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Is Joe Biden going to be a particular target for Republicans in the months leading up to the November presidential election? It sure looks that way at the moment.

Already this week, Team Romney has accused Mr. Biden of injecting race into the campaign, because he told a largely black audience that the GOP would 鈥減ut y鈥檃ll back in chains.鈥� And on Friday, the "super PAC" American Crossroads is releasing an ad that mocks Biden for all manner of verbal slips, from the 鈥渃hains鈥� remark to his assertion that 鈥渏obs鈥� is a three-letter word.

鈥淪ome people say Joe Biden should be dropped from Obama鈥檚 ticket, but we say Joe should stay,鈥� says the narrator in a sarcastically earnest tone. 鈥淛oe Biden, America鈥檚 greatest vice president, when we need him most.鈥�

Take the No. 2 person on a national ticket, highlight their gaffes and inapt word choices, and splash that against a background of photos in which they look goofy. Hmm. It鈥檚 almost as if Republicans are mirroring the way Democrats attacked Sarah Palin in 2008.

Conservatives are gleeful about this turn of events. Over at RedState, editor Erick Erickson judges the American Crossroads ad a home run.

鈥淭his is staggeringly awesome. Go give them some cash so they can get that ad up everywhere,鈥� Mr. Erickson writes.

At HotAir, conservative Ed Morrissey mulls over a report that Hillary Rodham Clinton was asked to replace Biden on the ticket. He finds that questionable and then raises what he calls the rhetorical question that鈥檚 been on everyone鈥檚 minds this week. Or at least the mind of everyone who鈥檚 enthusiastic about the addition of Rep. Paul Ryan to Mitt Romney鈥檚 ticket.

鈥�Can you imagine the Ryan-Biden debate coming up? Unfortunately for the White House, everyone can imagine what the outcome will be, at least,鈥� he writes.

Therein may be the impetus of the current bash-Biden boomlet. Four years ago when the talkative then-senator was plucked from the Foreign Relations Committee to run as VP, many Democrats were worried about his tendency to produce gaffes in bunches, like grapes. But then John McCain tapped Ms. Palin, and the rest is history. The media focused on Palin鈥檚 perceived faults. Biden looked statesmanlike by comparison.

Aaron Blake makes this point on The Washington Post鈥檚 political blog The Fix today.

鈥淚n large part thanks to Palin, the debate over Biden鈥檚 utility on the Democratic ticket is four years late,鈥� writes Mr. Blake.

In 2012, Representative Ryan promises to be a different sort of veep opponent. His plan for Medicare might poll poorly, but nobody鈥檚 charging that Ryan is inarticulate. Next to him Biden appears older (because he is), chattier (he is that also), and perhaps more prone to say stuff he wouldn鈥檛 if he thought about it just a second longer.

But here鈥檚 another question: Does that matter? Biden鈥檚 not going anywhere. In the modern era, sitting VPs just don鈥檛 get replaced. In part, that鈥檚 because such a heave-ho would make the incumbent US chief executive look desperate. In part, it鈥檚 because VP candidates just don鈥檛 have that much effect on a ticket鈥檚 chances.

Seen in that context, Republican attacks on Biden may just be attempts to sow dissension in the opposition ranks.