All politicians trip up from time to time. It is embarrassing, and sometimes quite forgivable (not that it is forgiven by the media). However, Joe Biden is a veritable gaffe machine, bearing out my earlier prediction when Obama picked him. Here is a non-exhaustive list.
1. In Columbia, Mo., Biden shouted to state Sen. Chuck Graham, "Chuck, stand up. Let the people see you." He then realized that Graham uses a wheelchair.
2. Biden told Katie Couric, "When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, 'Look, here's what happened.' "FDR was not president when the stock market crashed in 1929, and televisions were still being developed.
3. Biden says of Mr. Obama "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."
4. Biden noted that a person needed a slight Indian accent to walk into a Dunkin’ Donuts or 7-Eleven in Delaware, his home state.
5. Biden said "My state is anything from a northeast liberal state."
6. Biden commented that "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me."
7. At his first campaign rally with Barack Obama, Biden referred to his running mate as "Barack America."
8. When asked about an Obama campaign ad mocking John McCain as computer illiterate, Biden said, "I thought it was terrible...if I had anything to do with it, we'd have never done it." Later, he admitted he had never seen the ad.
9. In the debate Biden stated "Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history. The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that." Two not so small details: Article II defines the VP role, and it is defined that the VP is the President of the Senate, which is in the legislative branch.
10. In the debate Biden stated "Drill we must,” but Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to “raping” the Outer Continental Shelf.” The list goes on, but I think you get the idea that it is Biden who not quite ready for prime time.
5 comments:
Forgive me if I didn't notice all these gaffes, all circuits on my gaffe-o-meter have been overloaded these past eight year and it has been blowing fuse after fuse, so much smoke I can't tell what's really going on. The meter won't be repaired until sometime in early 09.
Biden may not be ready for prime time, but let's give Palin twenty-four years in the Senate (or however many it is) and I'm sure we'll be able to pile up a stack of gaffes too. Twenty-four years on the national stage vs 0 years is not exactly a level playing field. But hey, he said those gaffes, too bad for him. If these gaffes represent his worst side, I am not upset.
Well said.
I am glad that you are comparing Palin and Biden, the proper comparison. The media seems to take great glee in comparing Obama and Palin, who are running for different offices.
If were looking at time and experience as the most qualifying...(which I admit, I do look at)then we should be seeing McCain vrs. Biden. Because Barak doesn't have much more on Palin either.
Very true, Teresa, although candidate for position vs candidate for position is what we are forced to do.
Yes, you are right about that.
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