Joe Biden, who will be sworn into office on Sunday morning, is becoming one of the most influential vice presidents in US history according to historians and political observers.
“Sometimes he can get a little, I don’t know, goofy,” said Larry Rasky, a longtime Biden confidant and campaign strategist. “For everybody who knows him, that’s Joe. That’s who he is. . . . But when it comes time to step up his game and be a leader and a statesman, he
has always done it.”
According to an article in Boston.com, Biden is a joker whose mouth often gets him in trouble but whose gregarious nature gives him the ability to connect.
“To some extent I think Biden’s spontaneity is turning out to be something of an advantage in the sense that he’s old school in the best way,” said Joel K. Goldstein, a professor in St. Louis and an authority on the vice presidency. “You have a sense that he’s not scripted and what you see is what you get.”
The former US senator was initially reluctant about being Obama's vice president. When Obama and Biden began working out some the terms, the vice president made it clear he wanted to be involved in all major decisions the president made.
“The vice presidency is not something you ever aspire to . . . it’s not something he ever sought by any sense,” said Biden’s son, Beau, who is the attorney general of Delaware. “But when you’re asked to serve by your president, that’s what you do.”
Many historians believe the only one who can be said to rival Biden's influence as vice president is Dick Cheney.
“Biden is certainly one of the very most powerful vice presidents we’ve ever had,” Goldstein said. “Time and again, Obama seems to involve him as a troubleshooter on the most consequential matters that are facing the administration.”
While recently, President Obama tapped the vice president to shape the gun-control proposals, the two men have not always agreed on certain policies.
For example, Biden disagreed with Obama over the 2009 troop surge in Afghanistan. He also advised Obama against authorizing the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
While the 70-year-old Biden seems an unlikely presidential candidate for 2016 -- he would be the oldest new president in history by five years-- it is nonetheless a frequent topic of conversation.
“Everybody says ‘I want elected officials to say what they think,’ ” said Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden aide who was appointed to his US Senate seat when Biden became vice president. “You know why he’s so popular now? They got a politician who says what he thinks. And they like it.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Jan 21, 2013, 07:01 PM EST
Biden is probably the most influential VP ever and maybe he'll go one step further in 2016. To play the devils advocate maybe Obama would be his VP.Anglo is hurt !!
Meanolgrouch | Jan 21, 2013, 11:18 AM EST
To Eschetic: I agree with your words below about honoring 'a good speech by repeating the ideas or even some of the words without the attribution you would make in an academic paper.' Good yellow dog Democrats like myself are prone to repeat FDR's comment, 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself' without redundant citing of the source. Any dullard should know where the credit for that one goes without being reminded each and every time. Although I'm fond of a short pause followed by this personal ammendment - '... except the hellborn political rightwingers.' Anybody who thinks I'm not relishing this GOP disaster to the fullest has another think coming.
Meanolgrouch | Jan 21, 2013, 11:02 AM EST
I apologize for the unintended double entry below. Hold that 'submit' button down too long and see what happens?!
Meanolgrouch | Jan 21, 2013, 10:59 AM EST
VP Biden is the only public figure I ever think of in terms of what his mom called him: "Joey". I absolutely love the man and celebrate his lifetime of hard work and public service. The teabaggers posting below should've heard my favorite comment by a Pulitzer-prize winning author and educator on Bill Moyers' show, describing GOP reaction to their election loss: "I never saw so many people look so slapped." Hell's bells, as Joey would say: they deserve it. I hope every teabagger hate junkie chokes on his own bile while we spend this wonderful day basking in the glow of well-earned victory. Take THAT, you misbegotten sons (and daughters) of perdition!
Meanolgrouch | Jan 21, 2013, 10:58 AM EST
VP Biden is the only public figure I ever think of in terms of what his mom called him: "Joey". I absolutely love the man and celebrate his lifetime of hard work and public service. The teabaggers posting below should've heard my favorite comment by a Pulitzer-prize winning author and educator on Bill Moyers' show, describing GOP reaction to their election loss: "I never saw so many people look so slapped." Hell's bells, as Joey would say: they deserve it. I hope every teabagger hate junkie chokes on his own bile while we spend this wonderful day basking in the glow of well-earned victory. Take THAT, you misbegotten sons (and daughters) of perdition!
Eschetic | Jan 21, 2013, 09:53 AM EST
Thanks to "Tom Mo" for starting Inauguration Day with a great laugh! NO ONE withdraws from a Presidential Race (regardless of some shallow reporting at the time) because they honor a good speech by repeating the ideas or even some of the words without the attribution you would make in an academic paper. With three electoral votes in tiny Delaware, Biden was not going to be a finalist THAT year. Times and positions have changed; at the same time, thanks for proving that radical right wing haters do occasionally have a sense of humor - even if it's a perversely distorted one.
Smyrnian | Jan 21, 2013, 02:38 AM EST
That's one scary headline!
krisdaly | Jan 21, 2013, 01:35 AM EST
HOW DO YOU SPELL POLITICAL SKANK?? BIDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom Mo | Jan 21, 2013, 12:38 AM EST
Nice try Eschetric. Biden was 45 years old when he had to withdraw from the 1988 Presidential race because he plagarized a speech of British MP Neil Sinnock. Biden is a conman.
Tom Mo | Jan 21, 2013, 12:28 AM EST
You have deleted my response to Esehetic. Spiked it. Is that the Modus Operandi of Irish Central when you disagree with a comment?
Eschetic | Jan 20, 2013, 11:28 PM EST
Admittedly, the evil Mr. Cheney (the first Vice President since Aaron Burr to nearly kill a man during his term - Burr in a duel, not a drunken hunting trip) may have been more influential during his time as VP, but former Senator Biden's career in office has produced and continues to produce a FAR more positive legacy. The ignorant haters of the extreme right wing will cling to his college plagiarism scandal of more than 50 years ago and his occasional malapropisms to degenerate the man, but REAL Republicans respect a leader who may be the best qualified Vice President to BE President since former Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Baines Johnson. We may not agree with either of them on policy, but it is foolish in the extreme to think they are fools as great as those who despise them. All these continued attacks on a great Vice President merely expose how terrified the losers who ran the last failed Republican attempt to snow the voters are to have to campaign against him.
Tom Mo | Jan 20, 2013, 07:16 PM EST
Seanomelb/CC Dara Kelly On the "mastery of Joe's silvery tongue." Joe: Calls on Sen.Chuck Graham to "stand up," despite the fact that he is in a wheelchair. Joe: Says "J-O-B-S" is a four letter word. Joe: On TV claims that FDR got on TV in 1929 to speak about the Stock Market crash. FDR was not President and TV was not a household item in 1929. Joe: On the mother of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen who is very much alive (3/17/10). "His mom lived in(sic) Long Island for ten years or so, God rest her soul. And-although,she-wait-your mon's still- your mom's still alive? Your dad passed. God rest her soul." Joe: "A man I'm proud to call my friend friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States- Barack America. Joe: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and clean and a nice-looking guy." Need I go on? Silvery tongue, my arse The man is an eegit!
anglo-norman | Jan 20, 2013, 07:07 PM EST
seanomelb-You are an aussie now son, comment on your own country.
seanomelb | Jan 20, 2013, 06:50 PM EST
One couldn't get any lower than the knuckle dragging teaparty racist cretins.
Tom Mo | Jan 20, 2013, 06:14 PM EST
The Vice Presidunce, slo Joe Biden, is a plagiarist and a proven liar. But he is the Bees Knees to the present crop of low information voters in the United States. Dara Kelly being one with Irish Central acting in concert.
seanomelb | Jan 20, 2013, 06:01 PM EST
Aah!! the spite and hate from the teaparty types below only belays their ignorance and jealously of the mastery of Joe's silvery tongue.Four more years an maybe more for Joe read him and weep you GOP trogoldytes.
EphraimKibbey | Jan 20, 2013, 04:29 PM EST
Soooo! I guess that none of the posters below are old enough to have watched the "Columbo" detective series. Too bad, it was great. If they had, they would know that one of the best tactics in an adversarial relationship is to get your adversary to under estimate your strengths, even your sanity. I think that Joe Biden's LONG history in public service shows that he is a master of that tactic. Laughter is good for you. Just don't let someone steal your pants while you are busy laughing at them.
southside77 | Jan 20, 2013, 03:14 PM EST
Joe Biden is a self admitted plagiarist, which means he is a thief. He is a thief of ideas and thoughts of other people. This also means that this man is so stupid that he is not capable of an original thought or idea.He is a career politician who is nothing more than a parasite on the American people.
porkheaven | Jan 20, 2013, 02:22 PM EST
He is a vp that has half of a brain and follows his instructions from his mobster boss obama. Who was elected by the foolish voters.
calceltic | Jan 20, 2013, 12:58 PM EST
Who do you hire to write this stuff. What about Cheney, just because he was hidden in the basement attached to machines doesn't mean Bush wasn't his walking talking puppet
Pittsburghkid | Jan 20, 2013, 12:44 PM EST
A fool can be very influencial in a negative way.
BippyBellito | Jan 20, 2013, 12:02 PM EST
Joe Biden is a Moron. If he's involved, it's Bad News. Obama has kept him around because he is the perfect Fall Guy. A Dumb White Guy who thinks he's smart. Joe Biden has been guilty of lies, deceptions, plagerism, cheating. He overstates every accomplishment he takes credit for, and worst of all, is a Renowned Cheapskate. His pants pockets are sewn shut. He is an unadulterated Horse's Ass.
tom77381 | Jan 20, 2013, 11:54 AM EST
Biden is as influential as was Charliharley McCarthy to Edgar Bergen.
Skibberrean | Jan 20, 2013, 11:09 AM EST
Dara, Dara, Please, there are more intelligent things to be writing about then Joe Biden. The man is a pure unadelterated moron. the only thing he is contending for is Assisted Living! He talks about gun control, when he needs to practice some serious mouth control.
JimmieM | Jan 20, 2013, 11:00 AM EST
Didn't you hear? yesterday Joking Joe said "I am proud to be President of the United States" some one behind him had to remind him that The Obama was still alive. This only the latest in many demonstrations that old Joking Joe is unaware of who he is and where he is. That is real power to be able to do this and get away with it.
ePHraimAg | Jan 20, 2013, 10:58 AM EST
The Tumor in His head is more popular... if The Tulor wants to divorce that IDIOT !
katieherk | Jan 20, 2013, 10:43 AM EST
I'm not believing what I just read!! The most influential? Double Blarney. If you had said he was "one" of the most stupid, I'd wholeheartedly agree!. He's an embarrassment to our country, to the Irish and too the office of VP. Wow, now I've heard everything.
PhlutiePhan | Jan 20, 2013, 10:04 AM EST
If you consider someone who acts like a "bull in a China shop" to be at the top of the heap, then you are right. I do not happen to think so.
CavanAncestor | Jan 20, 2013, 09:53 AM EST
Now that's a scary thought. Poor Dan Quayle was pilloried daily. This guy can't get either of his feet out of his mouth.
whiteycat | Jan 20, 2013, 09:26 AM EST
Biden is only as influential as obama will let him be. All the foolderah about him accidentally letting the cat out of the bag is bunk. It is all planned ahead of time. obama would brook no surprises. He says when and how high.
Nicopernicus | Jan 20, 2013, 09:00 AM EST
Man...seriously...Who comes up with this stuff...really? where do you live, Nobody in Washington takes him seriously, he is the consummate empty suit.
Springfield9 | Jan 20, 2013, 08:59 AM EST
Biden likes to play loveable bozo but he has a mean streak 5 miles wide.