A slave to the rule of anticipated importance, the press corps has allowed its Clinton obsession to work to Biden’s advantage, keeping the media’s high-beam off his noncampaign and noncandidacy. Yet when the press talks about a Biden for President campaign, it’s usually presented as conjecture or as a way to sharpen the Clinton candidacy. At Slate, Jamelle Bouie takes the latter position, holding that Biden has an obligation to lace up his shoes and run for president because Clinton needs a pace-setter to guide her through the primaries and leave her fit enough to cross the November 2016 finish line as the victor.

I’m not suggesting that the press dismantle its Clinton hunting party, only prodding editors to peel off a few journalists to maintain a closer vigil on Uncle Joe. Remember, he has been running for president off and on since 1988. As Glenn Thrush noted in 2014, while Biden still longs to be elected president, he’s realistic enough to know that running against Clinton would be futile. But does anyone doubt that the second a real opening appeared, Biden would eagerly drive a Pontiac Trans Am right into the race? With the surplus of unemployed Democratic campaign talent out there, Biden could assemble a turnkey presidential campaign faster than any other candidate. Plus, the bully pulpit of the vice presidency is at his disposal. Who among Hillary Clinton’s prospective rivals in the Democratic Party enjoys Biden’s name recognition?

So a word of unsolicited advice to political editors everywhere: Cover Biden as if he’s running. In his mind, he never stopped.