The headline on this MassLive story reads, “On Election Night in Boston, Joe Biden congratulated the wrong Marty Walsh,” thus giving the impression that the Vice President took it upon himself to track down the new Mayor-elect but blew it. There’s zero chance that happened. What it should say is, “Someone on Joe Biden’s staff gave him the wrong number to call.”
The difference? The first version makes Biden look like a buffoon who can’t even make a simple congratulatory phone call. The second explains that even people who work for the Vice President make mistakes. Still embarrassing, but not nearly as much.
The irony: at the top of the page, next to the MassLive logo, it says “Powered by The Republican.” Turns out it’s not the political party, it’s a newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.