Biden Gets Choked Up Talking About Family (VIDEO)

Biden gets choked up when talking about the struggles of American families and the trials he himself went through when his wife and young daughter were killed in a car accident.

"The notion that somehow because I am a man I don't know how to raise two kids on my own," he says, "I know what its like to raise a child where you are not sure he's going to make it."

At one point he had to hold back tears, take a breath and compose himself.

On the CNN dials of undecided voters in Ohio, both men and women rated the moment as high as possible.

Watch:

Comments

[AmericanforChange]

This part of the debate was very touching. I shed tears. We have two wonderful men, husbands and fathers to vote for. Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

[OurKoan]

If I had any doubt about Biden (which I didn't), that moment (would have) sealed the deal for me.
I think its a once or twice in a lifetime event to see that kind of real emotion displayed in the public arena, and anyone with a heart could see that was the real deal. I'm a single dad, too, and that moment made me want that man being part of the leadership of my country.

And Palin just stood there and had that idiot grin. No reaction. No acknowledgment that the "folksy mom" even has a heart. That was the most black/white moment of the debate. Sincere compassion ran headlong into unbridled, cold opportunism. The only minute you needed to see to make up your mind on those two.

I am proud--proud of Joe Biden.

[Crumbysmom]

Great post OurKoan!!! I agree totally.

[KRayRPh]

Indeed! I felt the same "defining moment", watching the debate..... not that it met the definition of "debate".

[Openeyes]

I was listening to the debate on my car radio at that point, heading home from work. Even on the radio without the visuals it came across as a very sincere and poignant moment, more so when you think one of his sons (I don't know if it is that one) is now going off to war.

I live on the west coast, so I don't know as much about Biden's tenure in the Senate. I only learned recently about that car accident, but my understanding is that he has not sought to trade on it during his career, unlike Senator "I was a POW." Biden was someone who was truly a single dad, raising his sons himself (not shipping them off to a boarding school for example) while holding office as a Senator. Just learning those facts gave me a much greater respect for him.

[BadgersBite]

Palin didn't have a Tina Fey moment, so I guess she did ok, but she was struggling to keep up. To be totally honest anyone with the small amount of experience she has and the short amount of time she's had to prepair would find it difficult to do as well as she did.

I don't mean to say she won the debate, not by a lonshot, Biden did very well and looked much more comfortable and Vice Presidental, I think he really connected with the undecided voters and thats what he needed to do.

[Yve72]

Yeah, but you know what Tina's skit will be tomorrow. Palin not answering questions and going back to the subject of energy.

[conductrix]

You know, all her posturing and stereotyped caricature of middle America was supposed to earn her likability points. It was engineered to endear America to her...to show that she could relate to us. However, she totally struck out by not having the grace and class enough to say even one tiny thing in sympathy for Joe, not even a half-hearted "I respect you for pulling through adversity." Nothing.

It was a golden opportunity to show her womanness and humanness and compassion, and she blew it. If you watched the CNN tracking thingy, Joe spiked at that moment, and the second she opened her mouth, the grid tanked. People clearly did not like the way she decided to handle that lob.

I don't think she can really relate to the pain we're feeling if she can't just be gracious enough to be kind to her opponent. I mean, Joe actually had a nice comment for Jesse Helms, after all! He's classy enough to be objective to the other side.

She's an over-ambitious harpy.

[odoreida]

"She's an over-ambitious harpy."

You sound like a woman who is an enemy of women in general. How is she "over-ambitious?"

She was a successful governor, and then she was tapped by the party to run for VP. And how is she a harpy?

Would you have liked it better if she disrupted the debate even further, left her lectern and tearfully embraced Biden? How much display of emotion -- whether real or bogus -- do you require in your debates?

[MikePS65]

I'll tell you how she's overambitious, since you're asking.

When McCain came to her and asked her to be his running mate, she should have been able to look objectively at herself and realize that she's simply not up to the job. Her answer should have been "No." But she couldn't do that, because she really believes her own myth.

Here's what I require in the debates I watch - answers to the questions. She managed to avoid them, and did so using 100 words or more.

When I was in school and the kid giving the book report hadn't read the book, it was obvious to me and most of the other kids in class. She's obvious in the same way.

[Yve72]

Has anyone ever noticed that she only holds that baby for photo ops and to avoid close interaction with others? She treats that baby like a protective shield like "Don't even think about approaching me."

When Palin had him up on stage, JILL Biden was standing directly in front of her next to the daughter. Jill was looking her dead in the face and Palin kept avoiding eye contact, and chose to talk to her daughter instead.

That's rude! She sees her daughter all the time. That was her 1st time meeting the Biden family. Why couldn't she talk to Jill?

I notice odd things like that.

[Jigglypuff]

I noticed that encounter as well. Jill Biden was looking very pointedly at Palin, the woman who had just made the incomprehensible comment about how Joe's wife would get her reward in heaven (???) and showed no empathy when Biden choked up. I think Jill was attempting to read her. And, yeah Palin seemed to ignore her. The whole debate just reinforced my already unfavorable impression of Gov. Palin.

[Poststep]

All that talk about Biden having to be careful with the pitbull and it turns out she's the sexist.

[Sugar78]

Friday, October 03
Race (Click to Sort) Poll Results Spread
New Hampshire Rasmussen Obama 53, McCain 43 Obama +10
National Rasmussen Tracking Obama 51, McCain 44 Obama +7
National Hotline/FD Tracking Obama 48, McCain 42 Obama +6
Minnesota SurveyUSA Obama 46, McCain 47 McCain +1
National GW/Battleground Obama 49, McCain 46 Obama +3

[parvo63]

This is old news. Polls from 9/27 thru 9/29.
Let's wait and see what the polls will show on Sunday.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Why, McCain might RESTART his Michigan ops?

[ralph10]

Todays poll shows he leads in North Carolina.

[CammyV]

Aw shucks, Sarah is a devoted Mom...look at all the days she stayed home, and billed travel expenses to the State. She's obvious been a great role model for abstinence and as a pro lifer, she chose to bring a baby with special needs into the world, bless her heart. I just wish she'd spend some time with that infant instead of letting her children take that responsibility. wink

[eladora]

well also, wink wink, and uh also, wink wink, joe sixpack, nasal tone nasal tone.
Yeah America ---lets give her more power.
I agree with everyone who says how disrespecful she was to Biden and I think MCcain should have to apologize to him about how his vp has no manners.
Youth voters are the ticket . they have to vote

[jdmccl]

Joe did the biggest Clinton smile vanishing acts as soon as he noticed the camara on him(It was on Palin giving him a compliment). Cute choke up and better delivered than Hillarys. Got to man up though.

[Sugar78]

how about this: Maybe, one day one of your parents will d ie, and I want you to man up when they do

[gakota]

You're an idiot JDMCL to say that the loss of a wife and child results
in a "cute choke up" speaks volumes about you. SIMPLY PATHETIC.

[Vyvjala]

The hayseed folksy schrade Palin put on during this debate was totally shallow and plastic. Biden was a gentleman throughout the debate showing more class in 90 minutes than Palin has in 5 weeks.

[ralph10]

Men should never cry when talking about their young wife and young daughter dying in a car crash. "How dare he"!!!!!

[Harinama]

such heartless statements only show that you are a neo.con appeaser created in a testube from baboons.

stay out in the savannah where you belong, away from humans with real feelings.

Obama/Biden will win, will you "man up" when YOU want to cry? See that you do!

[karela]

It would be H---E---double hockey sticks to have Sarah Palin for a Mom. But man oh man, I wish every kid in the world could have a Dad like Joe Biden. She talks in every political speech about being a good parent, but she drags her disabled infant son out for political showings that run until after midnight and she puts her teenage pregnant daughter on the stage for the world to stare at. Joe Biden took the train two hours every morning and two hours every night for thirty five years because he insisted on being there for his kids and for his wife. And it shows. When Beau Biden spoke about his Dad, it was clear that he knew that he was the focus of his Dad's love and caring and he cherished his Dad. There's talking about being a good parent. And then there's being a good parent. Joe is.

[bison1]

In the moment when Joe Biden showed raw emotion about the tragedy of his family losses, Palin proved she can connect to the camera, but not a human being standing right next to her. It was chilling to watch the way that Palin couldn't offer one moment of human sympathy, instead launched into some talking point. Palin’s smarmy folksiness disingenuous.

[brooklyncitizen]

It's the pervasive shallowness and self-centeredness is part of the GOP personality....just sociopaths.

[AngryNoble]

That's what she is brookly, a sociopath -- unfortunately, I don't think many people understand the implications. I'm leaving the country if she becomes the VP.

[LiberalDemIda]

It was a golden but missed opportunity for Palin to take advantage of had she showed just an iota of emotion then. She would have undoubtedly won over more undecideds. Good thing she failed.

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[munki]

If anyone can enjoys Moose hunting... aerial hunting - winter - wild animals have no where to go...
sitting duck... do you expect someone to sorrow?

[candlewax]

and offer $150 per severed wolf leg... there is no sorrow, there is no empathy, there is no shame, there is nothing there but hollow words and empty folksiness. She disgusts me.

[Yve72]

She is a shallow human being and is incapable of going off script.

[JJ30]

That was such an emotional and genuine moment for him. I was touched and then the moment quickly faded when Sarah spoke. Didn't even acknowledge his loss or even tried to show sympathy. She went right to her talking points. That was unfortunate and a huge missed opportunity. She could have scored more points.

[magwildwood]

I totally agree with you. She would have shown a lot of compassion to at least acknowlege what he said, but it was like she either wasn't paying attention or simply didn't care.

[odoreida]

It was off topic, and he shouldn't have brought it up.

[odoreida]

They could have both sobbed together. That would have been nice.

[munki]

In many ways... first time I listened to Joe... I must give him a credit for not coming across tough to this poor "packaged" woman... In fact, she did not necessary had the foreign policy right, but... for cramping... not too bad... "packaged"

[vanhy]

Joe is a person that wears his heart on his sleave....he is a wonderful man that shows his has feelings , Palin thinks because she throws in joe sixpack, hockey and soccer moms that people should automatically relate to her...I am a soccer mom and in no way shape or form in touch with her...that poor baby appears to be more of a burden to her then a blessing....what mom could not just grab him up and love and kiss on him....she grabs him like a sack of flour, gets pictures, and then he is off to the next person to take care of.....that is not a good mother.

[sherrzinpa]

I did notice, Palin held Trig while she was on stage, but as soon as her and her family exited stage, the youngest (Willow, I think) was holding him instead. It seems like she can only hold her baby for 5 minutes at a time and after that she feels that the press moment is over so she hands him off to whoever is closest.

[LiberalDemIda]

Why was Willow up that late at night? Good parenting skills there. Palin has mismanaged her family to a fault for her career.

Trac enlisting to avoid disciplinary actions for vandalizing 44 school buses with 4 younger boys; Bristol practicing pre-marital sex (oooh) and getting pregnant; Willow up passed 10 for her girl her age... all just to advance mommy's political career.

If she mismanages her own family this badly, what can the American people expect from her as VP of this country?

I'm sorry, but Palin was definitely not ready for primetime.

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[tinarm]

This will be the one moment I will always remember about Joe Biden. You know the one thing I like about Obama and Biden is that they are real. McCain and Palin seem like fake politicians, talking points, talking lines, it's all so phoney. You know they could care less about us or anyone in the middle or lower class in this country. Their tax plan proves they only care about the top.

[MalloMel]

After all, they're Republicans. What do you expect?

[KRayRPh]

REAL politiicians, FAKE human beings.