Barack Obama and Joe Biden are overwhelming favourites with the Democratic Party establishment. But, how popular are they with ordinary Americans, wonders Anayat Durrani in Los Angeles Having served over 35 years in the Senate, Senator Joe Biden is no stranger in Washington circles. For voters, however, the man who would be vice-president has not been as familiar. That all changed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado last week when voters where given a more personal re-introduction of presidential candidate Barack Obama's pick for vice- president. Biden, 65, accepted the nomination Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention and was introduced by his son Beau Biden, Delaware attorney-general. During his speech he talked openly about his life, his family, and an upbringing that he likened to that of Obama's, saying they "took very different journeys to this destination, but we share a common story." He talked about his middle class struggles and gave praise to his mother sitting in the audience. "My mother's creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you. My parents taught us to live our faith and to treasure our families. We learned the dignity of work, and we were told that anyone could make it if they just try hard enough. That was America's promise," he said. Biden explained that for those Americans who grew up in working class neighbourhoods like Scranton, Pa. and Wilmington, Del. where he came from, "that was the American dream". Biden stressed the American dream is fading away, with rising gas prices, falling home prices, increasing healthcare costs, unemployment, cost of food and more. He said that this is the America that eight years of President Bush has created for Americans. He said the Republican presidential hopeful John McCain will only bring more of the same. He said that McCain did not "get it". But Obama does. He called Obama the great American story, of someone who worked their way up. Biden promised that Obama would bring about the change that Americans need. "Our greatest presidents, from Abraham Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy, they all challenged us to embrace change. Now it is our responsibility to meet that challenge," said Biden. "Millions of Americans have been knocked down. And this is the time as Americans together we get back up, back up together." The selection of Biden on the party's ticket brings much to the table that Obama lacks, particularly on the foreign policy side. His Roman Catholic middle class roots make Biden more relatable "as a scrappy kid from Scranton." And not to be grouped together with others from Washington, he has emphasised that he commutes home by train each evening to Wilmington where he has lived his entire Senate career. On a more personal side, he has endured personal tragedy in the death of his wife and daughter as well as suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988. Biden was born in Pennsylvania, a battleground state, which could prove important to both parties down the line. Biden's foreign policy experience is a major advantage. Biden is a six-term senator from Delaware known for his foreign affairs resume. He is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a past chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden and Obama have served together on the Foreign Relations Committee since Obama was elected to the Senate in 2004. Biden initially voted to authorise the war in Iraq in 2002 but later became a strong critic of President Bush's policies in Iraq. Obama has opposed the war from the beginning. "From questions of Iraq -- what do we do next? to questions on how to deal with the situation in South Ossetia, Georgia and Russia, as well as how to take the next steps in the Middle East peace process and how to confront Iran. Biden provides unparalleled experience and knowledge immediately available to an Obama administration," said David McCuan, assistant professor of political science at Sonoma State University in California. One of the most persistent criticisms by the Republicans has been Obama's lack of foreign policy credentials, something his trip to Iraq and Afghanistan did little to quell. McCuan noted that "where Obama has instincts, Biden has experience". "Inexperience and unease with Obama, especially over an uncertain world situation -- which had been used prior to the Democratic convention by the GOP and its supporters and which was gaining traction before the customary 'bump' that the Obama-Biden ticket will receive now that the convention has ended," said McCuan. "Over the weeks preceding the Democratic convention, GOP attacks that Obama was not ready to lead were wearing down the support of candidate Obama. The Democrats regained that momentum after a strong convention and an even stronger speech by Obama to close the convention." With many voters still on the sidelines waiting for the conclusion of both conventions, McCuan said, over the next two months Obama will need to get back to "retail politics". He said that Obama will need to have less large rallies and instead get out among the voters, meet and greet and have "more solid, practical retail politics that got him from the streets of Chicago and which could catapult him to the White House." Meanwhile, though Biden does bring many positive things to the Democratic ticket there are some cons. On the negative side Biden is known for rambling. And though he often comes up with creative lines like the one he delivered to Rudy Giuliani during a debate: "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/ 11." He is also known for his gaffes. He once described Obama as "the first mainstream African-American [candidate] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," which he later apologised for. On the selection of Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as McCain's vice presidential pick, McCuan said both presidential candidates McCain and Obama have undercut their central message. He said McCain has stressed experience and has focussed on leading the country in an uncertain world situation and less focus on economic issues. He said rather than select a vice-presidential candidate who can help with the weakness of his campaign, he chose someone with little experience in economic issues or foreign policy. "This maverick-like move though is fraught with electoral risk," said McCuan. "Instead, the GOP has gone right for the working class, independent, female, suburban voter." Obama, on the other hand, going along the theme of "change" chose a senator best known for his foreign policy experience to strengthen the Democratic ticket. "Each candidate paradoxically picks someone that is out of the past orthodoxy for the VP slot," said McCuan. "But, McCain's pick here is more of a reach and faces more of an electoral test. Obama's vice-presidential pick has more upside. The contrasts couldn't be greater between the two campaigns as we head into the final two months of this critical election."
