A shout out to my Veeps

So, now that McCain has made up his (senile) mind for a VP, I can evaluate both Dem and Reep Veep picks.
First, Biden:
Positives
-Definitely brings gravitas. His white hair and white shirt/straight tie image carry a palpable air of distinguish-ment. But said white shirt also appears to be the right fit for a guy willing to roll up the sleeves for a hard job.
-Nice smile. In my 22-year-old, heterosexual perspective, Joe appears to be a nice looking man. I mean, his wife is very good looking, so he must be somewhat attractive in an old-man way.
-Foreign Policy/Washington experience. We all know his resume in the Senate, and he definitely shores up both of those, but both in such ways as to not bolt him into the “Washington insider” shade of darkness. His message the whole campaign has been Change, and his record appears to follow that as well. His handling of the Georgia situation (possi-/prob-ably done in conjunction w/ Obama’s camp) projects well with Obama’s message.
Negatives
-Despite said Senate record, no executive experience can still be brought up, though personally I think that is a fairly overblown “qualification”
-Mouth. Hailed as both a positive and negative by most, it appears that it may be more of a liability to me. Neither possible prez has shown that he has a problem with going negative against his opponent, so the role of the “attack dog” VP may not be as important. Just one slip on policy or general message can be blown up into a giant problem. And we all know he’s capable of that. The first speech was a good start though.
-Isn’t Bill Richardson. I mean, seriously, the guy’s resume makes him more qualified for the oval office than either of the candidates for the top job, let alone for the #2 job. What makes a good prez in any era? Experience in both legislative and executive branches, a knowledge of both world and domestic affairs. Well the former Congressman, governor, ambassador and cabinet secretary can check all those off. And specifically for this year, the hot topics are economy, energy, war in the Middle East, healthcare and education. Well, as governor, he’s overseen a stable economy, passed laws to help insure the health of more children, and get more money into schools. Check, check, check. As for an energy crisis, who better to help than the guy who was energy secretary back in the days when $1.20 gas was considered high!? True, the task now means more spearheading new technology than with fossil fuels, but those aren’t going away soon whoever gets the job. And remember when that other Clinton was in the White House and the Middle East was relatively peaceful under treaties originating from U.S. diplomacy. Well, just look up who was a major negotiator in the U.S. envoy. I know the guy comes off as a bumbler, but seriously, how is this guy not THE candidate?

Palin:
Positives
-Gender. Though she is about a polar opposite to H. Clinton on almost every issue, a part of me can still see some women, even avowed democrats (and male feminists I suppose), not be able to pass up the chance to put a woman in the White House when they get into the booth. And commentators from both sides of the aisle have pointed out her beauty pageant good looks (I don’t see it). Won’t get the 25% of Hillary supporters Fox Noise has promised, but will get some.
-Crazy Conservative. Could help shore up the conservative vote and get the churchees to the polls. Her stances against gay marriage and abortion (the two carrots always dangled by the Reeps) have been 100% against all the way. Her family, complete with a Down’s syndrome child and a 17-year-old mother-to-be are a poster family for anti-abortion. So much so, I think, that any flap over the unwed-mother daughter thing is negated. She apparently even owns and AK-47? Wow.
-Mouth. She apparently is taking the role of attack dog, espousing the conservative viewpoint on the ticket. However, I find her accent irritating and her demeanor creepy.
Negatives
-All of the above. Lefty MSNBCers Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann were ecstatic to hear the pick of Palin. A “Dan Quayle” pick they called it. And it’s a reasonable comparison, in that they were both relatively unknown. However, her ultra-right stances and obvious unique political qualities make her even more of a target.
-Lack of experience. McCain has expressed his opinion that Obama’s 4 years in the Senate do not qualify him for the White House. But Palin’s half-term as governor of a turmoil-ridden, sparsely-populated state is good enough? It seems the Reeps have lost what might have been their most potent argument.