Sen. Barack Obama’s choice of fellow Sen. Joseph Biden as his running mate wasn’t a surprise. Obama needed to add seasoning to the ticket, and he got that by choosing the veteran senator from Delaware to be the nominee for vice president. It was a wise choice—politically. Biden has a reputation for being a thoughtful statesman, strong on foreign affairs. He has influence on Capitol Hill. He is not viewed as a radical in the ranks of liberals. Still, vice presidents almost always are picked for political reasons—not for what they may bring to an administration. There is no reason to believe that Biden will have much influence over Obama or, should the pair be elected, over policy matters. The many differences between the two men make that clear. Were there are reason to believe that Biden could provide leavening to an Obama presidency, the Delaware senator’s addition to the ticket might be viewed as good news.