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Shallow Nation

August 23rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Video & Photos: Barack Obama Joe Biden Springfield, Illinois State Capitol Rally 8-23-08

Barack Obama, Joe Biden, rally at Illinois Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois, August 23, 2008

Presumptive Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama and his newly selected Vice Presidential running mate Senator Joe Biden held their first joint campaign rally at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois on August 23, 2008. It was 19 months ago, at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, in February 2007 that Senator Barack Obama announced his Presidential candidacy.

In Mr. Biden, Mr. Obama selected a six-term senator best known for his expertise on foreign affairs — Mr. Biden spent last weekend in Georgia as that nation engaged in a tense confrontation with Russia — and his skills at political combat.

Mr. Obama passed over other candidates, including Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who might have brought him a state or reinforced the message of change that has been central to his candidacy. He also bypassed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, his main challenger in the primaries.

Barack Obama, Joe Biden, rally at Illinois Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois, August 23, 2008

At a rally on Saturday in Springfield, Ill., Mr. Obama, facing a sea of people at all sides, introduced Mr. Biden with a passionate description of his running mate.

Barack Obama, Joe Biden, rally at Illinois Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois, August 23, 2008

“Joe Biden is that rare mix — for decades, he has brought change to Washington, but Washington hasn’t changed him,” Mr. Obama said. “He’s an expert on foreign policy whose heart and values are rooted firmly in the middle class. He has stared down dictators and spoken out for America’s cops and firefighters. He is uniquely suited to be my partner as we work to put our country back on track.”

Barack Obama, Joe Biden, rally at Illinois Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois, August 23, 2008

The choice of Mr. Biden was perhaps the most critical decision Mr. Obama has made as his party’s presumptive nominee. It suggested a concern by Mr. Obama’s advisers that his overseas trip this summer may not have done enough to deal with persistent voter concerns about his level of experience, especially on national security.

Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, rally at Illinois Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois, August 23, 2008
Michelle Obama and Jill Biden (Jill Tracy Jacobs)

He announced his decision in a period in which his race against Mr. McCain is proving more difficult than many Democrats had assumed it would be, and when the conflict between Russia and Georgia has provided Republicans an opportunity to reinject foreign policy into an election that has increasingly focused on the economy.

Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, rally at Illinois Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois, August 23, 2008

And Mr. McCain’s campaign released a television advertisement on Saturday using Mr. Biden’s own words, from when he was competing with Mr. Obama last year for his party’s presidential nomination, to argue that Mr. Obama is “not ready” to be president.

But at the rally, Mr. Biden quickly demonstrated that he could fight hard, too. He offered a lusty attack on Mr. McCain, after noting that he had been a friend for 35 years.

Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, rally at Illinois Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois, August 23, 2008

Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Joe Biden

“Over the past 18 months, I’ve watched Barack meet those challenges with judgment, intelligence and steel in his spine,” Mr. Biden said. “I’ve watched as he’s inspired millions of Americans to this new cause. And during those 18 months, I must tell you, frankly, I have been disappointed in my friend John McCain, who gave in to the right wing of his party and gave in to the Swift Boat politics he once so deplored.”

Source: Obama Adds Foreign Expertise to Ticket

Photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America; Jim Young/Reuters