What Biden is, even to those who dismiss him as slightly doddering and in over his head, is as real and authentic as they come…With Biden, you get the politically incorrect verbal lapses, the Veep-like comedic value. But you also get warmth and authenticity and a handshake that means something. … Clinton’s pitch is pretty much the polar opposite…Clinton’s first TV ad, released this week, tried to humanize her a bit by having her talk straight to camera about her mother…But Siri sounds more spontaneous when she’s finding me a gas station. Clinton’s team should probably take a moment to survey the wreckage of recent presidential campaigns that seemed immensely promising until the candidates themselves showed up and ruined everything. Al Gore, John Kerry, Mitt Romney and, yes, Hillary Clinton circa 2008 — all of them met the moment perfectly in terms of résumé and experience but lost to candidates who seemed more authentically themselves.
— Matt Bai
