Unleash the Biden

[demmiblue]

Source: Politico

As they struggle with the challenge of the most unpredictable—and unpresidential—president in American history, Democrats face a vexing problem. The leader of the other party is strangely charismatic, intensely verbose, apparently gaffe-proof, and constitutionally incapable of “politicalspeak,” the preferred lexicon of Washington, D.C.

This isn’t just some noteworthy personality quirk: It’s a central aspect of Trump’s appeal—key to his connection with blue-collar Democrats in places like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. It gives him an air of total authenticity in the eyes of a great many voters: What you see is what you get—whether you like it or not.

By setting off Twitter firebombs that go directly to the people, President-elect Trump not only dominates the news (and in particular the fake news) cycle, but also stymies his opponents. Democrats can’t process his spontaneous messages fast enough to counter with thoughts of their own, and they are further hampered by their own political considerations, which prevent them from engaging down on his level. (There’s little advantage for Chuck Schumer, for example, to call the next president of the United States “a clown,” even as Trump labels Schumer exactly that).

But there is one prominent Democrat who can match Trump blow for blow. Someone who speaks candidly and honestly. Someone with media savvy, policy expertise that his plain-spokenness makes accessible. Someone who, if my party is smart, they will find a way to deploy in a quasi-official role: It’s time to unleash Joe Biden.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/joe-biden-democrats-trump-214644