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Oh, That Joe! (No. 22 in a Series) -- Biden and the "Real" Hockey Mom
September 28, 2008 3:03 PM
This coming Thursday night in St. Louis, Mo., Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., will do battle with hockey mom and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in their first and only vice-presidential debate.
But in Hockeytown, USA, Sunday, Biden found a "real hockey mom" when he was introduced by Denise Ilitch, former president of Ilitch Holdings, which manages the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.
"There’s been an awful lot of talk, at least in my territory, about hockey moms this election," Biden said at a rally in downtown Detroit. "Well, you just heard from the first lady of hockey, Denise. That’s a real hockey mom."
Following her introduction, Ilitch presented Red Wings jerseys to Biden and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. and their wives, Jill and Michelle, respectively.
"Thanks for the jerseys," Biden said. "You know, I love being here in a city where you call your athletic arena, 'The Joe'," said avid sports fan Biden of the Red Wings’ Joe Louis Arena. "I like that. I like that a lot."
The Motor City crowd -- 28,000-strong -- roared its approval, as the loquacious Blue Hen continued with the sports references, bragging that if Friday’s debate between Obama and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had been a boxing match in Detroit, the Democrat would have been the clear victor.
"If last Friday night’s debate had taken place in the Joe Louis Arena," Biden continued. "It would have been a unanimous decision."
Minutes later, the crowd started a loud, "Lets' go Joe!" chant, prompting Biden to step away from the podium and pause momentarily and bask in the Motown lovin'.
-- Matt Jaffe and Jake Tapper
September 28, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (74)
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I do not see what Biden did that can constitute a gaf. In-fact Biden has done a great job going to swing states and campaigning for his team. What's Palin done? Oh yeah, she's still in Alaska. Last time I checked that wasn't an important swing state. Of course the people of Alaska are so tired of Palin and McCain that it would not shock me if Alaska went blue this year. I'd take Joe Biden of Palin any day of the week.
Posted by: Rick | Sep 29, 2008 6:05:48 PM
Don't you just love how all of Biden's gaffes' is billed as just "loveable Joe being Joe." The media has been outrageous in doing this. Granted the pressure is huge for Palin and she has not performed well in several instances, but Joe is just Joe, and Sarah is just stupid? Double standard here?
Posted by: kathy | Sep 29, 2008 10:33:57 AM
"I'll see your Bridge to Nowhere (or vote in favor of it anyway), and raise you The Garden That Never Was in Chicago"
Posted by: Lee | Sep 29, 2008 2:23:13 AM
"I'll see your Bridge to Nowhere (or vote in favor of it anyway), and raise you The Garden That Never Was in Chicago"
Posted by: Lee | Sep 29, 2008 2:23:13 AM
In Alaska - There are countless places where you can see Sarah Palin before a national audience - and it doesn't look good. Obama and Palin share some kind of charisma, a few years in politics, and youth. That's about it. One of them went to one of the top schools in the country, came out with honors, and one of them went to 5 college and went on TV. One of them believes that man and dinosaurs walked the earth at the same time. One of them charged women for their own rape kits. One of them proudly introduced the AIP in her own town - have you checked out their website? It talks a lot about home schooling, and a lot about government abuse, and suggests that Alaska keep its oil for itself. It is Ruby Ridege revisited. It is virtually not written in the English language. Todd Palin was a member until very, very recently. Why does Todd Palin hate America so much that he would belong to a party which wants its state to seceed from the union?
Posted by: mara | Sep 29, 2008 1:13:50 AM
Sarah Palin's approval rating is now right about 10%.
Posted by: mara | Sep 29, 2008 1:04:27 AM
Now we know that not only Obama can lead, but also he had a plan for the future of this great country!
Now McCain can snooze tight. Obama can answer the 03.00 am call any time!
Rebublicans can spin like wash machine all day long! The truth is
Senator McCain past actually impairs him from to be flexible and confront the future with open mind. .Senator Obama foreign policy is moderate but also smart. That helps to keep our friends near, and or foes nearer!
Posted by: foreclosure | Sep 29, 2008 12:51:32 AM
What an ostrich and the Republicans have in common? Let me guess!
An ostrich bury its head in the sand and pretend everything is fine.
Republicans do the same and follow McCain!
The Republican ticket!
John McCain (We bomb everything)
Sarah Palin (I can see Russia from my house)
His aged and ambitious
She is young and motivated.
For him is the last chance to be President.
For her the last chance to be his cheerleader.
Their story SPIN, LIES and LIPSTICK
The last two days of the campaign confirmed that McCain -Plain are the most inadequate people to run this country. If Obama was O’Brian and he was white and not black,
He would not have had any trouble winning the election,
Posted by: foreclosure | Sep 29, 2008 12:46:37 AM
Joe Biden was chosen for VP, for his honesty free spirit and his experience!
He’s supposed to make a point when is needed. Sarah Plain was chosen for the position after only one meeting .The decisive factor was only the women’s vote and the prerequisite to be the John McCain cheerleader. She makes only scripted interviews and has very thin Resume. Sarah Plain VP? Thanks but not thanks!
Posted by: foreclosure | Sep 29, 2008 12:44:09 AM
If it's not obvious by now, let me say that Biden is making the "gaffes" on purpose to make Obama look more serious and presidential. Biden is just another democrat propping up their little man-child.
Posted by: S Adams | Sep 28, 2008 11:58:39 PM
Sarah is Obama in a dress...his gaffes are her gaffes...his inexperience is hers as well...his charm, her charm...they are one and the same
Posted by: InAlaska | Sep 28, 2008 11:32:21 PM
i love joe. he's pure awesomeness.
:)
Posted by: mm | Sep 28, 2008 11:06:05 PM
anon,
I disagree. Biden is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing right now. He is working the crowds of blue collar, middle Americans in the battleground states. This is what the Obama campaign needs out of him right now. His job is deliver this voting block for the ticket, and quite honestly, keeping a little distance from Obama might be the best strategy to accomplish this feat. For many, this is going to come down to voting for the team that is the lesser of two evils. Biden is winning them over.
Posted by: Amy T | Sep 28, 2008 10:25:32 PM
Biden may be unceremoniously
dumped from the ticket soon.
He has not been promoting the
Dem ticket and Dem policies.
He has not been shredding McCain,
his poor record, his gimmicks,
stunts, his lack of judgment
in picking Palin, his barrage
of lies, his dishonorable
campaign tactics, false ads,
and a host of other things that
have to be dinned into the heads
of voters. In short, Biden is
not doing what he is supposed
to do.
Obama/Clinton '08
Posted by: anon | Sep 28, 2008 10:06:02 PM
"Palin stills believes man and dinosaurs walked hand in hand together 6000 bc."
Wow. That's strange because I could have sworn they were all in Nancy Pelosi's office all weekend using our money to buy themselves out of jail.
Posted by: len | Sep 28, 2008 10:02:39 PM
Just because mccain was a pow does not mean he should be president. The guy used to have a spine but now is nothing but a flip-flopper and a panderer. He's also an OLD fart. The real straight-talker, John Murtha said that the Presidency is no place for an OLD man. mccain needs to retire with his millionaire wife. (The one he had an affair with after his first wife waited for him to come back from the war.) Obama 2008!!!
Posted by: pt | Sep 28, 2008 9:06:21 PM
Joe...Good thing it was a debate and not a fight, because even at 72 and without being able to lift his arms above his head...I'm pretty sure McCain could pound Nobama in an actual fight..
Posted by: Sports fan in INDY | Sep 28, 2008 8:48:31 PM
I remember when the republicans took Michelle Obama's "Proud of her Country" statement and spun it to mean the opposite. I wonder how they will spin the story about Mr. palin and his membership in the AIP which is an organization that wants Alaska to be separate from the other 49 states. Here's a guy that doesn't want to be part of the USA for Christ-sake. This also tells a lot about mccain's decision making abilities. Obama/Biden 2008!!!
Posted by: pt | Sep 28, 2008 8:46:29 PM
McCain has negotiated a debate format very favorable to Palin. There is limited time for responses which will allow her the one line zingers and sound bites that she delivers well. The questioner is not allowed to ask follow ups and there will be no canditate exchanges. If she manages to not dribble on herself she will blow everyone's expectations out of the water.
Posted by: nina | Sep 28, 2008 8:41:12 PM
Anyone who thinks Sarah Palin is fit to be President because Vladimir Putin flies over her state is a moron.
Posted by: Bob Scofield | Sep 28, 2008 8:38:29 PM
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