Joe Biden’s Description of Barack Obama Lands Him In Hot Water
From The Associated Press:
“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.â€
Sen. Joe Biden describing Sen. Barack Obama
These words have unleashed a whirlwind of controversy, but I believe it’s a tempest in a teapot.
Sen. Biden may have a long and undistinguished history of putting his foot in his mouth, but I find his latest controversial remarks innocuous and truthful.
If someone, especially a rival, described me as “articulate, bright , clean and a nice-looking guy”, I would be flattered. I would send a thank you note, along with a referral to an optometrist, to my rival.
These are the words that stand out, and the ones that got Biden in hot water: “THE FIRST MAINSTREAM AFRICAN-AMERICAN.”
Is Sen. Obama the first mainstream African American presidential candidate who has all of these sterling attributes?
I would have to agree with Biden, what other black presidential candidate has possessed all those fine qualities?
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton are often described as eloquent, but it would be more accurate to say that these gentlemen are blessed with the silver-tongue of a carnival barker. Jackson and Sharpton butcher the English language; they make George Bush look like an English professor.
Who is his right mind would describe Sharpton or Jackson as “clean?” The womanizing Jackson and the Tawana Brawley-defending Sharpton are buffoons and opportunists.
Shirley Chisholm is the only other mainstream black candidate that I can think of, and she was articulate, bright and clean, but she was no beauty.
Give Joe Biden a break, he was only speaking the truth. But of course, being a politician, Biden will now apologize, explaining that he didn’t mean to diss Sharpton and Jackson.
I write a weekly column for a small town newspaper in Virginia, and I also write for several Web sites. Please leave a comment or send me an email at: rreyes4966@aol.com | More from Robert Paul Reyes
Stumble It!
January 31st, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I would hate to be a politician or a star… they have to watch every word out of their mouth, and if they say something that offends someone, they have to apologize for it even if they don’t mean it!
January 31st, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Something tells me you wouldn’t be so forgiving if Biden were a Republican (George Allen, remember him?). And if Jackson and Reverend Al are so out of the “mainstream” why is the Democrat party so eager to accomodate them so often? Btw, could we please stop saying how “nice-looking” Obama is. The photo of him in his swimsuit trying to look like JFK please, this guy needs to get to a gym, he has man boobs.
January 31st, 2007 at 10:38 pm
RPR,
YOu forgot Alan Keyes…oh yeah, Blacks who stray from the Liberal plantation don’t count.
Seems they just don’t know there proper place.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Will Malven said,
“YOu forgot Alan Keyes”
I didn’t forget Keyes; he’s wasn’t a mainstream candidate. He was way out there in the lunatic fringe.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:22 pm
The Ranger wrote:
“And if Jackson and Reverend Al are so out of the “mainstream†why is the Democrat party so eager to accomodate them so often?”
Most Democratic politicians realize that Sharpton and Jackson are clowns, but they accomodate them so they won’t lose the black vote.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:26 pm
KVolz wrote:
“and if they say something that offends someone, they have to apologize for it even if they don’t mean it!”
Since making his statement about Obama, Biden has aplogized. How refreshing if he would have said, “I stand by my statement, previous black presidential aspirants like Braun, Jackson and Sharpton have been charlatans, crooks and clowns.
February 1st, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Most Democratic politicians realize that Sharpton and Jackson are clowns, but they accomodate them so they won’t lose the black vote.
——–
LOL…. “accomodate”, I guess that’s a fancy way of saying “kiss ass”.
February 2nd, 2007 at 10:34 am
I was just saying, I kid your not Robert, to a Jim Webb supporter while walking in a parking lot that now EVERY politician was going to have to watch what they say lest they get “Macaca”‘d.
Now it’s happened!
Isn’t it just awful when life is fair? Boo hoo!
I seem to recall that… George Allen apologized too. Did you forgive him?
Biden just got macaca’d similar to the “borking” that Democrats also created. What goes around comes around!
February 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 am
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