Why is Biden is so... rough?

[Colobo]

He made a nasty analogy about Governor Richardson's gubernatorial experience, saying that to compare his ability to run a state to his ability to run a country was like a high school quarterback trying to play with the pros.

What the hell is that?

[radiclib]

1. It's just a jackass..

..being a jackass.

[Ninja Jordan]

2. He is so...the next Secretary of State.

[ginchinchili]

3. Because this is not a task for dandylions

We need someone who can be rough. You think Biden is rough. Did you happen to catch Giuliani's speech at the Republican Convention in 2004? We need someone who can play some serious hardball.

[Colobo]

5. I remember Giuliani's speech back in 04.

I was a Republican then. I know their "tough talk".

[jillan]

4. I haven't seen it yet - but if Richardson runs this country like he

runs New Mexico - we are all in trouble.

Besides - Presidential campaigns get ugly.
Remember when Kerry said Edwards was still in diapers when he was in Nam to shut him up.
He then chose him as his running mate.

[ginchinchili]

8. Exactly. There's no avoiding the rough stuff.

How a candidate deals with it, both as a giver and a receiver, goes a long way in determining whether he or she makes the grade.

[daninthemoon]

6. It's poker. Hammer the weaker player and narrow the field. It was

pretty uncomfortable to watch, though. I would like to see more dem on rethug violence in these debates. I know they gotta win the primary first, but we all stand so much closer together and apart from them, and the stakes are so great. And like Dodd pointed out, we shouldn't be talkin about dealing with the troops after the election, we gotta get em out now. Even in this primary contest, there are some things we gotta stand together on to try to accomplish.

[Colobo]

7. True.

[daninthemoon]

9. Do you know why Obama wasn't there?

[Colobo]

10. Rally in Atlanta, and he is not participating in forums that aren't sponsored

by the DNC.

[demommom]

16. He did not even say it in a mean or nasty way,

[Warpy]

11. My guess is that Biden was overtired and caught with his guard down

because nastiness like that is pure death to anyone's campaign.

Biden should know better and usually does.

[PatSeg]

12. That is a tad rough, but nothing compared

to Edwards' attacks on Hillary. I guess we've reached this stretch of the race and it is inevitable that such remarks will surface.

Both Biden's and Edwards' remarks are valid though.

[demommom]

13. Don't you think you are overreacting to what he said.?

There was nothing nasty about it. You seem to have a problem with everything Joe said tonight, I wonder why? Personally I thought he did very well. Richardson has been picking at Joe in previous debates,tonight
Joe returned the favor. I totally disagree that he is "rough"or a "pompous ass."

[Colobo]

15. Joe is the most prepared candidate of the bunch for the job.

I admit it without problems. It's just that he tends to say things in ways that don't come across very well, and that comment against Richardson came across as arrogant. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.

[demommom]

17. You did not notice before he said that that Richardson had been

attacking whatever the others said and always with As a Governor I have .... Didn't see or hear that?

[Colobo]

18. Richardson has been answering all questions with "As a Governor" since April.

Not really as an attack, but because that's his presentation card.

[jillan]

14. This is from an Iowa blog -

The candidates played it safe until Joe Biden took off the gloves and told Bill Richardson that being a Governor of small state and saying you can do the same things as president is like saying you can play in the NFL because you played running in high school. Richardson also had questioned Hillary Clinton’s and John Edwards’s ability to bring people together to get health care legislation passed. Biden was able to make these comments without seeming like he was attacking the others. Biden kept in line with his reputation of telling like it is when he brought up campaign finance reform as the best way to limit the influence of special interests.

==========================

Did you forget to mention that Richardson was on the attack as well?

http://commoniowan.blogspot.com/2007/09/biden-and-edwards-stand-out-at-aarp.html

They talk about Obama's absence there if you're interested.

[demommom]

19. Thanks, Pirhana for posting that.

I was beginning to think I had seen a different forum.

[PatSeg]

20. Thanks Pirhana

for the link. I missed the debate. Maybe I can catch it later online.

[rufus dog]

21. he is just an arrogant egotistical prick

But I like him sometimes. If you are a sports fan think Danny Ainge, Charles Barkley, Deonn Sanders, Randy Moss. If they aren't on your team they are fucking dicks, even when they are on your team they sometimes annoy you. But it is often very good to have them on your team.

[ginchinchili]

22. Americans have short memories

The Democrats played nice during their Convention in 2004 while the Republicans ran Kerry through the meat grinder. It made my blood curdle. When you get hit, you have to hit back and do so harder and more effectively. We need someone tough and someone who can slap his opponents down with the truth. Biden tells it like it is better than any candidate running, Democrat or Republican.

But his comment to Richardson was fair. If you're looking to see whether or not a candidate steps over the politeness line, then I'd suggest that the ability to do so in a fair, accurate, but effective way is a plus, not a minus. Biden can do that and is in the best position to do it and pull it off. His experience gives him a longer reach than the other candidates. Joe Biden has the attributes to win. He can take it and he can dish it out.