Joe Biden: Actually a Pretty Good Dealmaker

[DonViejo]

by Michelle Cottle Dec 31, 2012 4:50 PM EST

He played a key role in negotiating the fiscal-cliff deal—and he did the same thing with Afghanistan, gay marriage, and more. Michelle Cottle on how Joe Biden should get some respect.

“When Joe Biden gets going on a deal, he’ll talk that deal until it’s shimmering before your eyes in God’s holy light … like the Taj Mahal … Where do I sign?” —Richard Ben Cramer, What It Takes.

Sure, all of us enjoy poking fun at our loquacious, irrepressible, unpredictable vice president. Unlike most high-level pols, and certainly unlike anyone else in this administration, Joe likes to let it all hang out. In his year-end column for Investor’s Business Daily, Andrew Malcolm was reflecting the sentiments of many when he declared Biden “2012 Joke of the Year.”

And yet … When the political game gets tense, time and time again it’s Biden who gets called in. In some cases, the president wants to hear the unvarnished Joe on a ticklish issue such as Afghanistan (Biden argued for limited engagement) or health-care reform (Biden opposed tackling it so soon).

Where Biden really comes in handy, however, is when there is a sale to be made. Whether it’s pitching the president’s financial recovery plan to a skeptical public back in 2009 or the president himself to disillusioned voters this past year, Biden knows how to close the deal—as you might expect from the son of a used-car salesman.

-snip-

more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/31/joe-biden-actually-a-pretty-good-dealmaker.html

[BeyondGeography]

1. Yet another example of why he was the best possible VP for Obama

If he can get things done with the turtle, with all of his obvious hatred and disdain for the President, Biden can work with anyone.

[smorkingapple]

2. The good cop bad cop routine is a master stroke by Obama...

Americans love the President so he can be bad cop with Congress... No one cares what they think about him..

Americans dont like Biden as much but Congress does, so he can be the "dealmaker" Republicans like to deal with..

Meanwhile they get rolled the same way....

[bowens43]

3. but not a maker of good deals apparently...