Vice President Joe Biden calls himself 'the Obama whisperer'

Joe Biden called himself &quot;the Obama whisperer&quot; while campaigning with Hillary Clinton on Monday.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 15 August 2016

Vice President Joe Biden appeared alongside Hillary Clinton in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Monday, delivering a sobering, passionate appeal on the behalf of the Democratic nominee while frequently telling the crowd, "don't cheer," and asking them to "just listen" to what he was saying.

But this is Biden after all, and as serious as his speech was, it was also peppered with moments of levity, such as when Biden deemed himself "the Obama whisperer":

CNN's Ryan Lizza called the comment "passive aggressive," deeming it an underhanded way for Biden to say he had access to the president that Clinton didn't during her tenure as secretary of state. Still, hearing Biden tell it, the whole thing paints a rather delightful mental picture.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.