Many people have pointed out how much we’ll miss Obama and how we might not see his like again. He is an exceptional and unique historical figure. But, we are also going to miss Joe Biden, and the kind of politician he represents.

Check out the link below to an interview Biden did with a group of journalists on Morning Joe this week.  It’s remarkable. He’s warm, funny, smart, finding common ground.  All hands on shoulders, patting a guy on the leg while he disagrees with him. He also in twenty-four minutes:

• Talks about how important personal relationships are in politics. How, though he disagreed with everything Strom Thurmond stood for, Thurmond asked on his deathbed for Biden to speak at his funeral.  How he and Chris Dodd were the only two Democrats at Jesse Helm’s funeral in July 2008.  How at the funeral Helms’s widow said to him, “we’re voting for you, Joe. We have the sign in our yard.”  He’s one of the last of those senators from the 1970s, when senators from both parties ate lunch together, and knew each other’s families, and could be friends despite deep political differences. He’s essentially magnanimous. And, I think magnanimity is probably the most important virtue for any leader. And something Trump is devoid of.
• He goes deep on Iraq and foreign policy as befits someone with 35 years on the world stage. He modestly notes that he has personal relationships with every world leader. That’s a lot of experience leaving government.
• He goes right at income inequality issues like few politicians can do anymore. “My dad sold GM cars. He was a job creator. He sold the damn cars.”

It’s an amazing performance, and he takes a lot with him as he exits the world stage.  The link is here.

http://player.theplatform.com/p/7wvmTC/MSNBCEmbeddedOffSite?guid=n_mj_biden1_160727