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I think the biggest challenge facing the Obama re-election campaign crew these next few months may not be what everything thinks it will be: finding a way to distract the electorate to the sorry state of the economy under Obama. I think it may actually be finding a way to keep Vice President Joe Biden away from a microphone. The list of gaffes has become too long in recent years to keep track of (though Jonah Goldberg’s annihilation of Biden’s “intellect” and “gravitas” in his recent book is as good – and hilarious – an attempt as any I’ve seen), but they seem to be causing the administration bigger and bigger headaches, even on policy matters.
If you haven’t heard the latest, Biden managed to put together a speech to college kids that both insults previous generations of Americans, unnecessarily declares the greatness of an unproven generation, fails grammatically, and slips on a fairly touchy policy subject. Behold:
Joe Biden is known for his memorable gaffes on the campaign trail, having recently called Mitt Romney “President Romney,“ and famously telling a man in a wheelchair to ”stand up…let ‘em see ya.”
And while the most recent slip isn’t quite as cringe-worthy, it is certainly indicative of how drastically perceptions have changed in recent years.
Speaking with uncharacteristic solemnity to a group of college students, Biden asserted that they were the most incredible generation of Americans, ever.
“Your generation and the 9/11 generation before you are the most incredible group of Americans we have ever, ever, ever produced,” he said.
“You volunteer more than my vaulted generation in the ‘60’s...” he said, before praising those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He continued: “Folks...your generation is on the cusp of the most incredible change in world history, not because of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, but because of the time in which you live. Your generation is going to live through us being able to make solar energy as cheap as gas–or coal, excuse me, coal” [Emphasis added].
Apparently, Glenn Beck is touting the theory that Biden was heavily medicated when he gave this speech. I suppose that’s possible. But it doesn’t excuse the presumptuous nature of ripping away the title of our greatest generation from our Founding revolutionaries, the undaunted pioneers, the courageous Civil War era Americans, the industrial and inventing giants, the World War(s) generation...and handing the title to a group of kids who have yet to prove whether they will – like their parents – simply rest on the blessings of liberty that others have given to them, rather than demonstrate the resolve to preserve even greater blessings to the generations that will follow.
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That, to me, was the worst part of the speech.
But along with that, you gotta love Biden’s goof, referencing how solar energy will soon be “as cheap as gas – or coal, excuse me, coal.” Well of course it will be, Mr. Veep. Not because of the innovation of this youngest generation, but because of the foolishness of you and “Barack America” (the famous gaffe name that Biden slapped on Obama his first time introducing him as his running mate). With your policies jacking up gas prices through the roof and with a president who promised to bankrupt the coal industry because of how expensive it would be to produce under his cap and trade scheme, solar energy (no matter how many times government subsidies fail to keep it from going belly up) will eventually be as cheap.
