Joe Biden, in a series of gaffes, copied a bad Bush Sr. campaign error

With the conventions over, the Democrats know they have to drag Hidin' Biden out of the comfort and safety of his basement and put him before the public. They're doing everything they can to keep their candidate from visibly decompensating before the cameras, but it's not easy. In his limited appearances, Biden's struggled with his notes, deviated widely from the truth, and lapsed into incoherence.

We've long suspected that, unlike the random questions Trump routinely fields from hostile reporters, the reporters are told to ask Biden scripted questions so that he can respond with prepared answers. If Biden's off-script, things can go terribly wrong. ("Well, I tell you what. If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black.")

On Tuesday, Biden gave the game away when he read the "topline message" in the notes that were given to him for an ostensibly spontaneous one-on-one interview with a sympathetic reporter. What was really sad was that the message he spoke was one that even the most amateur candidate ought to have remembered, which is to blame his opponent for everything.

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