The political pundits are pushing Senator Joe Biden as Obama's nominee choice.  I'm going to go against the grain and out on the limb and say - NO IT'S NOT BIDEN

The media is saying the recent trip to Georgia, requested by President Bush put Biden over the top for Obama.  I don't think so.  In fact, if I were Obama, that trip would have given me second thoughts about picking him as my VP choice.  Why you ask?

As Sherlock Homes would say, 'Elementary, my dear Watson" - Because President Bush asked him to go.

That is a typical Karl Rove maneuver.

Put Senator Joe Biden in the limelight.  Convince Senator Obama that Senator Biden is the man he needs on his side at this point.

Why would the GOP do that; with all of Biden's experience, maturity and likability giving Obama's supporters and those 'not sure', a sense of security?

I don't have a clue, except to say they probably have something on Biden that could hurt Obama.  Perhaps they are hoping Biden with his known problem of 'talking too much' at times will ultimately hurt Obama?  Either way, I just don't think Obama will pick Biden.

The video and story below chronicle a recent Sunday afternoon in Venice, California, when 22 children, ages 5-12, gathered to sing original songs in the belief that their singing would lift up our communities and the Obama campaign for the coming election.  This was a grassroots deal from the start, but thanks to unexpected assistance from parents and then top film production folks in LA, the performances are captured for all time.
 
The video was just finished and uploaded to YouTube earlier this evening, and as one of the video’s two grips-for-the-day, I’m especially proud to present it to Daily Kos first:

Here’s the Sing for Change performance:

http://www.youtube.com/...

In two recent articles at HuffingtonPost.com, Paul Abrams makes a compelling case for Wesley Clark to be Obama’s VP pick. I hope someone at Obama HQ is listening to him because I think he’d be a far better choice than the 3 frontrunners listed by the MSM.

I've been re-watching the first season of The West Wing lately, and I was inspired to create this West Wing / Obama mashup.

(Click through to view the video...)

Why not? Why doesn’t he choose somebody that we all disagree with? It will make it easier if he doesn't choose your guy.  You people in this community talk about that this person is bad that person is bad. Come people do you really support Barack Obama? I mean here's a guy who won the primaries by given you all a vision for America. But all I hear (or read) is that every person that is mention as a VP is bad. More after the fold.

Maybe Kos covers this in his new book and I’ll soon get all the information I need, but for the moment, I am left to wonder, "How does anyone fight bat-shit crazy?"

Over the last few weeks, I have felt a sense of apathy towards the Obama campaign.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely want and need Obama to win the election.  He has my unwavering support.  (I cannot even envision McCain winning without the thought of moving my family out of the country.)  It’s just that lately I haven’t had the same level of energy when I think about Obama and his chances in November.

For a while, I though my lack of energy was due to Obama’s move to the center.  His FISA vote stung and was a bitter pill to swallow.  And, all of his other overtures to the right (read: Faith Based Programs, Saddleback Church appearance, etc.) haven’t been any better.  But, I realized that I still support him whole-heartedly and these moves haven’t shaken my faith in him.  I still believe he is an extremely smart man and will govern effectively (and hopefully progressively).

So, what’s got my goat?  What is it that is sapping my energy?  I think I have figured it out.

Via MyDD, Biden announces it himself:

Hey guys, I'm not the guy. See ya.

He and Richardson can now fight over secretary of state.

So who's left? Assuming slotted speakers at the DNC are not the Veep, then Kaine is out. He's speaking Thursday night before Gore and Obama. Kerry is speaking Wednesday.

Who's that leave? Daschle, Sebelius, and "dark horse".

Of course, slotted speakers can always be rescheduled...

(Cross-posted from "Bayh-Bayh-Bayhden.org")

    Some say Obama chose a VP already.
    Well, maybe it's time to un-choose.

    While this diary resembles my previous di on similar topics, there's a lot more to say:


JOE BIDEN

1. Biden is a plagiarist. Even if it was 2 decades ago.

    Actually, more than a plagiarist; just peep the Wik,

(look out below)

Many of us are in the late summer doldrums and getting a bit edgy about where the state of the race lays.  We've seen McCain attack and Barack act cool.  We've also pointlessly obssessed over national daily tracking polls and every state poll that comes out.

But whats probably infuriated us the most is the tenor of the campaign from McCain, the complicit media to ingore the clear hypocrisy of the McCain myth versus the McCain man and Obama's seemingly refusal to hit back hard.

We've come to realize the media, which we hate to admit is incredibly important in helping citizens reach their decisions about whom they vote for, will NOT go after McCain.  I mean 'He was a POW for 5 and a half years!!!!' after all.

So what do we do?

Welcome back for more speculation! Today continues the new final series of possibilities for Obama's v.p.

This series began with a new top 14 list of names I considered most likely to be named Obama's v.p. running mate, and we'll eliminate the bottom vote-getter each day until there is a winner, or a real-life winner is named by Obama. Starting today, candidates will be listed in order of votes from the previous poll, from most to least, so we'll have some idea of preference in this thread's voting should Obama decide before there is a series winner. Sens. Evan Bayh (IN) and Jack Reed (RI) were eliminated in the previous round.

Please discuss any v.p. candidates in the comments. The most correct format would be to state their name, unless you have further comments. I'm happy to hear all ideas in this open thread, and I'm no official gatekeeper, so play nice.

(continued below the fold)

Obama's VP selection is going to be crucial regardless of what anyone says. His lead in the polls has dwindled mainly because he's damaged his brand by taking positions on Fisa, oil  drilling, and public finance that contradicted what was promised prior to the general. Because of these shifty and opportunistic political moves (which have not paid off), he's no longer seen as a revolutionary agent of change by many, but just another jive talking politician trying to get ahead. Also, Obama's attempt to connect with regular folks along with his attempt to show a bit of feistiness on the campaign trail has been subpar at best. Put simply, we're on a sinking ship and the wrong VP selection will sink the ship even further. This why I think that Obama must choose Kathleen Sebelius as his VP running mate.  

At what point to political speculations go beyond mere amusement and bet-fodder to outright spooky? It’s one thing to have predicted Obama to take the nomination nearly a year before he throws his hat in the ring but that’s nothing next to predicting McCain in early December of ’07 (in the now epic The Republican Candidates are the Most Unelectable Gang of Freaks in American History). But then to go on and nail down Senator Joe Biden as Bama’s Veep in late May of this year? I know what you’re saying: who is this iSenseChange and how is he so dead-on-balls accurate for this election? How can we reward this latter-day NeoNostradamus for the sheer prescience involved in these utterly uncanny picks of his? What glorious accolades can we lay at his freshly oiled feet, what leafy laurels around his surely massive skull? Judging from the lackluster response to my admittedly weird entries thus far, I’m guessing a handful of reads and less than ten comments. Half of which are my own. Fuck it, says I. Ignore me at your peril. I am the Kossack Kreskin. And I have massive nuts.

We must use all power available to take out this terrible piece of propaganda from YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/...

Only fools will believe Barrack Obama has no respect for life. What about John McCain killing innocent women and children from 15,000 feet in Vietnam? How many innocent people is he responsible for killing? McCain is a murderer and war criminal.

Sorry if this is poorly writen, but I really wanted to be the first to get it out.

I can't believe Obama would just blurt this out. But evidently, Barack has indicated who is VP will be. Obviously it is a bit annoying because I cannot imagine Obama deserting the big names.

It seems like a looooong time since Obama's spectacular trip to Europe and the Mideast, and since then I've began to feel a palpable loss of energy. What gives?

I kept getting pestered by David Plouffe and Chris Hughes to join Obama's Grassroots Finance Committee. So I finally gave in, and put up a page.

But the crowd I run with doesn't cough up the dough for just anything.  So I had to put a spin on the fundraising appeal.

Don't know if it'll work, but I doubt it'll be repeated.

Text after the break.

As we all anticipate Barack Obama’s Vice Presidential pick and as we play the veep-sweaps and as some of us, state how certain choices will be great while others will be horrible.  Some have even said that some possibilities might even cause us to lessen our degrees of support for Obama; I want to make a point, using a thought exercise.  Let’s travel through an alternate history.  In this history we elected a person, who for most Kossacks, would be one of the worst possible Vice Presidents.  How would the world have changed?

The fictional Vice President I am referring to is, if you hadn’t guessed, Joe Lieberman.  In my alternate history, I am assuming that the SCOTUS allowed the Florida recount to proceed and as a result Al Gore and Joe Lieberman won the Electoral College and were sworn in January of 2001.  Okay, I think for most of us – Joe Lieberman is far worse than any of the names being mentioned this year as VP.  So if he and Al had been declared the winners in 2000, where would we be today?

Survey USA Indiana poll