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After Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his running mate, the AP ran with this:
"Analysis: Biden pick shows lack of confidence"
"The picks say something profound about Obama: For all his self-confidence, the 47-year-old Illinois senator worried that he couldn't beat Republican John McCain without help from a seasoned politician willing to attack."
I'm sorry, but that's idiotic, and it really captures what's idiotic about poltics. People think that if you have 35 years political experience, you're an "insider" and somehow you can't work for the good of the people--that you're so wrapped up in insider politics and that you're also partly the cause of everything that has happened.
Yet, if you don't have this kind of experience, people will say you're not qualified. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
To me, having a relative newcomer to Washington paired up with a veteran is what I call BALANCE. Picking someone who chairs Senate Foreign Relations Committee is what I call COMPLEMENTARY.
When I came up with the idea for Path 101, the first thing I did was look for a tech partner who had a skills set that I didn't. How silly would it be, after I found Alex to be the CTO, for people to say, "What's the matter Charlie? Are you afraid your technology skills aren't up to par? Shouldn't you understand the technology better if you're going to do a web startup?"
Afraid? No. Self aware? Definitely. I understand enough about technology to know that pairing up with a technologist to focus on it makes us a strong team.
And of course, McCain will attack. McCain's definitely been the one to bring the campaign down in the dirt, and it's unfortunate, because elections are an opportunity to have a great dialogue on direction. Instead, we'll have a dialogue about rhetoric.
How long before McCain brings out the reels of Biden saying Obama didn't have enough experience? Hi, that's called campaigning. Biden was running for president and experience was his trump card. Of course he's going to say that to get the edge. At the same time, when McCain loses, is he going to continue to campaign against Obama or is he going to actually work with him as a senator, who, in the past, had always sought comprimise and worked with the other side.
I applaud Obama's choice, because it means he's going to surround himself with people who comlement him who have experience and ability to execute. I'm glad there's someone on the team who has 35 years of Washington experience. I just never wanted that to be the guy in charge. I want a visionary leader who will push those who execute to make the right decisions--and someone whose decisions are informed by experience and wisdom. Joe Biden is an excellent choice for Vice President.
