Biden: Voters "having a difficult time" electing first African American president

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Biden: Voters "having a difficult time" electing first African American president

October 19, 2008 6:30 AM

ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: As Election Day looms just over two weeks away, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said Saturday that with Republicans firing "vicious" and "dangerous" attacks at Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., voters are "having a difficult time" opting for the man who would become the nation's first African American president.

"Undecided people are having a difficult time just culturally making the change, making the move for the first African American president in the history of the United States of America," the Democratic vice-presidential nominee said at a San Francisco fundraiser Saturday evening. "So we need to respond. We need to respond at the moment, immediately, not wait, not hang around, not assume any of this won't stick."

"You see these vicious attacks on Barack's character," Biden told supporters. "I mean, this is dangerous stuff these guys are doing. This stuff is on the edge. It's on the edge. You know, there's some folks out there in the community nationwide that aren't as stable as others. It's a very small minority. But having these rallies where people are showing up saying, you know, the things they're saying - I don't even want to repeat them -- it's not a healthy thing."

Biden cited automated GOP calls describing Obama as having "worked closely" with "domestic terrorist Bill Ayers", Virginia Republican Party chairman Jeff Frederick telling volunteers to tie Obama to Osama bin Laden, and speakers at Republican rallies referring to Barack Hussein Obama.

The six-term senator promised that Democrats would not get "banged around" like they were in 2004 when Republicans "did a hell of a good job" portraying Democratic nominee John Kerry as a "coward".

"I am so sick and tired of being, of us being banged around that they are going to have to beat me with a stick before we are going to break down," he said.

Biden hit the Bay Area for three fundraisers Saturday, helping rake in an estimated $2.2 million for the campaign. At his second event of the day, in Piedmont, Biden predicted that the ticket will experience a drop in polls this week.

"Mark my words, you're going to see these polls drop this week," Biden forecasted. "We got a bump. We're going to be in good shape. You're going to see them drop. There's nothing automatic about this at all."

In the state where former Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, an African American, lost the 1982 gubernatorial race after exit polls showed him leading by a wide margin, Biden attempted to assuage concerns that Sen. Barack Obama would suffer a similar fate by noting that Democrats had "the most incredible field organization in the history of American politics".

"It costs tens of millions of dollars to do this," noted Biden. "And that's our secret weapon. That is our equalizer to when anybody talks about the Bradley effect. This is the ultimate equalizer."

Still, Biden cautioned that Obama has a tough task ahead of him in southern states such as Virginia and North Carolina, reminding supporters that Harold Ford Jr. was leading his 2006 Senate race in Tennessee before ultimately falling short.

"We're ahead in Virginia, but the idea that we'd have a lead like they're saying we have -- we haven't won that state in over 40 years," Biden said. "We're leading in that state with an African-American of incredible capacity. We're leading in North Carolina. But you also saw how we were ahead in Tennessee with a brilliant young senator last time out who was an African-American."

But Biden boasted that Obama has the capacity to withstand GOP attacks and win the White House.

"Barack Obama communicates an absolute sense and certainty that is the most typical American instinct that there is," Biden said. "That we do not have to accept circumstances as we find them. That it is totally, thoroughly within our capacity to change our circumstance. That's why he touched those people helping feed us tonight. That's why he touched all those white and black folks around the country. The African American population in my state and in South Carolina, and the white population in the state of Iowa. Because he means what he says. It's not about black or white. It's not about - it is about all being Americans."

The Delaware lawmaker noted how far the country has come to now be on the brink of possibly electing an African American president.

"I got started in the civil rights movement as a young kid in a state that had been segregated by law with the eighth largest black population in America, as a percent of population," Biden said. "And I never thought, but I prayed I'd live to see the day, when -- and I never thought I could be part of it - a part of seeing to it that we for the first and significant, fundamentally significant way, put a lot of that past behind us and began to unite the nation."

October 19, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (334)

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The real problem is that Joe Biden is right. I personally know people that will not vote for Obama because he is black. They never get as far as issues, leadership and character. Their mind is so skewed by the color of Barack's skin that everything else is filtered through that lens and is seen as negative.

Posted by: BobC | Oct 19, 2008 8:56:15 AM

FM: Your Grandma is right, and she's a good person - whoever she votes for! My mum (now deceased) grew up during the war years and was kind to a couple of young black brothers who didn't get well treated by the other kids. Years later, she saw a young, black man walking towards her with a woman, and he was looking at her and smiling. She thought,"Who's this black man, why's he smiling at me?" and then he got closer and he grabbed her and hugged her. He introduced her to his wife. Of course, she remembered now that he was one of the brothers she'd known as a child. He was so happy to see her, said how well she'd treated him and how he never forgot her. She told me she always felt bad afterwards about her initial thoughts on seeing this black man walking towards her. "Why's he looking at me?" She was ashamed. And she always said to me, "You never judge a person by the colour of his skin. Judge him by his character." I'm proud of my Mum - you're right to be proud of your Grandma. Should be more like 'em.

Posted by: chester burns | Oct 19, 2008 8:56:29 AM

Can folks try to put the race aside.
McCain represents the best of the
past, and Obama the best of the
future.

Posted by: FM | Oct 19, 2008 8:58:57 AM

"" My GrandMma made me the happiest person
this morning. She said after
watching the huge crowd greeted
Obama in St. Louis yesterday, she will
now vote for him.
She said a person is the person
regardless of the color. She now thinks
Obama is for the job."""

You should have taken your grandma to the million men march by Louis Farraakhan. Maybe she will like to vote for President Farrakhan

Posted by: vs | Oct 19, 2008 9:01:49 AM

FACT: "Palestinians contributed $30,000 to Obama" Don't even try to dispute this , you Obama freaks

Posted by: vs | Oct 19, 2008 9:03:28 AM

Biden keeps saying the race keeps the whites from voting for Obama.

Why does he say this?

To pressure whites into voting for Obama.

Sorry, Biden.

It's not about race.

It's about leadership (lack thereof), integrity (ditto), personality (flawed), associations (ditto), wed to big money (clearly).

That's why intelligent, understanding, patriotic voters will vote McCain/Palin.

Posted by: Canber | Oct 19, 2008 9:05:54 AM

FM,

How is Obama the "best of the future"? I don't know about you, but I'm not fond of socialism, which however you try to slice it, is what Obama is plain and simple.

The one thing that has turned me off considerably about Obama is he tries to hide his true political ideology. He should just be open about it and let the people decide if they buy into that view.

Make no mistake, Obama is the most socialist candidate this country has ever had. It's in his intellectual upbringing. It's reflected in his association. It's reflected in his voting record (as meager as it is). It's reflected in his rhetoric (most recently, "spreading the wealthy").

If we want to have a debate about whether this country should turn toward socialism, by all means let's do so. But let's not try to hide our true political colors - it's dishonest.

Posted by: ja | Oct 19, 2008 9:06:14 AM

1. Obama buys media.
2. Media says nice things about Obama.
3. People believe media.
4. People donate money to Obama.
1. Obama buys media.
2. Media says nice things about Obama.
3. People believe media.
4. People donate money to Obama.
1. Obama buys media.
2. Media says nice things about Obama.
3. People believe media.
4. People donate money to Obama.
1. Obama buys media.
2. Media says nice things about Obama.
3. People believe media.
4. People donate money to Obama.

Uhhhhhh.... see a pattern here?

Some of us aren't so stupid to fall into this trap.

But the rest of you apparently are.

I'll vote for real change instead.

Posted by: Dave | Oct 19, 2008 9:06:59 AM

Get used to giving your money to Obama.
There will be a LOT more of that if he is elected!

Posted by: Michelle | Oct 19, 2008 9:08:22 AM

vs, where did you get your "facts" from? the republican news?....

Posted by: matt l. | Oct 19, 2008 9:09:03 AM

GAVE AROTHER 100 YESTERDAY--SO DID MY SON.

Posted by: rodney | Oct 19, 2008 9:09:54 AM

YES MR MCCAIN.

Posted by: rodney | Oct 19, 2008 9:11:15 AM

MCCAIN WILL PAY MORE TAXES ON OBAMAS PLAN----

Posted by: rodney | Oct 19, 2008 9:12:20 AM

I gave Obama $7,000 in drug money!!!

Here's how you do it. Just keep giving it $100 at a time so they don't ask for your info.

Average donation under $85 bucks. Get it? I'm telling you it works.

Obama my man!
I'll get you another 10 G homey!

Posted by: Daryle | Oct 19, 2008 9:15:31 AM

MCCAINS INCOME LAST YEAR 5 MILLION---WOW THAT AINT CHICKEN FEED .

Posted by: rodney | Oct 19, 2008 9:15:42 AM

The millionaires aren't worried.
Obama will take care of his peeps.
Remember, he's one of them.

-------------------------------

Warren Buffet = opportunist.

Warren buys stocks.
Warren tells us he's buying stocks.
We all rush to emulate Warren.
Stock prices rise b/c we buy in.
Warren makes the big bucks.

The guy increased his wealth by $8 billion while the rest of America lost half of their pensions.

He and the other financiers of Wall Street know that Obama's socialism will decimate the middle class, but the UPPER CLASS will survive just fine.

Just watch and see. There will be NO true tax increase for the wealthy under Obama. He'll make loop-holes out the wazzooooooo.

But middle class Americans will be broken for decades.

Yes, broken. And broke.

Posted by: Mr. Dark | Oct 19, 2008 9:16:53 AM

Michelle, after Palin it might take another 25 yrs. she's an idiot....

Posted by: matt l. | Oct 19, 2008 9:16:58 AM

WONDER HOW THE SONGBIRD OF HANOI FEELS NOW THAT HE IS TAKING A TROUNCING.

Posted by: rodney | Oct 19, 2008 9:17:07 AM

What surprises me the most is that people on these blogs know how to use the computer and they don't check out the facts in more than one place, also haven't they listened to the debates, so many questions answered and they still say the same stupid things. Peoples truth is what they want it to be regardless of the facts. Sad for this country and sadder for the innocent people. God bless America

Posted by: SmileAlready | Oct 19, 2008 9:18:15 AM

RDF, Yes we will win North Carolina. EARLY VOTING RESULTS OVERWHELMINGLY FAVOR OBAMA! Across the state, Democrats showed the most first-day enthusiasm. Of the nearly 114,000 first-day voters, 64 percent were Democrats, 21 percent Republicans and 15 percent were unaffiliated.

Posted by: peoples_prez | Oct 19, 2008 9:19:06 AM

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