TommyWonk On Biden

With Joe Biden on Barack Obama's short list, the world is looking for those with insights into our senior senator. The Guardian recently opened a new U.S. website, Comment is free. The Guardian's U.S. bureau tapped me for some comments on Joe Biden:

And for those who dismiss diplomacy as sissy stuff, Biden would be the embodiment of muscular diplomacy. Students of history may recall the way Lyndon Johnson ruled the Senate before becoming president, which came to be called the Johnson treatment. He would lean in on a colleague when making an argument, grasp him by the shoulder and get in his face. Few could withstand him in a one-on-one conversation when he subjected them to the full force of his personality and tower over them with his six foot, three inch frame.
I've seen the Biden treatment in action. When he is fully engaged with a subject, whether Nato or crime or his Iraq plan, he brings the full force of his personality and intellect to bear on his audience. Anyone who's been up close with him doesn't easily forget the experience. I can imagine the Biden treatment on the world stage. World leaders, most of whom already know him, would have a hard time dismissing his argument. The guy just doesn't let up.

If Biden is picked, I could end up a busy guy explaining to the world what Joe is like.