Biden pick wins praise of Utahns — mostly

Utah delegates to the Democratic National Convention starting Monday in Denver are excited about presidential nominee Barack Obama picking Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate. But some are more excited than others.

Jenny Wilson, Salt Lake County councilwoman and a delegate pledged to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, said Saturday that while Biden is a good, acceptable choice, "I would have preferred Hillary, and I'm disappointed she is not on the ticket."

At the very least, said Wilson, Obama should have "vetted" Clinton — put her through the formal interview and background-check process one does for a seriously considered running mate. Obama never did that, although at one point he said that Clinton should be on any Democratic presidential nominee's short list.

And an Obama-Clinton ticket "would have really been the dream ticket so many have talked about — the best ticket," she said.

It is "unfortunate" that Obama apparently never really considered Clinton an option, Wilson said. "After such a close race" for the presidential nomination "not to see them working together. I don't know what it was — maybe he just couldn't see himself working closely with (former President) Bill (Clinton), or he couldn't work with her. But at the very least there should have been a conversation about the perimeters" of having a former president so closely involved in White House operations as the spouse of the vice president.

Obama "apparently could never come to terms with that possibility. But Biden is a good appointment. He brings experience we need with Obama's change, he can certainly work well with Congress. And now we move on."

But after a moment more of thought, Wilson added: "As a woman, I shared the hope that when we came so close to nominating a woman for president, and now we won't have a woman on the ticket at all, well, it is disappointing."

Another Clinton delegate in the Utah delegation, Lisa Allcott, said she thinks the choice of Biden will not hurt Obama's chances among those who had supported Clinton.

However, she added, "I don't think he (Obama) was ever seriously thinking about her. I don't think it was in the cards from the beginning."

She said about Biden, "I think he's a great choice. He will complement Obama well. Of course, he has foreign relations experience. As a Roman Catholic, he may bring in some (former Clinton supporters) to the ticket."

Wayne Holland, chairman of the Utah delegation and of the Utah Democratic Party, said, "This election looks like it will be about the economy and foreign affairs — and Joe Biden is a perfect match in that ticket."

While Holland knows of no formal ties Biden may have to Utah, a number of Utahns went to Nevada for that state's presidential debate last year and were thoroughly impressed by Biden.

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