Tuesday was a tale of two Joe Bidens. In the morning, Working Class Joe was telling a gun-loving autoworker he was “full of shit.” Yet that night, the former veep delivered a notably calm (read: less shouty) victory speech. We expect Democrats to seal the gaffe-prone septuagenarian off more than Han Solo in carbonite going forward. But Biden must convince voters he can go blow-for-blow with Trump, after being painted as rambling and senile. It’s time to simplify the message: “I will fight for you” — and back it up with his (proverbial) fists. That means more events stocked with attendees who will attack his son Hunter or challenge Biden to a push-up contest, getting the candidate’s back up and putting the lie to the “Sleepy Joe” nickname before it defines him.

Don Bolduc lived through a helicopter crash and a bomb blast. After 9/11, the brigadier general helped take on the Taliban on horseback, for crying out loud. But can the Senate candidate survive a GOP primary in the age of Trump? He is the early front-runner in the race to face Jeanne Shaheen in a New Hampshire Senate race that represents a potential pickup for Republicans in November. But Bolduc stands accused of not being a sufficient Trump sycophant while facing a Trumpian businessman spending millions to buy up support and, allegedly, endorsements. 

With speculation swirling around coronavirus czar and Vice President Mike Pence, who should Trump call if he goes to the veep bullpen and shakes up the GOP ticket? Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is the most-discussed pick. Ben Carson, one of the few originals left in Trump’s Cabinet, has largely avoided gaffes and provides an inspirational rags-to-riches story. Would Trump take a Sarah Palin-esque risk on small-state leaders like former New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez or South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem? Email [email protected] with your favorite potential Trump veeps, and we’ll feature the best responses next week. 

Last week we asked for your dream outsider candidates for president. Lorna Seitz nominated the duo of CNN’s Van Jones and former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. And Robert Howerton threw us a curveball with the late baseball great Stan Musial.

Our email back in January introducing this exclusive prediction model had the subject line: “The Forecast: Biden’s (Probably) Going to Win.” After a roller coaster of a few weeks, you can pretty much kill the “probably.” Biden’s Tuesday spanking of Sen. Bernie Sanders gives him an 89 percent chance of claiming a majority of Democratic delegates. In conjunction with 0ptimus and Decision Desk HQ, the model crunches polls, past results, demographics and more to give the best predictions in the business. The only thing that could turn this puppy around? A Biden health scare or an absolute disaster of a debate Sunday in Phoenix, which will go on despite the coronavirus … and Rep. Jim Clyburn’s assertion to NPR that the party should “shut this primary down.” No Democratic insider conspiracy here, folks.

The presidency is at stake. But the Trump team also has its eyes on the 2020 census, which began rolling out nationwide this week and will determine how the government apportions resources and power for the next decade. Facebook last week had to take down more than 1,000 online ads telling users to take the “Official 2020 Congressional District Census,” which instead linked to a form on the Trump reelection campaign website. The episode mirrors similar tactics in mailers sent by the RNC to states such as California, Oregon and Montana, which could monkey with the results of an already politically fraught process. And it’s a reminder of how handicapped the FEC is in stopping misinformation in the digital maelstrom of modern politics.

It’s not merely Facebook disinformation. Nah, Russian President-for-life Vladimir Putin has a bigger target in mind: America’s oil. A rapidly escalating battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia on oil production has sparked the biggest crash in crude prices in nearly three decades, helping tank the U.S. stock market this week — with shale-happy American oil giants feeling the heat. Russia seems willing to absorb the hit so it can ding others … starting with the United States. Maybe Vlad doesn’t want Trump to win after all?

Can’t get enough of the wokest memes and dopest plans that don’t place better than third in their home state? Elizabeth Warren’s Meme Team is pivoting to the general election, launching “Lefty Lenses” for Snap and Instagram as a way to become for the left “what memes are for the right.” Our favorite? This “Which Trump Wife Are You?” lens that includes Kim Jong Un.