V.P. Biden an embarrassment for prez?
Is Vice President Biden embarrassing the President? (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
"Barack Obama throws Joe Biden under the bus" is how one British newspaper describes the president's little dig at his number two during last night's press conference.
President Obama was asked about the Veep's recent remark that even if the White House did everything right in combating the economic downturn, there's a "30% chance we're going to get it wrong." The president grinned a little, saying he didn't remember "exactly what Joe was referring to.” Smooth as ever, Mr. Obama went on to say that he wouldn't assign a numerical value to all this. But given the magnitude of the problems we're facing, no one single thing they do will solve all the problems.
But let's get back to the vice president. During the campaign, folks were always wondering what would pop out of Biden's mouth next. Biden has said "I never make any big, big gaffes”, but many would beg to differ.
Perhaps the biggest headache came in late October when his running mate suggested that Mr. Obama would be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in office, something the McCain camp seized on immediately.
And, it didn't end on the campaign trail. During their first full day in office, Biden joked at a press conference about how his memory wasn't "as good" as Chief Justice John Roberts', who stumbled over the president's oath of office. The president wasn't laughing, and Biden later apologized to Roberts.
Here’s my question to you: Is Vice President Joe Biden becoming an embarrassment for President Obama?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Levon from Redondo Beach, California writes:
V.P. Biden is not at all an embarrassment. The man speaks his mind. You, Jack, of all people, should be able to appreciate that.
Toni in Delaware writes:
An embarrassment? How soon we forget what we were stuck with for the last eight years: one Dick Cheney. Obama should start worrying about Biden when he starts shooting people.
Rod in Allentown, Pennsylvania writes:
Jack, Is this a trick question? Biden is a blithering fool and would be an embarrassment to anyone. The first of a number of miscalculations already by the Great One in the White House.
Tom from Las Vegas writes:
No way! People know Joe as a guy who hops around with his foot in his mouth once in a while, but he is a survivor, a patriot, a humanitarian, and a dedicated public servant, not an embarrassment.
Terry from Chandler, Arizona writes:
There is so much bad news I think Joe is a bit refreshing. His comments bring us a little laughter. Actually I think he should speak out more. Think about it Jack, a little Joe-speak every day would be uplifting.
Colleen from Charlotte, North Carolina writes:
Obama should have picked Hillary.
Stanley writes:
I've got a suggestion, Mr. Cafferty. How about they give him one of those earphones like the ones you and Mr. Blitzer wear when you are on air? I think that would help guide him if someone would be on the other end telling him what to say.
Conor from Chicago writes:
I'll still take him over Palin any day.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Joe needs to shut up and listen before opening mouth. He has a tendecy to keep running his mouth and not listening. Yes he will be the brother of the president that Obama never had which in turns means an embarrassment to the president.
I don't think so however he needs to be reminded to think before he speaks. If he fails to do this I think Obama will reel him in a place him in an undisclosed location with just minor actions to do in the future.
Jack, President Obama knew who Joe Biden was when he nominated him. Obama is smart man, as is Biden. They both know what they are doing.
I don’t think so. Biden is intelligent, witty and, most importantly, real deal honest. So what if he chews on his foot every few days. Imagine if Obama chose an idiot like George Bush as a running mate – THAT would be an embarrassment!
Jack,
Is this a trick question? Biden is a blithering fool and would be an embarrasment to anyone. The first of already a number of miscalculations by the Great One in the White House.
I'll still take him over Palin any day.
No, the president enjoys a good laugh once in a while just like the rest of us. Remember the press conference yesterday. He got a kick out of the question.
Jack
When Barack Obama picked Joe Biden as his running mate everyone said he would spend a lot of time and energy in controling this guy, guess what, everyone was right.
Jack,
COmpared to the alturnative, we got off great. Geeze what would Sarah say and or dop or wear or even shoot if given this position?
Obama should have picked Hillary.
If Biden is an embarrassment to Obama, then Obama has himself to blame, everyone knew that Biden manages to put his foot in is mouth more often than not and I doubt that will end anytime soon. Get used to it Prez.
No, not at all. He has made government much more exciting for me. I can't wait to hear what he says next.
Joe Biden is an egotistical moron. I can remember an interview where he said paying more taxes is patriotic. I guess he shouldn't have said that on TV based on the President's cabinet picks.
He also thinks J-O-B-S is a three-letter word. Every time he opens his mouth he is an embarressment. He makes Sarah Palin sound like a better choice as VP. His answer to Iraq was to divide the country into three parts... just brilliant. This idiot is a heartbeat away from being President. God help us all.
Shortly put, no. I have no problem with Biden. Its the press that keeps making a mountain out of a molehill to sell more of their so called news.
You guys did such a good job covering the election and now you're back to your old tricks inventing stuff to make money.
The reality is there is no 100% solution to anything. I think Joe Biden was merely being honest – hes not an embarrassment. Stupid question!
Joe Biden says some boneheaded things, but I think it humanizes him. Politicians are always so worried about being on message and conveying a certain image. It's refreshing to see someone like Joe in the White House that doesn't take himself so seriosuly.
After 8 years of Dick "Darth Vader" Cheney.Joe Biden is a breath of sunhine and fresh air. Go Joe!
Holy cow Jack a politician that doesnt have every syllable of every word he speaks preapproved! Apparently Joe Biden is not this administrations "decider" he's this administrations "truth teller", because you gotta admit there was a measure of truth in each of the three "gaffes" you presented here. Oops did I say that out loud wink wink. I dont think President Obama is embarressed or surprised by any thing Mr. Biden says and is very happy to have this great public servent in his administration.
Its funny how we criticize politicians for dancing around questions and ignoring issues, but when a V.P. says whats on his mind, its an embarrassment.
No, Vice President Biden has immense foreign relations experience and considering the situations we have at home, I think that Obama will find his vast experience in these areas are of valuable assistance. Everyone says things from time to time that may seem a bit unusual, but at least it gives the press something to talk about besides the horrible economic mess!
I don't think vp. biden is an embarassment..maybe a little ADHD. open mouth insert both feet..He's just getting used to being vp. not the pres. like he had wanted..
I think the Vice-President is refreshing. A lot better then that wheel chair Mr Potter looking Darth Vader guy...and he hasn't shot anyone in the face yet. Lay off.
No more embarrassing than George the First having to listen to Quayle spell potato with an "e" or his son's Veep shooting his friend in the face or Nixon having to let go of Agnew for Maryland kickbacks.
Jack–
I don't think so. I like his honesty and his occasional straying off of the narrow correctness of the political path. His joke about Roberts was just what you might hear at the office–and let's face it, Roberts did screw it up. I think Biden adds a little spice. He'll keep the Obama administration from being too blandly perfect.
Maybe they ought to have Biden use the teleprompter instead of ad-libbing to be humorous...
Joe Biden is very respected all over the world and is an asset to the present administration. You must be listening to Republicans again, Jack.
"Everyone I know well enough to call my friend makes mistakes." (Tim Hardin)
I'd say Joe Biden is a friend to all of us.
Aw shucks Jack. Biden is as cute as a speckled puppy. No one could be mad at him. He just says things he shouldn't say. Do you remember your grand-parents?
As opposed to having a president we are embarrassed about, like the last 8 years? No.
They have to give Saturday Night Live SOMETHING to work with.
Obama has to dance with the one he brung. Biden means well in his old school way, and we need to be respectful....and that includes CNN.
Becoming??
Well Mr. Biden has two qualities, which I personally enjoy :
1. Honesty – Many people want straight answers from Washington. He gives that to the People, but in the end they are not happy about it. Talk about double standards.
2. Sarcastic Humor – Why is everyone making a fuss over a little bit of humor ? I laughed at his joke about the Chief Justice. I guess you have to have be sarcastic to understand him.
So my answer : No, he is not an embarassement. I think Mr. Obama needs to loosen up a little.
Probably an embarrassmen for O, but Joe is probably being honest. The way things are and after reading the stimilus bill, I think the odds are more like 30% that they will get it right.
Yes, get the MUZZLE and send him permanently outta town! Oy.
Not so much an embarrassment to the President as a embarassment to himself......(Didn't anyone ever teach that guy to make certain that his brain was in gear BEFORE his mouth ?????)
Not at all, I love Joe Biden because he comes across as real, he tells it like it is, which is rare in his work environment.
Joe Biden an embarrassment? After eight years of W? You're kidding, right?
Vice President Biden, gaffes and all, still sounds a hundred times more intelligent than President Bush ever sounded even on a good day. Biden has his own style and we are all going to have to adjust to a Vice President who operates in the public eye; a stark contrast to Vice President Cheney, who conducted his business behind closed doors.
Jack,
Joe's a breath of fresh air, not an embarrassment. Thousands of our troops, and Iraqi's would be alive today, if Cheney had been as open.
Jerry N/Oklahoma
NO! NO! NO! VP Biden is a highly intellegent man with sooooo much history!!! I watched the press briefing and it did not look like an embarresment to me!! President Obama really, truely likes Joe Biden as a great friend and as his mentor!!! The press builds this up all the time!!! Would you want that wolf killer from Alaska??
No he's just Joe Biden. Not Joe the Plumber , or Dick the torturer.
Thank God
Since Obama won the election I'd say Biden to this point is still comic relief, but moving in the direction of an embarrassment.
I really don't think he is an embarrassment. He is just an ordinary guy like the rest of us. Doesn't really put on like he's a big shot. Ordinary folks mis-speak themselves all the time. Even media folks like you although I can't really recall the last time you may have. Jack, you are a little above ordinary, I guess.
Let's just say he is a ticking time bomb. Does he make me nervous? You betcha.
Is Vice President Joe Biden becoming an embarrassment for President Obama?
Funny, Biden says that he believes that we could have a crisis within 6 months and everyone has a canary, but when Dick aka Shooter Cheney says he could see us attacked he is praised..
The only embarrassment for the GOP is that the VP is not a Republican.
Jenna
Roseville CA
I just think Biden talks to much which is why he could never win the presidency on his own
In his own way, yes. However, President Obama seems to have the ability to take it in stride.
I do believe Joe Biden has what it takes to support the President, he simply needs someone to stuff a sock in his mouth.
Well Joe won't be lonely...
He's there with Wright, Obama's grandmother, Jessie Jr, Ayers, and Blago...
Jack,everyone needs a sidekick,Moe had Curly,Johnny had Ed,Hardy had Laurel,get my point, lol.
In my humble opinion, they are all clowns!
Seems to me that Joe was honestly prophetic back in October. No, he's not an embarrassment at all. I challenge you or anyone to present someone who has to talk without a script as much as Joe does and comes out with the wrong wording less often.
No I don't think he is an embarrasment, he makes some mistakes but he is human. I consider Dick Cheney and Spiro Agnew to have been major embarrassments to their Presidents and our country as a whole.
I cringe everytime I read or see Biden's name in the news and ask myself I wonder what will come out of his mouth now ?? The POTUS Office should gag him like the McCain campaign did to Palin and only let him speak when they have vetted every single word he says !
Absolutely not! The problem is the media hyping up a couple of comments by Biden said out of turn. Biden just has a big mouth, but it's honestly part of his charm. He's the slapstick guy to Obama's straight man. And in these times, we need a little unintentional humor from Washington.
Amber Scott
Los Angeles, CA
We had Darth Vader's twin brother as vice-president for eight years and we embarrassed by an occasional Biden gaff? Does the press really have nothing better to discuss?
He shouldn`t be an embarrassment. Joe may ramble on and pop a queery quark once in a while, but i believe him to be as down to earth and descent a human being as we have in washington. While Obama is trying to be as serious as possible, we can just think of Joe as the comic relif. Obama knew what joe was all about when he picked him for his vice. Now with that being said, we should be thanking god every day for Joe, can you just imagine the embarrassment we would be forced to endure if Obama had lost to McCain. Think about it !
Not at all. Obama wants transparency doesn't he? There's no one more transparent, more blunt, more honest in his speech that Biden. He says what most people "in the know" say, just in much simpler terms. And I'll never complain about a politician with a sense of humor.
He couldn't be any more embarrassing than Bush was as President. He couldn't even complete a sentence that was grammatically correct. I think the media makes a bigger deal out of statements than need be. The media turned a deaf ear on Bush until after the election, and then brought out that he had "disappeared". Well Bush "DISAPPEARED" long before his last few months in office. He was more of an embarrassment to this Country than Biden could be in the next 4 years.
Idle mind is devil's workshop goes the saying. And am sure there is no idler job in this country than the Veep's. What on devil is Joe thinking when he says things like 30% and international crisis. Man he needs to be given something to do. Or does Obama think he will do irreperable damage not only when he speaks but also when he does something? – Karthikeyan D S, Cambridge, MA
people are hungry. This does not matter.
Too late! Mr. "I could have been Secretary of State, you know" has been putting his foot in his mouth every time he opens it. Obama can at least console himself with the fact that the human gaffe machine is in a position where he can do neither harm nor good as Vice President. At least he's good for some comic relief once in a while... and with the Obama Administration off to a stumbling start, we're going to need all the laughs we can get!
Not an embarrassment for President Obama. He is doing exactly as was expected of him by everyone, including President Obama.
If Obama really liked this whole "transparency" thing, it would be OK to have someone speak their mind, right?
But like "reaching across the aisle" and "no lobbyists", this too, turns out to be a lie.
No, of course not. I strongly believe out President and vice president have a very strong bond. I truly believe that even their families are close. This is good for our country.
I believe that President Obama and Vice president Biden personalities are like night and day. This does not means one throws the other under the bus. I believe it is what it is and that it is just as genuine as you and I. They both are just real people.
Everybody loves Joe. Not only is he brilliant, he's a gift to comedians everywhere.
Jack-
VP Biden has already taken some responsibilities for our country, and even traveled overseas already. That is not an embarrassment.
The only thing I can remember Cheney ever doing is shooting people in the face. That IS an embarrassment.
Is Biden an embarrassment....it's not like this should be a surprise...wasn't he caught on tape telling the Democrat Donors the catastrophe that would occur within the first 6 months. Heck just listening to the news today from Iran...looks like it is right around corner. True or False.
I do not think so ...while President Obama refuses to live in a bubble, Mr. Biden stays natural inside the White House...so I guess the two compliment each other!:)
Joe Biden is a refreshing breathe of truth which was solely absent for 8 years. Its already been said by others and the President that this economy crisis AND the Stimulus package, no one knows if it will be 100% or 70% successful. No one knows BUT it is needed that for sure. VP Joe Biden is just stating the truth and God bless him for that.
Yes, he is an embarrassment. Everyone knows Biden is a wind bag that does not know when to shut his mouth.
Becoming? He has been an embarrassment for a long time!
Marshall
Omaha, Nebraska
Jack,
I think you've chosen the wrong descriptor, not an embarrassment, but entertainment. Every court needs a jester. During tough times like these a little levity might make them more bearable.
Have a great day!
Chip
He is not a embarrassment, but some of the things he say and do
make me glad he is not at the top of the ticket.
I think Biden is a good guy, but yes it seems that he is becoming a bit embarrassing. He really need to be careful with his choice of words. Biden has been around for a long time and his mouth has always been his biggest set back.
Mr. V.P, please take a chill pill and stop making off the wall comments such as this. The President has enough to contend with besides watching every word or comment that flys out of you mouth. The Repugs are giving him enough Hell, he don't need you on top it. This man is facing daunting challenges and he need you to stay focus and be on guard at all times. You did a wonderful job last week with your trip to Russia, let's keep that frame of mind. I know you can do it!! Let's see you and Mr. President bring these pigs of Repugs to open shame by working together and coming up with great solutions for this great nation.
The "gaff" machine... nothing else needs to be said.
Hell No,
Leave Joe alone. I like the guy. He is real.
Joe Biden is a likable, smart, experienced and dedicated politician. He also just happens to speak his mind a little too often, for a little too long, while being a little too blunt.
And the alternative would have been Sarah Palin who is not very likable, not very smart, not very experienced and apparently not very dedicated. She also just happens to speak her mind a little too often, for a little too long, while being a little too blunt.
I'll take Joe ... thank you very much!
I think they have a playful banter. Which is good and different then we are used to.
Oh come on! I don't know if the president is embarrassed or not, but I think it's refreshing to hear a politician say what he really thinks, rather than what he thinks I want to hear.
I do not believe so. Mr. Biden is categorically adept to the Vice Presidency. However, I view Mr. Biden's quick wit the equivalent of Estelle Getty's character Sophia Petrillo. He is wise, experienced, and insightful, as was she, but should consider taking time to organize his thoughts and words accordingly.
You know what, maybe it's not a bad thing at times for a politician to speak his mind. Most of them need four focus groups. three national polls, two committee recommendations and a gift from a lobbyist before they decide what they think about an issue. The only people complaining about Joe Biden's mouth are people who fail consistently to come up with their own opinion and feel the need to criticize someone else.
Sometimes. I could recall, he's also an embarrassment to self.
jack i think joe biden will be remembered as one of the best vice presidents ever, he is a real person and is of the people and he is out there and is not spending his time during this crisis hiding in an undisclosed location.
"sean in santa rosa"
No I think Americans understand it is what it is with Biden. Big brain and even bigger mouth!
I for one am tired of the disrespect that Joe Biden seems to be getting. The unwritten rule seems to be, if you want to get a good laugh, take a dig and Joe Biden. Biden is a brilliant statesman who left a very powerful position in the Senate to add gravitas and play second fiddle to President Obama's administration. Dan Quayle and duck hunting Dick Cheney were embarrassments to put it mildly, Biden is refreshingly blunt and eloquent statesman. Get it straight!
I just hope he would not make a comment bad enough to make an international chaos! Just imagine, if he says something stupid about the Iranians right when things may be rolling or Israel and Gaza when they need diplomacy. Please someone put him behind closed doors before it is too late!
Marie-Toronto
I don't think he is an embarassment but he made a mistake in his wording.
I think most citizens understand the magnitude of the problems or at least have an idea of what is going on.
I rather have Biden say something foolish rather than having an administration which shuts the american people out of their government.
Are they gaffes or truths? Some may be truths better kept quiet but I feel Obama knew Joe's style when he chose him. Joe's political and international expertise my balance out his quick speak with President Obama.
I don't think Joe is becoming an embarassment for Barack. Everyone has always known he isn't the best at choosing his words. It's his beliefs and his devotion to the country that matter!
Jake
Sparta, New Jersey
yea a little.
but consider the alternative.
sarah palin makes biden seem absolutely presidential.
Jack,
He's no Dick Cheney! He's not from the Dark-side! He believes in the common good for all of us – the working stiffs!
We will all learn to enjoy his gaffs! After all he's "Gaff Gunner Joe!"
Not at all. He's got a terrific sense of humour!
Yes, but he has been for a while!
No he isn't an embarrassment. Obama knew what he was getting when he picked Biden and so did the American people. Biden gets away with making comments because he is Joe Biden. At least his gaffes arent as bad as Bush.
Of course he's embarrassing... Obama and Biden have two completely different styles... keep in mind that Obama chose Biden for the voting block and experience he provided. Would Biden make a good president? Yes. Will Biden continue to be an awkward VP? Yes. Meanwhile, just like the Captain and Tennille... love will keep em together.
This is a thought that is floating in people's mind, especially when the VP keeps making these comments.
The truth is often embarrassing. I'd take frank words from Biden over platitudes and generalizations anytime.
Not at all jack. however, VP Biden mouth is like a 7-11 store it never
closes.
He is not an embarrassment to the president, the question should have been was Bush and embarrassment to the united states...
I foresee that in 2012, we will see an Obama/Clinton ticket.
it is very very nice to have an intelligent human being in high office who also speaks his heart. yes, sometimes it may be awkward for the President but then being human is a messy business!
in answering the question, no i do not think he is an embarrassment, he is a solid mensh and i am glad my president has him as one of his partners.
As much of an embarassment as you are to Wolf, Jack.
No, he is not. It is honesty. which is lacking in Washington DC. What you see you get with vice President Biden. Refreshing, I must say.
Jack, who would the American people rather have as vice-president, Joe Biden who might say something that the average Joe might say, or Richard Cheney who did not think the American public needed to know anything...and for sure he would not tell us anyway.
I'd rather have a Vice President that shoots off his mouth than one that might shoot me IN the mouth.
We can endure a slight embarrasment with Biden, better that than what we are suffering now due to Cheney's arrogant and unethical choices-two wars, huge deficits, the Patriot Act, non-bid contracts for Haliburton and Blackwater. etc. That is obscene.
Joe Biden will always be Joe Biden. I think Barack Obama gets a big kick out of him. It is so refreshing to have him as VP after eight years of Dick "Dr. Strnagelove" Cheney.
The more I see and hear of Joe Biden the more I question whether he is suited to his position as V/P. I get an uneasy feeling that his inflated self importance may become his undoing. Biden was rejected early on in the primaries and he rode into office on Obama's coat tails. He seems blithely forgetful of this and continually oversteps his boundaries, which will lose him important support.
Does Obama have to select Joe as running mate in 2012 if Joe proves to be an embarrassment. Perhaps Hillary still has a shot at the Office of V/P.
Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, I think he humanizes the President even more. Pres. Obama is a very brilliant and impressive man, but in all honesty, he IS a bit of a geek. Veep Joe is the cool kid who can loosen him up a bit.
C'mon Jack,
I know you're not used to covering people with a sense of humor, but really, now. An Embarassment? Relax a little. Let a smile be your umbrella and don't make a fuss until it starts to hail.
Well, Joe Biden is representative of our Congress I would not expect anything better from that bunch. We see every single day what they are capable of. How sad!!!!!!!
Joe the Biden? The "pennsylvania" senator who visits that home-town restaurant that closed a decade ago. The one who predicts Obama will be tested by an attack on the homeland? The one who mocked the cheif Justice, had his choice of VP or Secy of State. That arrogant bloviator couldn't keep his mouth shut if we paid him-which we do! Sterling, VA
It is really funny that the more Joe Biden actually makes realistic statements, the more he is villified in the press. Haven't we had enough after 8 years of candy-coating every crisis?? Keep it up Joe!
No Biden is no embarrasment – Obama needs to get used to independent thinkers.
What's Sarah Palin doing about starvation in Alasks?
Hasn't anyone ever seen Letterman's Greatest Moments in Presidential Speeches? President Bush certainly made gaffes... among other things.
If Obama's administration only has to worry about VP Biden's sound bytes I'd say we're in good shape.
Biden is a good man, and a good man should never be considered an embarrassment. But Biden needs to curb his tendency to speak off the cuff. Of course, one might want to consider that Biden would seem like the most eloquant guy on the planet had he been Bush's VP. And then there is the guy who was Bush's VP. I'd rather have somebody who makes a few gaffes that take some explaining than Dr. Strangelove's evil twin.
Joe simply calls thing as he see them. He always has and always will. This is why his constituents kept electing him.
Biden is an embarrassment for the Democratic Party as a whole- let alone Pres. Obama.
When Obama runs for re-election, get someone else
The embarrassment will be if Prez Obama becomes so tightly wrapped in putting on "the game face" that candor is lost. Biden thinks 70% of the plan will work. It was an honest assessment.
Jack, Joe Biden is the most honest member of this administration. Thank God Obama picked him, he's the transparency that was promised. So far we haven't seen any of the openness that Obama came to office on except when Biden talks. It may not be what we want to hear, but at least he keeps us in the know.
I am still dumbfounded over Biden as the VP pick. Throughout Biden's political career, he has stuck his foot in his mouth on a continual basis. My prediction – Biden will soon be banished into the oblivion of other past VP's like Truman. Obama's plate is full right now and he doesn't need a "hose on the deck" like Biden to deal with.
Joe Biden is working class. So what if he isn't polished? He's brutally honest, and that's exactly why Obama chose him. I believe Joe is the best of the Democrats, and far better than any Republican over the last 8 years.
Barrack and Joe need a guys-get-away together, go hunting, shoot each other in the face with bird shot. You know some good ole buddy moments.
Biden's cool, he's just got a bad case of foot-in-mouth. His heart is in the right place, but he could learn to pause three seconds before his next comment and just think about how it will sound! If not it's always entertaining for the rest of us!
If the truth is an embarrassment, which often it is, then yes.
Yes, but I am only 30 percent sure.
I think Joe Biden is a bit nervous of his new position, which is why certain things slip out of his mouth from time to time. I wouldn't call him an embarrassment but I think he needs to think before he speaks, before he slips out a national secret or plan, and make President Obama and America look bad.
Biden absolutely isn't an embarrasment! (He's cute as can be). I'm happy to see real humans for a change. It really bugs me when politicians have to be so careful of every single word, for fear of the media picking them apart.
No, Jack. Joe Biden is not an embarrasement. I find him refreshingly human. I like it that he finds it difficult to be other than candid.
Biden is not an embarassment. The last 8 years were!
I feel as though the Vice President makes many mistakes and the President tries to ignore them. The President probably jacks him up afterwards.
The V.P is naturally funny and being otherwise would not do any good or solve the economic crisis.
Biden is an embrassment not only to President Obama but to the American People.
I'll take a walking gaffe-factory over an International war criminal any day of the week and twice on Sunday
Probably., but President Obama can handle it. just like he handles everything else.... President Obama...WOW! What was the Vice-Presidents name again?
DJ – Detroit
If all Biden does is makes an occasional mis-statement he'll stay alright with me. We got bigger fish to fry!
No I don't think Joe Biden is becoming and embarrassment. I think President Obama 'gets' Joe. The media will pick away at every thing both the President and Vice President say. I think humor is going to go a long way the next 4 years.
Biden is uniquely blunt! Of all the things he could say to to embarrss President Obama, I don't think he can top a hunting accident!!!
Becoming an embarrassment? He's been an embarrassment to the office of US Senator for as long as he's been a senator!
Laurel & Hardy
Abbott & Costello
Martin & Lewis
Obama & Bidden : Someone's got to be the " straight " Man!
President Obama chose Joe Biden knowing he was not a rocket scientist so I think he should show a little class and not make fun of his own Vice President at a news conference.
The _only_ thing Biden should learn from his predecessor is that comedian is not part of the VP's job description.
If given a choice between Joe Biden and Dick Cheney who would you choose?
We all knew that this would happen. It was only a matter of time. He needs to put more then feet in his mouth to keep himself from speaking his mind and I'm not going to go there.
I know that Joe Biden has an affinity to shoot from the lip, but we all do the same thing. We just do not have to worry about our every word being parsed out for hidden meanings. Actually I find V.P. Biden refreshing. In all candor, I much prefer having to worry about Joe's gaffes as opposed to Cheney planning the next war for oil or Palin planning....well never mind!
I'm from Delaware, and I want you to know that Joe Biden is a decent and honorable person. So he doesn't choose every word carefully – you wouldn't like him so much if he did. He's never betrayed the Constitution, which already puts him in better standing than the prior occupant of this office.
Joe did a lot for this country by giving up his dream of being the Secretary of State so he could run for Vice President, a move that helped ground Obama and definitely helped in the election. No, Obama had not given him a choice of State or Vice President – but clearly if he ran for vice president, he could not then throw his hat in the ring for Secretary of State.
He gave up a position of real power in the Senate to do the right thing for the country. I admire him for that, and will always admire him for who he is.
Absolutely not!!! Joe Biden is a great VP, an honest man and he says it exactly as he sees it. He is an asset to President Obama's administration.
Isn’t wonderful to have the Obama’s in the White House??? He's correct in that we've inherited a hell of a mess. Luckily Obama seems to have the req'd intelligence & decency to fix it – if he gets the needed support.
My husband & I Love your blog!!!
VP Biden is no more of an embarrassment to the President than his other choices that didn't get confirmation. It seems the most of the other choices have gone through very "taxing" times.
I think most vice-presidents have been an embarassment, if not throughout history, at least in recent history. While Joe Biden may be putting his foot in his mouth most of the time, I'm sure he knows how to spell "potatoe."
Joe brings a lot to the table much more positive than negative. But hey! – With President Obama off limits, Leno and Lettermen need someone to be the brunt of their late night jokes. Bidens a big boy, and capable of laughing at himself
He is a funny guy. If he were saying the same things at a neighborhood BBQ everyone would laugh. I know I would.
Joe is okay, I like that he's honest. At least he knows where Iraq is unlike Palin. He just get's excited, kinda like a puppy.
He does have a way with words but,his experience in affairs of state is what we should be concerned with.
Jack Biden is that uncle that says the most inappropriate things at the holiday. He is usually funny and means no harm but you usually cringe at some of his comments. Embarrassment No, at least he knows the word is underestimating on mis-underestimate. After 8 years of grammar gaffs that embarrassed us as a nation that we elected a president that doesn’t even know correct grammar an occasional blurted gaff by Joe is no big deal. I think we all by know by now when he talks we wait to say "Say it isn't so Joe"
I heard that remark by the President, and I did not see that "he threw the VP under the bus." It seems to me that the press does more to throw the VP under the bus than anyone else. And I don't think that the VP was wrong in the statement that he made. Americans do not expect that the efforts to remedy the economy will be 100% effective.
It seems to me that the press is ready to jump on any statement made by the VP. He is a good man and brings a lot to the job that he has. Just give him a chance!
Absolutely not. President Obama is very professiorial and Joe Biden
just says as it is, so I think they really balance each other well and
it always gives us something to laught at in these serious and difficult time. Anybody but that Sarah Palin looking into Russia from her window.
NO!!! Joe isn't an embarrassment, he is that uncle we all grew up with –heart of gold, speaks his mind. He is perfect for Obama, he can go out there – float balloons – and if people balk Obama can chalk it down to Biden speaking off the cuff again. What a refreshing change, I would rather have the loveable uncle than darth vader as my VP.
If remember right there still freedom of speak in this country. However if he pays $1000.00 for everytime he has slip up maybe it slow him down.
Spelling potato with an "e", inventing the internet, and shooting a man in the face. Joe Biden seems to just be joining the long standing ranks of gaffe machines that seems to come with the job title of Vice President.
Please, Jack, give the V.P. a break!!! I'd rather have a mellow, cool, and debonair V.P. like Joe Biden, who's prone to gaffes with a sparkling laugh than the snarling cloak-and-dagger O.S.S. operative that preceded him in that office and who was masquerading as a V.P. You and the President need to lighten up a bit! Last time I checked, I thought President Obama was Mr. Cool!
Jimi,
Washington DC
Please leave Joe Biden alone. He is the one comic relief in all the tradegy of the past year or so and perhaps will be for the next few years untill we have something to smile about in this country which George W Bush and his henchman Cheney have sought to destroy. I would urge the media to look elsewhere for their subject for dissent between the President and his Vice. They will get on exceptionally well in the next four or eight years.
Joe Biden an embarrassment to President Obama? Give me a break. He’s a breath of fresh air.
What’s wrong with plain speaking? If people think there’s no substance to Biden, I have to ask them where they’ve been the last 10 years? (I’ve forgiven him his “youthful” gaffes; Lord knows, I’ve had my share.)
People in government do not have to march in lock step with one another. If they did, I’d think it was contrived. An open administration is also one that permits (or at least tolerates) differing views – or more "colorful" statements that reflect a view.
This was not one of your most important questions. Yet it prompted my response because I don’t for one moment think that Joe Biden is an embarrassment. You've had more substantive questions in the past. I hope you return to them.
Joe Biden is like the Irish setter in the movie "Funny Farm". Meaning, you've chosen him and want him to support you in times of need but when you let him go he goes in any and every which way he can without any regard to the whistle or the newspaper.
Based on tha look on President Obama's face in that picture, he's way beyond embarassing...I think he's a legitimate pain in the Presedent's derriere.
DJ – Detroit
No Jack. Biden's the best. We need a little comic relief in these sobering times. He's the Costello to Obama's Abbot. I love Joe!
No, Biden is not an embarrasment to Obama. I think he is a breath of fresh air. In fact, I wish Obama would loosen up a bit. - He is always so stiff in front of the cameras. When I see him standing like that, I almost wish someone would walk up behind him and stick him wi5th a pin.
Is Joe Biden an embarrassment to the current administration? You must be joking! I think we're loosing sight of the bigger picture here. It is convenient for Bush Jr. to walk away from the devastation he left the American people with . An embarrassment to our country would be more Bush and his administration; the corrupt corporate fat-cats who suck the blood of innocent hard working americans without the slightest ounce of remorse; the fat-cats who willfully took free government handouts, spent it on 1st class family vacations and year end bonuses for themselves when everyone else is loosing everything they had and are far from any solution. Aren't government handouts the same as living on welfare? Government controls how single mothers spend their welfare money, so why do the same rules not apply to these corporations who received government bailouts? Government help is government help. Not controlling the behavior of greed against helpless low income civilians is an embarassment and we do not need to camouflage this fact with the face of Joe Biden. Joe Biden is not the scape goat here.
At least he (Joe Biden) says how he thinks and feels which I find refreshing especially after being lied to for the past 8 years.
So he sticks his foot in his mouth from time to time. Big deal.
Diane Long
Joplin, Missouri
The fact that you are even asking this question three weeks after inauguration is an indication of how big a mess this new administration is, You and your cronies in the media deserve all the credit in the workd. Nice job Jack!
Joe Biden is like the Irish setter in the movie “Funny Farm”. Meaning, by chosing him you want someone to support you in times of need. Instead you get someone who, when let off the leash, goes in any and every which way he can without any regard to the whistle or the newspaper.
Jack,
Biden is GREAT !!! Anytime something important comes up in the world of politics, you can COUNT on Joe to verbalize the worst case scenario possible, BEFORE thinking , which is invaluable !!! rather than carefully forming every word. Every other professional politician hand-picks each word for it's potential impact on everyone, regardless of the facts or their own true opinion. Joe just says the first thing that pops in his head which is refreshingly honest in these complex times.
God, Allah, Jahweh, and Buddha bless you Joe.
No, Biden is just very rootsy, --and honest. A positive change from scary cheney, his lies, and horrific predictions of gloom and doom for all of us, of which he tried to carry out to the best of his ability.
Colorado Mom
We all know Joe can lob a GAF out there with the best of them. BUT! Until he shoots his friend in the face or starts a war that the President hasn't fully signed onto, Joe you just keep on giving SNL reasons to make us laugh. GO JOE!
No. Maybe Joe is a tad too honest for most politicians. Judge Roberts should have "read" the oath if he couldn't get it right and poor Joe becomes the problem?
After George Bush saying he didn't make mistakes it is kind of refreshing to hear this administration won't be perfect. When someone is aware mistakes are possible odds are mistakes will be corrected before they gets too far out of hand. Joe said 30% of what will be done may fail. Wouldn't we all be better off if George Bush, with his Republican House and Senate, only got it wrong 30% of the time. I would have settled for them getting it right 30% of the time.
Do you think Palin would be any better? Every time she opens her mouth, she puts her foot in it. Biden's got a brain...Palin is still wishing for one.
Every great play's tragic act is followed by a little comic relief. "I Feel Pretty" follows Riff and Bernardo's death in West Side Story, The Earl of Kent and Lear's following the storm in King Lear...now Biden following Dick Cheney. Seems to me all's as it should be dramatic structure-wise.
Blabbing is what Joe Biden is known for. I do not understand why the nation is blown away by the slightest comment he has made since his introduction as vice-president. Come on, America, he has said worse maybe he needs some kind of reinforcement to seal his mouth shut!
Cindy, Boston MA
Joe Biden is a good honest man. And he can take a good ribbing from the President from time to time. I love Joe the VP, and I'm sure the Prez does too.
An embarassment? No way.
I would rather have an embarassing Joe Biden who makes mistakes speaking than a V.P who thinks that Alaska being so "close" to Russia makes themselves qualified for foreign affairs. Or a V.P who lies straight to Americans Dick Cheney "In Iraq, a ruthless dictator cultivated weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them. He gave support to terrorists, had an established relationship with al Qaeda." –Nov. 7, 2003. So yes Jack I am glad all I have to do is laugh at what Biden says
No Joe is just Joe. It's not like President Obama and the rest of the country didn't know who VP Biden was before he became the Vice President. Personally I think his so called gaffs are funny and bring a sense of looseness to the administration.
His quirky sense of humor, keen mind, but foremost his honesty is a breath of fresh air in a politician. Washington D.C. seems to think that their typical posturing works for everyone. Biden is the only one with enough courage to speak his mind.
So if the press is looking for perfection, Obama knows well that perfection after all, is only perception.
This country has put up with embarrassment for the past 8 years, he is a breath of fresh air