Vice President Joe Biden probably has been the punchline more often than he’s delivered one during the more than seven years of the Obama-Biden administration.
But now, many are taking him seriously, including Hillary Clinton, major Democratic fundraisers and a veteran researcher and author who’s been following the gaffe-prone politician for years.
Mike Towle, a former Army officer, newsman and author of more than 15 books, has chronicled Biden’s most outrageous statements, blunders and bloopers in his newest work, “Biden Time: Crazy Uncle Joe In His Own Words,” published by WND Books.
Not only are the best quotes in the book, it’s filled with QR codes to take readers directly to the online videos.
And Towle suggests Biden should not be underestimated, misstatements included.
“Biden is custom built for the soundbite-driven modern media,” he told WND. “He loves the sound of his own voice, he’s always got a quote, and he’s completely unpredictable.
“A Joe Biden press conference is like the local stock-car race – you go there eager to watch, knowing at any time there will be a crash, or in Biden’s case, a verbal stubbed toe. Or it’s like going to a hockey game – you can’t wait for the next fight to break out. With a Biden presser, you can’t wait for the next gaffe to tumble out of his mouth.”
Biden has been sending conflicting signals about whether he will run for the nation’s highest office.
Having recently lost his son to cancer, Biden told fellow Democrats he may be too emotionally “banged up” for a campaign.
But Democrats who support Hillary Clinton, including former President Bill Clinton, are deeply worried about a Biden candidacy. Bill Clinton reportedly was “incensed” by the potential for Biden to derail Hillary Clinton’s already struggling campaign.
The New York Times reported former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who has already endorsed Hillary, is personally urging Biden not to run.
Towle says they are right to be afraid and suggests Biden’s ability to put his foot in his mouth could actually prove to be an asset in this unusual campaign season.
“If there’s anything we’ve learned from the campaign season so far, it’s that people are hungry for authenticity and observations that are not only unrehearsed, but sound like they are coming from outside the Beltway.
“Donald Trump is giving that to us now, and Biden has the politically incorrect chops buried inside of him ready to pop out at any moment. He’s a walking, talking disaster at times. A Trump-Biden debate, if we get that far with those two guys, would be a debate for the ages,” he said.
There’s new evidence suggesting Towle is right about Biden’s appeal. A recent poll finds Biden has a higher favorability rating than Hillary Clinton and is more competitive than the Democratic front-runner when put up against leading Republicans.
President Obama has also reportedly given his subordinate his presidential “blessing” to replace him in the Oval Office.
Towle thinks a Biden candidacy is going to happen.
“Biden definitely looks like he is going to run,” Towle said. “I’ve been hearing he is supposed to be meeting with some big-money people soon, if he hasn’t already. He’s starting to put together his political machine. So it looks like it’s actually going to happen.”
More importantly, Towle judges Biden may have a better chance at winning the nomination than many political experts expect.
“Biden would give the Democratic race a fresh face, albeit a familiar one, and give it some of the spark sorely lacking with Hillary Clinton’s campaign on life support,” Towle said. “Bernie Sanders is getting the big turnouts but is still seeking a Daddy Warbucks to help out with his war chest.”
Indeed, Towle believes the most obvious comparison to Biden is the current Republican front-runner – Donald Trump.
Like Biden, Trump also has a long history of outrageous statements, most of which have resulted in fierce media criticism, such as Trump’s current war of words with Univision’s Jorge Ramos.
A Biden candidacy, observes Towle, would show the nation how biased the media really is.
“In Trump’s case, you’ve got the media hanging on every word,” says Towle. “At the same time, they are always looking to criticize him.
“Much of the media has been jumping all over Trump for his controversial comments about Mexican immigrants and building big walls on the border. Fine. But let’s see if the folks criticizing Trump will play fair and hammer away at Biden when he says dumb, clueless or offensive things. And he will, almost guaranteed. Uncle Joe as Uncle Joe-ker.”
Towle’s book chronicles some of Biden’s greatest hits, including:
- “A man I’m proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next president of the United States – Barack America!” (Biden, at his first campaign rally with Barack Obama.)
- “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. … I’m not joking.” (Biden, in a private remark to an Indian-American man.)
- “Stand up, Chuck, let ’em see ya.” (Biden, in a public speech, to Missouri state senator Chuck Graham, who is confined to a wheelchair.)
- “If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there’s still a 30 percent chance we’re going to get it wrong.” (Biden, speaking to members of the House Democratic Caucus.)
Then there’s probably the best: “Folks, I can tell you I’ve known eight presidents, three of them intimately.”
“This book simply couldn’t be more relevant than it is right now,” Towle said. “I hope it is a resource for activists, politically interested Americans and even those in the media who want a go-to source for Biden’s best quotes.”
Towle hopes for another Biden presidential campaign, if for no other reason than it will provide him with plenty of new material.
“The great part about a collection of Joe Biden quotations is that there’s not just his top 15 or 20, there’s hundreds in this book. We may have to put out a revised edition someday; you know he’ll create plenty of fresh, bone-headed material over the next six months.”
