* * (And only weeks later...) seeing the Vice President

This morning, I went to a political rally featuring Vice President Joe Biden here in Blacksburg.

Virginia is a battleground state this year – unusual for us – and President Obama, Governor Romney, and Congressman Ryan have all been to our state.

The venue was a small gymnasium on the Virginia Tech campus. There was a small seating area, but most of us stood while we waited and during the event itself. Each person in attendance passed through airport-style security before entry. There were lots of police and Secret Service agents around.

I visited with Barbara Newton, a friend from my Rotary Club, who stood beside me. I knew several others in attendance.

Three friends were given the opportunity to address the audience. Susan Kurtz is the leader of the Blacksburg Jewish Community Center called Hillel. I wrote an article about her recently as Hillel has just completed a new building near campus. She gave the invocation, including a short passage of Hebrew.

Ron Rordam is the mayor of Blacksburg. Chipper as always, he gave the town’s official welcome.

(I was surprised that VT President Charles Steger was not in attendance.)

Victoria Cochran who I have known for many years and is the wife of Montgomery County’s Democratic Chairman Steve Cochran, introduced the vice president. This was clearly one of the proudest moments of her life and she gave a brief but impassioned speech, focused on the accomplishments of the Obama administration with respect to her life.

Vice President Biden beamed broadly as he approached the podium. He made several references to the area and how much he was enjoying being here.

I didn’t take notes on what he said, so this is from memory and is merely my recollection.

He said he has spent several hours with President Obama most every day since they were inaugurated and he is continually impressed at the President’s fortitude, his “backbone” in making big decisions. Biden said he had never, not once, heard the president speak about any considerations of the political ramifications of his decisions. “I’ve never seen him once put his political future ahead of the country’s future.”

• ·      He said, the current crop of Republicans were nothing like their predecessors, the Jack Kemps, the Bob Doles and the Howard Bakers, or even Mitt Romney’s father George Romney. The new breed was significantly more radical and intransigent.
• ·      He said that in the face of considerable opposition at every turn, the Obama administration had achieved an admirable set of accomplishments, including the Affordable Health Care Act, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the regulation of Wall Street, the end of the Iraq War, and a timetable for the end of the Afghanistan War.

His final thoughts were, unsurprisingly, about the upcoming election and the clear distinction between the two parties. He said Romney, Ryan, and the Republicans believe the strength of America happens from the top down. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats believe the strength of America emanates from the middle-class outward. He said, “Romney and Ryan call their plan gutsy and bold. I don’t see what’s so gutsy about giving millionaires another tax break.”

Biden is an excellent speaker, modulating his voice and his energy to engage the crowd. He spoke with humility about his upbringing and his lessons from childhood.

He even teased himself for always saying whatever is on his mind, no matter what trouble it gets him in. He is a very likeable man indeed!

After the speech was over, he lingered for some time shaking hands and greeting everyone who wanted to stay around. His beaming face stood in sharp contrast to the Secret Service agents surrounding him, all wearing perpetual scowls. They looked like they could be the offensive line for the Washington Redskins. At one point, I had my hand in my pocket and one of them told me to take it out.

I spoke with Vice President Biden personally for a moment, complimenting him on his cameo appearance in this campaign video:

http://www.barackobama.com/road-traveled/

See his segment at the 10:30 point. It’s about the high-stakes decision Obama made to launch the attack that killed Osama bin Laden. Do yourself a favor and watch it.

Riding my motorcycle home in the rain, I was thinking about a letter to the editor in today’s Roanoke Times where the writer asks plaintively why anybody would vote for the Republicans, when clearly counter to their own economic well-being and the country’s.