Biden: GOP 'strong enough to beat us'
(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?'"
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Obama will lose to almost any Republican next year if he does not rein in the DEA and stop the persecution of the dispensaries. He has been led to believe by his political advisors that appearing to be pro-pot will cost him critical support. They may be right to a degree, but what is happening now will cost him far more. It will cause a third party movement that will siphon off much of the popular support from young people that helped so much in 2008.
So far
I have heard republicans want to cut taxes, but increase military spending.
I hav heard people want military out of Afgan and Iraq... ok at least acknowledge who put us in Iraq which has not been paid for yet.
I have heard don't tax the rish more, ok, where is the money to support the militart going to come from? Oh social services.
I have heard the republicants and tea people don't want Obamacare. Ok do they have a replacement? Or go back to where everyone who has little or no insurance still has access to hospitals, but that cost is passed on to the rest of the public as increased health costs? 15 million people on free health care the old way... why would I need to buy any?
Dan wrote:
Playing all sides now are you, SOUTHERN HOTTIE? Seems to me you're part of the problem...not wanting to work for anything yet want everything given to you.
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I don't think anyone else understands the world that you are describing except for that guy in the mirror who brushes your teeth.
Obama isn't fighting for the Middle Class! He doesn't care about us!! Obama's fighting for himself and to further his reckless socialist agenda designed kill capitalism! With every EPA regulation he proposes or imposes, he kills a job! He wants us to be soley dependant on the government for support. Start packing Obama!
The GOP congress promised jobs jobs and jobs. So far, zero legislation to do it. The one piece of legislation they get, from the President, they won't even vote on. My vote is for Obama.
I hope he is correct.
I will vote for president Obama/Biden and vote these republicans out of the office.
Republicans are disgrace to america and I am mad because they want pass the job bill.
Obama/Biden dont give up on the america we got your back.
Sandram
Obama isn't fighting for the Middle Class! He doesn't care about us!! Obama's fighting for himself and to further his reckless socialist agenda designed kill capitalism! With every EPA regulation he proposes or imposes, he kills a job! He wants us to be soley dependant on the government for support. Start packing Obama!
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President Obama is fighting for the middle class. The Republican playbook is open to the page that says "class warfare." Remember? He is fighting against the aristocrats trying to turn our Democracy into a Imperialist Theocracy.
With every regulation that Republicans tear down, they kill another person in this country from the hazards it permits. Republicans want us to be dependent on the corporations for their handouts.
This is just posturing, expectations-tempering. He wants to temper expectations and fire up the base
If Democrats are afraid of losing the White House, they'll be more likely to vote.
This reminds me of when people said Sarah Palin was an excellent debater leading into her abysmal failure against Biden.
The republicans will be called out in November 2012 for their scorched earth policy of the far right Tea Party republicans. The working and non working middle class as well as seniors are smart enough to know the republican are init for the big corerations and not the little guy and the fixed income senior.
Obama has work to do.
I believe Obama/Biden will prevail as they have done more to help than hurt. But of course the GOP obstructionist party of NO has only one goal – to defeat Obama. They do not care about us working stiffs. They care only about the whiny millionaire/billionaires, special interests, corporations and the very elusive job creators.
the party of no more middle class-don,t think so
Looks like he is setting goal posts - too bad he has no self confidence.
I dearly hope Biden is right – that the GOP can beat them. Call me anything you like; I'm voting Republican this time around. The Federal Government needs a major smack down.
Obama will win again, Biden is just trying to scare people so they will vote. The majority of Americans realize the GOP is completely insane, most of the things they say do not even make sense, and just sound outright crazy. If the Obama administration can get the message the Republicans could win, thats just going to get the democratic base fired up and will help make sure democrats will fight even harder for this election. I help get voters registered here in Houston, and started last month. just in my spare time i have gotten over 300 democrats registered, and there are hundreds of people working for the Obama Campaign here in houston doing the same thing I am. Obama will win, by a huge majority, all it takes is volunteers, and Obama has plenty.
Perhaps Obama should have thought about the long-term repercussions of bailing out the Banks rather than helping out Americans. Yes, I know that the banks have repaid the bail monies; and yes I know BofA is entitled to make a profit; but if I'm not working or my wages are stagnant; nothing is going to change. Do I blame Obama? yes - he promised change and delivered business as usual. Do I blame the GOP? Oh, yes. Their policies got us into this mess and their policies aren't doing anything to get us out of it. Meanwhile America goes further and further down.
When policitians actually put the country and its people – including those who don't agree with you - ahead of ideology perhaps America can stop its descent and begin to ascend once again. Until then, it appears one politician actually has a clue and is being honest - for once.
Hey Mary, here is a BIG clue – its not Obama or Biden we need to get out of office, they are the EXECUTIVE Branch. It's your good ole boys in the HOUSE (this is where the Bill begins BEFORE it becomes law). And who has control of the House Mary??? You got it – the GOP. They are the one's that need to GO! Progress cannot be made, if they do not give a bill for the PEOPLE. That is who is really in control Mary, The People. My vote is for anyone other than the GOP – whether it be Democrat or Independent!
If the Repubs win in 2012 then the saying "Going from the frying pan into the fire." will become acutely understandable. Right now they're doing nothing, zilch nada for America's recovery, only trying to defeat Obama. Selfish and greedy you-kno-whats!
Government fiscal policy started going south when the first US government started "borrowing" (stealing) from Social Security. Does anyone know that Social Security owns 8% of the total US debt? Did anyone that has EVER paid into Social Security give the Government permission to borrow our money? It doesn't matter whether the Republicans or Democrats started us down this long slide towards national bankruptcy–what does matter is we have right now a President in office that promised "Change" and the only change he delivered is things got progressively worse. Adding on to a huge mistake is just as bad as creating it. This is why the Dems will lose the next Presidential election.
im voting for you mr vice president. The GOP wants to cure a sick American economy, with the same poison that got us there. and cains 6 6 6 plan . helllll no. oh im sorry i was looking in my rear view mirror it is the 999 plan hahahaa sure it is . You have my vote JOe.
The best jobs bill there could be is to get rid of Obama. You want republicans to help the middle class, well getting rid of Obama is the best way to do that. He's made a bad situation much much worse. It's shocking to see so many people on this post still supporting him. What has he done to deserve it? What has he done so well, that you wan to see more of it?
I will vote for Obama again, I don't think three years is long enough for any president to get his/her bearings (same thing happened to JFK). There is not one person on the GOP ticket I feel is smart enough or qualified enough to be president. THAT is what scares the bejebbies out of me. We will become a country run by religious wingnuts. As a senior who has voted since JFK, I am worried about my needs now since my health is not great. So my eye is on Soc Sec and Medicare, which the Republicans are going to trash. Floridians apparently don't get it.
people do understand (I hope) that Obama's job plan does indeed create jobs. Example, one of those tasks is to fix bridges & roads. Remember the bridge in Minnesota that collapsed. Once you itemize the list of bridges/roads (which is a task in its own right), then you can physically determine how to fix and how many people it will require to fix it. Those are all JOBS... JOBS no one is doing now because there are no funds to do so. So do not tell me the job bill does not create jobs... the only outstanding question is how to pay for those jobs... that should be take own it's own. The question is, are those type of jobs important enough to be paid for with federal taxes? Or Should it be left up the individual states (and hope no more Minnesota type of bridges exist).
Obama/ Clinton 2012 case closed!!! Joe thanks for playing an we have these parting gifts for you.....
Anything is possible. Likely? Hardly. 🙂