No, not that personal tragedy. His other personal tragedy. Despite 35 years in the Senate and seven more as VP, this is the very first thing his biggest fans want low-information voters to know about him. I wonder if Biden quietly signed off on this just like he quietly leaked that “do it for Beau” anecdote to Dowd.

But … it’s a good ad, no? However crass you may find this “He’s suffered enough so let’s make him president” campaign pitch, it’s a superb contrast with the RoboClinton. This is exactly the sort of thing the public likes about Biden and doesn’t see in her — warmth, humanity, relatability. Emphasizing his record against hers is silly given that each of them have the same credentials for the top job, namely, having served in the Senate and then ended up in the cabinet of the same Democratic president. They’re both old, have been in Washington for decades, and come from a more centrist wing of the party than Bernie Sanders does. They both have endless connections among fatcat donors and operatives. There are only two sharp contrasts between them: Hillary would be the First! Woman! President! and Biden is a recognizably human human being. That’s your choice if you’re an undecided Democrat. Pat yourself on the back for shattering the glass ceiling by sending a crook to the White House or savor all the feels by sending an underwhelming presidential retread there to ease his grief instead. Makes the GOP voter’s “to Trump or not to Trump?” dilemma seem less bad, doesn’t it?