Greg Sargent has the rundown on the impact of Vice President Joe Biden using the phrase "big fucking deal" a few weeks ago -- and, apparently, it wasn't much of a big fucking deal.
From a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll:
As you may have heard, Vice President Joe Biden used foul language to describe how important he thought passage of the new health care bill was when he whispered to President Obama "this is a big expletive deal" -- do you think the vice president's use of foul language to describe the bill was offensive, or not?
Yes, offensive: 37%
No, not offensive: 57%
Yes, well, no surprise here. Sure, the good people of America take care to observe proper decorum in instances that call for it -- i.e. not loudly swearing in church and whatnot -- but in casual conversation and unguarded moments where we suspect no one is listening, actual real-live people in the world get mad salty.
That's just the real world of human interaction. William Shakespeare, the greatest English language writer in history, penned ornate sex jokes for the Queen of England (there's a reason I snicker whenever I hear a politician say "Country matters!"). Like Biden, even Peggy Noonan -- the only human being I think is actively attempting to speak in iambic pentameter at all times -- drops in the odd swear word when she thinks she's far enough away from the microphone.
Most people don't get worked up over this, because most people aren't mewling, doe-eyed infants. (57% sounds about right to me, actually.)
(Also? Know who also isn't much of a BFD, according to this poll? Sarah Palin! Sargent notes that "a majority, 51%, say that if Sarah Palin campaigns with a candidate, it will make them less likely to support that person." Again: duh.)
RELATED:
Fox News Polls Biden's "F-Bomb," Gets Wrong Answer [The Plum Line]
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