WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden said Latinos should vote for President Barack Obama because Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney doesn't respect them.
In a Monday interview with "The Enrique Rodriquez Show" on Univision -- the interview transcript was released Tuesday -- Biden was asked why he thinks undecided Latino voters should pick Obama over Romney.
"First of all, it just is a matter of simple respect," said the vice president. "It's all about genuine respect. And you know, in the neighborhoods I come from you can tell, you can tell when people genuinely respect you. Genuinely want you participating. Genuinely want you on, genuinely understand the potential, the incredible potential that exists in the community."
Biden went on to say that Romney and his vice presidential running mate Paul Ryan would slash Pell Grants and early education funding in their budget. Both cuts would have a significant impact on the Latino community, he said, since 16.5 percent of all college students and 24.7 percent of all K-12 students are Latino.
"The idea that we would be doing what Paul Ryan and Romney have done with their budget and cut Pell Grants. I mean what is this about?" Biden said. "The idea we would cut 200,000 kids off of early education."
By contrast, Biden said Obama and Democrats are "out there breaking our neck" to try to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
The bottom line, he said, is that Latinos can have a real impact on this year's elections and should be out voting in droves.
"This is time for the Latino community to flex their muscle, to have their rightful place, their rightful place in the middle class in this community," Biden said. "I think we’re going to look back on this election with the potential of saying, all future Latino leaders are going to say, that was the year, 2012, that was the year we became a major factor in electoral politics in America."
On a less serious note, Rodriguez said he had just read an article titled, "Five Reasons The Ladies Love Joe Biden," and asked Biden why women find him so appealing.
Biden, who said he didn't see the article, disagreed with one of the reasons women gave for his hotness: his head of hair.
"I wish I had the hair, man. I wish I had the hair. I used to have hair. I used to have dark hair, you know. I mean even my wife when I show her pictures from back when I was in college, doesn’t believe it," said the vice president.
Rodriguez reminded Biden that he had to ask his wife Jill to marry him five times before she said yes. Biden said that story was true and that his persistence with Jill was the "best decision" he ever made.
"She saved my life after I lost my wife and daughter," Biden said, referring to his first wife and daughter being killed in a car accident.
"I'm very sorry for your loss there," said Rodriguez.
"No, no, no," Biden said. "A lot of people have gone through a lot worse than I have."
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