Sarah Palin’s continuing refrain during the only Vice Presidential debate with Joe Biden was, “say it ain’t so, Joe”. Whenever she repeated this catchphrase I thought, “ohmygod, Sarah, spare us the superciliousness. But oddly enough, her words carried a prescient awareness of what lay ahead for the Obama Administration. .jpg)
Indeed, this past week, “hello-my-name- is-Joe, I suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome”, appeared on NBC’s “Today” show. When asked what advice he would give to avoid the swine flu he said, “I would tell members of my family, and I have, I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico, it's you're in a confined aircraft when one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft. That's me. I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation suggesting they ride the subway. "
“Oy”, said members of the Obama Administration. Say it ain’t so, Joe.
But it was too late. Like a swine flu cough, the VP’s words out of his mouth and into the media ether.
We all knew that sooner or later Joe Biden’s verbal fearlessness would make us laugh. He hasn’t let us down.
He went on to say, If you're out in the middle of a field and someone sneezes that's one thing. If you're in a closed aircraft or a closed container or closed car or closed classroom it's a different thing."
Like a pig on ice, Joe Biden inevitably loses his verbal balance. He doesn't even seem to notice it at the time and this is what makes it so disarming. Then, quicker than swine flu sneeze, White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs issued an apology, “Obviously, if anybody was unduly alarmed for whatever reason, we would apologize for that. And I hope that my remarks and remarks of people at CDC and Secretary Napolitano have appropriately cleared up what he meant to say.”
We know what the Vice President meant to say. He meant to say what he said--and what he said, a lot of American's were already thinking. Given the media's swine flu hype and the public's creeping anxiety, Biden was just putting out there a question most travelers had already asked themselves.
Swine flu or no, when a coughing, wheezing, passenger in the seat next to me lets loose—my anxiety always spikes,
Sometime back, my wife, Judy, and I went to Japan to visit our newborn grandson. While there we developed terrible colds. When the time came to return home, I boarded the plane and sat down, holding a wad of Kleenex in one hand and a box of cough drops in the other. I carefully covered my mouth when coughing, and muffled my sneezes as much as possible.
Then it hit me.
On many previous occasions I had boarded a plane only to be seated near someone who was sniffling or coughing. Every time that person coughed or sneezed, I had cringed and held my breath. Whenever there was a sick person on the same plane as me, I would think, “You so and so, why did you get on this plane? Don’t you have any consideration for other people? You’re going to make us all sick!”
Sitting on that plane in Narita Airport it came home to me that I had become the very thing I abhorred. My self righteous moral certitude was coming back on me. I was twice a sinner: once for getting on the plane while sickly contagious and once again for my resentment of others behaving in the same way. On that return trip from Tokyo, I met the enemy and it was me.
Once I realized that I had become the very thing that disgusted me, I smiled. After a while I was even able to laugh at myself.
Ogden Nash’s poems are nothing if not light hearted. In poking fun at us, he reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.
He writes, “the only people who should sin are those who can sin and grin.”
I am willing to bet that Joe Biden has flown on a plane when he was sick. And I’ve also seen his self deprecating grin. I’ve seen him smile the smile of shy humility. Joe Biden knows how to laugh at himself.
Hey Joe, say it ain’t so, or better yet, smile while inserting foot in mouth--it's less painful that way.
Comments
Hey, Bob, cute piece. But "Say it ain't so, Joe," though trite, was not a "continuing refrain." She said it only once. I remember cause I only winced once.
Why do you media guys always have to exaggerate to make a point? We dummies will get it if you just tell it like it is.
Sara Palin only said "Say it ain't so, Joe" ONE time during that one debate, yet you vividly remember doing much cringing the many times she repeated her "catch phrase". You really shouldn't make stuff up just because it fits what you want to write about. Lost your credibility in the very first paragraph.
A question. Why does the realization that you have become the very thing that disgusts you make you smile and then laugh? That makes absolutely no sense. Your own hypocrisy is cause for amusement? Why would that be?
I really liked your article. Even if Palin did not repeat the phrase I remember it playing over and over in my head like she had been repeating it. I find it interesting how the right is so unforgiving. Are they not supposed to be the righteous examples for us all?
Grow up people! Joe Biden is the only public figure so far that is speaking clearly and honestly about how to protect oneself from the vicious circle of spreading disease. Why get all hot and bothered about the "SWINE FLU EPIDEMIC" and then not take the logical precautions against spreading it? Or any other disease either?
Cancer patients are unequivocally instructed "No public places!" I can not think of a filthier environment than an airport or airplane.So if you fly and get sick, you asked for it!!!!!!
Wow, we really are one step closer to the "party" being in control of all media. Palin only said that once and you are boldface lying in your article.
Freaking commie.
Joe I am on your side. This is another example what we need to shed. This lobbing needs to end. If we need to shun human contact to rid ourselves of this flu so be it. Good luck Joe
Nice spelling there in the eighth paragraph. "American's" instead of "Americans"? Learn to correct your own deficiencies before criticizing our vice president's remarks.
Interesting how the media has taken upon itself the responsibility to excuse the idiocy of the Vice President as opposed to contorting itself to point it out as it did the past 8 years.
Grin all you want; at this point, all we can do is laugh about the alarming fact that a man so dumb that he thought the appropriate response to 9/11 was to give billions to Iran, so strategically vapid that he proposed dividing Iraq into 3 territories that would be in a constant state of war - yes this man is one heart beat away from the Presidency.
A real laugh riot!
Now, imagine if he wasn't a Democrat.
Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush... I love it, now you have offended all the kool-aid drinkers. They love the Kool-aid flavor already being shoved down their throats. Hollywood has got to be stopped, great article.
VP Joe was right. Anyone who flies or travels around the country and world who is not REQUIRED to do so when a new strain of an influenza is also traveling around is asking for it. He spoke common sense, though not politically correct as I am sure the travel industry was horrified. Most people are doing just what he said. If schools across the nation can close because of exposure to this flu, it makes sense to me one would try to mitigate chance of exposure in, of all places, an airplane cabin or a packed train and subway. If you are well, stay home and take your chances just going to and from normal daily activities; if you don't HAVE to travel, don't; if you must travel, my best wishes! Joe was right. And, besides, he is so handsome and cute; I love him.
Mr. Thompson, I'm no great fan of the V.P., but when the V.P. was on the today show he actually seemed presidential. He told us what any common scene person knows already. To put public safety in front of the economy. After all, we are at a level 5 pandemic and the transportation of the pandemic has been by people taking airlines. I was how ever saddened to hear that he went home on a train when he said he wouldn't. I would say that your analogy piece on Ogden Nash is wrong. I think the V.P. wasn't grinning, but frowning when the pressures of politics told him to take the train.
wish there was a voting button re: this article, so that I could vote "THUMBS DOWN"
Slowly yet slowly people are beginning to see this administration as the Emperor with no clothes. It is too bad the media didn't do its job during the campaign and instead let itself become subverted.
Why are people making such a huge deal of this Swine flu?? Thousands upon thousands of people die of the seasonal flu every year, yet we're not cowering in our houses refusing to travel during the winter are we? The media is ridiculous, but what's even worse are the mindless sheep that follow their every word. Yes people, by all means, hide and cower from the evil flu. My drive to and from work will be a lot faster.
Hey, Joe Biden was telling us the truth. I've flown hundreds of times and if someone near you on the plain sick sick and coughing there is a high probability that you will pick-up their cold/flu whetever it is... it has happned to me many times and I get upset when I see sick people on one of my flights. JOE WAS TELLING US THE FACTS!!!
Well, I cringe and wince just about every time I read the word "only". It modifies only the minimum limit, not any words prior to that.
Only once, please. Editors and proof reader note: this split infinitive is the most commonly missed error in grammar. And it leads to swine flu.
Joe was right. Planes are notorious for passing flu and colds. I've flown hundreds of times and he is right!
This article, and others like it, has to be some of the silliest nonsense I've seen put forth by the media since the swine flu first hit the public consciousness. VP Biden made a very straight-forward and logical statement about the best way to avoid getting sick. His advice is good, sound, common sense as numerous physicians (who aren't on the government payroll, of course) will tell you. The flu is an airborne virus; if you're in an enclosed area with someone who's ill and you're breathing, you can get it. Period. All the hand-washing in the world isn't going to keep you from getting the flu if the person sitting next to you has it and sneezes or coughs. There's no need to panic and become hysterical about it, but I don't think VP Biden *was* inducing panic and hysteria. The media and the American public need to strike a happy medium here; without panic or alarm, just do what it takes to prevent the spread of this flu, as you should with ANY flu, because your neighbor's baby, or your co-worker with asthma, or your elderly grandmother might not fare as well as you would should they become ill. And VP Biden's advice is darn good advice to follow in the attempt to slow the spread of the illness.
Bob, your thoughts are a waste of time.
I agree with Joe. He is telling the truth. If everybody thought like him and acted on it, they would be able to contain this much better. Joe speaks the truth, he didn't sugar coat it or dance around the question. I don't like when they give "fake" dance around sugar coated answers. Go Joe!
Bob, so you are saying you are bad at observation? You went to Japan where everyone from little kids to seniors wears a surgical mask if they have an infectious respiratory illness. You see it walking on the streets, in the subways and on the trains. Yet you flew home with only a box of Kleenex. And thought it was insightful for doing the wrong thing.
We've enjoyed Yogi Berra's Yogi-isms for years! How refreshing that we now have a replacement for the aging Yogi!
Doesn't it boil down to whether your priority is protecting airline revenue or protecting people's health?
Your article is waste of my time. You are as big an idiot as Joe Biden
AMERICA PLEASE GROW UP
AMERICA PLEASE GROW UP>GO JOE
So, there are people that read an article such as this, decide they have wasted their time, then waste even more time posting a comment telling the world wide web that they wasted their time reading the article. I find the irony refreshingly hilarious. What an absurd world!
Uhhh.....hello???? Joe didn't say anything wrong. I think he was just sharing a little common sense advise. That was it. Nothing else....but you needed a story. So you chose to sensationalize absolute nothingness for a story. This is why I hate the media soooo much. You just wasted my time with BS and tried to make a very decent man look bad. Shame on you. Look in the mirror and get a real job!
This guy is an embarrasment to the Obama administration and even Obama says things publically to bolster the public opinion of Biden. But once again Obama rises to the top with his graciousness regarding his bafoom(sp?) vice president. When he goes to foreign countries they have to send an interperter along that can fliter out the stupidity while translatting.
Sure everything he said was true, but why be an alarmist jerk and instead, follow the lead of his president. He and his wife are big mouths and some of the comments sound like they came from Ms. Biden's big mouth. Stupid is as stupid does and a degree doesn't cover that up. It's obvious they have a "better than thou" attitude base in degrees not common sense of "maze bright".
Can't say I like Biden much or agree with him on many issues, but his remarks about the flu and measures to take to avoid getting it were right on.
His only problem with his statements is the oh so politically correct party to which he belongs. Can't hurt anyone's feelings ya' know.
It's totally true. I wanted Richardson to be the VP instead of this smirking, leering joker (remembering back to when he threw away his own ambitions to run in 2000 by acting like an sneering, overbearing bully at the Waco hearings and turning even those in his own party off). The best thing I can say about him as VP is, at least he's not Hillary, but that's a very hollow comfort.
For everyone's sake, keep yourself safe, Mr President, VERY safe.
Concentration camps for living creatures is never a good thing. This case is another proof.
It is time to leave out the meat and other animal products. Check out websites like MeatAlternatives.org and see how many options (healthier ones) we humans have.
Right now, we are slaughtering our only plant. Let's wake up before it will be too late.
Move over Dan Quayle, there's a new sheriff in town.
His name is Joe Biden and he makes you look like Einstein.
Shut up Joe! don't embarrass your boss! that goes with your wife too, you guys just please enjoy the ride
The article makes light of an idiot VP who makes many comments that are dumb, or worse yet, flat out lies. He was about the worst choice for VP. The one time I agreed with Biden was that Hillary would have been a better choice.
So Biden is a knee jerk truth sayer? What a wonderful balance to our Commander-in-Chief.
And you mock yourself for having a passing awareness of germ theory? Stupidity is the contagion with which you should concern yourself. There's a lot of it going around these days!
I am still mystified that people actually think this is a story. Do people not understand how the flu or any infectious disease is passed around...by PEOPLE for gods sakes! People still think going out in the cold improperly dressed will give you the flu?!?! Do you know why people get sick more often in the winter than the summer? After reading most of these posts I have to assume the answer is no. It's because people are indoors in close quarters to one another so if one person has a bug 3 sneezes later 60% of the room has it too, and then they go to other confined spaces and the cycle continues. SHEESH...so hopefully you learned some thing today and you won't say put your coat on or you'll catch a cold. You'll instead say put your coat on or you'll freeze your A** OFF! Biden said NOTHING wrong, at least nothing that is inaccurate for a disease control scenario. I think the Obama administration would have been well served to have had Biden's back here. I'm a little upset how they took such a gutless way out. You can be sure if this thing were to actually turn into a pandemic Biden's advice would become martial law to keep us from dieing like diseased herd animals huddling in a cave.
Way too much emphasis on politics once again. The message was clear, protect yourself. Don't go kissing babies if they have a runny nose. It was a commonsense statement. My only advice for the Whitehouse is not to apologize for honesty.
And they said that Dan Quayle was an idiot. Well, there's a new idiot on the block.
Didn't "Say it ain't so, Joe" promptly take the "confined car" Amtrak home to Delaware for the weekend?
Leave Joe alone, he made it clear that his comment wasn't a recommendation to the country, this is what he would tell his own family. What do we want, Someone who will just be politically correct regardles of the truth, or someone who will just tell you the truth. He just answered the questionally truthfully.
I don't even get what was wrong with what Biden said. I know it's very trendy to blame the media, but c'mon, how is this event in any way news?
A couple of problems with your article. First, Sarah Palin said, "Say it ain't so" exactly once during the debate. That doesn't exactly make it a refrain. Second, saying that you had "become the very thing that disgusted [you]" implies that you had gone through some kind of long transition process into a different kind of person -- which you didn't. You just sneezed. Two examples of unnecessary hyperbole.
I wonder how many VPs in the last 100 years have been of the sort that looks like an idiot in order to deflect media attention from the president? Certainly most of the ones in my memory have done that job. Mr. Cheney was a llittle bit different: since Mr. Bush already looked like an idiot, Mr. Cheney had to become evil, and played that part very well. But think about it: Nixon and Ford. Reagan and Bush, Bush and Quayle, Clinton and Gore. Or is this just a media trope?
A heartbeat away from the Presidency....scary stuff!
The United States is obsessed with the "Swine Flu". Take a look at Dr. Mercola's website with the real truth on swine flu and other pandemics that have hit us before. Take a look and see what the results are of vaccines, hysteria and not using our common sense. Homeopathics do no harm if taken for the appropriate condition. In fact back during the 1918 outbreak people that took homeopathics 0.15% vs 50% for allopathic hospitals. They used homeopathic gelsemium and occasionally byronia. Google Dr Mercola & you'll be directed to a wealth of information on Swine Flu and other natural ways to take care of yourself. Wake up America - turn off your TV's start reading again and take care of your own health.
It's a big deal because the country needs leaders to tell them it's going to be OK, even if it's not, as they prepare for something else. Sometimes, the truth is not worth telling due to the hysteria it can cause.
Take an extreme example -- partly due to a severe panic in Egypt, the government has ordered the killing of the country's pigs, all 350,000 of them. It's a complete misunderstanding of "swine" flu, but is not far off the mark from Joe Biden's comments. To control the situation, you need to control the message. Joe Biden did not do that.
Hmmm. Wonder what Perez Hilton will think of Joe voicing his own opinion. Hope it isn't in contrast to what Perez thinks or we might have to suffer through another childish tirade. Think Perez might call Joe the "B" or "C" word?
There are two types of "americans." One type, liberals, want to hear the truth, don't associate bad situations with "government blame," and believe that anyone should be able to say and publish anything they wish. The other type, Conservatives, have a different view. They wish to be lied to, to "preserve" our country, whatever that means. They don't want "too much truth," because it will "scare" them. Since their idiotic ideology blames governemnt for pretty much every ill in their life (in a sense taking the place of jews or blacks), they figure anything that sounds bad will MAKE THEM HATE THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT. They are so scared of hating their country, they don't want to HEAR THE TRUTH. My take on it is this: Consevatives have a defective brain: they want to love their country, and can't figure out that KNOWING about what is happening IS loving your country. NOT giving some divine chieftan the reins and going to work and forgetting about it!
Funny to hear a bunch of repubs calling others idiots. Your party and past pres are the biggest joke in this country. Joe was telling the truth and one of these times it will be a real pandemic and all the people who ignore this "outburst" could die. Call this a trial run and lets be thankful to "idiot Bush" for getting the ball rolling on pandemic response.
Last August on a plane trip from Munich to Denver, my friend and I were not seated together. The passenger behind my friend and the passenger in front of her coughed constantly the entire flight. Within two days of her return she had pneumonia. We wonder how the other adjacent passengers fared.
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