No matter what your political leanings are, or what you’ve thought about the state of the executive branch for the past 8 years, we should all be able to agree on one thing: Joe Biden is a pretty awesome dude. From his long-running obsession with ice cream to his appearance in memes left and right following this election, Biden has made us smile for almost a decade in Washington. But long before his tenure as Vice President, good ole Joe was residing in the First State, making Delawareans from Wilmington to Delmar laugh for quite some time. His time as VP might be coming to an end, but we’ll look upon it fondly. Here are some of our favorite quotes from his thus far (along with some of my favorite memes of Biden that have popped up recently):
1. "His mom lived in Long Island for ten years or so. God rest her soul. And- although, she's- wait- your mom's still- your mom's still alive. Your dad passed. God bless her soul.”
Biden was talking about the mother of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen in March of 2010. Joe is known to put his foot in his mouth from time to time, and no matter how sloppy the recovery may be, he always corrects himself. It’s painful to watch, but kind of endearing.
2. "Folks, I can tell you I've known eight presidents, three of them intimately." August 22, 2012.
This speaks for itself. Maybe not the best word choice, but he definitely gets his point across.
3. "My mother believed and my father believed that if I wanted to be president of the United States, I could be, I could be Vice President!" May 16, 2012.
It’s not easy becoming the Vice President of the United States of America, and it’s probably even harder being just one step down from being the most powerful politician in the world. But while Barack Obama may be standing tall on the top step, Biden is standing one step down, probably making weird faces or muttering slightly inappropriate or ill-timed comments.
4. "I promise you, the president has a big stick. I promise you." April 26, 2012.
In this quote, Biden is referencing Teddy Roosevelt’s famous saying, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." Unfortunately, this rendition takes it to a more *cough* personal level.
5. "Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see ya." September 12, 2008.
This quote is definitely one of the more cringeworthy ones. Joe Biden said this to Missouri state Senator Chuck Graham, who just so happens to be in a wheelchair. Ouch.
6. "This is a big f**king deal!" March 23, 2010.
This final, and my favorite comment by Biden was uttered during the health care signing ceremony. Biden didn’t realize it was going to be captured by the microphones in the room, but boy was it. It just comes to show you, even the most powerful men in the world still slip up sometimes and enjoy the occasional use of the f-word for emphasis.
