It's not just electability with Joe for me - it's the ease of knowing he'll knock Trump's teeth in.

[Drunken Irishman]

I am 100% confident that, in a debate with Trump, Joe will hit back and eviscerate Trump. I think people underestimate just how well he does in this type of forum. Now while it didn't really help him in 2008's primary (he was often discussed as one of the better performers) it can absolutely be critical in a presidential election. I maintain Joe wrote the blueprint on how to debate Romney and Obama used it in the two subsequent debates to turn that election around. Had it not been for Biden's powerful victory over Ryan in the VP debate, which many people, prior to the event, expected to be pretty damn insignificant, I still think Obama-Biden win but the margins are maybe a bit more narrower than they turned out to be (which, in itself, was actually a larger than expected victory). But that moment blunted the Romney momentum and showed Obama what he needed to do to go after Romney.

The, "please proceed, Governor" line may not have happened without Joe's monumental debate win.

I also think the 2016 debates were generally a lost opportunity for Hillary to put in the final death blow of the Trump campaign. She played it safe. She didn't do poorly by any means, but, for the most part, she didn't engage Trump enough and I know some will disagree, and suggest that engaging Trump is flat-out how you lose ... but I don't. I think it's how you win because Trump is at his worst when he's engaged because then he utterly fails to say anything remotely coherent. Trump relies on zingers - and that's it. If you throw a zinger at him, though, it absolutely throws him off his game. Case in point: the 'Putin's puppet' line from Hillary. I think it was her best debate moment. It was also the moment she engaged Trump the most - and Trump was left looking like a fucking idiot with his, "you're the puppet" reply. It was cringe-worthy.

But, while Trump acted eccentric, and spent the first debate sniffling the whole time, most of it was spent with Hillary going over policy and substance, while Trump was mostly hitting on zingers and buzz words. Hillary won the debate - but not decisively:

http://fortune.com/2016/09/27/presidential-debate-polls-winner/

CNN conducted a poll immediately after the first presidential debate pitting Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. Compiling responses from 521 people, the CNN/ORC poll found that Clinton was the clear winner with 62% of respondents saying she performed better than her opponent. Just 27% chose Trump, leaving 11% undecided.

A survey from Public Policy Polling. sponsored by VoteVets Action Fund, found that voters nationally thought Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in the debate, 51% to 40%. That poll surveyed 1,002 prescreened respondees, who said they’d watch the debate and were willing to give their thoughts immediately afterward.

Romney received a far bigger advantage in his first debate performance than Hillary did. But the fact only 51% of voters, in that PPP poll (sponsored by VoteVets, a liberal group) found Hillary won the debate indicated the exact tone of the election - Hillary was generally perceived to be overall better head-to-head than Trump but not significantly so to make THAT much a difference.

Granted, Hillary didn't lose the election in any of the debates ... but she didn't win it, either. I firmly believe Obama-Biden LOCKED up their election victory with the VP debate and the second presidential debate (the please proceed, Governor one).

I think Biden can take it hard to Trump and do so with a smile - and that's probably where he shines the most. He's very good at slapping you down without coming across as angry.

This isn't just about electability with me. That's a start, of course, but it's about the Democrat I believe is best equipped to handle Trump in what is not going to be a very conventional presidential election. The last thing the Democrats can do is run a conventional campaign against Trump. Hillary tried that and it failed. I've maintained that Hillary was at her best when the story was about Trump - Trump's rantings, his spats with Miss America and the Khan family and the Access Hollywood tape. This election DOES have to be about Trump. I know that goes against the line of thought of many but the polls back me up on this. Trump's numbers were at their lowest when he was the focus of the campaign. They were at their highest when the focus was on Hillary - whether about her e-mails, the closing of the investigation, her deplorables comment or the Comey Letter.

I think Biden's narrative of isolating Trump will work because it puts the entire focus on Trump. There will be time to go after his enablers but the focus should be to get him out of office before we even look to doing that.

I'm convinced of it.

And maybe I'm wrong - but I have a feeling we're going to find out, either way.

Regardless, I am excited to see Biden hammer Trump.

[LakeArenal]

1. Joe remains the most qualified both nationally and globally.

But if he brings his hammer I’ll like that as well.

[Thekaspervote]

2. Great post..thx!!

Agree, I think most Biden supporters feel the same, that it’s more than just electability

[LibFarmer]

3. Joe has been in the house, senate and the white house

He knows all the intricacies of the federal government and the law.

He will not only kick Trump's teeth in, he will make Trump's brain matter soak his comb-over (despite how little there is of the brain) plus he will kick Trump's testicles so hard, they will hang out of his mouth.

Then Biden would just have his disarming smile to the audience.

I can't wait to see that moment.

[DownriverDem]

4. Yes he will

Folks want normalcy and experience. Joe has both. Folks seem to forget that he has legislative experience plus being the VP for 8 years. Folks just want to beat trump. They don't want to take a chance on newbies. It's pretty clear that a lot of folks here don't get it.

[Gothmog]

5. Joe Biden is the most electable candidate that the Democratic Party has available

Link to tweet

[Scurrilous]

6. K&R

[NurseJackie]

7. That mirrors my feelings as well.

[Demsrule86]

8. I genuinely like Biden,..always have. And I too think he is the one who will send Trump

packing. We must get rid of Trump. Great post ...K&R,

[Hekate]

9. I stopped being worried about his age & long record the moment I watched his video announcement...

Joe hit it out of the park and it's still in orbit. 1930s Germany -- how the hell did we get here?

Trump needs to be beaten bloody and he needs to be seen to be beaten. Frankly, I think the only one of our two dozen candidates with the temperament and experience to do this is the man with the big smile and avuncular manner. Joe is all that right until he goes for the knockout blow.

Win, lose, or draw -- I am so glad Joe is in this race.