Rip Van Biden!
Best new nickname for VP compliments of The Daily Show?
[Apr. 15]
Change has come to America, and apparently all the hard work to make it happen makes politicians of the highest rank and order need a nap. Vice President Joe Biden appeared to fall asleep during a speech given at George Washington University by President Barack Obama regarding the Federal deficit this week, provoking huge laughs and winces from nearly everybody who saw the clip of Joe Biden asleep during an Obama speech. For several seconds at least, Vice President Biden had his eyes closed, after which he opened his eyes and bowed his head, leaving some to think he could have been sleeping. Like late night talk show host Jon Stewart on The Daily Show April 14th.
Before we say more, don’t think it was just the comedy channel staff and television fans watching Joe Biden sleeping during President Obama’s economics speech that thought the whole spectacle was … for lack of a better term, #FUNNY.
According to Personal Liberty Digest, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee also quipped to Fox News:
“He was praying that nobody will find out just how disingenuous they are about actually cutting the expenses and hoping and praying that the American people don’t catch on to the games that they’re trying to hoist upon us,” Huckabee told the media outlet.
Was Vice President Joe Biden really asleep? Watch and decide for yourself. Salon offers a video clip of the moment, here.
Jon Stewart of The Daily Show joked as well, calling the vice president Rip Van Biden.
Catchy nickname, isn’t it?
Now, we at GCN can understand that politics is not always particularly entertaining, unless a master like Jon Stewart is laying it on the line for us, but we feel certain even we could manage to respect our position as one of the highest officers in the land to stay awake for a 45-minute speech. Falling asleep on the job is just unacceptable.
Let’s hope Vice President Joe Biden merely was contemplating the gravity of the report President Barack Obama was giving and pray no one was recording a clip of him snoring.
CNN has its own cheeky report about Joe Biden sleeping during the Obama speech:
We should give Biden the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was in the middle of a deep thought about what Obama was talking about, Medicare ending as we know it and not keeping our promise to seniors. His eyes opened up as the president was saying, “tough luck – you’re on your own.”
Okay. Maybe even CNN is going to have a problem with this one.
Like them, we are uncertain how else to spin such a faux pas. Maybe he’s the hare in the famous Aesop fable, The Tortoise and the Hare, so on point that he can afford to fall asleep for a little nap. Rick Santorum has claimed to be the tortoise, already, according to Death and Taxes website. That may not be a good sign, but at least he may not be asleep at the finish line.
C’mon, Joe Biden. Wake up. Have a $6 cup of Starbucks coffee and gulp down a 5 Hour Energy drink before you ever have to make another public appearance or attend a meeting (like the rest of America has been doing struggling to keep their job during a tough economy).
You were not in church, for Christ’s sake (literally and figuratively speaking); it was your running mate’s key speech!
We know it’s serious stuff and there is no clear solution. We know sitting in on a speech is less productive than getting out there and doing something. But you at least, for the sake of the American public, ought to appear interested. It makes the whole administration look bad.
And quite frankly, with the Tea Party people hot on your green little heels, you guys have enough to worry about already without playing Captain Snoozie.