Biden Apparently Impressed That Obama is Clean & Can Speak

[luna_k]

WTF?
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
So, what... most mainstream African-Americans aren't clean and don't know how to speak?!? DUDE

Comments

[xiaomi]

Biden's campaigns always end in quiet withdraw... I'm betting this one is going to end much quicker than the rest ;p. It's not too often that the wheels come off the wagon before the sun sets on your first day.

Apparently he's got... er... Joe-mentum. *cough*.

[roisinmachine]

I think Biden's comments are pretty much the truth in terms of what people will vote for. (not, obviously, in terms of the idea that black people in general aren't well spoken and articulate. and I don't think Biden actually believes that either.)

Obama is clean-cut and well spoken and supremely unintimidating. And that's the kind of black person the American people are willing to consider being the president. It's the same reason we love the big black teddy bear/wise old black man stereotypes in hollywood movies, because black men are seen as scary and gangsta and those archetypes aren't scary. Jesse Jackson is never going to be president because (among other things) his advocacy and media hounding on issues of race grate on white people. Obama does no such thing, so.

(although Jesse Jackson should definitely keep his mouth shut about this. The person who called New York City "Hymietown" does not get to police other people's language.)

[thisficklemob]

Obama responded nicely

[jerrymcl89]

I would assume Biden was comparing Obama not to all black people, but to those who have previously run for President. And in that context, he has a (poorly expressed) point. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Carol Mosely Braun simply to not speak in a style that resonates with white voters, and if you cannot do that you are not a serious candidate.

The whole thing does, however, reflect the fact that Biden's thoughts tend to come out of his mouth without much self-editing, which is yet another reason he'll never be President.

[toddmichael]

I wonder why Joe Biden is running for president when he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. He has to know this, right?