NASHUA – Sen. Joe Biden praised his running mate, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, as the "real deal" yesterday before a crowd at Nashua Community College.

"Barack Obama is the best presidential candidate in a generation," Biden said.

Biden went on to say Republican candidate Sen. John McCain is out of touch with the middle class.

"I could walk from here to Manchester and I doubt I could find one person who would say the fundamentals of the economy are strong, unless I ran into John McCain," he said.

Biden was introduced yesterday by registered Republican and Iraq war veteran Kyril Mitchell, of Laconia, who said he decided to vote for Obama because he promised to bring the troops home from Iraq.

"I have lived President Bush's cowboy politics firsthand," said Mitchell. "When McCain says he'll stay the course, he's lost my vote."

Sen. Joe Biden told a Nashua audience yesterday that Hillary Clinton is "as qualified or more qualified" than he is. (THOMAS ROY)

Mitchell, in a later interview, said he served in Iraq and his wife served in Kuwait. They supported Ron Paul in the presidential primary because he was the only Republican candidate who promised to bring the troops home, Mitchell said. When Paul lost, they switched their allegiance to Obama.

Mitchell said after learning more about Obama, he discovered he also was in line with the Democratic candidate on economic issues. Those issues were on voters' minds yesterday: Biden got questions about the housing market and health care.

With a microphone in hand, Biden got face to face with most of the people who asked questions.

There was a moment of discomfort for Biden as audience member Gil Mendozza said he was pleased Obama chose Biden over Sen. Hillary Clinton for a running mate.

Democrats have worked hard to heal the rift in their party after a drawn-out nominating process that pitted Obama and Clinton against each other.

"Make no mistake about it, Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am," Biden said.

Mendozza, who lives in Windham, later said he was an Obama supporter but he was not impressed with Clinton, calling her a "crooked politician." He said he was not impressed with Biden either.

"They promise you everything, but he already was in the Senate for 29 years," he said.

New Hampshire Republicans also called Biden a "career politician."

"Senator Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate the same year I was born, and the actuaries tell me I'm approaching middle age," said Fergus Cullen, state GOP chairman. "Barack Obama's decision to put a career Washington insider like Biden on his ticket suggests Obama isn't serious about bringing change to Washington."

►Obama's NH itinerary updated (18)