Biden Gets More of My Enthusiasm

After listening to Sen. Joe Biden, Barack Obama's newly announced running mate, and reading and hearing more about him, my enthusiasm factor for him has gone up a good bit. While I'm a long way from declaring him a "home run" or conceding he may in fact be an inspired choice, I'm more impressed with him than I was this morning.

His colloquial communication style has an Everyman appeal about it that I'd forgotten until I heard his speech today. That clearly has appeal to the masses who voted for W because he seemed more like them. One of the analysts I heard today said that the Democratic tickets in 2000 and 2004 had a "likability shortfall" which this ticket doesn't appear to have, particularly with Biden aboard. I mean, come on: a guy who commutes to D.C. on Amtrak most days and has never lived inside the Beltway? Pretty freaking radical. I wonder how many of his colleagues do that.

Clearly his chops in national security and foreign policy are sterling.

And I think the fact that he criticized Obama during the campaign and Obama picked him anyway shows a certain amount of confidence and fortitude on Obama's part. In addition, it strengthens the perception Obama offered that he didn't want to surround himself with Yes Men. As a couple of pundits have said, "Joe's nobody's No. 2."

This could turn out to be a more helpful choice than I first thought.