He blew it

Joe Biden? Really?

After the contentious and never-ending Democratic primary, Barack Obama limped toward a victory over the Clinton machine that had seen better days. Calling himself a "new kind of politician" who represented "change," the freshman senator from Illinois captured the hearts, minds, and wallets of Democrats gullible enough to think that anyone who succeeds George W. Bush will be better.

Mr. Obama won the Democratic nomination as much as Bill Clinton blew it for his wife. The former president, who became more of a loose cannon than ever before, was one verbal gaffe after another. He was talking so much I began to wonder when Billy had entered his name into consideration for the nomination.

It was the former president who really blew it for his wife. He was the main reason that Mr. Obama could not pick Mrs. Clinton for his vice-president. This is because if he had won, that would mean three different people would think they were president and the mother of all power struggles would have ensued. For my part, it would have been quite entertaining to watch. But the main reason Senator Obama could not have picked Senator Clinton was not because of all their bad blood (Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush had a bitter 1980 primary battle), but because Bill was a fast talker who repeatedly embarrassed his wife.

So naturally Barack Obama picked . . . Joe Biden?

The political world's most famous plagiarizer, 35+ year Senate veteran, and all-around big mouth is supposed to the right-hand-man for the Great Transcender, the Great Black Hope, and the Uniter and Changer. Plagiarism derailed Mr. Biden's 1988 presidential bid and landed him an "F" in a law school course, but those are, of course, only minor details. Let it also not be forgotten that Mr. Biden was the one who said that the Illinois freshman senator was inspiring, but inexperienced or that he was articulate, a racist smear if uttered by a conservative or a Republican.

This pick clearly demonstrates Barack Obama's emptiness as a politician. This fact may have been more evident for some to see than others, but the selection of Mr. Biden only confirms it.

Mr. Obama was nominated by virtue of his allegedly antiwar stance regarding Iraq. Even I had to admit that in principle and according to rhetoric, Senator Obama was basically right on the Iraq issue, but he was unconvincing. Obama conservatives ("Obamacons") such as Professor Andrew J. Bacevich and Justin Raimondo expressed interest in Mr. Obama as the solution to the George W. Bush-neocon catastrophe.

But no sooner than Mr. Obama had wrapped up the nomination did he appear before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and swear complete allegiance to Israel, our country's most entangling ally. The Obamacons were shattered because Mr. Obama revealed himself to be precisely what he told everyone he was not: just another politician.

His selection of Senator Biden simply brings his hypocrisy full-circle. The Delaware senator is a standard liberal committed to the preservation of abortion on demand, spending, and the welfare state. He also repeatedly lobbied for American intervention to "liberate" the Iraqis and expressed his interest in running as John McCain's vice president if our country's most famous prisoner of war would only ask him.

It seems kind of strange how Hillary Clinton's vote for the war precluded her from having the judgment to lead but Joe Biden's vote is just one element that makes him capable to lead if he is needed. Does this horribly transparent double-standard make anyone believe that Mr. Obama is non-partisan and a compromiser? No, he is merely another politician who will say whatever he needs to win.

This blunder may very well hand the election over to John McCain and another neoconservative administration. Now Mr. McCain does not have to pick the perfect running mate, just one who will not embarrass him. Mr. Obama picked Mr. Biden because he knows he is perceived to be weak on experience and matters of national defense. But in hoping to alleviate that deficiency, he created a calamitous new one.

Who knew that the "Politics of Change" meant the ability to change your mind and convictions to suit political expediency.