Going into the vice presidential debate tonight, we are hearing all manner of suggestions about how Joe Biden should comport himself.
Most of these fall into the category of "concern trolling," a handy term which is familiar to longtime denizens of political blogs, but not to the general public. I think it might be useful to use the occasion of this debate to flesh that term out a little.
Biden, we are told by pundits and even some within our own ranks, "must avoid" a wide range of attitudes and approaches. He must curb his wit and hide his brains under a bushel, so as not to be charged with sexism and condescension. Job One for Joe Biden tonight, the concern-troll line goes, is to avoid offending the sensitive feelings of either Sarah Palin or the national media -- who, we are told, are waiting to pounce on the slightest Biden mis-step.
