Does Anyone Remember Joe Biden?

My best friend in high school (and still!) was a gorgeous model, and when I hung out with her, boys didn’t even know I was alive, unless they wanted me to get her number. (Fortunately she was way too nice to hate!) That’s what I imagine it feels like to be Joe Biden. Poor guy – it must be tough being in the shadow of Obama, who is brilliant, historic, handsome, and even sings well.

Oh well, at least I have to imagine he felt a sense of relief that in this election he wouldn’t have to compete with Sarah Palin, with her moose-dressing, “you can see Russia from Alaska,” claiming-to-read-every-newspaper nuttiness. But what does he get this time around? A young, buff, Medicare-slashing Ayn Randian whose nuttiness is just more articulate (lying about his marathon times, comparing the NFL ref lockout to Obama’s tenure). The day after the GOP vice-presidential selection was announced, the most frequent search on Google was “Paul Ryan shirtless.” And comedians were quick to note that the least frequent search was probably “Joe Biden shirtless.”

Oh well, at least he’s always had his one claim to fame, his propensity for blurting things out, often inappropriately (spilling the beans about gay marriage before Obama got to announce it, noting that the Affordable Health Care Act was a “big f&*@#ing deal”, etc.). But now he has to compete with Romney’s gaffes, which are bigger, more political and more numerous. What can the poor guy do to get noticed?

All teasing aside, many pundits have noted that Joe Biden may be one of the most underappreciated politicians in the country. He’s been a solid advocate for working families, unions, gay marriage, and women’s rights (including acknowledging that while he as a Catholic didn’t think abortion was okay, he didn’t think it was the government’s business to tell a woman what to do; he also supports the church’s teachings on social justice, so for that principled stand, he’s been blasted by church leaders). He also has the distinction of having been one of the least wealthy members of Congress. (As well has having graduated near the bottom of his college and law school classes ““ he really IS “a regular guy”!)

Joe Biden is the politician I’d rather have one heartbeat away from the Oval Office, as well as the candidate I’d most like to have a beer with. In fact, I have a bit of a crush on him, so I decided to give him a little musical love. (This is one of a series of political comedy songs I’m doing during this election cycle – there’s enough material for several songs a day!)