Ohio Delegates Pleased with Biden as VP Nominee

I've been talking to a number of Ohio delegates today and the reaction to Barack Obama's choice of Sen. Joe Biden as a running mate seems pretty positive.

One big plus is the depth of his government experience, especially on foreign policy. Attorney Jan Roller of Cleveland, a Clinton delegate, said Biden "adds great strength for the experience he brings to the ticket, especially in foreign policy." Justin Zollars, a college instructor from Bowling Green, said he's happy with what he called "a smart pick" because Biden is experienced with foreign policy.

Sonny Nardi, a Teamsters leader and a superdelegate pledged to Obama, is also happy with Biden but more due to his appeal to workers and the middle class. Biden has middle class Irish Catholic roots in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Nardi believes Biden's story and personality are a good fit in Ohio.

Leslye Huff, a probate attorney in East Cleveland pledged to Clinton, had an interesting philosophical take on the Obama-Biden pairing. "It's very clear that the American public is asking for two things - change, the kind of change that supports and protects, and they are also asking for stability," she said. She illustrated the desire for stability by pointing out that Americans "don't want strange and odd debacles like Hurricane Katrina, where people certainly needed support and assistance and didn't get it." Given that the party's platform calls for constructive change and the party has a "change agent" as a presidential candidate, "it was wise to make sure there was a complementary force for stability, a force based on tremendous knowledge and experience. The seasoned quality of Joe Biden I think is something that nobody can question."

Steve Lieber of University Heights, also a Clinton delegate, was a shade more qualified in his praise:

Well, out of all the selections he had, Biden is probably a good pick. I think he has a lot of experience, he balances Obama well, he was a good choice out of all the people Obama had out there to pick. I'm a Hillary delegate, I like Hillary, but Biden was probably the best one he could pick. My personal feeling is Hillary probably wouldn't have wanted to run for vice president.

Some of the delegates are public officals who issued public statements about Biden today. Sen. Sherrod Brown, an unpledged superdelegate, said:

Joe Biden is a dedicated public servant and a devoted family man. He has spent his career working to protect American families and will be invaluable in helping Senator Obama fight for the middle class. It has been my pleasure to call Joe a friend and colleague. I look forward to working with him as part of an Obama White House in charting a new course for middle class families and for our nation.

UPDATE: Here's the statement from Gov. Ted Strickland:

Joe Biden is an outstanding choice for vice president. His foreign policy knowledge is unparalleled, and his humble Pennsylvania roots give him a deep understanding of the challenges facing Ohio families. Ohioans will have a clear choice this Fall —- four more years of failed Bush economic policies under John McCain, or a new direction that will bring the the real change we need to Washington with an Obama-Biden ticket.

I missed the Biden rally today because I was on the plane, but I'm told that Biden was fired up and did well. Personally, I felt a bit of a let-down with the Biden pick after the protracted, dramatic build-up. I really expected that Obama would shock everyone with some kind of surprise choice, and that would add a exra burst of energy to the campaign. However, I have to agree that it is a good thing that Biden brings more experience to the ticket, and it's probably a good thing that the choice seems safe and familiar to the public. In addition to workers and middle class voters, I'm hoping that Biden adds more appeal to older voters. I also think that he's a good debater and he can fill the role of going on offense against McCain effectively. So, on balance, a very good pick.