Bidenisms

This Week’s Bidenisms

Collecting the vice president’s gaffes and head-slappers.

Joe Biden

The vice president celebrated his Irish heritage by producing a handful of Bidenisms on St. Patrick’s Day. Please continue to send your nominations (with a link, please) to slatebidenisms@gmail.com. For more, and our stab at a definition, see “The Complete Bidenisms.”

“The Taoiseach knows a lot about it, his mom lived in Long Island for 10 years or so, God rest her soul and—although, she’s … wait, your mom’s still, your mom’s still alive—is your dad passed. … God bless her soul! I gotta’ get this straight!”—Mistakenly asking for God’s blessing of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s living mother during a White House celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010

Click here to see video of Biden’s comments.

“There’s an old Irish proverb that some of you know that I heard my grandfather use, but never really apply to me before. He said, ‘a silent mouth is sweet to hear.’ Well, I’m going to yield to that proverb.”—Introducing President Barack Obama after making his blessing gaffe, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010

Click here to see video of Biden’s comments.

“Liz [Cheney] has been on a tear lately. Now she’s questioning if Tom Brady is a real Patriot … [scattered laughter]. … What the hell? It was worth a try, guys!” —Seeing a joke about Liz Cheney’s “Keep America Safe” campaign fall flat during a standup comedy routine at the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Dinner, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010

Click here to see video of Biden’s comments.

“People wondered why I’ve embraced Scott Brown so warmly. … I wanted to wish him well. This guy’s got a tough job filling the shoes of the sexiest man in the Senate … [very little laughter]. … Whoa, that didn’t work at all, Scott. I think it’s me, Scott, not you.” —Watching another joke bomb, this one about the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate successor Scott Brown, during a standup comedy routine at the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Dinner, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010

Click here to see video of Biden’s comments.

“Here I am, the first Irish Catholic vice president in the history of United States of America. Barack Obama is the first African-American in the history of the United States of America.” —Forgetting the key word president, during a joke at the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Dinner, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010

Click here to see video of Biden’s comments.

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