Democrat Joe Biden likes Republican Sarah Palin's looks

Oh, jeez, here we go already. With the canny, seemingly good-natured-but-really-a-put-down jokes about a female candidate.

The lone female is gone from the Democratic race; they can't use the old pantsuits laugher anymore. So Joe Biden trotted out the subtly dismissive, isn't-she-pretty line about you-know-who, the newbie on the Republican side. (Translation: There's really nothing else to her to comment about, but I won't say that because I'm not a sexist.)

We wonder how this goes down with those millions of female Hillary Clinton supporters whom both sides covet.

Biden was in Ohio with his Democratic ticket partner, whom he once described as "clean," and told an outdoor rally:

“There’s a gigantic difference between John McCain and Barack Obama and between me and I suspect my vice presidential opponent,” Biden said.

“She’s good-looking,” he quipped.

Yeah, really, hold your sides on that one.

Let's turn that reference around 180-degrees and imagine a female candidate in front of a large audience talking about some, oh, hypothetical male opponent for the vice presidency. "Thirty-six years in the United States Senate," she says, "And all he's got to show for it is a beautiful head of hairplugs."

Real classy, right?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[VJ Machiavelli]

I am sure Sarah the New Republican Terminator will "TERMINATE" Joe Biden in the debates. But this is the real Joe Biden remember his remark about his wife ?

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[grizzle]

I don't get it.

[WoMenBoycottMSNBC.com]

Yeah -- the democraps and the bloviati are at it again. Showing just how infected with sexism and misogyny they insist on proving in unrelenting fashion.

Palin is no less qualified in many ways than Obama. Or Pawlenty. In some ways, Palin is more qualified than Obama. She's no Hillary, but she surely has that quality of grit, determination and grace that we saw in Hillary.

As Doris Kearns Goodwin noted today: Turns out Obama really is less qualified and less prepared than anyone really knew -- [except Hillary and her supporters, of course.]

The media and the democrap party pursues this unending, hypocritical sneering smug condescendion (clearly a fear-based reaction) at their own peril.

At least McCain showed he has more spine and cojones than Obama. He's earned some respect back and Palin is alot more appealing on many levels than either Obama or Biden. They should give the smug dems a run for the money.

I won't vote for McCain and Palin, but they do have some gumption don't they? I'm leaning toward writing in Hillary myself.

[Trevor F]

Oh please Andrew. You're totally reaching here. The campaign knows they have to be really careful with anything that would be perceived as sexist. Not to mention Joe Biden has specifically been a big advocate for women's rights.

Lets stop with the over-sensitivity for one second and address the obvious. She's a pretty lady. His joke was a bad attempt at self-deprecating humor and stating the obvious about the race. Your article encourages the type of hyper sensitive politically correctness that often forces people to supress good ideas and honest public discourse in order to avoid offending someone.

You make the implication in the beginning that he's using a "isn't she pretty" line, but that isn't what he said. The way you state it, it makes it sound like he said "And McCain's VP...ain't she pretty?" In a condescending tone, and then winking at the crowd. If you really want to get political about the comment, if anything he probably wanted to address it because he wants to call it out into the open in the beginning to try and take it out of the equation. That doesn't mean he's implying thats all she has, that just means if anything he wants the public to judge them on their merits.

Whats even more silly is at the end of the article you propse to turn the tables and suggest if she had said "what nice hair plugs he has", it wouldn't be perceived the same way. Well obviously it wouldn't...that wouldn't be a reversal, that would be her putting his looks down. If she said the same thing about him that he said about her...e.g. "Theres a big difference between me and my opponent...he's good looking"...while it wouldn't be believable or congruent since she's attractive and a former beauty queen, it wouldn't be taken as she was trying to undermine his credibility.

This wasn't a dismissal, this was bad humor. And considering this is politics, we can expect to see more of it in the future.

[Matthew]

Biden's quote was clearly good natured. Your comments are more derogatory to Mrs. Palin in suggesting otherwise, frankly. I hope you do not get paid to write. Or, for that matter, think.

[Johnson]

"McCain, despite more than a year of casting himself as the best-prepared to be commander in chief, used a Fox News interview to describe the nationally unknown Palin as his 'soul mate' for her work as a reformer in Alaska."

We're in the initial stage of this thing. So I say let's note it, but let us also give a bit of leeway to both Mccain and Biden for now. A lot of women have been commenting that Palin looks pretty, and some men in the news media are calling her 'the babe'.

[Petersen]

Thank you, Andrew Malcolm, for identifying and articulating Biden's demeaning and sexist comment about Governer Palin. You are right, we really have had enough!

[RMB]

Let's talk of the big issues not this petty nonsense. Republicans with nothing to run on focus on Paris Hilton, question Obama experience, then bring on a person with far less experience.
The middle class is in desperate need. The loss of homes, health care, and jobs will only get worse with four more years.

[DCBill]

Its is true, Sarah Palin is an attractive woman. So what! Anyone who has even an ounce of common sense and the slightest modicum of maturity knows beauty is only skin deep. Sarah Palin is a woman with courage that faces challenges head on, and excellent mother, a great American, highly qualified to deal with energy issues, a proven executive, highly intelligent, sincere, and a person who we can all look up to. Taking it a step farther, anyone would be hard pressed to find a role model our children can look up to. If this is the best Biden can do and he somehow gets elected we are all in trouble. Biden wants beauty he should ask Madonna for a date.

[MT from CC]

This type of article distratcs from the fact that Sarah Palin is deeply inexperienced, and all we know know about her is that Rush Limbaugh is ecstatic about the pick. She is the Clarence Thomas 2.0.

[Jennifer]

Gawd...who cares? Everyone else has been saying that same thing. He's just stating the obvious.

Seriously. Has the media nothing else to comment about? This is getting out of hand.

[Schratboy]

Biden should stop drinking when he's out campaigning. He's been known for making stupid comments in the past, so lubricating himself up on the trail he's likely to show his true colors.

[Jim Sweet]

Joe Biden is funny, and he's also not that good-looking, which was part of his point. The point also is that if you think voters are going to choose McCain because he picked a running mate who has the right features but not the right politics, all you have left is the notion that she was only chosen BECAUSE she's looks better in a suit than Joe Biden. I'm going to give Joe the benefit of the doubt and say he is asking whether a woman with a pretty face with no practical experience or understanding of the government ought to be a "heartbeat away" from the most powerful job in the world.

[Georgina]

A blank page and a gender trap for women!

[D.E.]

With her complete lack of credentials, political or otherwise, why else did John McCain pick her?

[D Nicol]

Oh, come on. She's not THAT good-looking. Michelle Obama would definitely beat her in both the evening gown and the swimsuit competitions.

[Bob, Dallas TX]

Since when is giving someone a compliment a put-down? Sarah Palin is attractive, and that's clearly the primary asset the republicans were interested in when choosing her as their VP pick.

Can you actually disagree with this given her rather thin resume? The McCain ticket is now a complete joke.

[James Burke]

Way to go Joe! Brilliant!

[Tom Kingsley]

She’s good-looking,” he quipped.

Isn't it comments like this that Hillary's surrogates complained about in primarys?

[John]

What is there about the Democrats, that they can't keep there mouth or there zipper shut?

[Mke W]

Every comment like this is a vote against the Dem's ticket

[Argyx]

Superb reporting, Andrew. I especially like the way you point out how low it is by painting Biden as an elderly man with hair plugs. I know you'll say it was necessary to make your point. That's just not the case though.

You had me until that point though. Yeah, really classy on your part.

[belltolls4thee]

Well, She's the one who was in the beauty contest.

[Jerome]

That is just an example of Biden's self-deprecating sense of humor. His biggest problem is that he thinks he is funny. Would someone from that campaign please tell him to stop cracking jokes? Better yet, put a muzzle on him and only take it off to read from an approved script.

[marie]

The Democratic Party sexism is coming out again.

[Way 2 go Joe]

...and any minute now we will hear Obama call Palin "sweetie" -- yuck. Palin has my vote, if she survives all the attacks that are going to be lobbed at her over the next 2 months....hang tough girl, you are up against the "good ole boyz club"

[scootmandubious]

Mr. Malcolm, your disdain for Biden is dripping from this piece.

This is journalism? Even for a blog post to incite discussion?

What this is is a Malcolm op-ed, finding any excuse to slam Joe Biden.

Biden was making a very valid point. There IS nothing else to comment on. Seriously, look who the nominee is? This is a joke and it has NOTHING to do with her gender, no matter what false accusations you seem intent on making.

The Dems did it with Quayle and Sarah Palin is NO Dan Quayle. She's worse. How many times has she even left Alaska?

This religious zealot who led a religious enclave of 6,000 want to teach creationism and would force a girl raped by her father to conceive. And yet we put this woman within a heartbeat of the presidency in THESE times?

This is no joke, my friend.

How about reporting on the campaign like it wasn't?

[robyn Cooper]

Here's the full play, Mr. Malcolm. If you're gonna diss someone, at least get it straight and in *context*. Ditto to the LA Times in general:

TOLEDO, Ohio – Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden thought he was fit. Then he stood next to running mate Barack Obama.
"Hanging out with this lean, good-looking guy is making me feel pretty old, you know what I mean?" the 65-year-old Biden said to laughter at a forum on the economy on the roof of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. "I thought I was in pretty good shape until I started hanging out with this guy, you know what I mean?"
Biden's self-deprecating humor came during his introduction for 47-year-old Obama at a campaign event about the economy. He started out talking about the differences between Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, and the differences between himself and Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin, Alaska's governor who is a former beauty pageant contestant.
"Well, there's obvious differences. She's good looking," Biden said to laughter.

[Merrill Bender]

Biden's comments will get him in trouble. It is subtle discrimination and sexism to be dismissive of a woman's accomplishments or of an African American's accomplishments and qualifications when you say that they " got the job because they were pretty or because they were black"

Biden like Ferraro are of a generation where they really don't understand that their comments are wrong. They justify and try to cover but they are wrong. They are like the Uncle or Aunt at a Labor day picnic that tell a slightly off color joke or comment and have no idea that they are inappropriate, sexist, or discriminatory with such commets or attempted humor. Its worng and its wrong for children to hear it and think it is acceptable.

Same with Paul Begala"s comment on CNN the other night making the same kind of dismissive comment that Palin's Beauty pagent experience will serve her well as Vice President. Campbell Brown decided to ignore that sexist commet and move on but Paul sat there like the chesire cat thinking "I didn't do anything Wrong"

[Charles]

This election is too important for tabloid trash coverage. If you care about this country, you'll focus on platform issues. Otherwise, the demise of this country's greatness will be your fault. The whole nation is plagued by immature triteness, and the media are largely to blame. The success of democracy rests upon the wisdom and maturity of the electorate. Is this a great democratic nation, or have we turned into a big Jerry Springer show?
I will not purchase products advertised on media sources who chose to gossip and hype rather than cover substantial issues. Maybe we should all agree to this.

[starryperdun]

Sarah Palin has had to make daily decisions regarding and deal with state budgets, Alaska National Guard, Republican corruption, Health and Human services, environmental issues, big oil and "the good O'll Boy" network. Delivered 5 children (something Obama/Biden could never ever do). She has 13 years in public service.

Obama/Biden("Good Old Boys"), Obama, 141 days in the Senate, 200 days campaigning, 4 days of Foreign Policy experience (Trip to Iraq/Germany).
Joe Biden (Sexist), 36 years in the Senate, 10 years on the train from Wilmington to DC., 5 years in the same chair on Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committees. His foreign relations experience, memerizing all the stops on the train from Wilmington to DC.
All he can say is "She's good looking" . Suffers from a bad case of foot-in-mouth decease.
Amazing that a 43 year old woman is more qualified then the Obama/Biden combined.

[Drenalin]

Wow - I was wondering how long it was going to take for McCain chess move to work out for him. No wait, it hasn't yet. It was a foolish move but he was hoping to draw a "sexist" comment or line in the sand - what he wants is the abillity to turn and say "your only saying she has no experience because she is a woman" - when the fact of the matter is - she has no experience, governmental or other wise.

His move was well forcasted by many. He wants Clintons supporters. He is also looking to gain the youth vote. He thinks that the American woman is not smart enough to see that there is no substance in Palin. That they will vote for the two of them on the simple fact that she is a woman.

[Brad]

Andrew Malcolm
Get a grip !
He simply stated that COMPARED TO HIMSELF SHE IS GOOD LOOKING.
Don't try to put a spin on it.
That statement PAILS in comparison with McCain saying that she's a PARTNER AND SOULMATE. Something you would say of your wife or lover. He only met her once before, or so that's what we know of. Maybe he's met her a few times in private that nobody knows of???

So you represent the same mindless ideology that is called the Republican Party? SWEEEEET....

[Andrew]

He was being self deprecating you pinhead.

[dragonfly777]

You have to hand it to the Dems. A closet racist and an open sexist! Just what our country needs. What a bunch of garbage platitudes those democrats can give about their interest in the common person. Lairs to get any vote!
Look how they treated Hillary and are using her until the end at which she will be under the bus!

[volunteer]

I hope Joe Biden's childish little way of trying to imply

Sarah Palin's only asset is her looks comes back to bite the pompous fool

[Dee Michaels]

Yeah....So f---n what!!!!! Is this the best the so-called journalists can come up with. Go back to your newsletters and high school yearbooks. Do we really have the time or the patience for this silly diatribe? Please.

[Ken Fatherree]

I agree, She is very pretty. She can come down here to AR. and go Moose hunting with me any time. All 18 mil of Hil llary supports can also. Go OBAMA

P S Michael Moore is a member od the GOP... Think about it.

[Your mama]

Not that big of a deal. Jeez!

[charles larkin]

You are criticizing Biden calling Palin good-looking ? That's lame, man.

[Hillaryrule]

Biden is your typical democrat.. sexist, demeaning and vile.

The dems and the liberal media are doing to Palin what they did to Hillary. I don't know how any self respecting woman puts up with it. Including Hillary.

I have left the democratic party for good. I felt guilty about it at first but the continueing subhuman sexist actions have made it easy for me.

[Hardy Haberman]

Unfortunately about all anyone can say about Palin is that she is pretty. She has virtually no record on the national stage and only a few years as a Mayor of a tiny town and the governor of Alaska for 20 months

We know she is anti-abortion, a fact that plays well with the right and she is under investigation on an abuse of power charge. The left loves that. Otherwise, she was a beauty queen and to say she is pretty is not sexist, it's all anyone knows. He could have said she wears glasses, but the nearsighted lobby would scream!

[SG]

It was a self-deprecating joke, durr.

[blip]

Oh my gosh.... that's a compliment. If Palin didn't know she was good looking, she wouldn't have entered beauty contests.... puh-leeze.

Looks were clearly a factor in McCain's decision. McCain is old, pasty, grizzled... Palin is the polar opposite. McCain needs a telegenic face to put on his horribly unpopular positions.

[Dr. Dave]

We know perfectly well what the Rove War Machine would say if Hillary were the VP candidate. So we'll see if the rock band McSame and the Hypocrits make a hit or not.

Let's hope not - except for those of you who prefer lower property values, bank failures, torture as official govt policy... Maybe the Quayle Take #2 play will fool enough of the people enough of the time again.

[DLW]

His comment appears to have been self-deprecating. Your "180 degree" hypothetical does not.

[Jerry]

Excellent try, but Biden's "She's good looking" comment sounds much less dismissive when you include the preface. He said, in totality, "There are obvious differences; she's good looking". The comment was actually one of self-deprecation, not sexism. The real trhuth is that Palin is a neophyte politician that has no business in the presidential race. Only tricks like yours will keep her afloat. A reporter you're not.

[Dan]

Wan't Dan Quale considered 'good looking' and lacking substance?

Or presently, but not a direct parallel, Obama is said be a good orator, but lacking the ability to put words into motion?

Or McCain as being able to endure and sacrifice, but not lead?

What we see is the basic positive comment leading into the intended dismissive assumption. It is a common construction.

Mentioning looks may be more shallow than mentioning speaking ability or being a POW, but it is hardly a comment held only to women.

She is an attractive woman, certainly compared to Hillary. But I believe John Edwards has had comments regarding his exceptional looks. And wasn't there comment on Al Gore's 'package' (Supposedly airbrushed to reduce the bulge)?

Instead, it may be more accurate to critique the inclusion of topics revolving around human sexuality I am not advocating such a critique, merely believe the one provided in the article above comes from a failry narrow perspective.

[FGFM]

Andrew Malcolm plays concern troll.

[frank postione]

The mayor of caribou a heartbeat away from the presidency. NO EXPERIENCE IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
John Mccain saud that his choice would say alot about himself and that he would pick someone that was qualified to be commander in chief.
Mr. Mccain, you just LOST my Republican vote.
Your pick is crazy in these troubled and complicated times.
God help the good ole' USA if you win.