Biden Creates Stir With Embarrassing Satchel Paige Gaffe

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Joe Biden was delivering remarks today for Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery.

He spoke a lot about his son Beau Biden who was a veteran, though he did not die in war, but of cancer.

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But then he got into trouble and created a big stir when he referred to the great pitcher, Satchel Paige. He was trying to make a joke about age and only being as young as you feel. He told the same story to the Pope during his visit with him but got so lost in the weeds on it, he confused the translator.

This time, he ended up calling Paige, the “great negro, at the time, preacher [pitcher] in the Negro Leagues.” Biden was wishing Donald Blinken, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s father, a happy birthday. The senior Blinken turned 96 today.

“I know that you’re a little younger than I am,” Biden joked. “But I’ve adopted the attitude of the great negro, at the time, preacher in the Negro Leagues, went on to become a great pitcher in the pros and Major League Baseball after Jackie Robinson, his name was Satchel Paige.” Biden continued saying Paige had great success in baseball despite being the advanced age (for professional baseball) of 47.

“He said ‘boys that’s not how I look at it. I look at it this way, how old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?’ I’m 50 years old – and the ambassador’s 47,” Biden joked.

Yikes. Now, some on social media excused Biden’s reference saying he got his words jumbled. Indeed, he didn’t even say pitcher right, appearing to say “preacher.” So it could be he just got his words jumbled could be but that’s also part of the problem. While Paige showed the great heights that one can reach at advanced age, Biden keeps showing us all the problems inherent with having a 79-year-old in the office. That’s not a good thing. We see his incoherence day after day and it’s not a comforting thing for people concerned about this nation and the direction we are going. Biden doesn’t seem to have any idea and appears completely lost much of the time.

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But he also has a history of questionable racial remarks in the past, over years.

Here are a few: “Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids,” “First mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy” in reference to Barack Obama, and the infamous one from last year — if you don’t know that you’re voting for him then “you ain’t black.”

There was this statement from April that didn’t get as much coverage as it should have because it surely sounds not only racist but that Biden has a truly warped perception of black people.

“No, I don’t think the American people are racist, but I think after 400 years, African-Americans have been left in a position where they are so far behind the eight-ball in terms of education, health, in terms of opportunity,” Biden said.

“I think the overhang from all of the Jim Crow and before that, slavery, has had a cost, and we have to deal with it,”

How about this winner where Biden was asked during a debate a question about reparations? He ended up saying something about parents not being able to educate their kids and teach them words — again a seriously warped perception about black people.

Biden also believes black business people somehow don’t have lawyers or accountants.

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So is it possible this was just an old man tripping over his words? Yes, then he shouldn’t be in the office when he continues to be so incoherent. But he also has a very long history that we shouldn’t forget when things like this keep coming up.

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