JOE, WHERE ARE YOU? – AT 11:58 A.M. ET:  I'm getting a sense that Democrats are becoming a bit frustrated by Joe Biden.  They sympathize with the loss of his son, but we're talking about the presidency of the United States here, and Joe just isn't showing up.  Will he or won't he?  And, in the end, will the people of the country care?  From Andrew Malcolm at IBD:    

Joe Biden is 86.7% certain to make a run for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, uninformed aides say. Maybe 87.4%. The vice president is delaying his formal announcement until final new-job numbers come in from his guaranteed stimulus summer of 2010.

Biden has been playing the media like a violin in recent weeks. He is running. He isn’t running, according to advisers so sure of their prediction they decline to be identified. Aides are already compiling a file of fresh gaffes for Biden to try.

A Biden wink means it’s a go. Or maybe there’s something in his eye. Every smile is reminiscent of all those wasted grins in two previous stunningly unsuccessful runs. The one where the most voluble Democrat since Hubert Humphrey got caught plagiarizing. And the one where Joe gave up before he got crushed.

The only reason Biden’s name comes up now is because the Democrat front-runner is living down to her husband’s reputation for scandals.

Mark Oct. 22 on your calendar. That’s her appointment in Samarra before the House Select Committee on Benghazi when we may learn what difference at this point her testimony about that deadly night makes.

A lot of Dems say they don’t trust Hillary Clinton. They don’t like Hillary Clinton. But they’re sticking with Hillary Clinton now because, they’ve got no other realistic choice at this point. Would her party really nominate a 74-year-old socialist because he draws big crowds?

So, what are they gonna do, vote for Joe because he’s only 73? Until next month when he turns 74 too. Or go all out for young seniors with Hillary, who turns 68 in 20 days?

COMMENT:  There's an old saying that a presidential candidate is never so popular as on the day before he announces.  Then the scrutiny comes.

There is no "wanting" of Joe.  We cannot hear the cheers.  He would be brought in from the bull pen to try to save the Democrats' game because Hillary is getting hit too often.  If Hillary starts coming back in the polls, Joe may not be needed.  If she doesn't start coming back, he's probably in. 

The Dem bench is thin, and aging.  But you can't beat somebody with nobody, and so far the GOP is not uniting behind a winner.

Nothing is certain at this point except uncertainty.

October 6, 2015