Barack Obama's Harvard pedigree, soaring rhetoric and professorial demeanor have helped critics paint him as an elitist. So when he stood Saturday next to his running mate, a new set of characteristics was on display: a public university graduate of modest means, a Roman Catholic who talks like regular folks.
It is true that Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s foreign policy experience may help assure voters who wonder whether the youthful Obama is ready to be commander in chief, and may give the Democrats a voice of gravitas to challenge the Republicans' war-hero presidential candidate.
But it was clear Saturday that Biden's potential appeal to white, blue-collar Democrats -- those who did not support Obama during the primaries and remained wary of his candidacy -- was also important in Obama's selection of the Delaware senator.
The newly minted partners made no secret of such a goal.
As they shared the stage for the first time as the Democratic ticket, they invoked Biden's native Scranton, Pa., no fewer than five times, and Obama called the 65-year-old Biden the "scrappy kid from Scranton."
It was a less-than-subtle plug for the small northeastern Pennsylvania town that became a touchstone for the primary campaign of Obama's chief Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton. She often cited her family's roots in Scranton to argue that she, more than Obama, understood the travails of hard-working Americans.
With Biden, Obama hopes to acquire some Scranton cred -- not only in the crucial battleground of Pennsylvania but in other states where Democrats can ill afford to lose working-class support, such as Ohio, Virginia and Florida.
"It's nice that you can get a twofer, with one of the heaviest hitters on foreign policy in the Senate and also get someone who has the capacity to reach these lunch-bucket voters," said Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, who managed John F. Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.
The presence of the seasoned Biden could complicate matters for Republican John McCain, who is expected to name his running mate shortly after the Democratic National Convention ends Thursday.
Had Obama tapped a less experienced Democrat, such as Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, McCain might have been more likely to go with a fresh GOP face such as Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. But some Republicans said privately that they were worried Biden might too easily dominate the vice presidential debate set for October and hoped McCain would opt for a steadier hand, such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney or former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
