Joe Biden's Emotional Moment During the VP Debate - Influenced by Sarah Palin?
In a short aside while rebutting Biden's comments, Palin said something that surprised me as she chided him on a specific issue:
Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education and I'm glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right? I say, too, with education, America needs to be putting a lot more focus on that and our schools have got to be really ramped up in terms of the funding that they are deserving. Teachers needed to be paid more.The comment confused me, as Joe Biden has been married twice. His current wife, Jill, has indeed been a teacher; but Biden's first wife, Neilia, died in a car crash with his baby daughter in 1972. The accident, which badly injured his two young sons, left him a single father trying to juggle family and career as a newly elected senator.
Palin's comment, "Her reward is in heaven, right?" may have alluded to the many years his second wife has put into teaching, but the reference to 'heaven' seemed an unfortunate choice of words considering the circumstances. Like Obama's 'lipstick on a pig' comment, Palin likely didn't intend anything negative; but to my eyes Biden seemed slightly shaken by her remarks as the camera cut to him afterwards. I wasn't sure if viewers would react; it doesn't seem to be common knowledge that Biden has endured this tragedy.
As it turned out, the subject surfaced again when Palin reiterated how as a hockey mom who understands the heartland of America, she knows how families living on Main Street are feeling. Biden, who managed to respond to her with great feeling - and without talking down to her - conveyed why he may have an even deeper sense of the pain parents experience:
Look, I understand what it's like to be a single parent. When my wife and daughter died and my two sons were gravely injured, I understand what it's like as a parent to wonder what it's like if your kid's going to make it.When he spoke the bolded words aloud, he began to visibly choke up, coming close to tears. It was an intensely heartfelt moment and highlighted a father's love more powerfully than all the 'hockey mom' aphorisms Palin has been known to spout.I understand what it's like to sit around the kitchen table with a father who says, "I've got to leave, champ, because there's no jobs here. I got to head down to Wilmington. And when we get enough money, honey, we'll bring you down."
I understand what it's like. I'm much better off than almost all Americans now. I get a good salary with the United States Senate. I live in a beautiful house that's my total investment that I have. So I -- I am much better off now.
But the notion that somehow, because I'm a man, I don't know what it's like to raise two kids alone, I don't know what it's like to have a child you're not sure is going to -- is going to make it -- I understand.
I understand, as well as, with all due respect, the governor or anybody else, what it's like for those people sitting around that kitchen table. And guess what? They're looking for help. They're looking for help. They're not looking for more of the same.
I wasn't the only one moved by this. Leah McElrath Renna observed:
Joe Biden did more for the equality of the sexes with his honest display of paternal emotion during the vice presidential debate than Sarah Palin's presence on the executive ticket has or will ever do.Biden did something that another prominent Democrat also considered for the VP slot could never afford to do. Throughout her campaign, Hillary Clinton did her best not to cry. Joe Biden could...and did, with dignity and without embarrassment.
In the post-debate analysis of how the candidates did, this small exchange will most likely be ignored. As a mom, a women's issues advocate, and a person who believes that good parenting is not a gender-related skill, I thought you should know.
Comments
The Critics are jumping on Biden already over this. As a woman, it really disgusts me that men who step up to care for their children are not praised or even acknowledged. I am one of those women who believe in abolishing alimony payments, they are outdated, sexist and unfair especially when no children are involved. Child support however, is the only exception. So having said that, I felt Biden’s emotions where genuine and those cynical critics out there on the right wing only prove to me that their party is psychopathically void of compassion. I will defend ANY father who shows affection for his children. The debate reinforced my observation that Palin is faking it all the way to the elections, she didn’t even promote McCain. Who was it that she was promoting?
I heard the Republicans saying watch out 2012 Palin. Yeah, thanks John for the VP pick, this is about me now, Todd and I have plans when we get into office.
I am a conservative. Let me say that outright. I do not agree with the Marxist leanings for Obama and Biden. I cannot believe a word coming out of their mouths. However, I was truly touched during the debate. IT was the first time i ever really believed anything about Joe Biden. That was not Joe being Joe as we have heard. That was Joe Biden ACTUALLY speaking from his heart, and feeling what he was saying. I still can’t vote for his ticket, but I was glad to see some form of realism from the democrats last night
I think that beden did a goood job. I think Palin was playing around. She was winking to everybody and didnt answer no questions.She talked about one nt here.
Matthew Moore, you are a jackass.
Palin, bless her heart. One word “rehearsed”. and inauthentic. I got goose bumps from Biden’s speech. He spoke truthfully and from the heart. He’s the “REAL” Maverick. I felt his heart and his pain and anyone with an ounce of integrity and honesty knows it!!! p.s I also don’t believe that sending his son over could compromise security. “Dont go Beau!!! Vera
I did notice that Biden appeared to be sincere and for whatever pain he has suffered, I pray for him and his family.
However, it is difficult to assess the truth when he smoothly (In Senate Fashion) lies 14 times and keeps a straight face.
http://townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2008/10/03/biden_tells_14_lies_during_vp_debate
While I understand that both sides will make mistakes, “14″ seems like and awful big number.
Regardless of his emotional display, is emotion or being right the whole point to these debates?
I feel sorry for anyone who is actually not intelligent enough to see through the McCain-Palin craziness. They are so completely out of touch with what we need in this country. MM-you’re clueless if you think those two will do anything remotely close to helping you or me.
wow, the level of incompetence on display vis-a-vis a few comments here is astounding! marxism? dear lord “matthew moore” – i would gander to say that you have utterly no idea what marxism means altogether, in either word or actual function. if you did you wouldn’t have bothered posting your useless twoddle anywhere. and “intrigued”? you’ve cited townhall.com as a source of actual information? seriously? well, for f*$k’s sake, why not just make stuff up. it’s equally valid for you to do so, and of similar consequence.
utter t***, the both of you.
Joe Biden did the same choking up over the poignancy of his children’s situation about a month ago at a rally near Pittsburgh. Someone had given his sons a Steeler football while they were in traction in the hospital. He was praising the Rooney family, owners of the Steelers. Let me say that I am for Obama and Biden, and I lost a child last December, so I know the way he feels. However, I feel that just a little of the angst had been used before to good response and brought back during the debate. I don’t doubt the tears were sincere. Something to think about though. I also was apalled at Palin hauling her little baby around like Britney Spears. The little one should have been in his crib sound asleep at that hour.
Jane, I’m so sorry for your loss. Parents are not meant to outlive their children, and I can’t know how you feel, but you have my empathy.
I too heard Biden shed a tear talking about the generosity of the Rooney family; I don’t doubt the tears were genuine then and at the debate, but of course it didn’t hurt his cause.
I appreciate your comment on little Trig Palin. Every time I see him out and about late at night, under the bright lights, way past his bedtime, I’m concerned. Most parents with an infant under the age of one try to keep their schedules regular; no baby likes too much stimulation, especially not a special needs baby. He needs his rest and being passed from person to person can’t be soothing to him. Seems like they don’t have his best interests at heart.
When Palin made her first public appearance after being tapped by McCain, she said Trig was being cared for by Bristol and that’s why both were absent. Maybe they should revisit that decision for the remainder of the campaign…
I was very disappointed that Sarah Palin even mentioned Joe Biden’s personal life and past events in her argument for education. As far as I am aware, Biden made no mention of Palin’s personal life. Though I am sure Palin did not mean any harm, it was an inappropriate and unnecessary statement. I also feel that the hockey mom without health insurance as an argument for understanding America’s current struggles was not a very good point. At least Biden acknowledged that while he came from a difficult background, he is well off now. Palin was trying to sound like she was struggling right along with every American, when she clearly is not.
And as far as the 14 “lies” Biden said are concerned, Palin made factual errors as well.
“In the post-debate analysis of how the candidates did, this small exchange will most likely be ignored.”
Linda, happily it looks like you’re wrong about this. This moment in the debate is getting a LOT of attention, both Biden’s poignant moment, and Palin’s plastic, impervious response. I suspect that we’ll look back on this as her “Dukakis moment”. Who would have thought that it would be Biden that came away looking like the authentic one?
The way that woman shamelessly uses her family to promote herself while at the same time declaring that they are ‘off limits’ says it all to me. And where in the world is Trig’s birth certificate, anyway ?
I live in Fairbanks and have been following this saga since Sarah posed for Vogue last december, i remember thinking “isn’t she supposed to be running the state ?” and then in march we learn she’s pregnant but flying all over hither and yon while hubby races across the state at 100 mph and nearly breaks his neck (ends up just being his arm) in the process and then lo and behold baby is born a month early in april following the insane flight home so that
‘this little fish picker will be born in alaska’ (daddy todd’s words)
The image this woman is capable of projecting, independent of the facts of her life, is both astounding and extremely scary. I still do not think that Trig is her baby (partly based on eyewitness reports of sarah shortly before and shortly after ‘delivery’) and the thought that she is getting away with this apalls me. At the risk of being
accused of ‘gutter journalism’, i really wish someone would follow this story to its logical conclusion.
First, Homer, be nice, and irina, 6th grade mentality, inquiring minds want to know, shame. this cr*p is not necessary.
womenissues, maybe a call to CPS to make sure Trig gets proper sleep. Geeeze you all, give this stuff a break, and on to the real issues.
Biden and Palin each held their own given who they are and their responses.
Bottom line, we will vote for who we will vote for no matter what is said, and by now most have their minds made up. By the way, CNN has obama 250 and McCain 189 delegates, so go figure. Just like Ms Hillary by their numbers, Obama is elected!!!
I listened to the debate…. seems to me the author of this article is trying to blame Sarah Palin for Biden being human? Otherwise, there is nothing to write about. She was talking about teachers not doing it for the money…. he was talking about something completely different. To link the two together is really a reach and exposes the authors hatred of Palin. I, for one, am not suprised at the medias bias…..