My family and I moved from Pennsylvania to Delaware when I was 12 and during this time I developed a political sense that has been incumbent ever since. As much of you may know, I campaigned for Jesse Jackson in 1984 and also 1988. ‘84 was undoubtedly a learning experience, for I realized how crazy the political process was. ‘88 was different because I knew what was going on and even though the death of my Mom derailed any passion for anything, I threw myself into the presidential election and soaked up everything. Obviously Jesse wasn’t successful in his candidacy, but I was interested in the candidate who bowed out early because of controversy, Joe Biden.

During this time I researched Biden. I found out that in 1972, he lost his first wife and young daughter to a horrific car crash that also injured his two sons. Both sons recovered and are doing pretty well in life and it was this time where I connected with Biden unlike many politicians. I was dating Miss Teen Delaware and attended many republican lobbying functions in Delaware and was totally turned off with the political process at this point in my life. You can’t imagine what some of this “people” exchanged votes for. It was disgusting, but Biden was always in the back of my mind because I thought we had something in common. Hubert Humphrey convinced Biden to stay on the Hill even though he was embroiled in personal tragedy. Biden’s stipulation was that he would stay in office as long as he could travel home to Wilmington, DE every night to be with his family. Of course there’s been exceptions, but it’s something he’s done ever since.

There were other reasons why Joe Biden appealed to me. One was he seemed like a normal person. I’d met both he and Jesse in ‘88 and you could sense both men had been scarred in one way or another. You can feel it in the handshake. I don’t mean to be morbid, but anything was helpful during this time. I was just a kid, but I was hell bent on helping to change the world anyway I could because of my loss. Biden seemed like your next door neighbor; the one who would come by the crib in the morning with coffee–and the paper. He would start your day off right with his upbeat approach to life with those stories men like him told. He grew stronger through the burgeoning smiles of others, for he was that cat who always seemed happy and if you didn’t know about the tragedy in his life, you would never know by his appearance.

In 1991, during the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings, Biden blasted in the national spotlight with his unapologetic questioning of Thomas. He didn’t put on a pretty face for the camera. He told it like it was, how it happened and what was going to go down. I have to be honest and say that stance turned me off a bit initially because I would be remiss if I didn’t say I wanted Thomas to be confirmed just because he was Black.

In hindsight, that has become a critical error for all of us hasn’t it?

Of course the political process is corrupt. Of course many of us hate politics because all the government pork constricts the heart of our brain until it pops hot grease all over the place. Until it’s fixed, there are those we should be cautiously optimistic about and Biden is that man for me personally.

When it comes to Biden as Vice President, I feel he perfectly balances Barack’s chances. Folks like Biden because of what I laid out above because they can identify with him. He’s that common cat that connects with the old dude who sits in the corner at the bar and also the old ladies strolling through the supermarket like they’re window shopping for Christmas.

They see their sons…

Barack needs a candidate like this. He needs someone who will fend off the haters and offer that fatherly advice he wouldn’t receive if he’d chosen someone closer to his age. Biden has the experience needed to help Obama through those hard days coming quick fast in a hurry. Those tumultuous days where public scrutiny will smack Barack in his face like his Momma was Black. If you look at footage where Barack and Biden are conversing, you will see how intent Obama is. He listens and pays attention to Biden because he wants to acquire everything he knows. It also doesn’t help that Joe Biden has vast judiciary committee and foreign relations experience.

I spoke about this on WVON in Chicago with host Curtis Monday and Bonita Parker of Operation Push just this morning.

It also helps that Barack and Biden aren’t elitists. They haven’t suddenly transformed their senatorial salaries into big fat ass cash cows whose bellys are stuffed with dough like two pinatas at a hypothetical middle class money give away party–with all the booze.

There’s something to be said for that. Both of these cats give a damn about the middle class because it is them. Those of us who care about what goes on should be able to find a modicum of solace in the fact that we will be taken care of at least for four more years.

I would implore all of you to get down with this because it’s all we really have. If this all goes down the way it should, we might have a cabinet strong enough to take us to the next level as a people. They’ll be one glaring omission in my opinion–Stephanie Tubbs Jones. I miss her already because she would have given us that soothing hand capable of doing what is best for all of us. Let’s just home Barack makes the right decisions if and when he’s elected in that regard and doesn’t cave from the pressure of appeasing those who will feel inadequate because of his election. Pay close attention to the chemistry of these two beginning today with their appearance in Illinois, but more importantly during the landmark Democratic National Convention. Yes, this will be an exercise of happiness and togetherness, but dig through the layers and judge yourself accordingly.

I’ll remain cautiously optimistic of this union until otherwise noted…you should do the same.

Dick Cheyney has elevated the Vice Presidency to Secretary of State levels and Barack would have been straight up stupid to run with someone who couldn’t handle what is to come. It ain’t gonna be easy if and when Barack gets elected and America will soften that Black smack just a little bit when they see one of their own in lock step with the man who will be spoken about until the end of days.

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