subject: Say it Ain't So Joe – Part 2 [print this page] Say it Ain't So Joe Part 2 Say it Ain't So Joe Part 2
Just as Vice President Joe Biden is removing his foot from his mouth, he trips over the one that's not shoved down his throat; this time, calling a small business owner a "smartass". Now, if his gig is ever up at the White House, odds are, he's going to be one of those eight million Americans who fall victim to the "God awful mess" former President Bush left the country in. Many are supposing not many business owners, also commonly referred to as "bosses", are going to want to hire someone who undermines their authority and calls them less than pleasant names.
In all fairness, being in the limelight at all times and having every word dissected within moments after having said them can't be easy, says LegalAuthorty.com founder A. Harrison Barnes. There are speech writers, attorneys and a myriad of other people whose jobs are to ensure every word and every nuance is carefully planned for before the president and vice president speak in public. It's those unplanned moments, such as the case with Vice President Obama stopping into the custard store in late June, that can cause problems, says the LegalAuthority.com founder.
Many were still reeling over another comment, made only hours earlier by Vice President Biden about the eight million jobs that were never coming back after the recession. That was a knife in the wound, say some Americans still struggling to find employment following the tough economic days over the past few years. Even as President Obama continues to remain encouraging and hopeful in his declarations of more jobs and better times, it could not have been a moment President Obama was proud of. In the past weeks, President Obama has shown a bit of assertive actions himself. Addressing the situation in the Gulf of Mexico, he was quoted as saying he wanted to know "whose ass to kick" regarding the BP oil spill. Frankly, says A. Harrison Barnes, many Americans found that refreshing. Not the less than pleasant language, but the determination Americans saw that day and his adamance in being sure the oil company heard his message loud and clear. So does this mean we have a duo of country leaders who aren't bashful about letting a less than polite word or two slip out from time to time? No one is surprised when a recent poll showed a non-plussed attitude by those surveyed of President Obama's or Vice President Biden's references. Most Americans simply want the economy repaired and the oil cleaned. Period. As one woman said during a recent poll, "If it takes the occasional eyebrow raising word to get folks to take notice, I'm all for it."
Still, Vice President's rude remark likely embarrassed the small business owner who was only attempting to show respect by offering the custard free of charge. And too, human nature being what it is, it's also very likely the vice president spoke those words before even realizing what he'd done. Still, it rings distasteful for most; more so in the attitude and message he sent and less so about the choice of words.
