I think Biden was a practical pick to solidify the left wing of the party.
Senator Tom Harkin thought Obama should pick a VP with experience in the Senate. He felt that Al Gore did a terrible job as Clinton’s VP, and Cheney did an excellent job as Bush’s VP.
Biden knows the Senate. He will meet with legislators to push their agenda. They will be speaking from common ground.
Biden did not hurt Obama with his electorate, but it didn’t help him get the center either. Evan Bayh would have been a good pick for the center, but would not have been as strong on foreign policy. So Obama is calculating that he can get the center voters, or he is counting on huge massive registration with a lot of new voters turning out. These voters will be black (lock step with Obama) or young college age kids that are so wet behind the ears they don’t know what really works in the real world. They will vote for a dream. Obama is also calculating on exploiting “white guilt”, where a voter feels it’s time for a black man to be in the White House.
McCain should pick someone that is either a female conservative(Kay Bailey Hutchinson), someone that will poll strong in the midwest (John Engle, Tommy Thompson, Pawlenty) or someone that shores up the conservative base (Mark Sanford).
IF McCain plays his cards right, he wins the center Reagan Democrats that will not vote for Obama. It will be a tight race, and one that will change week to week. First race that is really influenced by the internet as well.
