The Political Freakshow

Mission Impossible: Managing Joe Biden | Politico

Biden recalled his own family tragedy — losing his young wife and daughter in a 1972 car accident — and paused repeatedly to keep his composure.

It was the side of Biden — comfortable with his emotions, and with a gift for human connection — that makes him appealing to many voters. And the moment never would’ve taken place if he had not effectively overruled his would-be handlers.

It was a vivid illustration of a phenomenon that pervades the 2012 campaign: The consuming effort by operatives to stamp the spontaneity and life out of modern politics.

Of course, Biden’s two-day swing through small-town Virginia also offered a perfect example of why this brand of control-freak politics has emerged. His unrehearsed comment to a mixed-race audience in Danville that the Republicans and their Wall Street allies want to put people “back in chains” made national news as an example of rhetorical excess.

An interesting look at the pros and cons of keeping Vice President Joe Biden on the ticket as President Barack Obama aims for re-election in 2012.

(via questionall)

Source: shortformblog