Joe Biden, The 'Practically Perfect' Vice President

[romantico]

A great article I thought I'd post.

By Jonathan Bernstein at Salon

"The first job for any Veepstakes winner is to help the presidential nominee get all the way to the Oval Office. How to do that? Most studies have found that running mates can't really help, but instead can hurt. So the first requirement is that any running mate appears sufficiently presidential, on the one hand, and avoids serious scandal, on the other. It's surprising just how many vice presidential picks have failed one of these tests (Sarah Palin, of course, but Dan Quayle, Tom Eagleton, Spiro Agnew, Gerry Ferraro, perhaps Bob Dole back in 1976, and others all had problems, as well). Joe Biden? As far as I know, from 2008 to now, no one has questioned that the former chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and two-time presidential candidate wasn't ready to step in if necessary. And he's scandal-free -at least so far.

The second job is to actually be a decent vice president if elected. Since there are no particular fixed responsibilities that go with the job, however, there's really no one way to be good at it. Presumably most people who are elected have some areas of expertise either in public policy or in political processes. Biden has some expertise in each. He's certainly had plenty of exposure to multiple areas of policy from his long service in the Senate, and that also gives him at least some knowledge of how to get things through Congress. Beyond that, vice presidents can serve as sounding boards for presidents, making their own case but then loyally supporting the White House once a decision is made. As far as we know, that's been what Biden has done on issues such as Afghanistan, an issue on which he was reported to have differed with the president. "

http://www.salon.com/2012/08/18/joe_biden_the_practically_perfect_vice_president/?source=newsletter

[Mr Roxy]

The gift that keeps on giving

[romantico]

No, you are thinking of Sarah Palin the quitter from Alaska. Or you might be talking about Mitt Romney......or maybe former Prez, George W.Bush..........or maybe Michelle Bachman..............or maybe Fox News........or maybe, can you be more specific?

[Jim Colyer]

Joe Biden may be the worst vice president in American history.

[Wynbish]

Cheney Shot A Person! Biden's not even the worst vice president since 2000!

[best12bars]

But can he slide up a banister and pop through chalk paintings?

[strummergirl]

Worse than Spiro Agnew, Andrew Johnson, Aaron Burr, John Nance Garner, Henry Wallace, and John C. Calhoun. I did not even mention Cheney or Dan Quayle who picked a fight with a fictional television character. Many of the others I mentioned were legitimate traitors who in hindsight deserved to be removed from office by impeachment. And Biden is worse than all of these guys? For what exactly?

[best12bars]

He's even worse than the movie version of "Oliver!"

And that's sayin' somethin'.

[romantico]

Jim, I bet you think Dan Quayle was out best VP. You are a terrible songwriter and a terrible judge of character. Shows you don't know squat about Joe.Go read a book.

[Mr Roxy]

The bar must set real low based on the title of this thread

Uncle Joe is a bit of an embarrassment. Granted if you think Obama is a great president than this title is appropos.

[romantico]

Roxy, what are you basing that on? Sure,he has made some gaffes as VP. What about Dan Quayle? What About GW Bush? Look at Joe's record before he became Vice President. Oh, and did you even bother reading the article or does the thread title offend you SO MUCH?

The bar is set for 'you people' Roxy. You people settled for a guy like Mitt Romney as your candidate. Everyone from Ann Coulter to John McCain to most on Fox were bashing Mitt a year ago and now they love him. Talk about setting the bar low. You guys HATE Romney, you just can't admit it. We love our guy and his VP.

Joe is not an embarrassment. Roxy says that about Joe while taking pride in Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney and the idiotic things they say on a day to day basis.

Obama is a very good President. He has done more in 4 years than Bush did in 8.

I'm glad this thread makes you angry.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

I think the office of VP should be abolished. It serves no tangible purpose, it's simply a walking example of all that's wrong that's Washington. All trouser and no underpants, I think is the expression (or maybe not)...in any case, it is a completely redundant role.

Like the running joke in Veep -

"Did the President call?"
"No."

Edit - and oh, I love Joe Biden. Worst VP ever? You have clearly been brainwashed by FoxNews. Use your own grey cells in the future, please.

[best12bars]

He's the worst vice president in the past week ... because ... who was ... wait, I can't remember what I had for breakfast.

[strummergirl]

Jay, I love how much that became a running gag. I also love the episode of how Selina could not get a dog around the same time as the president and first lady, mainly because Jonah used the term FDOTUS with no sense of irony at all.

And Roxy, you still did not answer how Biden was the worst. He may not be your ceiling but he certainly is not the floor, especially considering there were ACTUAL TRAITORS second in command of this country.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

That was indeed hilarious, strummer - one of many, many laugh out loud moments for me.

Regarding Joe Biden - it is absurd to say anybody is the worst VP ever, anyway. The office is so inconsequential, what you are really doing is ranking them as people. My vote goes to Darth Cheney.

[Wynbish]

Aaron Burr, for the win!


Aaron Burr was the subject of the first Got Milk? commercial

[mikey2573]

"Look at Joe's record before he became Vice President."

Ok.
From the NY TIMES Sept 18, 1987:

Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., fighting to salvage his Presidential campaign, today acknowledged 'a mistake' in his youth, when he plagiarized a law review article for a paper he wrote in his first year at law school.

The file distributed by the Senator included a law school faculty report, dated Dec. 1, 1965, that concluded that Mr. Biden had 'used five pages from a published law review article without quotation or attribution' and that he ought to be failed in the legal methods course for which he had submitted the 15-page paper.

The plagiarized article, 'Tortious Acts as a Basis for Jurisdiction in Products Liability Cases,' was published in the Fordham Law Review of May 1965. Mr. Biden drew large chunks of heavy legal prose directly from it

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/18/us/biden-admits-plagiarism-in-school-but-says-it-was-not-malevolent.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Five pages? FIVE pages?? FIVE PAGES???!?!?!?
How do you "accidentally" copy FIVE PAGS???

From THE TELEGRAPH:


NEIL KINNOCK at Welsh Labour Party conference May 1987:


"Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because our predecessors were thick? Does anybody really think that they didn't get what we had because they didn't have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment? Of course not. It was because there was no platform upon which they could stand"


JOE BIDEN IN Sept 1987 during his first presidential campaign:


"Why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go a university? Why is it that my wife... is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? ...Is it because they didn't work hard? My ancestors who worked in the coal mines of northeast Pennsylvania and would come after 12 hours and play football for four hours? It's because they didn't have a platform on which to stand."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/2607505/Joe-Biden-plagiarised-Neil-Kinnock-speech.html

Joe Biden lies about his acadmic standing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1j0FS0Z6ho

As revealed by a video shown on C-SPAN, when questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school, Biden had replied "I think I probably have a much higher IQ than you do, I suspect," and then inaccurately recollected graduating in the "top half" of his class when he actually graduated 76th from 85, that he had attended law school on a full scholarship, and had received three degrees in college. In fact, he had earned a single B.A. with a double major in history and political science, and had received a half scholarship to law school based on financial need with some additional assistance based in part upon academics. During this time, Biden also released his undergraduate grades, which were unexceptional

From the NY TIMES :
Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. issued a formal statement today acknowledging that he had misstated several facts about his past last April in a campaign appearance in New Hampshire.

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/22/us/biden-admits-errors-and-criticizes-latest-report.html

Biden withdraws from Presidential race after his character is brought into serious question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xX_2zxlrL8&feature=endscreen

"Sure,he has made some gaffes as VP"

Joe Biden on Barack Obama: ¯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.¯ - Joe Biden

"In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian Americans - moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." -- Joe Biden, speaking to Indian-Americans.

"When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on television..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jf17Yo7hBM

"His mom lived in Long Island for ten years or so. God rest her soul. And- although, she's- wait- your mom's still- your mom's still alive. Your dad passed. God bless her soul." --Joe Biden, on the mother of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, who is very much alive, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010

"I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. ¯ When one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft. That's me. I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway." --Joe Biden, providing handy tips to protect against the swine flu and freaking us out, "Today Show" interview, April 30, 2009

Justice Stewart? Stevens? How am I supposed to rmember the name of the Justice who swore me in!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiQpNWh98XU

Stand up, Chuck. Get out of that wheelchair!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2mzbuRgnI4&feature=player_embedded

A simple three letter word, JOBS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBHPvfAt5ow

"Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me." --Joe Biden, speaking at a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire, Sept. 10, 2008

If IGNORANCE is bliss, then Romantico, you must be living in absolute RAPTURE!! LMFAO!

[strummergirl]

I am surprised trolling mikey had the discipline to not bring up the dead wife and daughter.

[mikey2573]

Why would I bring such a thing up? It has nothing to do with his political career and is irrelevant. I have nothing but sympathy for anyone who has lost a spouse and especially a child.

[romantico]

Mikey is a liar. He claims to have kids and to be a teacher.(LOL)

He has been proven to be nothing more than a liar and a troll. He has no credibility here or anywhere,except maybe at Free Republic where they are all just like him.

This thread title really makes them crazy. Biden is perfect compared to Cheney and Quayle. They simply can not tolerate any credit or compliments towards Obama or Biden.They feel the need to quickly counter such praise with lies and negativity yet when it comes to the corruption and evil of Cheney they look the other way. Cheney can't even travel to some countries in fear of being charged with war crimes. Cheney has broken the law. He has lied this country into war yet Roxy and mikey have nothing to say about that. Dan Quayle is probably the dumbest VP in recent years and even though she never became VP, there is Sarah Palin. The Governor who was so lazy she quit so she could go make money being a reality star.

These people are praised by the likes of these morons but someone like Biden is considered a weak VP to them. These idiots are terrible when it comes to judging character. Which is why no one here would listen to such ignorance and stupidity. Every time they post they show their true colors.

Rachel did a great little story on Joe from a few months ago. This shows you what kind of person Joe Biden is.'People' like Mikey and Roxy throw tantrums when they see stuff like this because they know this is a classy politician with heart who relates to common Americans. They have no one on their side like this and for that they hate him for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLSjrS0bb08

[strummergirl]

If the worst you can come up with about Biden is plagiarizing in law school and foot in mouth syndrome, you still have nothing compared to the sins of Watergate, the Burr conspiracy in trying to attack Mexico, Calhoun attempting to have states nullify acts by Congress, and making Murphy Brown must-see television.

[mikey2573]

"If the worst you can come up with about Biden is plagiarizing in law school and foot in mouth syndrome, you still have nothing compared to the sins of Watergate, the Burr conspiracy in trying to attack Mexico, Calhoun attempting to have states nullify acts by Congress, and making Murphy Brown must-see television"

You have me confused with someone else. I am not arguing that Biden is the worst VP in history. I am simply stepping up to Romantico's challenge; to look at Biden's pre-VP history. I did exactly that and was able to prove that Biden's pre-VP history is dubious to say the least.
And, by taking on Romantico's challenge I was able to expose his utter ignorance. Look at Biden's record before he became VP was Romantico's challenge.
I did exactly that. Romantico's maniacal, deranged response to my post was EXACTLY what I expected from him.

[Kad]

No, all you did was post examples of his gaffes and a plagiarism charge from his college days. You posted nothing about his political record.

[mikey2573]

Keep dreamin', Kad!! Two plagiarism charges, in addition to his lying about his college records resulted in Biden dropping out of the 1987 presidential race in disgrace.
Are you challenging me to look at his voting record in the Senate and his record as VP?? Cuz I'd be perfectly willing to do that as well. Let's start with Biden's advice to Pres. Obama when Osama Bin Laden was in their crosshairs.

[Wynbish]

It is outrageously laughable to even try to think Biden is worse than Burr, Quayle, Nixon and Cheney and a host of others. If you don't like Biden, whatever. But at least amuse us with a hint of credibility by acknowledging that he is not the worst and a ways from it.

[romantico]

Kad is right. Mikey proved nothing,except he is a troll and a liar.I did not challenge anyone Mikey.Just ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR LIES.SHow me where I challenged anyone. I simply asked to look at his record. You cherry picked what "YOU FELT" was important.Ignoring all his accomplishments.You don't know how to debate, so stop trying to pretend you are a school teacher.No teacher is as dumb as you are.


So, just to prove Mikey's stupidity, here is a brief list of Biden's accomplishments before serving as VP. Mikey, I am NOW CHALLENGING YOU. Dispute each one. I never challenged you or anyone before. Go back a re=read my post. All I asked ROxy was to look at Joe's record before he became VP.

Joe Biden's Notable Achievements

Foreign Policy Leader

After three decades of service on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, Joe Biden was elected Chairman in January of 2006 and immediately began holding high-profile hearings on Iraq, and has since been the leading voice in crafting Democratic foreign policy.

Landmark Legislation

Joe believes violence against women is the ugliest and cruelest crime there is. In 1994, he authored the landmark legislation that helped set up shelters and a national hotline where women who are abused by husbands or boyfriends can get help. It also increased the court system’s abilities to protect women who are being stalked.

Results: The legislation has given hundreds of thousands of women a second chance and a way out. Since it passed, both domestic violence and incidents of rape are significantly down nationwide. To this day, this organization has brought more than $10 million worth of aid to victims and their families in Delaware.

For two decades, Joe Biden has been instrumental in crafting almost every major crime law. In 1994, the Biden Crime Law put more than 100,000 cops on America’s streets, and crime went down eight years in a row. The law requires communities to be notified when convicted sex offenders move into a neighborhood.
After President Bush slashed billions of dollars from federal crime-prevention assistance for state and local law enforcement, crime started going up again. In October of 2007, Senator Biden introduced the 2007 Biden Crime Bill, which will add 50,000 new local cops and 1,000 FBI agents to focus on local crimes.

http://www.vicepresidentdebates.com/notable%20ahcievements.shtml



Joe's was on the Judiciary Committee, Foreign Relations Committee,and in the US Senate. Mikey, tell me why his accomplishments in all those years disqualifies him as being a good VP. Give me specific reasons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden

If you could give us FACTS and NOT personal opinions or youtube clips or editorials but hard facts. Tell me why.