This may end up being the first "death by Freakshow" of the 2008 political season.
Recently Senator Biden sat down with a reporter from the weekly magazine The New York Observer. Biden acknowledged that he was quoted accurately as having said the following in regard to Barack Obama:
I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy...I mean, that's a storybook, man.Wow. It is quite surprising that Biden, a man of such incredible political tact and skill would make such a comment, let alone make it to a reporter.
This is Biden's first presidential campaign since 1988, and the rules have changed dramatically since then. Obviously, no one can speak for what Senator Biden was thinking, but it is possible that he needs to adjust to the Freakshow model of politics. For example, let's say he had made such a comment back in '88, what would have happened? Likely, not much. Unless the Observer story was picked up by ABC, NBC, or CBS, only those who either a)read the article or b)were doing opposition research and looking for something to use to discredit Biden would have read it. But this is not '88 and the three big networks no longer control what we see and hear.
Within hours of the Observer piece being published it was spreading like wildfire on the Internet. By the end of the day Biden had called Obama, been attacked by and had meetings with black leaders, dealt openly with media outlets about the comment, and was featured in dozens of articles about how not to start a presidential campaign. One reporter allegedly asked "will yours be known as the shortest campaign in the history of presidential politics?"Biden's comment was both wrong and unintelligent. The pity is that in the Freakshow that is American politics, making one comment like this can very easily end any presidential aspirations the speaker may have had.
Make no mistake, I very much disdain Joe Biden's politics. Nevertheless, just like many other politicians and people on the Left, I have a great deal of respect for him. Biden, though he has the propensity to be an extreme Leftist, has come to be known in his party as the resident expert on foreign policy. The Observer article, if one reads past the racial comment, is full of his thoughts on the foreign policy positions of this fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls. He has a firm grasp on what is happening both in the Middle East and around the world. He sees disaster in both Hillary Clinton's and John Edwards' plans for Iraq. Yes, he wants the U.S. out of Iraq by the end of '08, but he also wants America to retain a strong presence in the region for years to come. He is, in many respects, on the Far Left. But he is also realistic and well-reasoned--two traits I admire.
In the Freakshow era it is more important for a politician to remain mistake-free than have good ideas. It is more important to have a sound bite than sound policy. It is more important to be sensitive than to do what is right. It is more important to look smart than to be smart. It is more important to be polished than to be practical. The Freakshow rewards partisanship and punishes miscues. It amplifies anger and praises applause lines.
Joe Biden made a mistake that has the potential to end his race for the White House before it even begins. He made his bed, and now he must lay in it. The Freakshow forces candidates to be gaffe-free. It is a requirement in the New World of the media. On one hand this requires more of our elected leaders, as remaining mistake-free is challenging; forcing candidates to meet a higher standard is always a good thing. On the other hand, this higher standard is not necessarily a standard that helps us get higher-quality leaders. As such it may actually disqualify people who would make very good leaders.
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