I've had a long-time crush on Senator Joe Biden. I think it's a combination of his twinkling Irish eyes, his ready smile, and the way he works his French cuffs to make a point.
I'm even smitten by his loquaciousness, especially after learning he grew up with a stutter. There are many pundits who believe he is truly the best man for the top job right now, especially in the wake of the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Biden has been warning about the Pakistan "problem" for years. And he is the only candidate with a concrete political solution for the future of Iraq. But for some reason, as dashing and as bright as he is, his campaign has failed to get any traction. I think it's because he's continually misunderstood like Tramp in Lady and the Tramp.
You will recall that Tramp is a mutt from the wrong side of the tracks (Biden was born to a working class family in Scranton, PA), who falls for Lady, a sweet Cocker Spaniel from a good home. The film climaxes with Tramp trying to warn Lady's babysitter about a ferocious rat in the baby's room. His barking is ignored and when he breaks into the house to kill the rat, he knocks over the baby in his crib by mistake. He is immediately sentenced to the pound, before Lady's parents return, realize Tramp's heroics, and adopt him. Biden, too, likes to bark his head off, but not without purpose as evidenced here as he fights to set a timetable for troop withdrawal in Iraq.
He's often misunderstood, most recently exemplified by calling Senator Obama "clean." He has survived the death of his wife and daughter, two cranial aneurysms and a derailed presidential run after a plagiarism charge. But he still conveys an astounding optimism about America and passion for its future. He's hoping to place 3rd in Iowa and stay in the race. I hope, like Tramp, he has a happy ending on this campaign, but he might be too nice or too streetwise to make it to the oval office. Maybe Obama, who never held the "clean" issue against him, will adopt him like Lady's parents did Tramp, and take him to the White House as VP. Like spaghetti goes with meatballs, that might be just the ticket.
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