When you encourage people to project their own hopes and dreams on you, eventually you’re going to face a lot of disappointed people.
Much better to stand on firm convictions and tell folks, this is who I am - take it or leave it.
Joe Biden, October 19, 2008
“Mark my words,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”
“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you - not financially to help him - we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”
We cannot forget about this statement from the VP select. This was immediately after a national security briefing. I thought then that what they would want us to support is siding with the Muslims against Israel. Lord help us if this administration takes that position.