MICHAEL WALSH ON BIDEN’S RAID ON TAMPA:

In an electoral season of appalling gutter politics, the Obama campaign is about to test a new bottom. Contrary to tradition — which dictates that Democrats and Republicans respectfully lie low during their rivals’ presidential nominating conventions — Vice President Joe Biden will land in Tampa, Fla., during the Republican convention to try to upstage Mitt Romney’s coronation.

“Are you going to Florida?” Biden joked to reporters during a campaign stop in Minneapolis the other day. “I’m going to be the speaker at the convention.”

Such trash talk is typical of the increasingly deracinated veep, whose motor mouth now seems beyond the control of even campaign consigliere David Axelrod’s well-oiled media machine.

But what’s really behind this stunning example of in-your-face poor sportsmanship?

The heckler’s veto, that’s what.

A “heckler’s veto” is an attempt to shout down political speech by preventing its expression; rather than fighting it with more speech, the heckler seeks to silence his foe, marginalize him as outside the mainstream, beyond the pale of civilized discourse and unworthy of a fair hearing.

Since the day Paul Ryan was announced as Romney’s VP selection, the Democrats have barely missed an opportunity to assault the new GOP team — sometimes even physically.

It makes me wonder if their internal polls say they’re heading for a big loss, leading them to try anything that might be a game-changer. They’re certainly not acting confident. However, I also wonder about the competence of anyone who thinks that the way to boost Obama’s chances is more Joe Biden!