A Time He Is A' Biden

Gleefully watching the media backed 'top tier candidates' self explode while attacking each other like players in some weird three person tennis match, Joe Biden has a lot to be thankful for this November. Pretty much ignored by the MSM, Biden has been busy doing his campaigning the old fashioned way, beating feet to get his message out. In just the next two weeks alone, Mr. Biden will be racing across the state of Iowa, from Des Moines in the center, to Iowa City in the eastern part of the state, all the way back across to Council Bluffs (next to Omaha), before finally making his way back to Des Moines. That doesn't say anything of the small towns he'll be stopping in along the way. Touring like a rock star in some of these smaller towns, such as Albia, Iowa, Biden gets down and talks to the average citizen in local restaurants like The White Buffalo.
People respond to being recognized, and this grass roots type of campaigning touches to the core of what elections used to be about, mainly placing a person to an office of responsibility, and not some made for television glamour show. And so Joe Biden takes his time, knowing full well how voters can burn out on these long exposed candidates, and may end up turning to someone they see as fresh and new, even if he's been campaigning along side of them all. Funny how voters are that way.
But who is this man, and what does he stand for? Let's check the record.
On health care, Biden's plan looks impressive on the surface. It's laid out point by point, doesn't try to hide anything, and appears to be pretty comprehensive. The only parts of it that I really don't like are the ones that still include the insurance industry in the decision making process. We've all seen how the HMO's and insurance companies have acted in denying coverage to people, and so this must be changed, not encouraged or perpetuated.
Iraq. This touchy subject divides many in America, with most agreeing that we need to withdraw and get our troops home, but how to accomplish that without getting more of them killed, and having Iraq plunge into complete chaos? Biden's plan makes sense. Although he voted to go into Iraq in the first place, he has admitted that mistake, unlike Clinton, and has a very well thought out plan that doesn't plunge the entire region into a protracted war, with us in the middle, and may actually be a plan for success, unlike our glorious leader's solution of sending more Americans to die needlessly. I don't know, but maybe someone who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee might just know something about this issue. I know that sounds crazy, but well, experience used to count for something in this country.
Even on issues such as education, homeland security, dealing with foreign countries, energy initiatives, and climate change, Biden's approach is laid out there for all to see, if anyone has a mind to go to his campaign web site and look over how he approaches each issue. But the one interesting issue that truly struck a chord with me, and should strike one with all of the candidates, no matter who wins, is Biden's plan to bring the internet into every American home, including low income ones. The recognition of the internet as the new medium by which Americans are getting their information is visionary, and Biden and Kucinich are the only ones that don't just speak platitudes to this important realization, but actually have plans to move forward in this area.
Sure, Biden isn't perfect. He's a gaffe machine who steps in it all the time. But, somewhere along the line, I believe we have to stop trying to play the game of 'gotcha' with candidates that offer viable alternatives to the buy the Presidency ones. Biden knows this, and although he hasn't quite convinced me yet, I am listening to what he has to say, as should we all. It's imperative that all of us check on all of the candidates for ourselves, and not take at face value what we're told in 30 second sound bites, or other media that do what this article has done. Give snapshots and glimpses. Check out every candidate's web site, see where they stand, and then go around the net and see what their detractors are saying. And then double check what they say against places like the Thomas Register, (Congressional Record), newspaper accounts, what they themselves have said and what their actions have been.
Although people on the right like to say that Biden is a racist because of his stupid 7-11 remark, that's nonsense, and those making those statements know it. Look at Biden's Senate record and I think that will be cleared up right away. Unlike some of the candidates now running, Biden has been consistent in his voting for minority rights, and women's rights all along. Some of the others running can't say the same thing, eh, Mr. Huckabee?
As far as Joe Biden is concerned, this intelligent, humorous, pull no punches man, is whistling along the campaign trail, just waiting until one of the others falls flat on their face, remembering that there's still an entire year to go, and voters are a fickle bunch to be sure. We'll be waiting at the end of the road, Joe. We raced out ahead of you. Batmanchester