Notes from Biden, including a little slip of the tongue
Sen. Joe Biden offered a good example today of the difficulty of a national presidential campaign. Candidates are rushed from site to site (Biden left Columbia for St. Louis), often hitting more than one state per day. And while mostly sticking to their stump speeches, they try to recognize local politicians and sprinkle their speeches with local references.
Biden slipped a bit during the introductions, through no fault of his own. In introducing local elected officials, from Ninth District Congressional candidate Judy Baker to former Gov. Roger Wilson, Biden tried to give a special recognition to Sen. Chuck Graham of Columbia.
“Chuck, stand up, let the people see you,” Biden says. He was a bit chagrined when he realized that Graham uses a wheelchair. He recovered quickly and told the crowd to “stand up for Chuck.” The crowd responded with a standing cheer for Graham.
Other notes from Biden’s speech in Columbia:
*The prayer before the festivities was offered by Pastor John Baker of First Baptist Church in Columbia, and it was full of political themes. Baker prayed for health care for all and a sustainable environment. The locals weren’t shocked at the political nature of the prayer. Baker is the husband of Judy Baker, the state rep who is running for Congress.
*Judy Baker served as the first speaker to warm up the crowd and get them “fired up” for Biden. (The “fired up” cheer sort of fizzled, as did “yes we can”. After the organized cheers died down, a solitary voice echoed the feeling of the crowd with three words: “We want Joe.”) Baker clearly got the “change” memo, using change in most sentences, sometimes more than once.
*Boone County in play? An Obama field representative urged the crowd to get their friends registered to vote. She said the county voted for George Bush in the last presidential election by a margin of 158 votes over John Kerry.
*Biden made sure to mention the 6th-ranked Missouri Tigers football team, though he also asked that nobody make fun of his school’s mascot, the Delaware Blue Hens. He also made sure to mention the Chrysler plant layoffs in Fenton and the Anheuser-Busch takeover by InBev. The last reference was one to “anxiety” in the American populous, wondering what might happen next.
*It wouldn’t be a political visit in Columbia without somebody asking about “peace.” A woman in the crowd asked Biden if he’d have the courage to talk seriously about creating a “department of peace.” Biden dodged by discussing his support for the Institute of Peace, a Congressional funded institute based in Hawaii. The question about peace was rooted in a fear about growing violence in America, as well as foreign policy. Biden responded that the way to reduce violence in America is to better educate our children. In one of his strongest moments, he walked among the crowd talking about how too many young children show up at school with a vocabulary deficit. He talked about his wife, a teacher. And he turned it into a finger-pointing argument to better fund early childhood education. It took him awhile to get to that, but he worked the crowd well and built up enthusiasm from a question that was a bit off-center.
Populous? Um….you are correct, Norman. Populace!!
Perhaps this is that infamous “vocabulary deficit” ??
This Tony guy fits right in at the Post; this is the sorriest group of writers ever assembled and one has to wonder how the H they stay in business.
I see another government bailout on the horizon.
can feel the HATE just emanating from this blog as usual.
For all you people denigrating and mocking the concept of “peace,” let me guess…you consider yourself “Christians,” right? Gee–maybe I’m a bit rusty on my bible lessons…but I think that Jesus guy was ALL about peace and brotherhood and forgiveness and not judging.
Do you think that Jesus would “oppose” universal healthcare? Support a war bssed on lies that has taken the lives of thousands of soliders and almost ONE MILLION innocent civilians? Favor the bulk of money or wealth in the hands of a few while millions struggle to pay make ends meet.
I love how some “Christians” distort the messages of the Bible and Jesus to suit their own effed up ideology and twisted worldviews.
If “Jesus” or whoever you pray to is pissed off right now, it isn’t because of Barrack Obama’s lack of a flag pin or his desire to get universal coverage for all Americans–no no no–”Jesus” is pissed that abominations like George W. Bush and Sarah Palin MISUSE his words and lessons to justify their very UN-Christian like, war-mongering, environment destroying, book-banning, gay-hating, holier-than-thou self demagoguery.
THAT is the biggest travesty of all.
Wow, “U Have”….
Peace and love, baby.
I so can’t wait for the Biden - Palin debate.
RAH, RAH, SARAH!
Well, I guess “u have been served” said a mouthful. ALL SO TRUE by the way. People joking or being “snark” :S about peace??? The world is getting sicker and sicker each day, as if morals never existed…How are G.W. and his gang hypnotizing so many??? I know, too much false patriotism and belief in the television instead of belief in spirituality and godly like values!!!!!! Obama/Biden 08′!!!! P.S. Obvious who this journalists support, and it aint Biden. Way more negative than positive in this unbiased “FOX news like” report.
I’m planning to watch the VP debate on DNC-TV/MSNBC … just so I can see their (Olbermann, Matthews, Gregory) heads explode in fury.
Toying with the idea of watching it at The Royale. Such a happy thought sitting amongst so many sad Liberals.
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I am a Christian and I see no contradiction in mocking peace and supporting every war I can find.
It is so much fun watching all the liberal lawyers try to destroy Sarah Palin . They just cant believe that she is real. Maybe after the debate she can give that great change agent ole Chia head Biden a lesson in real change.
This is too easy or a gift that keeps on giving. Biden has obviously been associating himself the O’Messiah too long. It is Barack’s job to say “Stand up and walk”, not his. BHO, you picked a real winner. Thanks for the comic relief.
Great to see the right wing wackos out and busy flogging their keyboards. They always have to be rude and try to insult people….nothing ever intelligent to say. I love it because it shows just how utterly blind they are to the problems in the United States. I just don’t get it. Are you all in the same country as I am? Because I’m looking around and I see trouble everywhere….McSame has been part of the problem. How can you right wing sickos not think that these 2, McSame and Bush, are not one in the same.