Article snippet: WAVERLY, Iowa — Midway through Joe Biden’s eight-day bus tour across Iowa last week, a voter in one of about two dozen audiences he addressed wanted to know whether the former vice president who has been preaching political rapprochement had enough fight in him to take on President Trump. “You’re such a nice guy, Joe,” said David Kuethe, 73, a retired English professor, sparking thunderous applause from a crowd of largely veterans and their family members here on Wednesday. “But here’s the problem, when you get on that stage with that orange guy in the White House — and I hope you’re on that stage with him to debate — you can’t be such a nice guy.” Biden didn’t hesitate on a trip that showed he was more than willing to deliver some punches — and not just at Trump. “I am used to bullies,” Biden countered, citing a childhood stutter that made him a target. But he argued he didn’t have to stoop down to their level to win the next presidential election. The exchange captured the delicate balance that Biden tried to strike as he barnstormed through cities and small towns from one end of this crucial early voting state to the other, giving short speeches in packed but small events with remarks that often laced tender talk of the values of the American heartland with acid-tipped criticism of Trump. Throughout his stops, Biden positioned himself as a “nice guy,” a candidate who could restore decency to the Oval Office and “do the job on day one,” without delving into th... Link to the full article to read more