Biden Watch, Day Three
David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief political advisor, was at UD last night for a guest speaker series aptly called “Assessing Obama’s First Year.”
[He] said he did not know whether Beau Biden would run against Rep. Mike Castle for the U.S. Senate in 2010, but said that if the two do square off, they would provide an example to other politicians on how to run a “very civilized race.”
If Biden were to run, I have said before his model for the campaign would be Carper v. Roth or Obama v. McCain, respectful of the elder opponent’s long service but critical of his failed ideas of the past. That is a civilized race. However, when Castle says it, you get the feeling a “civilized race” to him would be no criticism of his record at all, and if there is criticism of him, it would be the worst negative attack in the history of politics. That is why I want Biden to run, because Castle deserves criticism for his long running arrogance.
A reason we are “represented” by hacks like Castle, Biden, Carper and Kaufmann is that we are always “watching” who we DON’T want, instead of who we DO want.
Why aren’t we “watching” Karen Peterson, or Jerry Northington instead of Christine O’Donnell !
Axelrod is right on this one. The candidates should be saying, “I favor public option/card check/reproductive rights/prompt action on climate change, and my opponent doesn’t, as shown by his votes/speeches, so you should vote for me,” or some other combination of views. A little bit of “I’m a down home guy whom you can relate to” is just fine, too. We don’t need, “My opponent is a chicken thief,” which is how things are done in some locales. Axelrod ran two winning mayoral campaigns in Philadelphia. They were not flag football, but were conducted within the Queensbury rules.