator Credit Card, the man who brought us Justice Thomas, the guy who shouted out that he agreed with Palin that gay people are insufficiently loved by God to rate marriage rights. Yeah, later he 'evolved' but to be blunt, I have never in my life shouted out that I agree that some group of people should be treated as inferiors, never. To me that is disgusting. Joe was a DOMA yes vote, an IWR yes vote.

[NYCButterfinger]

19. I was happy at the choice. I had wanted Kaine.

I thought Kaine would have given Obama Virginia and some Southern states. But Obama won without Kaine in 2008.

[TBF]

20. Not thrilled at all - but I had faith in Obama

young guy with a lot of enthusiasm. Biden has never thrilled me because he's too tight with the banks (credit cards). I won't vote for him if he's Hillary's replacement.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. I liked the choice personally

I thought he would complement Obama well with some experience/blue collar appeal. I sort of thought Hillary would have been a good choice too since she was so close to winning the nomination but being SOS was probably better in that it put her in the cabinet without being tied to closely to Obama if she ever decided to run again.

[DawgHouse]

32. ITA

[hifiguy]

22. Very pleased/

I have a couple of bones to pick with Joe (Anita Hill, bankruptcy bill) but he was my preferred choce for VP by far.

[lunatica]

23. I love Joe Biden. I was delighted!

[Quixote1818]

25. Biden is sharp as a tack and wiped the floor in every debate he was in. nt

[ghostsinthemachine]

27. I was pissed and still am

I really do not like Joe Biden. The RAVE ACT did it for me. The whole drug warrior thing. the RAVE Act though was horrible legislation, tacked on to the Amber Alert Bill after failing in commitee a number of times previously.

the RAVE Act cost me money, some of my friends had their property confiscated and spend time in prison thanks to Joe Biden.

[JoePhilly]

28. Joe knew congress. Strong choice.

[bermudat]

29. shrugged my shoulders

[mmonk]

31. I preferred him to others speculated about.

[CTyankee]

33. It was good. In fact, perfect to shut up the people who were snarking about Obama's

lack of foreign policy cred. Joe supplied that and satisfied most people (even t hose of us against the Iraq invasion) but I came around to like Joe a lot.

[AtomicKitten]

34. Of the three apparent contenders mentioned,

Tim Kaine, Evan Bayh (ugh), and Joe, it was Joe my a mile. He has served as Obama's wingman with diligence and loyalty.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

35. I figured it was a purely political pick.

Something to get him the potential swing 'white middle class votes'. It seemed to have worked out for him pretty well back then.

[L. Coyote]

37. My first reaction was "Right on, Biden will follow Obama in the White House."

I still expect that to happen, and I want Biden to announce his V-P choice when he announces his candidacy = Elizabeth Warren.

[bigwillq]

38. I believe I thought it was a decent choice.

Although after eight years, I am kind of over Biden. I hope he doesn't run for prez.

[geek tragedy]

40. relieved it wasn't Evan Bayh nt

[NYCButterfinger]

43. Imagine a Bayh-Palin debate?

I think that if Obama had picked Evan Bayh, that he would have beaten Palin in that debate on Oct 2, 2008.

[geek tragedy]

45. And Biden didn't? nt

[Blue_Tires]

41. I think I made a bunch of jokes about toll roads, credit card companies

and that Biden was LynneSin's uncle, or something

[Rex]

42. .

[bluedigger]

44. I thought it was both shrewd and disappointing.

Shrewd because Biden is smart and a good campaigner - it certainly helped the ticket.

Disappointing because as likable as Joe is, I have a hard time believing there will ever be an anti-corporatist from Delaware, the home of incorporation laws. As the last two terms have played out, and cabinet choices have shown, progressive economic policy has not been a particular trait of this administration.

[kelliekat44]

46. I confess, I was upset because of Biden's role in the Clarence Thomas - Anita Hill incident. But

got over it.