(CNN) – As President Barack Obama prepares to take his re-election campaign into high gear, his running mate is acknowledging the formidable contest ahead.
Speaking at the Atlantic Ideas Forum Thursday in Washington, Vice Pres. Joe Biden said Republicans posed a real threat to Obama's reelection prospects.
When asked about the Republican Party's strength, Biden said, "It's strong enough to beat both of us."
"Look, no matter what the circumstance, at the end of the day, the American people right now are in real trouble," Biden continued. "An even larger percentage have stagnant wages. And a significant majority of the American people believe that the country is not moving in the right direction. That is never a good place to be going into re-election, whether it's your fault or not your fault. It's almost sometimes irrelevant."
Biden's remarks came the day before new jobs data showed the unemployment rate remaining at 9.1%.
Biden said ultimately voters will look to the Obama administration's record on the economy as they cast votes.
"What I'm counting on - I'm counting on what I read out there, the judgment of the American people to decide - they know the hole we're in; they know how far we've come out; they're dissatisfied how fast we're going; and they're going to have to choose whether or not the path we have set the country on is the path that we should continue to go or we should go back to 'liberating' the economy," Biden said.
As Obama and Biden continue to push Congress to vote on the president's American Jobs Act, the vice president said a fractured GOP was leading to legislative gridlock.
"This is just Joe Biden's impression, but I truly believe if just Eric Cantor, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and John Boehner were allowed to settle the deal in the room we would have had a deal," Biden said.
He said if the GOP were able to unify, a deal could get hammered out.
"We need a Republican Party that's united," Biden said. "We need a Republican Party you can sit down with and say, 'OK, this is a deal. Can you deliver? Can you deliver on the deal?'"
The Reublican Party has been fractured by a strong inner group of politicians that will NOT compromise on ANY issues until they defeat OBAMA first and foremost. Very sad indeed. I agree with Biden, however, he should also be aware that the extreme members of the Denocratic Party are refusing to also compromise. Is there a room big enough to place these EXTREME RGIHT AND LEFT politicians into and Lock It UP?
Rush is getting his wish, they wanted him destroyed from the first day he was in office.
I thought CNN was a news outfit. The fact that the GOP can beat Obama/Biden in 2012 is NOT news.
"Bite Me" is wrong again – Obama WILL be defeated in 2012.
Biden is known for foot in mouth, He always makes stupid comments to a point where it's entertaining, Regardless of what your political beliefs are, have you ever seen a candidate or a major party say I think I'm going to lose, even the day before the election when polls are not in the favor you won't hear them say that. Admitting you lose means you will lose because now your supporters are more likely to stay home. Someone may think why should I vote if I know hes going to lose, if they feel there's a slight chance there candidate will win they are more likely to vote. They owe it to there supporters to stay positive about the outcome.
But the Democrats are evil.
All it takes for evil to prosper is for good people to do nothing – or to vote them into office.
Perry is an intelligent man with a love for this country and a desire to put this country and its citizens back on track. The Democrats just want to line their pockets.
The Democrats are evil.
r. Biden needs to go away, Hillary for VP!!! The only reason I would want Obama to leave office is because of the stress of the job & his safety. Lets face it no matter what he dose capital hill is going to give him a hard way to go. That was the plan from the start. Put a black in office, but then cause him to fail just as it has always been for blacks in america.
How to you spell total failure? O-B-A-M-A
C'mon Joe, you ought to be more worried about even getting your party's nomination at this point. What you fail to realize is that nobody has any great love for the GOP "biz-as-usual" posers (Ron Paul excluded). What you are seeing just now is a total repudiatioin of everything your administration stands for.
Maybe I'm missing something, but in my opinion, there isn't one GOP candidate who will be able to win the general election. Sure the Repubs are happy with the candidates, but the general public? NO. I haven't even bothered to watch any of their debates because I wouldn't vote for any of them so why waste my valuable time? I see the highlights and see how many of them talked nonsense and shot themselves in the foot (or vomit all over themselves, that was a good one). I really think Obama will win. It's all irrelevant in the end since this country and all other governments will collapse this year. Study the Mayan Calendar; it's all going according to plan. Time's up.
Biden said might beat us ha what a joke man it's going to be an Owebama 57 state landslide the teloprompter and the liberal worthless media will not save your a$$es in 2012!
I believe it was Bill Clinton who began the move to outsourse work that should by all intents carry the label "Made in America" to other nations. Everyone is quick to blame Bush and while I myself am not a fan of Bush or his reign the current leadership from top to bottom needs to be reset and recast. What we should want and must go back to is the American Way, a government that works for the people and not to benefit who carries the largest sum of cash onto the lobby floor. Obama has proven to be a failure as well as a liar and his time has come to an end.
The dems are going to absolutely ruin the GOP in the next election. This is a fact.
VP Biden finally make sense. And if he is right , Obama is a ONE TERM PRESIDENT!
Ya gotta love that photo.
5 dollar, 5 dollar foot long, any any any 5, 5 dollar foot long
I failed to mention a small fact for our Commander in Chief......THERE ARE 50 STATES NOT 57! Was that some form of message being sent to our Muslim brothers? Sure is coincidental even if it is far fetched. But for a President to mis-state how many states in our great nation is really unbelieveably stupid! How interesting the media didn't focus on such an idiotic statement. I bet if it was a republican President, they would have it front page for weeks.
Wow! Joe's finally right about something. The "community organizer" will soon be back in Chicago standing on street corners passing out flyers and trying to register illegal aliens to vote.
Don't you find it interesting that a lot of comments, unless they are pro-Obama are always being reviewed by the moderator? I certainly do. Is it that our freedom of speech is not what it is all cranked up to be and we really have a socialist media?
Sooner or later, the Democratic establishment will ditch Obama. Truth be told, the all deserve to be ditched. They earn this necessity many times over, and especially so, in the course of the last three years. The Democrats are Republicans, all but in name (and some rhetoric).
HELL NO...We will not go back and allow the repubs to continue to destroy the middle class, put us on the brink of recession and start wars after wars after wars.......NO WAY!
"This is just Joe Biden's impression, but I truly believe if just Eric Cantor, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and John Boehner were allowed to settle the deal in the room we would have had a deal," Biden said.
What? Cut Reid out of the loop? He should be there, since it is he that will not let it go up for a vote in the Senate.
go head let the rethugs back in the white house. lets see how many more wars they can get us into and lets see if fat cats get fatter.