I’ve been pretty rough on Uncle Joe this cycle, even posting a notorious diary suggesting he was in over his head. I’ve been critical of his political instincts, his sluggish performances, his past positions, his bravado, etc, etc.
All along I’ve tempered my criticisms just a bit, noting that I had nothing against him personally — and that I thought he was a decent vice-president. I just thought he wasn’t stepping up to the plate to boldly seize his moment in history (plus, I preferred Warren’s more liberal vision).
I’m now pleased to say that my efforts have paid off handsomely. Clearly his top advisers were paying attention to my comments. He seems to be on track now for mustering up his inner winner. It was looking pretty gruesome there for awhile, but he clearly wanted to prove to me that he is actually a halfway competent politician, and that his emotional and social sensibilities can, in fact, be effectively harnessed and focused for the purpose of rescuing our country.
We just dodged some pretty scary bullets — such as a party takeover by a mostly clueless billionaire, or a McGovern-style wipeout of an uncompromising populist, or a Dukakis-syle fear-based retreat to a mealy moderate.
Joe may be a moderate, but he’s certainly not mealy. He’s never boring. Unlike the loudmouths who recite the same talking points over and over (snore), Joe has a big emotional range, and he can shift spontaneously between intimacy and willfulness like a pro. He has a nice self-deprecating sense of humor, and he is capable of change. He will do just fine by us. He may not be a wonk like Barack or Liz, but I think he’ll make up for that with his massive ability to care.
So, allowing for unseen future events, I am now ready to rally: let’s wrap this thing up quick. I know it won’t be one of those magical political years for many of us, but, let’s face it, the country has become a lot more concerned about a return to some sort of stability and sanity than about magic — at least this time around.
And, believe me, when that orange poison turd is finally forced from office, the world will seem pretty magical for just a little while. And then we get back to work.
Anyway, like Jim Clyburn, I’m always glad to help.