Obama’s VP: It’s Biden

Thank you, Obama, for this wonderful gift. The only candidate that could guarantee victory for you was Hillary Clinton, and you could not pick her. 

Reaction from around the blogosphere:

Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey: It’s an admission that Obama’s inexperience has finally begun worrying voters, and not just Democratic power brokers.  There really is no other way to see an addition of Biden to the ticket.  … Now Obama, who supposedly represents a new brand of politics, has instead hitched his wagon to an old-time pol who has trouble coming up with his own words when he campaigns.  That’s desperation, and what’s more, it’s obvious desperation.  And in politics, just as in dating, desperation is not an aphrodisiac.

Michelle Malkin: He said he “wasn’t the guy.” Starting his VP candidacy off with a lie.

Power Line’s Scott Johnson: Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as his running mate is underwhelming for many reasons, but it affords an opportunity to review a few of the moments that might have provided all the embarrassment a normal person needs to escape from public life. 

The Moderate Voice’s Jazz Shaw: At this point, Obama is fast becoming the only convincing argument I’ve seen in favor of gun control. He shoots himself in the foot so often that I’m shocked the man has any toes left. … Obama made his bones during this election cycle talking first about how Hillary Clinton lacked the judgment to get the Iraq war right. (She voted in favor of the authorization to use military force in Iraq.) Barack later criticized John McCain for his support of the war (”getting it wrong”) and voiced his opposition to the surge. (Another place he had better “judgment” than McCain.) He has now selected a running mate who not only voted in favor of the war, but came out on McCain’s side in saying what a great idea the surge was.

The National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez: Question of the Day: How exactly is Biden “change”? 

RedState’s Erick Erickson: The One has chosen. … This is all about Obama. Joe’s just there for constitutionally required window dressing. 

The Weekly Standard’s Dean Barnett: The conventional wisdom regarding vice-presidential nominees is first do no harm. Given that Biden has been a garrulous gaffe machine for his lengthy political career (36 years in the senate, although it feels like longer), it would seem the potential for harm is great. … Also on the right, we’ll get to watch progressives feign joy over Obama’s elevation of an Iraq war supporter who enjoys a cozy relationship with the credit card companies. 

Townhall’s Hugh Hewitt: Obama represents the merger of two of the worst aspects of Democratic politics –’60s radicalism and corrupt Chicago machine politics.  With the addition of Slow Joe Biden to the ticket, Obama has added to his unsteady candidacy an epic amount Beltway cluelessness and arrogance unsupported by anything except frequent flier miles and Delaware’s love for a chuckle-headed fellow with a big smile. 

Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds: OBAMA PICKS BIDEN: So Much for Change? That’s unfair. He’s at least as fresh a face as Madeleine Albright. 

The National Review’s Jonah Goldberg: I think it is an outright terrible decision on Obama’s part to pick Biden. Yes, he helps balance Obama’s inexperience on foreign policy, but he also reminds people of it.  Yes, Biden could conceivably be effective as an attack dog. But Biden is such a gasbag he makes the Hindenburg look like a sack of rocks. 

Townhall’s Amanda Carpenter: Joe voted for the Iraq war, just like Hillary and everybody else did. Obama bashed Hillary on this over and over again through the primaries and yet Obama picks a VP, based on his FP experience, who did the same? This doesn’t make sense. 

Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin: Put simply: what happened to the themes of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign? A “no” vote on the Iraq war was the telltale sign of superior national security judgment. Experience doesn’t matter. A long senate career is useless in preparing one for leadership. All these are now officially inapplicable? Or is there some bizarre methodology by which one would reconcile these messages (and the candidacy of Obama) with the selection of Joe Biden? You got me. 

UPDATE: McCain’s new ad: