Delaware Dem

Brian Taff on Joe Biden

Mr. Taff is a late afternoon news anchor for Action News on Ch. 6. He often writes very eloquently written blogs that he posts to his Facebook page. On this occasion, he has written about Vice President Biden, and I want to share it with you:

I’ll never forget the moment. It was a steamy summer night in Denver, Colorado, moments before Joe Biden took the stage during the Democratic National Convention in 2008. I was hustling to get back to my broadcast perch, but got stuck in one of the occasional lockdowns that accompany the movement of high profile people in the building — like the soon-to-be-Vice-President-of-the-United-States. Somehow, I ended up standing in a doorway about 15 feet from Joe, with an unobstructed view as he collected his thoughts leading up to what was then the biggest speech he’d ever given. He struck me as, and I’m not sure how else to put it: human. That now-famous Biden smile never left his face — but it was more than apparent that his ear-to-ear grin was only a mask, an attempt to underplay the huge amount of nervous energy coursing through him. Seconds later, he brushed off any last minute doubts, and delivered a speech that served as an exclamation point to a childhood spent overcoming a stutter and an adulthood spent trying to overcome unimaginable loss. When he was done, the thunderous applause shook the arena and sent the faithful voters that filled it to their feet.

And that, I think, is why Joe Biden holds a particularly unique place on the American stage — and in its heart. He is not the straight-from-central-casting-politican. He is, well, human.

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Monday Open Thread [6.1.15]

Rick Klein: “The scrum to become the anti-Hillary candidate is now joined, with flaws and foibles evident in both men who seem best positioned to give the Democratic frontrunner a run for her money. While this is Martin O’Malley’s announcement moment, it’s an early Bernie Sanders momentum moment, with polls and press coverage casting the Vermont senator as on the move. It’s important to remember that Sanders has more of a built-in base, particularly without Elizabeth Warren running. He’s the candidate for the far left, and the even farther left beyond.”

“O’Malley’s advantages would be more likely to stand out in a more traditional competitive primary. He has governing experience, a generational argument to make, and generally looks the part more than Sanders. The race’s dynamics could wind up driving its competitive nature. If Hillary Clinton cruises wire-to-wire, Sanders could easily be the default runner-up. But the moment Clinton looks vulnerable enough to actually be beaten, it might be time for O’Mentum.”

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