Bye-den

A few days ago, I was considering writing a post on Joe Biden, who announced his candidacy for president. Sure, I thought, he tends to speak without thinking sometimes, but I first came to respect him during the Senate confirmation hearings for John Roberts, when he stuck to his guns and told the judge, who was refusing to answer even the most basic questions, "It's kind of interesting, this Kabuki dance we have in these hearings, as if the public doesn't have a right to know what you think about fundamental issues facing them ... without any knowledge of your understanding of the law, because you will not share it with us, we are rolling the dice with you, judge."

I pretty much pumped my fist in the air when I heard the exchange.

I was even more excited to hear about Biden's announcement after reading this From Harrop article, which points out that Biden has MUCH more foreign policy experience than any other candidate.

But, inevitably, my Biden ship sort of sunk when, almost immediately after making his announcement, he made a major misstep in calling Barack Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

Ummm ... what?

My main man, Eugene Robinson, pointed out the absurdity of this, when he said:

"Will wonders never cease? Here we have a man who graduated from Columbia University, who was president of the Harvard Law Review, who serves in the U.S. Senate and is the author of two best-selling books, who's a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, and what do you know, he turns out to be articulate. Stop the presses ... Whatever the intention, expressing one's astonishment that such individuals exist is no compliment. Just come out and say it: Gee, he doesn't sound black at all."

So, sorry, Joe -- I'm already over you.