Biden Is No Stranger To The Media
(CBS)
(MAUMEE, OHIO) - As of today, Barack Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, has done over 80 interviews with local and national media since the Democrats held their national convention late last month.
Among them, he has appeared on NBC’s "Meet The Press", held two press conferences with national reporters, and yesterday alone, he was interviewed on five network morning shows.
Meanwhile, John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, this week sat down for her second televised interview since being picked by McCain, talking to Fox News’s Sean Hannity. She also spoke with People magazine.
Last week, Palin sat down for her first chat with a national interviewer, conducting three in-depth interviews with ABC News’ Charlie Gibson. Next week, she will talk to CBS News’ Katie Couric.
The Obama campaign pointed out the disparity between Biden's and Palin’s media accessibility again this morning.
"Seems that keeping your vice presidential pick in a secure undisclosed location is a Republican tradition that hasn't ended with Dick Cheney, I just didn't know it extended to the media,” said Biden’s press secretary David Wade.
“I reckon that right now a whole generation of journalists who take public accountability seriously are pulling out their collective hair."
McCain spokesman Maria Comella addressed the gap, telling CBS News, "Governor Palin is going to be on the campaign trail speaking to voters directly across the country about the issues that are most important to Americans like cutting taxes, drilling off shore to prices are more affordable at the pump, and doing away with wasteful spending."
Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg thinks both Palin and Biden are sticking to comfortable arenas for themselves.
"Biden's probably very comfortable with the media, he's been talking to them for thirty years now. Palin is likely less comfortable and the McCain campaign assumes that major goal of the media is the 'gotcha question' and their attitude is, why should we do that?”
“They spend all this time talking about how the media is against her, so why would you sit her down and have her talk in an interview when she can go out and talk to Republican crowds who love her and agree with her?"
The secrets of tennis legend 
I met most of his family, who are all very likeable, and not least of which is his wife, Jill, who is not crazy about politics, but is a real trooper in spite of that. She is as tough as she is beautiful.
I don''t know why the media people are so tough on Joe. I haven''t seen that he makes gaffes any more than anyone else, but somehow they stick, when Joe does it. Which brings me to the most charming thing about Joe, which is that he does say what he thinks. He doesn''t beat around the bush. If it''s bulls**t he calls it bulls**t. He''s not scripted and walking on eggshells. Sure you run a risk of things coming out not quite right occasionally, but we love him for it.
I''ve also seen that he can be very much in control of himself when in a debate or a situation where that matters. He did great in the debates.
Obama said that he wanted to appoint a cabinet of people who would not agree with everything he said and who would challenge him on issues. Who better to begin with then, than someone who said he wasn''t ready?
Perhaps he might have picked Hillary, who also thought he wasn''t ready, except that by picking Hillary he would then have had to put up with Hillary''s baggage, named "Bill". Perhaps Hillary should have divorced Bill before running. Maybe next time.
Hillary said that she flew over to Bosnia and landed under sniper fire. Joe went over there to ask questions and observe the fighting, and then confronted Slobodan Milosevic, face to face, and told him he was a liar and a criminal and we were going to get him.
He always goes to trouble spots and checks the scene out for himself, rather than take second-hand information.
As for women, he authored the Violence Against Women Act and fought an uphill battle to get it passed. I think there are probably quite a few battered women out there who are better off now due to Joe Biden''s tenacity.
He has also sponsored legislation to get more cops on the street. the police are rather fond of Joe, as are the firefighters, whom he has been very supportive of since they got his two boys to the hospital quickly when his first wife and daughter were killed the car wreck.
Public: But we want to know more now.
G.O.P.: Where are you getting your information from? The internet?
Public: Is this true?
G.O.P: Not true. Internet fodder.
Public: Well, how will I know if what I read is true?
G.O.P.: You''ll know it''s true when it comes from us.
Public: Hey, that doesn''t seem right!?
G.O.P: You''re just an internet-monger probably left inclined.
Repeat.
I could lie and say I''ve enjoyed this ride.
Joe Biden will do very well against the likes of Palin, and he will do it with grace. He has so much more perspective on the world stage that there is no comparison.
I guess that there were a thousnad people at her welcome-home party in Alaska, but what the National Media didn''t cover was that there were at least 1400 people at the same time at a huge Anti-Palin rally in Anchorage as well!