Thomas Friedman is too smart by half. Joe would not last long anyway. I suspect they were all in on the fraud anyway.
I think that was the plan all al ong.
The powers that be wanted Harris in and knew she could never make it herself, so they picked the most likely one to win and not complete a four year presidential term and foisted her on him as VP.
Then voila‘ they got who they wanted in as president, a candidate whom nobody would have voted for and nobody wanted.
Maybe Tom is angling to be picked as her VP.