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WORLD> America
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Biden is wrench in McCain's VP choice
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-27 21:20 DENVER - Democrat Barack Obama's selection of Joe Biden as a running mate is complicating Republican John McCain's analysis of his prospective vice presidential contenders.
Biden will make his formal debut Wednesday with a prime-time address. McCain is expected to announce his pick after Obama accepts his nomination here on Thursday. "McCain knows Biden well. He knows how good he is as a knife fighter. He'll take McCain apart," said one Republican operative. But a review of the much-rumored McCain shortlist clearly exposes the weaknesses each person on it might bring if matched up against the six-term senator from Delaware. • The star of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seemed to be rising this summer in tandem with voters' increasing anxiety about the economy. But a McCain gaffe over how many homes he owns - he told Politico he didn't know the exact number - would take on new life if multimillionaire Romney became his running mate. Democrats already have calculated that the two men own a dozen homes between them, valued at a total of about $35 million. That message could hurt McCain in two ways: It undercuts his argument that Obama is an out-of-touch elitist and would make Romney a poor match to Biden's middle-class upbringing and common-man appeal on the stump. • Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's strength is youth and executive experience. On television talk shows, he's also shown a willingness to level attacks against Obama, although they are largely a reiteration of campaign talking points. |
