Published: August 26, 2008 12:47 am            

Biden: A very good choice

Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, announced Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate Saturday – to the chagrin of many Hoosiers.

Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh was one of just five politicians on Obama’s short list, or so it’s presumed. Many political analysts believed Bayh to be the front-runner for vice president only weeks ago.

He is immensely popular in his home state. At age 31, Bayh was elected secretary of state. Two years later, he defeated former Kokomo mayor Stephen Daily in the primary and then-Lt. Gov. John Mutz in the general election to become the state’s 46th governor. Bayh won re-election in 1992 with the highest percentage of votes in Indiana gubernatorial history.

In 1998, he was elected to the Senate. He’s far more conservative than was his father, Sen. Birch Bayh. He is a member of the Senate Centrist Coalition and was one of the founders of the New Democrat Coalition.

Politically, however, Biden was the better choice for vice president. As in Indiana, Pennsylvania Democrats preferred Hillary Clinton to Obama in the primary. Biden was born in Scranton, Pa., and lived there until his family moved to Delaware when he was 10. Many in the Keystone State refer to Biden as their third senator.

Biden didn’t come from privilege. He attended Catholic school, then the University of Delaware, a publicly funded college. His oldest son, Beau, is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard and is scheduled to be deployed for duty in Iraq in October.

Biden is more of an “everyman” than Bayh – and, sadly, like many Americans, he has experienced more tragedy than any man should.

Shortly after his election at age 30 to the Senate, Biden’s first wife, Neilia, and their infant daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car accident. His two sons were seriously injured in the crash. Biden was sworn into office in a hospital, at his boys’ bedside.

Other than Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, no other senator has more experience in foreign relations than Biden. He is respected by his peers, but can be tough when he believes the situation demands it.

For months, Obama has been dogged by accusations that he is an elitist. Biden is more liberal than Bayh, but he certainly is no elitist.

All things considered, Obama made a wise choice in selecting his vice president.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.