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Biden: Obama First “Mainstream,” “Clean” Black Candidate

HeadlineFeb 01, 2007

In election news, Senator Joseph Biden entered the presidential race Wednesday with an announcement he’ll seek the Democratic nomination in ’08. But Biden drew more attention for comments he made about fellow senator and presidential contender Barack Obama.

Sen. Joseph Biden: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

Biden was speaking to a reporter from The New York Observer. Obama says he doesn’t take Biden’s comments personally, but called them “historically inaccurate.” He said: “African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate,” he said. Meanwhile, Jackson and Sharpton rejected Biden’s insistence they would know what he meant. In an interview with The New York Times, Jackson pointed out he lasted longer and received more votes than Biden when both ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988. This isn’t the first time Biden has made racially charged remarks. He was criticized last June when these comments about Indian Americans were broadcast on C-SPAN.

Sen. Joseph Biden: “In Delaware, the largest growth of population is Indian Americans, moving from India. You cannot go to a 7/11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.”

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