Well, there's one thing you can say for the Governor from Alaska.  She can get people talking.  Ignoring the issues of McCain's vetting process or her readiness, this in an of itself is a reason for her to be on the ticket.  Much like Obama himself, whether you like her or not, she gets the tongues moving.  But you know what?  Despite McCain's best efforts to reframe the race, her opponent isn't going to be Obama.

Her opponent is Joe Biden.

We all know Joe.  In the Senate since 1973 when he was elected at the tender age of 30 -- which happens to be the minimum age of a US Senator -- knocking off a popular incumbent.  His wife and daughter were killed in a tragic car accident right after his victory, and Joe was actually sworn into office at the bedside of his two sons who survived the crash.  From that point on, Joe began the practice of commuting day after day from Washington D.C. to his home in Delaware by train to be with his family.

In 1987, Joe Biden became the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he was able to usher through the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.  One note:  since then, parts of this law have been challenged and subsequently stricken by an increasingly conservatively-tilted Supreme Court.

In 1987, Joe Biden first ran for President, and was forced to withdraw after being accused of plagiarizing a speech.  Although he had cited his source in the same speech numerous times before, the one time he didn't in front of cameras was enough to sink him in the media's eyes.  Joe admitted his mistake, and never once hid behind any person or cause.

The following year, a brain aneurysm very nearly took his life.

Joe Biden has gone on to become one of the most respected members of the Senate by either party, adding the Foreign Relations Committee Chairmanship to his Judiciary chair.  He's one of the foremost foreign policy minds in Washington.  He is the quintessential Irish Catholic boy who did good.  He's had incredible ups and downs, and he's kept his center and his humility throughout it all.  His signature is his unscripted and off-the-cuff rhetorical style which has gotten him in trouble in the past, but is something that I think we've all seen him use to great effect.  I can't look at Giuliani today and not think, "Noun, verb, 911".  He called Bush's assertion to the Knesset about Obama wanting to appease Hitler, "Bullshit".  He's blunt.  He's got punch, and he's got pizazz.  He's the Happy Warrior.

And today, his opponent is Sarah Palin.

Everyone keeps saying that Biden needs to be careful "not to bully" Palin.  After tonight, I don't think that's going to be a problem.  Not at all.  And does anyone that someone with Joe's background and personal history will be afraid to take it to someone like Sarah Palin?  And unlike John McCain, he's able to do it with a smile on his face and truly mean it.  Joe's not a mean guy, or an angry guy, nor is he overly condescending  But Joe Biden does not mess around.

The more I think about it, the more I appreciate Obama's selection of Joe.  In so many ways, he's been training for this moment, and maybe this very opponent for his entire life. Sarah Palin is a special kind of candidate for a certain section of this country.  She seems to be an intriguing personality who brings something to John McCain's ticket that he desperately needed, but her style of personality politics is pushing her right into Joe Biden's wheelhouse. This is where he lives.  Plus, he has the advantage of being more in line with today's mainstream America than Palin is, and that will show in the weeks ahead.

I'm not worried about Sarah Palin.  She's interesting, but I honestly think we already have the answer for that.  Let the games begin.

Just don't forget about the issues.