In this latest installment of the subtle and brilliantly titled Good thing/Bad thing... I will examine Joe Biden as the vice presidential candidate. This brief article will not focus on whether or not he is a good or bad choice for Obama, but rather or not he is a good or bad choice for us/US.
Good thing... He'll call McCain on his B.S. One thing we don't need as a country is the one side ignoring the blantant problems with the other side. This might sound like an issue that is good for Obama, but it really is good for the voters. If one side lets the other side get away with saying something factually wrong, inconsistant, or stupid, then it can be played up later as a tacit agreement and become ingrained as a positive thing with voters. I don't see Biden letting that happen.
Bad thing... Are you disgusted with the fact that 1% of the american population is in prison? How about that a large portion of those incarcerated are on drug related crimes, you know like the mary jane? Biden is responsible for such things as using RICO laws on drug offenders, the position of "Drug Czar," and many of the international anti-drug positions that screw over smaller nations by forcing them to join the US in this pointless war on drugs. And one more for the drug war... "Biden crime bill" which is the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. This increased the number of crimes that could lead to the death penalty including the nonviolent offense of drug trafficking. At least he's trying to get that 1% number down.
Good thing... 86% score from the ACLU. I know some people have a problem with the ACLU, but this is a group who will defend the crap out of you to be able to complain about them. They're big on the constitution which is one of the few reasons I like Obama: he was a constitutional lawyer which means that, unlike 99% of the rest of out government, he's read the constitution.
Bad thing... voted for the Patriot Act...twice. Want to know why you have to fill out a form with your name, address, driver's license number and promise to donate three goats to the local non-demoninational aztec congregation just to buy a box of Sudafed? Yep, it's that pesky worst law of the 21st century. The worst part is how vocal he has been against it, yet here it is.
Good thing... Supports sending troops to Darfur. If we really want the world to be a better place, and not just a better place for Halliburton, then we should be involved in real atrocities and not manufactured ones like Iraq. Too bad we're occupied elsewhere at the moment. (And it seems to me that if Bush/Cheney/McCain have their way will be occupied with Iran and Russia)
Bad thing... Supported DOMA and the federal anti-gay amendment. I know that politicians are supposed to try and screw up they're opposition, but I'm just not sure I understand why Biden doesn't want Larry Craig to be happy. Seriously, I'll never understand why people are adamantly in-favor of 1)getting themselves involved in other people's love life and 2) stopping the spread of loving and caring relationships. Well, I understand if you have stock in Halliburton, but otherwise...
The winner is... based on one more bad thing (support for a federal ban on smoking and so trying to ruin my cigar walks with my dog) I'm going to go with good for Obama, bad for us/US and my dog.
The Rational Moderate
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