Columnist Clarence Page wrote how Sarah Palin overshadowed John McCain at the GOP convention, much like the then-unknown Barack Obama did John Kerry in 2004. And he warned Democrats not to, in the words of President Bush, “misunderestimate” Palin.
“Sure, Palin’s experience at national politics is slim to none, and so is the public’s knowledge of her,” Page wrote. “That’s bound to cause headaches for her and McCain’s campaign down the road. But on this night, like Ronald Reagan, she showed how a good speech is more important than an encyclopedic knowledge of world affairs in winning public hearts and minds.”
“Without the extraordinary contribution of liberals — from the mightiest presidents to the most unheralded protesters and organizers — the United States would be a much, much worse place than it is today,” columnist Bob Herbert argued. He then outlined some of these contributions, including civil rights, women’s rights, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, legal services and product, food and workplace safety laws. “It would take volumes to adequately cover the enhancements to the quality of American lives and the greatness of American society that have been wrought by people whose politics were unabashedly liberal,” Herbert wrote. “It is a track record that deserves to be celebrated, not ridiculed or scorned.”
Hard to say whether this ranks among Joe Biden’s best gaffes or comes under the heading of Could Happen to Anyone: During a visit to Columbia, Mo., Biden shouted to one of the assembled Democratic faithful, “Chuck, stand up, let the people see you.” The thing is, Missouri state Sen. Chuck Graham uses a wheelchair. The Democratic vice presidential nominee followed up with, “Oh, God love you. What am I talking about? I’ll tell you what, you’re making everybody else stand up, old pal. I’ll tell you what, everybody else stand up for Chuck. Stand up for Chuck!”
Such awkward moments are bipartisan, though. Recall how President Bush, at a Rose Garden press conference in 2006, teased a reporter who was legally blind with, “Are you going to ask that question with shades on?”
The wheelchair incident was among several suitable for addition to the Republican National Committee’s “Biden gaffe clock”: Wednesday in New Hampshire, he said, “Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me.” And in Florida recently, he referred to “the Biden administration.”
Columnist Clarence Page wrote how Sarah Palin overshadowed John McCain at the GOP convention, much like the then-unknown Barack Obama did John Kerry in 2004. And he warned Democrats not to, in the words of President Bush, “misunderestimate” Palin.
