The old man's walking, talking gaffetastic extravaganza --- and Republicans are looking to get some decent mileage out of that.
At the Seattle Times, "GOP portraying Biden as liability":
With relentless attacks aimed at portraying Vice President Joseph Biden as a gaffe-prone crazy uncle who's hung around the political scene too long, Republicans hope to raise the stature of GOP vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who will debate Biden next month.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Republicans have a new rhetorical punching bag: Vice President Joseph Biden.More at that top link.
With relentless attacks on President Obama's running mate, Republicans hope to raise the stature of GOP vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who will debate Biden next month, and score points in closely contested states such as Ohio, Florida and New Hampshire.
As Democrats prepare for their convention in Charlotte, N.C., the GOP is casting the 69-year-old former Delaware senator as a gaffe-prone crazy uncle who's hung around the political scene too long.
The strategy tries to undermine the Obama campaign's chief surrogate and liaison to white, working-class voters and seniors, influential groups courted aggressively by both parties. At the same time, Republicans hope that sullying Biden's image will help confirm Ryan, the 42-year-old Wisconsin congressman, as a deep thinker destined to take on many of the nation's most pressing challenges.
In an opinion piece published this past week by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson noted that Biden had said the economy felt like "a depression" and he accused the vice president of straying from "the Obama campaign talking points."
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman praised Ryan at last week's Republican convention in Tampa, Fla. "Contrast this to Joe Biden. Vice President Biden has told people out of work to 'just hang in there' — so much for 'hope and change."'
At the GOP convention, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who joined Obama, Biden and House Speaker John Boehner for a round of golf last year, recalled Biden telling him he was a "good golfer. And I played golf with Joe Biden, and I can tell you that is not true, as well as all of other things that he says."
Even unscripted moments have included knocks at Biden.
Actor Clint Eastwood's convention monologue, beside an empty chair, included a swipe at Biden.
"You're crazy, you're absolutely crazy. You're getting as bad as Biden," Eastwood cracked in his made-up conversation with Obama. "Of course we all know Biden is the intellect of the Democratic Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it."
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