Obama’s spark is gone
Decision to choose Biden as running mate reflects loss of revolutionary momentum
In politics there’s nothing scarier, more emasculating than success. What happened to Barack Obama is the same thing that happened to Hillary Clinton before that: He rose up on the wings of change, excited some voters as if he was a rock star and pushed away others – and then he froze in midair.
The immense popular movement that emerged overnight on the Internet for the sake of electing a new kind of leader who has a different color, different roots, different obligations, and different priorities is starting to crumble.
His decision to choose Joe Biden as his candidate for vice president illustrates the complete change that he went through since his primaries victory: He lost the revolutionary momentum that distinguished his campaign; he lost his freshness. He has become cautious, predictable, and conventional. It is no wonder that the young people who espouse his candidacy are now telling pollsters they will not bother to make it to the polling stations.
Israel's Friend
Yitzhak Benhorin
Barack Obama's new running mate praises Israel In 2007 interview with 'Shalom TV'
The choice of Biden is a reasonable one, not a brilliant one: This is what can be said in its favor, but also against it. He is the Democratic Party’s most expert figure when it comes to foreign affairs. His intimate familiarity with the issues backs up Obama, yet at the same time openly reveals the presidential hopeful’s weakness in this area.
He knows the Middle East and Israel better than any US senator. When he was first elected, in 1972, he was the youngest senator. From day one, he showed interest in foreign policy. I had the opportunity to meet him when I was a correspondent in Washington in the mid 1970s; he impressed me with his knowledge of our affairs, cleverness, young age, and with his presidential ambition. One can say he was the American version of Shimon Peres.
His career knew ups and downs. Twice he presented his candidacy for the presidency and failed. In 1987, when he presented his candidacy the first time, it turned out that he copied one of his speeches from a British candidate. He became the subject of ridicule.
Yet with time came the honor. As head of the Senate Constitution Committee he managed to pass important social legislation that granted him the support of the unions. As the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee and as a senior member of the committee he learned in depth America’s problems in the world, an issue that most senators stayed away from.
Perfect record
In recent years I met him twice – once in Washington and once in Jerusalem. He knew everyone and formed an opinion on everyone: There is no prime minister in Israel since Golda Meir he hasn’t met.
When it comes to Israel, his record his perfect. When we’re talking about an American with presidential aspirations, this is predictable and understood. In every decision where the Israeli interest was involved he voted as Israel’s friend, including the decision to curb the aid to the Palestinian Authority when it was headed by a Hamas-led unity government. His declarations were even friendlier. One of them was particularly prominent: “I am a Zionist,” he said, adding that a person doesn’t have to be Jewish in order to be Zionist. It is no wonder that pro-Arab websites have dubbed him an Israeli agent.
However, Biden belongs to the liberal branch of the Democratic Party. He despises the Evangelicals, who expect Israel to fight for the wholeness of the land on their behalf. He despises the unilateral approach that characterized President Bush’s foreign policy. Over the years he had quite a bit of criticism for Israeli governments, yet made sure to express it only in closed-door sessions.
Biden brings to Obama the support of the unions, and to some extent allays the fears of the Jewish establishment. He is a witty orator – some say too witty – and his appearances will assist Obama to counter the rhetoric of the McCain campaign.
The influence of VP candidates on the elections results is minor to nil. In most cases, they are remembered only because of damage they caused. Indeed, based on the first poll undertaken Saturday, Biden’s candidacy did not make a difference. Should Obama be elected, which is currently very doubtful, he would be free to decide which role to give Biden in his Administration, if at all.
Bush’s deputy, Dick Cheney, was at the center of every important decision in the White House. This is unusual in American history. The fate of most vice presidents is to disappear a day after the elections and spend most of their time doing what Bush Sr. disparagingly referred to as quiet diplomacy: participating in the funerals of foreign leaders.
“Once there were two brothers: one ran away to sea, the other was elected vice president,” a famous American quote says, “and nothing was ever heard from either of them again.”
