Biden Speech Bombs With Philadelphia Firefighters

When Barack Obama and Joe Biden first began campaigning in 2008, their complimentary advantages as candidates were fairly clear – that is, Obama was the candidate who spoke to the young and minority voters (who had, up until that point, been his base) most capably, while Biden was the one who spoke to restive blue collar workers. As a matter of fact, Biden’s constant references to “taking the train” back from Washington were probably intended to demonstrate this supposedly more homespun character.

Yet as Vice President, Biden has shown himself to be prone to gaffes, even in his supposed home turf, a fact that has complicated this otherwise simple division of labor between him and the President. And Biden’s lack of comfort in the public eye, has, at least recently, become increasingly difficult not to notice. For evidence, simply look at his speech today to the International Association of Firefighters in Philadelphia.

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