Celebrity culture keeps Biden waiting in the wings

[PatSeg]

After almost every Democratic debate, I hear the same surprised remark from the few people I know who actually watch them. That is, “Joe Biden was great ... Biden is best on the war ... ” Or, as Mary Lou LoVecchio put it yesterday, “how do I get a (Joe Biden) bumper sticker?”

Biden, in the Senate for more than 25 years, now head of the Foreign Relations Committee, is the guy who just pushed through, with bipartisan support, the soft partitioning of Iraq resolution. He “forgot more than Hilarity knows,” a conservative GOP-guy told me yesterday.

So here’s the question: why then is Biden still in single digits? Light years away from Hillary, Obama, and Edwards, the three top Democratic contenders?

The answer’s “pretty simple,” said Biden in a telephone interview yesterday with the Herald and 96.9-WTKK. “Money ... we will have raised $12 or $13 million by the time this is over,” he said, an amount that would have been competitive not long ago. “Now we’re talking about two candidates spending that much in Iowa alone (Hillary and Obama) ... a state with just 3 million people.”

Biden also called them “two truly exciting and interesting and historic figures.” Hillary, who could be the first woman president, and Obama, who could the first biracial president.

“Two mega-celebrities,” said Biden’s communications director, Boston’s Larry Rasky, yesterday. “It’s a story that people were in love with, that led to a media obsessed with this race, a woman vs. an African-American superstar.”

snip

In any case, in the national newspapers that set the national political coverage of the day, here’s how often reporters of the main stories mentioned Hillary and Obama vs. Joe Biden. The New York Times : Clinton, at least 21 mentions; Obama, 9, Biden, 2. The Washington Post: Clinton, at least 25 mentions; Obama, 17; and Biden, 0. USA Today:Clinton, at least 14 mentions; Obama, 6;Biden, 1.

snip

Joe Biden’s son Beau, by the way, is Delaware’s attorney general and a National Guardsman likely to be deployed to Iraq in 2008. But Beau is not a celebrity. So most of us didn’t know that, either.

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1045906

Edited to change spelling of Obama, which was misspelled in original piece.

[cali]

1. I'll give this a kick

I like Biden. If he hadn't voted for the IWR, I'd consider voting for him in my primary.

[CrispyQ]

2. Huh?

Regarding this statement: Or, as Mary Lou LoVecchio put it yesterday, “how do I get a (Joe Biden) bumper sticker?”

:eyes:

Google is your friend. Enter "Joe Biden for president, bumper sticker" & there will be lots of sites that sell them.

[PatSeg]

4. I found lots of sites that sell Biden bumper stickers

as well as t-shirts and buttons. Since I put my bumper sticker on my car, I've only seen one other bumper sticker supporting a particular candidate and that one was for Hillary.

http://bp1.blogger.com/_H5g1sl9yCW0/RyfWK9kRBWI/AAAAAAAAAtk/o-SaAsPhVKs/s400/Happy+BDay+Dave+%282%29.JPG

[CrispyQ]

5. Here's mine:

I'm in Boulder county & I've seen six or seven Obama stickers, one Clinton sticker &, GASP, a Ron Paul sticker!

[PatSeg]

7. I gave bumper stickers to my son and his girlfriend

She told me there were two Biden bumper stickers in their complex - THEIRS!!!

I haven't seen any Ron Paul stickers yet.

[OHdem10]

3. The Establishment determined there are only two candidates.

and using their influence on the Media--two candidates are
given almost all the coverage. Hence, we end up at this
point with Clinton and Obama. It was Clinton and Obama
from the start. Since Edwards had started his campaign
on his own very early and had serious followers, they could
not ignore him. Instead they have done everything in their
power to marginalize him.

On the GOP side the same is true---Guilliani and MCCain are Establishments
choice. They have and are doing everything they can to marginalize
Romeny. Poor Thompson has not helped himself.

The Lower Tier Candidates have never been taken seriously.

[Renew Deal]

6. Where did that Osama in your post come from?

Did you do that? That's not in the story.

[PatSeg]

8. Holy crap!

I just checked the original story and that IS how it was written!

[PatSeg]

9. The original story has been corrected

but I have their first version and they DID spell it wrong. They must have fixed it. I copied and pasted it. Didn't alter it.

[PatSeg]

10. Check out the "comments" section from the article

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1045906&format=comments

Several readers responded to the misspelling.

[Marrah_G]

11. He is actually my first choice at the moment

As much as I want to see a woman or minority elected, neither one of them inspire me and neither one of them, in my opinion, have the wisdom needed at this very volatile time in history.

I am not looking for personality, I am not looking for charisma, if I want a show I will watch tv or go to the theatre...I am looking for wisdom.

[PatSeg]

13. Years ago I lived in Chicago

under the old Daly regime. I said what this city needs is a black or a woman mayor. Well, eventually we got both, but we didn't necessarily get the best mayor for the city.

I would love to see a woman or a minority president in my lifetime, but mostly I want the most qualified "person" for the job.

[Marrah_G]

15. I feel the same

I feel as though this election, this moment in time is critical to whether or not our country continues to move forward in a positive way. There are many great wounds to heal.

Since Gore is not going to run, as of now, Biden has my vote.

[murbley40]

12. K&R

[Armstead]

14. I'm not wild about Biden, but he deserves to be taken more seriously

It's outrageous that Biden, Dodd and Richardson have all been considered "second tier candidates" from the start. All of them have long records of experience and accomplishment in the public sector, and all of them are thoroughly in the mainstream. And Biden and Dodd have been repeatedly elected to public office.

None of the "top tier" candidates have a fraction of their collective experience.

They (and we) deserve much better coverage, regardless of whether one likes 'em, dislikes 'em or is neutral about them.

[PatSeg]

17. The CNN post debate coverage of the NV debate

was outrageous. It was all about Hillary and Obama, as if no one else had participated in the debate. Did they think the viewers hadn't watched the debate? Serious voters want full coverage of the candidates.

[1corona4u]

18. Yes, but...

They talked about Biden for 2 days after it...I have a TV on all day, and about every half hour, they were talking about Joe...

[PatSeg]

19. Ironic isn't it?

Must be hard for them, trying to figure out who's ass to kiss and when.

[Greyskye]

16. My first impression of Biden was not good.

I had been lukewarm on Biden since 2000 or 2004. He had a televised 'comment' after one of the debates. I don't even remember what he said now, but my reaction was "that was certainly a self-serving promotional statement from somebody who's planning a presidential run." It frankly left a bad taste in my mouth.

That was my first impression of Biden. Since then, I've actually been impressed by what I've seen of him. I felt he won the last debate on substantive issues.

I'd like to see more of Biden in the weeks to come, and hope he gets the opportunity to articulate his message to more people.

[blm]

21. I agree - he had too many self-serving moments but many Dems did because

NONE of them expected a Dem to even come close to winning 2004 - the Dem party, its powerstructure amd its infrastructure were unprepared for ANYTHING close to the trouncing Kerry did of Bush - but BushInc did and they gained control of what mattered - the media and the election process where the votes are allowed, cast and counted.

Biden has moved up with me - 2004 certainly wasn't all his fault - he wasn't running the Dem party machine.

[PatSeg]

22. There is a big difference between Biden in 04

and the Biden I see now. He is far more disciplined and confident and still able to connect well with voters. He has actually exceeded my initial expectations. No one else has done that for me as yet.

[jillan]

20. Kickin for the birthday boy!

[PatSeg]

23. Happy Birthday Joe!!!

:party: :party: :party:

[Think82]

24. kick