Dr. Red Eye

In a stunning speech in Seattle on Sunday, Oct 19th, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden warned that if Barack Obama becomes president, the U.S. will face a “guaranteed” “international crisis” with the specific intent to test the inexperienced president.

“Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. Remember I said it standing here. If you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. And he’s gonna have to make some really tough — I don’t know what the decision’s gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it’s gonna happen.”

Biden, infamous for opening mouth and inserting foot, has done it once again. This admission should send shivers up the spine of all Americans, liberal or conservative.

Granted, Biden tried to defend Obama by saying in that same weekend (this time in San Francisco) that when Obama is tested, people will “find out this guy’s got steel in his spine.” And that may be true. But do we really want to find out?

Do we really want to invite a disaster on an international scale, most likely resulting in many deaths? Do we really want people to sacrifice their lives just so we can find out if “this guy” has a backbone?

Also, do we really want to add a historic disaster at a time when Americans are reeling from a staggering economy and are stretched militarily in two wars?

In addition, do we really want to “test the mettle of this guy” on a grand scale? We saw the Russians test Obama’s mettle with the small-scale Russia-Georgia conflict and it was not pretty. Obama started with a tepid response, then gave a slightly firmer follow-up, and then finally a hard stance on his third try that matched the tone of McCain’s first response. That was already a wake-up call about Obama’s leadership ability for those who even just marginally followed that episode. Seems Obama’s mettle has already been tested and found wanting. Is this the “on-the-job training” …on a large scale… that we want Obama to have, which Biden himself has declared not a good idea?

Furthermore, even if Obama shows that he’s not spineless in the midst of a large-scale crisis, it still doesn’t guarantee that Obama will be a good president. After all, George W. Bush was tested within two years of his first term in office, racked up a very high approval rating for his handling of the for11 crisis and yet finishes his second term with a very low approval rating.

Lastly, Biden makes some very odd comments in explaining how Obama would handle a national disaster, including asking supporters to stand by Obama as he makes unpopular decisions:

“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you - not financially to help him - we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”

Biden continues with his eyebrow-raising remarks:

“I’ve forgotten more about foreign policy than most of my colleagues know, so I’m not being falsely humble with you. I think I can be value added, but this guy has it,” he said of Obama. “This guy has it. But he’s gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, ‘Oh my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?’ We’re gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I’m asking you now, I’m asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point because you’re going to have to reinforce us.”

“There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, ‘Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don’t know about that decision’,” Biden continued. “Because if you think the decision is sound when they’re made, which I believe you will when they’re made, they’re not likely to be as popular as they are sound. Because if they’re popular, they’re probably not sound.”

This has to make you wonder if Biden knows something the rest of America doesn’t. What is he talking about? And why does he seem to already know “four or five scenarios”? Why is he practically begging people to “remember the faith” and stick with Obama as he makes “unpopular” decisions that will make his polling numbers drop like a rock?

It’s enough to make any sane person nervous, if not frightened.

But not surprisingly, the media has pretty much sweeped this under the rug. No big deal. No front page news. As the police like to say, “Move along, people, there’s nothing to see here.”

No, do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Joe Biden has handed McCain an alleged “game-changer” on a silver platter. McCain camp, it’s your move.

Regardless of how McCain’s poorly-run campaign handles this gift, we must let as many people know about this as possible. I don’t know about you but I don’t need an invitation to another grand-scale disaster for this nation. And I certainly don’t need an inexperienced president making unpopular decisions.