▁His ▁few ▁early ▁appearances ▁did ▁not ▁reflect ▁the ▁distinct ive ▁tra its ▁of ▁the ▁later ▁character . ▁The ▁earliest ▁mention ▁of ▁B iden ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁president ial ▁prim aries . ▁With ▁the ▁head line ▁" C rit ics ▁Acc use ▁Joe ▁B iden ▁of ▁Running ▁for ▁President ▁for ▁Political ▁Re asons ", ▁the ▁article ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁n ons pec ific ▁prem ise ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁rely ▁on ▁any ▁aspect ▁of ▁the ▁real ▁B iden ' s ▁person ality ▁or ▁career ▁and , ▁in ▁principle , ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁using ▁any ▁candidate ▁as ▁its ▁subject . ▁ ▁Even ▁after ▁B iden ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁Ob ama ' s ▁running ▁mate , ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁occasionally ▁mentioned ▁in ▁The ▁On ion . ▁But ▁N ack ers ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁candidate ' s ▁public ▁appearances ▁as ▁Ob ama ' s ▁running ▁mate — es pecially , ▁in ▁N ack ers ' s ▁words , ▁the ▁" sh it - e ating ▁gr in ▁he ▁had " ▁at ▁those ▁appearances — beg an ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁" spark " ▁of ▁insp iration ▁for ▁the ▁character . ▁N ack ers ▁felt ▁that ▁B iden ' s ▁easy going ▁persona ▁struck ▁a ▁dram atic ▁contrast ▁with ▁the ▁more ▁inten se , ▁sin ister ▁de mean or ▁of ▁then - V ice ▁President ▁Dick ▁Chen ey . ▁Ask ed ▁about ▁the ▁gen esis ▁of ▁the ▁character