Sen. Joe Biden (Democrat, Delaware) made some interesting comments about Sen. Obama (see below for quote and link to article). I have a few questions:
1. What do you think he meant? (Odd choice of words).
2. What would have happened if a white Republican Senator had made similar comments?
3. Why do Democrat leaders always get a pass when these things happen, but if a Republic makes a similar comment, they are forced to resign their leadership positions?
Here is what he said:
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy ... I mean, that's a storybook, man."
He doesn't think, though, that Obama can win the presidency because he is "a one-term, a guy who has served for four years in the Senate. ... I don't recall hearing a word from Barack about a plan or a tactic."
Here's a link to USA Today:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/01/biden_on_obama_.html
2007-01-31 10:00:31 · 9 answers · asked by Tony Z 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
1. He meant that the Democrat view of blacks and minorities are that they are inarticulate, dull, dirty, and ugly. Obama is the exception to rule.
2. A white Republican would have have been roasted by the media as a racial bigot.
3. A handy collaboration with the mainstream liberal media which will actually assist Biden in a trite explanation of his comments and quickly forgotten.
2007-01-31 10:23:12 · answer #1 · answered by laohutaile 3 · 3⤊ 3⤋
1. What do you think he meant? (Odd choice of words).
He's right, Barrack is "clean", he gave up drugs a long time ago and he does not have a plan or tactic, just a lot of smooth talk.
2. What would have happened if a white Republican Senator had made similar comments?
He would be forced to resign as chair of any committee he was on and we would never hear the end of it in the media, how evil Republicans are. But if a Democrat says something like this, well they must have meant something else, or it was a joke, or we misunderstood - because Democrats always mean well and love everyone (except Conservatives).
3. Why do Democrat leaders always get a pass when these things happen, but if a Republic makes a similar comment, they are forced to resign their leadership positions?
Because even though they make themselves out to be the smarter of the two parties, they really aren't. The rank and file members will do whatever their leadership (the real brains, such as Rosie, Barbara, Susan Serandon, Sean Penn, etc) tell them to do.
2007-01-31 10:06:22 · answer #2 · answered by Yo it's Me 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
The bottom line here is that Biden has sabotaged his presidential campaign even before it began--and is unlikely to be on the short list for a Cabinet job in a Hillary or Obama administration.
With reference to your questions:
1) Biden's comments on Obama came amidst an astonishing litany of bad-mouthing of all the other Dem presidential candidatess. I think he meant to put Obama down as just a pretty face who is getting undue attention because of his ethnic background--very similar to Biden's put-down of John Edwards. Unfortunately for ol' Joe, it sure sounded as if he thought the junior senator from Illinois was a credit to his race.
2) A white Republican Senator (the only kind since Ed Brooke left the chamber a generation ago) would have the same amount of opprobrium heaped on him as will be Biden's case in the next few days. The closest parallel of course is what happened to Trent Lott after his impolitic comments at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party.
3) Biden won't get a pass on this. As I noted above, his presidential campaign has died even before it was born. He probably won't lose his chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee, but there the parallel to Lott is inexact. Lott's comments merely served as a pretext for the White House to oust him from the party leadership--something they had already decided to do.
There's one thing to remember here. People generally moan and wail over the sterile, canned nature of the sort of thing experienced politicoes like Hillary say. Biden's gaffe reminds us all of the value of talking points.
2007-01-31 10:20:33 · answer #3 · answered by Bethesdan 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
He said what everybody is thinking but afraid to say. If a white Republican said that he woul've gotten the same amount of criticism. This country is so racially sensitive. What happen to forgetting about PC? Let us live. Biden was right and he was being PC using the word African-American instead of black. Your last question, I'm going to say remember that all of the Republicans turned their back on Trent Lott even the President. I don't think his comments were racist. But his own party deserted him and that shows a lot about Republican backbone, they don't have one! I'm not into the PC culture crap and I support Biden in what he said. It's true and blacks should admit it. We should just forget about this.
2007-01-31 13:01:39 · answer #4 · answered by cynical 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What an imbecile.
Had a Republican said that about Obama, an uproar would be going on at the current moment. It's amazing how racism is tolerated when it's coming from the blasphemous mouths of Democrats.
2007-01-31 16:47:38 · answer #5 · answered by Emma 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes, let's look at what Biden said:
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy ... I mean, that's a storybook, man."
He's right. Obama is the first mainstream African American who is running for president and he is bright, clean and nice looking guy. Unless of coarse, you think Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are mainstream and nice looking. After all, they were the first 2 African American males to run.
A Republican would never compliment Obama like that.
2007-01-31 10:06:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
LOL! Biden inserts huge clown shoe. Remember when he made the Seven Eleven/Indian remark? Maybe Kerry is doing his speech writing. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaa!
And a Republican would've been drawn and quarted by the dems.
2007-01-31 10:08:56 · answer #7 · answered by bugeyes 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Perhaps you cons are so used to saying negative things about Obama you don't recognize it when someone pays him a compliment. And if you weren't taking the quote out of context, then it is is very clear--Obama is the first African-American who is a serious presidential candidate--which is what Biden was talking about.
But--as I also told "sheena" in another answer--thanks for the encouragement. If that's the best you cons can do, the Democrats are a shoo-in in 2008. Man, are you guys desperate! :)
2007-01-31 10:13:41 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
I dont see anything wrong with what he said.
2007-01-31 10:07:23 · answer #9 · answered by sydb1967 6 · 2⤊ 5⤋