By The Numbers: Biden's Main Mission

by James A. Barnes and Peter Bell

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008


Most Democratic Insiders say Sen. Joseph Biden has one assignment for tonight's speech accepting the Democratic vice presidential nomination -- lashing Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to the unpopular administration of President Bush. "More of the same should become McCain's middle name," said one Insider who was among the 54 surveyed by National Journal who said Biden needed to equate McCain with Bush.

Bloggers PollNational Journal has invited top bloggers to join in its survey of insiders for the Democratic and Republican conventions.

No other argument that Biden could make tonight was seen nearly as compelling. Seven Insiders said the Democratic vice presidential nominee should criticize McCain on national security -- a point that surely would please the Democratic base when it comes to Iraq but might be a harder sell among swing voters. Only three Insiders felt that Biden's main task should be boosting Sen. Barack Obama's national security credentials and another three said Biden should focus on Obama's values and character.

Five other Insiders said Biden should cover the bases with a combination of the criticisms.

"This election needs to become a referendum on McCain and his ties to Bush, rather than on Obama's ability to lead," explained one Insider. "If you focus on Obama, it feeds the 'Obama referendum' vibe that's been occurring for a month. If you focus only on Bush, it ignores that Bush is not on the ballot this fall. If you focus solely on McCain's national security credentials, well, that's a lot tougher than tying Bush to McCain."

In her speech Tuesday night, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York received a huge response when she joked that it was appropriate that the Republicans were gathering in the Twin Cities for their convention because Bush and McCain are so similar. And that's the point that Democrats want to see Biden drive home.

"He should focus on how the Bush administration has failed, failed, and failed again and McCain will take us down the same road," said one Insider. "McCain should be disqualified for wanting the next four [years] to look like the last eight [years]," said another.

After sparring with McCain in the Senate for 22 years, the Delaware Democrat is seen as ready for the role. "Biden with his knowledge and oratory skills can successfully make Americans notice the McCain presidency just means more failed Bush policies," said one Insider.

"Assuming Obama does the positive vision on Thursday, Wilmington's Joltin' Joe Biden needs to come out swinging like Philly's Smoking Joe Frazier and make clear that the election is about moving forward with Obama or a Bush third term," one of the Democrats said. "He needs to make clear to the chattering class that he is indeed the happy warrior ready to mix it up; and help set the negative Johnny Mac narrative for the fall."

Indeed, Obama's running mate is quickly earning a reputation among Democrats as someone who will warm to the task. "Joe Biden needs to kick John McCain's posterior," said one Insider. "After the weenie vice presidential candidacies of Joe Lieberman and John Edwards, Democrats need a vice presidential nominee that takes the fight to the Republicans."

Picking up on the point that former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner pushed in his keynote address Tuesday night, some Democrats believe Biden should make the argument that Obama is the forward-looking candidate in the race "The past-future contrast makes the case for the younger Obama and a fresh way of looking at the emerging challenges of the future and rejecting the failed policies of the past," one Insider said.

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Democratic Political Insiders: Karen Ackerman, Jill Alper, David Axelrod, Brad Bannon, Dave Beattie, Andy Bechhoefer, Cornell Belcher, Mitchell W. Berger, Mike Berman, Donna Brazile, Mark Brewer, Ed Bruley, George Bruno, Deb Callahan, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Carrick, Martin J. Chavez, Tony Coelho, Jim Craig, Jerry Crawford, Stephanie Cutter, Jeff Danielson, Peter Daou, Jim Demers, Tad Devine, Debbie Dingell, Monica Dixon, Michael Donilon, Tom Donilon, Anita Dunn, Jeff Eller, Steve Elmendorf, Carter Eskew, Eric Eve, Vic Fazio, Peter Fenn, Scott Ferson, Gordon Fischer, Tina Flournoy, Don Foley, Don Fowler, Gina Glantz, Joe Grandmaison, Anna Greenberg, Stan Greenberg, Pat Griffin, Michael Gronstal, Marcia Hale, Paul Harstad, Laura Hartigan, Mike Henry, Leo Hindery, Jr., Harold Ickes, Marcus Jadotte, John Jameson, Steve Jarding, Jonathon Jones, Jim Jordan, Gale Kaufman, Shar Knutson, Kam Kuwata, Celinda Lake, David Lang, Sylvia Larsen, Jeff Link, Bill Lynch, Steve Marchand, Jim Margolis, Paul Maslin, Terry McAuliffe, Caroline McCarley, Susan McCue, Gerald McEntee, Tom McMahon, Phil McNamara, David Medina, Mark Mellman, John Merrigan, Steve Murphy, Janet Napolitano, David Nassar, Marcia Nichols, John Norris, Tom Ochs, Tom O'Donnell, Scott Parven, Jeffrey Peck, Debora Pignatelli, John Podesta, Tony Podesta, Bruce Reed, Mame Reiley, Steve Ricchetti, Susan Rice, Will Robinson, Steve Rosenthal, David Rudd, John Ryan, Wendy Sherman, Terry Shumaker, Phil Singer, Bob Slagle, Erik Smith, Doug Sosnik, Darry Sragow, Karl Struble, Katrina Swett, Sarah Swisher, Eric Tabor, Jeffrey Trammell, Ed Turlington, Mike Veon, Rick Wiener, Bridgette Williams, JoDee Winterhof and Jim Zogby.

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