By Timran from Eyes on Obama:

I'm almost afraid to write this so close to the actual unveiling of Barack Obama's VP selection. Nonetheless, I think that the MSM has locked on so tight to the arguments supporting Biden that no one seems to be talking about the downsides.

He can stand toe to toe with McCain on experience and foreign policy.

He's extremely well known, a great speaker, carries tons of gravitas, and is a fantastic attack dog.

If you've ever seen his appearence on Real Time with Bill Maher, you would know that he is an extraordinarily intelligent man. He predicted, within an year of the Iraq War starting, that it was going to turn into a civil war, and that the administration needs to act fast, needs to engage and pay the local leaders to help regain order and laid out a strategy to win the war that is near identical to what we are finally doing. Paying the local tribal leaders to keep the peace.

Here's the link...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...

Hopefully, they're right and Biden is the VP pick.

Picking some unknown with little foreign policy credentials and minimal political experience would be a huge mistake.

I admit it: I don't much like Joe Biden.

Some of this is personality--he strikes me as smarmy and phony to the core, the ultimate caricature of the insider pol.  Yeah, he occasionally pops off at the mouth and gets out the quotable one-liner...but seriously, is that what we want?  Is that the best we can do?

If this was just my personal feeling, though, I'd let it slide.  But I've got a few other bones to pick with Joe Biden.

I supported Joe Biden back before it was cool, I was the State Veterans Coordinator for the Biden 08 committee and worked for a man named J.B. White who was the National Veterans Chairman for Senator Biden.

Here is the diary, I wrote then, Why I have chosen to support Joe Biden it is dated 26 June 2007. So my support for him as VP on the Senator Obama ticket will be just as enthusiastic now,  as I was then.  I want a democratic ticket to win with stronger majorities in the House and Senate. Some of it is personal as the democratic party has been the veterans best friends for the past ten years, people like Patty Murray, Bernie Sanders, Dick Durbin and Barack Obama have been leading the effort in the Senate, while the house has Chairman Filner, John Hall, Michael Michaud and Phil Hare.

On the shorter versions of the short lists Ive seen lately Joe Biden is a common denominator on all of them. Yes Biden ruled it earlier, but I think he was being coy. Biden is one of my favorites, and I much prefer Biden to some of the Veep prospects from Red States.

The chours about Biden being Obama's pick has grown in the last few hours:

Biden rises among vice presidential candidates, sources say - L.A. Times

WASHINGTON -- As Sen. Barack Obama prepares to announce his vice presidential pick, some people close to Delaware Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. say he has leaped to the top of the list of prospects.

The Biden comments today are the tip off.  All the talk of Biden and the others were the smoke screen; Obama is going to name Hillary as his VP.

The political pundits are pushing Senator Joe Biden as Obama's nominee choice.  I'm going to go against the grain and out on the limb and say - NO IT'S NOT BIDEN

The media is saying the recent trip to Georgia, requested by President Bush put Biden over the top for Obama.  I don't think so.  In fact, if I were Obama, that trip would have given me second thoughts about picking him as my VP choice.  Why you ask?

As Sherlock Homes would say, 'Elementary, my dear Watson" - Because President Bush asked him to go.

That is a typical Karl Rove maneuver.

Put Senator Joe Biden in the limelight.  Convince Senator Obama that Senator Biden is the man he needs on his side at this point.

Why would the GOP do that; with all of Biden's experience, maturity and likability giving Obama's supporters and those 'not sure', a sense of security?

I don't have a clue, except to say they probably have something on Biden that could hurt Obama.  Perhaps they are hoping Biden with his known problem of 'talking too much' at times will ultimately hurt Obama?  Either way, I just don't think Obama will pick Biden.

Via MyDD, Biden announces it himself:

Hey guys, I'm not the guy. See ya.

He and Richardson can now fight over secretary of state.

So who's left? Assuming slotted speakers at the DNC are not the Veep, then Kaine is out. He's speaking Thursday night before Gore and Obama. Kerry is speaking Wednesday.

Who's that leave? Daschle, Sebelius, and "dark horse".

Of course, slotted speakers can always be rescheduled...

(Cross-posted from "Bayh-Bayh-Bayhden.org")

    Some say Obama chose a VP already.
    Well, maybe it's time to un-choose.

    While this diary resembles my previous di on similar topics, there's a lot more to say:


JOE BIDEN

1. Biden is a plagiarist. Even if it was 2 decades ago.

    Actually, more than a plagiarist; just peep the Wik,

(look out below)

Welcome back for more speculation! Today continues the new final series of possibilities for Obama's v.p.

This series began with a new top 14 list of names I considered most likely to be named Obama's v.p. running mate, and we'll eliminate the bottom vote-getter each day until there is a winner, or a real-life winner is named by Obama. Starting today, candidates will be listed in order of votes from the previous poll, from most to least, so we'll have some idea of preference in this thread's voting should Obama decide before there is a series winner. Sens. Evan Bayh (IN) and Jack Reed (RI) were eliminated in the previous round.

Please discuss any v.p. candidates in the comments. The most correct format would be to state their name, unless you have further comments. I'm happy to hear all ideas in this open thread, and I'm no official gatekeeper, so play nice.

(continued below the fold)

At what point to political speculations go beyond mere amusement and bet-fodder to outright spooky? It’s one thing to have predicted Obama to take the nomination nearly a year before he throws his hat in the ring but that’s nothing next to predicting McCain in early December of ’07 (in the now epic The Republican Candidates are the Most Unelectable Gang of Freaks in American History). But then to go on and nail down Senator Joe Biden as Bama’s Veep in late May of this year? I know what you’re saying: who is this iSenseChange and how is he so dead-on-balls accurate for this election? How can we reward this latter-day NeoNostradamus for the sheer prescience involved in these utterly uncanny picks of his? What glorious accolades can we lay at his freshly oiled feet, what leafy laurels around his surely massive skull? Judging from the lackluster response to my admittedly weird entries thus far, I’m guessing a handful of reads and less than ten comments. Half of which are my own. Fuck it, says I. Ignore me at your peril. I am the Kossack Kreskin. And I have massive nuts.

From MSNBC's First Read:

As Delaware Sen. Joe Biden left his home a few minutes ago, golf clubs in tow, he was asked where he was going to be on Saturday.

Biden replied, "Here" and pointed down to his driveway.

As he pulled out of the driveway in the driver's seat of his car he then said to the press gathered near his gate, "You guys have better things to do.  I'm not the guy."

I did a nslookup and whois search of all of the following domains.  I looked for (1) similar IP or registrant to barackobama.com; (2) other similar features.

Only Sebelius and Biden are all parked at the same place, but only Hagel appears to be set up with server load balancing, i.e. set up to handle a ton of traffic by using different servers.

More on the flip.

An interesting set of polls from FiveThirtyEight confirms the fears of some Obama Veep watchdogs: that Joe Biden is not that popular with voters. So while his stock is rising on Intrade, that may be more of political junkies sniffing the mainstream media buzz rather than people genuinely getting hot for Biden. And while speculation on this blog and others has reached somewhat of a ridiculous high and while this appears to be all coming to a close within the next 24-48 hours, I thought I would add another point to the never-ending conversation about who Obama is going to pick as his vice presidential nominee.

I can't help it. I had to share this great "memo" from an undisclosed Democrat making the case for Biden. It's the best articulation I've seen for why, even with his flaws, it's gotta be him.

Via The Page

"Biden is deeply thoughtful, serious, passionate, experienced, highly knowledgeable, and incredibly sensible and clear when talking about major issues. He has a vast and creative understanding of politics and policy, a sharp mind, and a sincere heart.  

..

Together, Obama and Biden would  represent the best of the last 30 years of the Democratic Party, and the hope for the next 30."

"Biden may be a ridiculous, overbearing blowhard, and he’ll doubtless make foolish blunders and imprudent comments if he’s on the ticket, but he’d still be an excellent campaigner, surrogate, and debater. He’d be thrilled at the prospect of being vice president (his own aspirations aside), and grateful and proud to have been chosen–he’d work hard to make Obama look good, and not deliberately outshine him–plus the chemistry will be appealing, and they genuinely like and respect each other, which will be winningly apparent."

It's customary for a Trial Ballon to float up and either get shot down or continue an upward trajectory...

What has occurred in the last several days and especially this afternoon is nothing short of a Biden BLIMP...  Conventional Wisdom is congeeling around Senator Joe Biden and now the CW is officially signing off on this decision as smart, safe, and effective.  If you approve of Joe, vote in the poll below after rec'in this diary to let the Obama web folks know dKos now approves.

Up First:  Blind sourced story via MSNBC's Howard Fineman

Within the last few hours I've spoken with two of the finalists for the role of Barack Obama's running-mate, and to two other sources who are close to the process.

He is a lively and feisty if unpredictable campaigner with working-class roots and a street-level feel for the hot spots of the globe — which he can use to go toe-to-toe with Sen. John McCain.

"If I had to bet my life on it, I'd bet it is Joe," said one of the other contenders.

Said another, "Barack is moving toward a seasoned Beltway type, and that probably means Biden."

Senator, if you pick an insider, pick the best one.

As impressive as his record is and as much as I love and respect him, I believe this is food for the opposition.