August 23, 2008 - 11:05

Local analysts, consultants laud Biden pick

Even though they differed on how, or even whether, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential choice would move voters in Pennsylvania, local political analysts and consultants were largely united this morning in lauding the presumptive Democratic nominee's pick as both savvy and safe.

Obama, the Illinois Democrat, announced early this morning that U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) would fill out his ticket. Most political watchers, glued to their televisions this morning taking in coverage of the long-awaited announcement, agreed that Biden could help Obama in a number of ways, from his energetic campaign style and his ability to connect with working-class Democrats to his roots in Scranton and his foreign policy experience.

"You probably couldn't make a better choice," Joseph DiSarro, a political science professor at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, told PolitickerPa.com. "You can't take [U.S. Sen. Bob] Casey or other Pennsylvanians. Biden is probably as good as it gets for Pennsylvania."

"This is a move that I would rank up there with Kennedy selecting Johnson," DiSarro added, in some of the most glowing analysis offered by local experts.

Biden's roots in the state run deep. He was born into a working-class family in Scranton, where he lived until he was 10. Although his family then moved to Delaware, he returned to Scranton almost every summer as a child to visit his grandfather, the Obama campaign pointed out this morning.

As the longtime Senator from Delaware, Biden's exposure to the Philadelphia media market has been substantial and consistent, a fact some analysts said was likely to help Obama in the critical Philadelphia suburbs.

Though most analysts and consultants insisted that any vice presidential pick was unlikely to significantly move voters at the polls, most also agreed that Biden would be an important campaigner in blue-collar areas where Obama has struggled.

"I think he'll be very valuable campaigning in places like Wilkes-Barre and Scranton where Obama has shown weakness," said Chris Borick, a pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. "Having roots up in Scranton will certainly help."

But for DiSarro, it's Biden's blue-collar credentials, not his oft-mention foreign policy experience, that makes Biden such an appealing pick.

"He's proven he's not an elitist," DiSarro said of Obama.

Certainly, there is some minimal risk in choosing a politician who, though widely considered an energetic campaigner, also has a tendency to say things that get him in trouble.

"Biden does sometimes shoot from the hip," DiSarro acknowledged.

But with the Obama campaign exercising tight message control with all its surrogates, few expect that to be a major problem.

Elliott Curson, a longtime GOP advertising consultant, said it was Biden's foreign policy credentials-he is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his name was even floated as a potential Secretary of State in an Obama administration-that made Biden a solid pick.

"He needed someone with foreign policy experience to play against McCain's strength," Curson said.

Meanwhile, longtime GOP political consultant Charlie Gerow, said it's exactly those foreign credentials that should worry voters.

"What's interesting about the Biden pick is that it's a tacit admission by the Obama camp that he lacks foreign policy experience," Gerow said. "It's the first time the Obama campaign has admitted that Obama is the least experienced candidate in the last 100 years of presidential elections."

Regardless, it remains unclear what impact the Biden pick will have on the electorate or Obama's chances of winning the state's 21 electoral votes.

"Vice presidents, by and large, do not have enormous impact on final decisions in campaigns," Borick said. "People vote for presidents, not for vice presidents."

Dan Hirschhorn is a PolitickerPA.com Reporter and can be reached via email at noreply@politicker.com.

Related topics: Barack Obama, Joe Biden

Comments

MOD Converter is designed for


MOD Converter is designed for mod converting.

11/05/09 12:06 am

Replica Watches


Breitling Replica Watches took Replica Watches the Gucci Replica Bags red-carpet by storm, one-upping TAG Heuer Watch each Replica Watches other with each step of the Wholesale Patek Philippe Watch Metropolitan s Replica Wallet Bags infamous staircase. While Jessica Omega Replica Watches Szohr initially wowed the Fake Baume & Mercier Watches crowds with Audemars Piguet Fake her Fake Juicy Couture Handbags Giverchy Replica Oris Watches sophisticated strapless Patek Philippe Replica Watches black Chanel Replica Watch Christian Dior gown Replica Fendi Handbags and pulled back pony-tail, Blancpain Fake Watches seconds Replica Glashutte later Leighton Replica Chopard Watch Meester stole Replica Handbags the spotlight with her paisley print Bally Replica Handbags Louis Marni Replica Bags Vuitton look Replica Omega Watches and Wholesale Girard-Perregaux Watch new Wholesale Ebel Watch light Chanel Fake Watches locks. Breguet Watches But perhaps it was Blake Lively, the last to Breitling Replica Watches A Lange & Sohne Replica arrive, who really made Replica Dolce & Gabbana Handbags jaws drop with Bulgari Watches her Jimmy Choo Replica showy teal Versace Marc Jacobs Replica Bags number and slicked back up-do. But what do you think? Which of Wholesale Richard Mille Watch these Replica Watches starlets Panerai Watch wore it better?

09/10/09 3:50 pm

Replica Watches


Zenith Replica Watches Gucci Daniel Roth Watches Replica Replica Maurice Lacroix Watch Group, Fake Baume & Mercier Replica Corum Watches part Wholesale Patek Philippe Watch Replica Breitling Watch of France Chopard Fake Watches s Chanel Fake Watches PPR SA, Replica Watches Swiss Chanel Ceramic Watches Raymond Weil Replica plans Marc Jacobs Replica Bags to Omega Replica Watches open Fake 2009 New Arrival Watches a flagship Fake Bedat & CO store in Shanghai in May Oris Replica Watch after adding three new locations in Gucci Fake January. Replica Watches It says its sales Bally Replica Handbags Piaget Watch in Replica handbags China Breitling Replica Watch soared 42 Replica Ulysse Nardin Watch percent last Wholesale Michele Watch year compared with 2007, Breitling Replica Watches Jaeger Le Coultre Replica 10 Replica Handbags times Breguet Watches Replica its Replica Piaget Fake Richard Mille global growth Concord Fake rate Fake Hublot of 4.2 Breguet Fake Jaeger LeCoultre Replica percent. Gucci said Christian Dior Replica Handbags China Vacheron Constantin Replica Watch currently Replica Thomas Wylde Bags represents one of its most dynamic areas of retail growth. AH Replica Handbags Greater China Fake Hublot including Hong Wholesale Casio Watch Kong Fake Louis Vuitton Handbags and Macau accounted for 14.3 percent Louis Vuitton Handags Replica of Replica Mulberry Handbags Gucci s Fake Fendi Handbags sales last year.France s Domaines Rado Replica Watch Barons Fake Jacob & Co de Replica Rado Rothschild, producer of Wholesale Raymond Weil Watch Chateau Lafite wine, Zenith Watch is Bulgari Watches Replica IWC Replica developing a Jaeger LeCoultre Replica Watch vineyard in Breitling Replica Watches the eastern province of Shandong Chanel Fake Watches A Lange & Sohne Watch to serve Marc jacobs Replica Bags TAG Heuer Replica growing local Cartier Replica Watches demand.

08/10/09 11:14 am

Tiffany&Co INFINITY CROSS


Tiffany&Co INFINITY CROSS Pendant NET025 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Multiple Bill Holder Damier N60895 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Jorn N48118 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Congo PM M40117 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Croissant MM M51512 Online Sale Burberry Women Handbag 11702075-512 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Multiple Wallet N62663 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Pegase 60 N23298 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Angele M95617 Online Sale Mont Blanc Fountain Pen-Boheme 05778-SN1 Online Sale Tiffany&Co CONTINUOUS TEARDROP Necklace NET068 Online Sale Gucci Continental Wallet 159641-9569 Online Sale Gucci New Abbey Messenger Shoulder Bag 189749-9699 Online Sale Tiffany&Co GRADUATED BEAD Necklace NET095 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Galliera GM M56381 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Keepall 45 M41418 Online Sale Burberry Women Handbag 11702075-513 Online Sale Tiffany&Co CONTINUOUS HEART Bracelet BRT026 Online Sale Tiffany&Co BANGLE Bracelet BRT061 Online Sale Burberry Women Handbag 13201004-505 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Vavin PM M51172 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Popincourt M40009 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Poincourt Long M40008 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Le Majestueux M95650 BLACK Online Sale Louis Vuitton Lockit Vertical M40103 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Keepall 60 M41412 Online Sale Tiffany&Co Crucifix Pendant NET102 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Tikal PM M40078 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Limpetueux M91861 RED Online Sale Louis Vuitton Scuba GM M92798 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Eugenie Wallet M60123 Online Sale Louis Vuitton Wapity Case M58030 Online Sale Gucci Men's Monogram Canvas GG Wallet 04857-1000 Online Sale Mont Blanc Ballpoint Pen-Starwalker 09979-SN22 Online Sale Burberry Women Handbag 11702075-512 Online Sale Louis Vuitton 6 Key Holder M62630 Online Sale

08/02/09 9:57 am

Replica Watches


Replica Handbags:Replica Louis Vuitton Handbags,Discount Fake Handbags Purses took the red-carpet by Replica Handbags storm, Girard-Perregaux Replica Watch one-upping each Fake Franck Muller Watches other Replica AH with each step of Versace Replica Handbags the Metropolitan s infamous Replica Handbags staircase. Replica Porsche Design Fake Breitling While Jessica Szohr initially wowed the crowds with her sophisticated strapless black Christian Dior Chloe Replica Handbags Chopard Watch Replica gown and pulled back Chanel Replica Bags pony-tail, seconds later Fake Wallet Handbags Leighton AH Handbags Meester Versace Replica Chanel Replica Handbags stole the Giverchy Handags Replica spotlight with Replica Swiss Army her Fake Baume & Mercier Watches paisley Fake Louis Vuitton Handbags print jewelry wholesale Louis Vuitton look TAG Heuer Replica Watch and Dolce & Gabbana Replica Handbags Chanel Handags Replica new Replica Vacheron Constantin light locks. Fake Cartier But Replica Watches perhaps Gucc Handbags it was Blake Thomas Wylde Replica Handbags Lively, the last Replica Thomas Wylde Handbags to arrive, who Fendi Fake Handbags really made jaws drop with Replica Designer handbags her Loewe Handags Replica showy teal Wholesale Replica Handbags Versace number Gucc Handbags and slicked back up-do. But what Replica Handbags Replica Versace do you think? Which Bally Replica Handbags of these Replica Handbags Wholesale starlets wore it better?

07/09/09 8:53 pm

Post new comment

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <p> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <br>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
2 + 13 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.