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Biden Chokes Up About Delaware Supporters
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ShareAugust 26, 2008 12:25 PM
ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: Barack Obama's vice presidential nominee, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, got visibly choked up this morning describing his gratitude to his home state followers for their long-standing support.
"Look, I can go around the room and name every single one of you, and people, you've been with me for so long," said Biden at a breakfast in Littleton, Colo., with the Delaware delegation. "I just want you to know that, you know, this is a great honor. This is a great honor being nominated vice president of the United States. And it is an honor. And I'm proud of it. I don't mean in any way to diminish it. But it pales in comparison to the honor that I've had representing you. You know, I look -- I look -- I look at -- I apologize for getting a little emotional."
Biden's eyes welled with tears and he paused, stepping away from the microphone as the delegation applauded.
The senator thanked his supporters for helping him persevere through the tough times in his life.
"I didn't always comport myself the way, looking back, I want to, when bad things happened to me, when tragedy hit me like it hit many of you," he said.
His Delaware fans, Biden said, helped him persist.
"But the thing I got to say to you all, it's a corny sounding thing. And the press, the national press is here now, I suspect they're not going to -- I don't care what they think. I don't know what they're going to think. I wish we could have done this in private, because, you know, I don't know whether I would have made it through a lot of the tough times in my life without you guys."
"I mean it sincerely," Biden continued. "I'm not gonna start naming people, but there've been people in this room who, when the significant events of my life occurred, were literally knocking on my door, were bringing, you know, you know, you know, a roasted chicken to the house, because you knew things were so messed up, no one was able to think about eating. There were people who were there, I could go around the room, and a lot of people aren't here in this room, would just come by, pick up the boys and they'd take them. Take them to everything from the beach to the amusement park."
Biden lost his first wife and daughter in a car accident within his first year of being elected to the Senate 36 years ago. Then, in 1988, Biden had surgery on two aneurysms after he ended a losing presidential campaign.
"This is a big deal," Biden said Tuesday. "You're a big deal. The Democratic Party's been my home. The Delaware Democratic Party has been my family."
The senator also raved about Michelle Obama's speech Monday night, calling it the most significant moment from this convention. He said it would surpass even Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy's appearance last night, and Barack Obama's upcoming remarks on Thursday evening at Invesco Field.
"Wasn't that the most incredible speech you've ever heard?" Biden asked. "Mark my words, mark my words, when this convention is over, and three or four years from now they're commenting on why the Democrats won, they're gonna go back and point to the single most significant event that occurred at the Democratic Convention was Michelle Obama. Not Barack Obama, not Joe Biden, not Ted Kennedy, but Michelle Obama's speech. She gave a window to the American people into who she is, and what she is, and what really goes through her brain. And it was absolutely just incredible, and I promise you, it's real."
Immediately following the speech last night, Biden remarked, "I don't want to make a speech after that!"
Then, as he left the Pepsi Center, he said, "This woman is gonna be the finest first lady this country has ever had. She is incredible."
At breakfast this morning, Biden was accompanied by family members, including his wife Jill, sons Beau and Hunter, daughter Ashley, and others.
Of course, the Democratic running mate would have been remiss today to not mention the other half of his party's ticket, and praised Obama as someone who's "going to transform the world."
"This guy's got it," Biden said of the prospective Democratic presidential nominee. "He’s going to make you proud, and I am honored to be part of making sure, helping to make sure, I hope, that the first African-American, the first guy who looks at things from a perspective like no one I've worked with -- and I've been around a long time -- gets to be president of the United States. Because he'll not only transform the country, he's going to transform the world. And I'm glad to be on the trip with him."
August 26, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (159)
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It was said that Zero-bama has a problem with working class people. He should "take" this for his next 70 days.
Unite Workers of the World!
Change We Can Believe In!
There is a Change of order in the first place, and there is a Change of Change from Revolution in the second piece. So, they are not exactly plagiarism from Karl Marx and Mao Zedong.
Posted by: lazy to think | Aug 26, 2008 12:33:14 PM
OMG...A Vice-President everyone can count on when times get tough....A Vice-President who will not break down in times of stress....Obama's first major decision, Biden. So what do you think???
Posted by: CuriousIndep | Aug 26, 2008 12:47:57 PM
Go Obama/Biden '08!!
Posted by: RuthieM | Aug 26, 2008 12:50:34 PM
Biden should be topping this ticket, not Obama.
Posted by: JA | Aug 26, 2008 12:51:08 PM
OBAMA/BIDEN 08 ALL THE WAY TO THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: angie | Aug 26, 2008 12:53:53 PM
Wonder if Biden got all choked up when he thought about the thousands of service men and women he sent to their graves by pushing the Iraq War.
Posted by: JA | Aug 26, 2008 12:56:05 PM
I'm reasonably sure that Biden, as Vp will not shoot people in the face, out the occasional CIA asset, nor funnel BILLIONS of dollars into a corporation that he used to work for.
Posted by: louis | Aug 26, 2008 12:57:19 PM
Probably not...
Posted by: CuriousIndep | Aug 26, 2008 1:00:39 PM
Angie, your posts are the most consistently stupid I've ever read. You sound like you're about sixteen years old. Can't you post something without 50 exclamation points behind it? You sound like you're trying to convince yourself more than anyone else.
Posted by: JB in St. Louis | Aug 26, 2008 1:01:35 PM
Joe Biden the only way Michelle Obama
will become first lady is if she
becomes an actress and plays one
in the movies! Get Real!
Posted by: reaganfan | Aug 26, 2008 1:02:06 PM
I think everyone agrees Michelle's speech was sort of luke warm and it was a wasted evening at the convention. If Biden is blown away with that, wonder how his own speech will fall short?
Funny OBAMA WASN'T THE GUY READY TO LEAD, AS WE'VE ALL HEARD IN HIS OWN VOICE.....NEVER HEARD ROMNEY SAY THAT ABOUT McCAIN.
I like Biden, but he can't make up for Obama's holes. And you have to wonder for a 65 year old guy whose net worth is $150,000, how in the world does he know anything about money/economy?
LOVE HILLARY, LIKE BIDEN, HATE OBAMA FOR PREZ.
John Sydney never Barack Hussein
Posted by: Debra | Aug 26, 2008 1:09:56 PM
My 25 year old and her boyfriend made the statement after Michelle Obama spoke last night that she could run for president someday. They really praised on well she did. She was very emotional and they could tell it come from her heart.
Posted by: beck | Aug 26, 2008 1:12:06 PM
Debra: Most of you people our out of touch with reality. Biden only makes what we pay him. $150,000. He chose not to take money from lobbiest and stay in line for the american people.
Posted by: beck | Aug 26, 2008 1:14:59 PM
Before Obama picked Biden I thought
Hillary was the only viable choice, but
after reading David Brook's piece in the NYT I realize what a good decision
Barack made here.
For the folks who imagine that Biden should be on top of the ticket. They must have a weak and fading memory, like McCain, not to recall that Biden had a really poor showing in Iowa earlier this year. That's why he dropped out of the race.
Speaking of McCain, did you see that
R4epublican ad that Obama plans to raise taxes? It's full of lies, I want to see Biden jump all over McCasin for it.
Yes, McCain has sold out to the Right Wing of the Republican Party. The dim old Bush hugging fool wants to TAX Health Care benefits. I am thinking of my pocketbook, my wife and I will be WAY better off with a Democratic Administration. I figure that most other folks will be better off with a Democratic Administration too.
republican ad that claims th
Posted by: Bill in NC | Aug 26, 2008 1:15:42 PM
Vanessa,
Actually, McCain DID choke up. LOL!!
Posted by: JA | Aug 26, 2008 1:18:28 PM
Biden makes Ed Muskie look like Clinton Eastwood. The DNC is going to nominate two girlie men.
Posted by: geevill | Aug 26, 2008 1:26:06 PM
Now I must check if Jake wrote a blog about Biden playing the accident "card".
Posted by: geevill | Aug 26, 2008 1:27:06 PM
I will not vote for Obama. I like Biden but he is not running for president. All Biden does is illuminate Obama's failings and shallow nature.
Obama is going to lose. He might have won if he had picked Hillary. I still would not have voted for him but many other Hillary supporters would have been ok with it.
Posted by: Hillary2012 | Aug 26, 2008 1:30:53 PM
McCain is up 46 to 44 day after first day of convention...but they will probably get that double digit bounce when Oprah gives out free cars to everyone on Thursday.
HILLARY SUPPORTER FOR McCAIN!
Posted by: Debra | Aug 26, 2008 1:31:03 PM
NO ONE VOTES BOTTOM OF THE TICKET, EVER.
SO OBAMA STILL LOSES.
Posted by: Debra | Aug 26, 2008 1:34:12 PM
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