UPDATE: NBC News reports Biden to formally announce on Thursday.
Joe Biden is expected to jump into the presidential race on Wednesday, but he enters a Democratic nomination fight with a lot of baggage. Most recently the former Vice President has had to deal with complaints about his history of overly-grabby behavior with women, but those stories have overshadowed another famous flaw – his propensity for embarrassing gaffes.
Just as some liberal journalists have rushed to the defense of Biden’s grabbiness, they have also aided Biden by either laughing off or completely burying most of his numerous gaffes. And if he ends up being the Democratic frontrunner, expect the media to continue to overlook any new bumbles that Biden is inevitably going to make on the campaign trail.
From insensitively telling a wheelchair-bound state senator to “Stand up!,” to not recognizing how many letters there are in the word “jobs,” and offensively using the anti-Semitic term “Shylocks,” the media have turned a blind eye to many, many gaffes.
The following is just a sampling of Biden’s bloopers over the years and the minimal coverage they’ve received from the Big Three networks on their evening (ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News), morning (ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show/This Morning, NBC’s Today), and Sunday roundtable shows (ABC’s This Week, CBS’s Face the Nation, NBC’s Meet the Press).
Hispanics Taking a “Beating” at the “Hands” of Republicans
Vice President Joe Biden accused Republican presidential candidates of “beating” on Hispanics during an address to a Hispanic group on October 7, 2015.
In a surprise appearance at a fundraiser hosted by the Latino Victory Project PAC, Biden said he saw Hispanics hanging their heads at a recent event because of comments on immigration made by GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump.
“People walked in like literally down because of the beating, the beating Hispanics are taking at the hands of the Republican caucus — I mean the Republican presidential race,” Biden said, according to a video obtained by CNN.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
Grabby Biden Just Being “Friendly”
All three morning shows on February 18, 2015 covered Joe Biden’s awkward close talking with Stephanie Carter, wife of then-incoming Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. However, the hosts of CBS This Morning went out of their way to excuse the Vice President’s caressing touch and whispering into the ears of the new Secretary of Defense’s wife.
Co-host Norah O’Donnell argued that there was a reason Biden placed his hands tightly on Stephanie Carter’s shoulder, 
defending, “It’s important to know the background that the new Defense Secretary’s wife actually fell on the ice.” O’Donnell added, “I think he was comforting her.” Charlie Rose jumped in, spinning the actions as “consoling.”
On Good Morning America, the controversy was relegated to the superficial “speed feed” segment. Lara Spencer dismissed, “[Biden is] very affectionate.” Michael Strahan enthused, “He’s spreading love.”
The journalists at NBC’s Today weren’t as understanding. Willie Geist deemed the Vice President “awkward” and his actions “raised a few eyebrows.” Geist opined, “He’s getting a little handsy now, too.” In the 9am hour, Geist was even more direct. After allowing that some could see it as “Joe being Joe,” he declared, “The other side of it is ‘take your hands off my wife.’”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
5 full stories
Biden’s “Old Butt Buddy”
Speaking at Drake University in Iowa on February 12, 2015 Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden was running through a list of dignitaries that were there for his remarks and referred to former Iowa Democratic Representative Neal Smith as his “old butt buddy” and told Smith that “I miss you man.”
Here’s how the February 12, 2015 Daily Mail put it in an article:
Did Vice President Joe Biden call a former congressman his 'butt buddy' during a speech in Iowa this afternoon? Biden, known for making inappropriate slips of the tongue, appeared on Thursday to refer to a former Iowa lawmaker Neal Smith his ‘butt buddy’ while making remarks at Drake University. Butt buddy is a term that can mean two close friends who are considered inseparable. But it also has homosexual connotations.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
Biden’s Damaging Gaffes on U.S. Allies in the Middle East
After the October 6, 2014 CBS This Morning covered Joe Biden’s remarks that U.S. allies in the Middle East had aided terrorists to fight in Syria, CBS continued its coverage of the story with a full report from CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett on CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley.
Anchor Scott Pelley began the two-minute-and-nine-second segment by saying that the White House was spending Monday night “working to smooth things over after some undiplomatic remarks by the Vice President shook up the alliance against ISIS.”
Garrett mentioned that Biden committed two policy-related gaffes during the speech regarding U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East, with the first being:
Vice President Biden said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates had allowed extremist groups to flourish in Syria, all in the name of fighting the regime of Bashar Al Assad and indirectly giving rise to ISIS.
As for the second gaffe regarding the fight against ISIS, he:
Also committed the diplomatic faux pas of recounting a private conversation with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, where Erdogan admitted that foreign fighters were crossing from southern Turkey to join ISIS in Syria.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
2 full stories (both on CBS)
1 mention on October 12, 2014 NBC’s Meet the Press in form of Biden soundbite, played with no comment from hosts, reporters or guests.
Biden’s Use of Anti-Semitic Term “Shylocks”
All three network morning shows on September 17, 2014 ignored Joe Biden using a word many consider to be anti-Semitic. Giving a speech on Tuesday about legal issues facing veterans, the Vice President decried “Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men while overseas.”
ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today and CBS This Morning all skipped Biden’s gaffe. This is despite the fact that Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League criticized Biden, saying, “Shylock represents the medieval stereotype about Jews and remains an offensive characterization to this day.” He added, “The Vice President should have been more careful.”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
Africa the Country?
Speaking at the United States Africa Leaders Summit on August 5, 2014 then-Vice President Joe Biden apparently forgot Africa was a continent comprised of over 50 individual countries:
“There’s no reason the nation of Africa cannot and should not join the ranks of the world’s most prosperous nations in the near term, in the decades ahead. There is simply no reason.”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
The GOP Wants to Put Y’all Back in Chains!
On August 14, 2012 Vice President Joe Biden made a racially charged smear, in front of a predominately black audience, when he ranted: “Look at what they [Republicans] value, and look at their budget. And look what they’re proposing. [Romney] said in the first 100 days, he’s going to let the big banks write their own rules -- unchain Wall Street. They’re going to put y’all back in chains.”
There was very little coverage on the Big Three networks of this offensive remark (especially when compared to the furor over the GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin’s imbroglio.) Only CBS News noticed the racial ramifications of Biden’s statement.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
3 full stories
9 mentions in segments that included other topics.
Biden Doesn’t Know What State He’s In...
In the same speech, in which he made his infamous “chains” remark, the Vice President was apparently clueless about which crucial swing state audience he was addressing as he urged the Danville, Virginia crowd that “With you, we can win North Carolina again!” Only ABC’s David Muir, in previewing a soundbite of GOP Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan making fun of Biden’s geographical error, made mention of Biden’s error on the August 17, 2012 Good Morning America.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
1 mention
0 full stories
...Or What Century He’s In
When he delivered his infamous “chains” speech not only did Biden forget what state he was in, he also forgot what century it was: “Once again, General Motors [is] the largest automobile maker in the world. Folks, where’s it written we cannot lead the world in the 20th century in making automobiles? I’ve not seen it written anywhere.”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
BFD
During the ObamaCare signing ceremony on March 23, 2010 Biden was caught using a vulgarity when he congratulated President Barack Obama as he exclaimed: “This is a big f****** deal!” While the networks did cover this gaffe, they did it in a joking manner, essentially laughing it off in way that let the Vice President off the hook for his embarrassing behavior. On the March 24, 2010 edition of Good Morning America, ABC’s Bill Weir cheekily teased viewers: “Joe Biden gives us another gem.” Later, ABC’s Juju Chang gave Biden a free pass as she determined: “But I think a lot of people are giving Joe Biden some slack on this.” Her colleague Robin Roberts added: “He’s been known to kind of let things fly a little bit.”
NBC’s Ann Curry, on the March 24, 2010 Today, seemed to excuse Biden’s profanity on him just merely being caught up in the moment: “One person who could barely contain his excitement was Vice President Joe Biden. In fact, he used some very colorful language as he was congratulating President Obama.” The harshest criticism came from an anti-cursing crusading teenager who was critical of Biden’s language. He was featured in just two storied aired on ABC and CBS.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
13 mentions in segments that included other topics.
4 full stories devoted just to Biden’s BFD gaffe.
Oops, She’s Not Dead Yet
On March 17, 2010 the Vice President mistakenly told Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen that his mother had died, when in fact, she was still alive: “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.”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
Jobs is a Three Letter Word
The liberal media howled at Dan Quayle when he misspelled the word potato, however when Biden, on October 15, 2008, couldn’t properly count up how many letters made up the word “jobs” no one on the Big Three networks batted an eye: “Look, John’s [McCain] last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs.”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
FDR’s Famous Fireside Chats on the TV?
During an interview with Katie Couric, aired on the September 22, 2008 CBS Evening News, Biden inaccurately claimed President Franklin Roosevelt was in office when the stock market crashed in 1929 and also appeared on TV at a time when TV’s weren’t yet prevalent.
“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.”
Couric never bothered to correct Biden in the interview and never pointed it out in subsequent broadcasts. Biden’s anachronistic gaffe was also completely ignored by ABC. Only NBC’s Brian Williams, on the September 23, 2008 Nightly News, noticed Biden’s foible.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
1 mention in a September 23, 2008 NBC Nightly News brief story by Williams.
Biden Telling a Disabled Man to ‘Stand Up!’ Ignored...
On September 12, 2008 Biden clumsily and insensitively told wheel-chair bound Missouri State Senator Chuck Graham to get up from his seat:
“I’m also told that, that Chuck Graham, state senator is here. Chuck? Stand up Chuck! Let ‘em see ya! Oh! God love ya. What am I talking about? I’ll tell you what, you're making everybody else stand up, old pal. Thank you very, very much. I’ll tell you what, stand up for Chuck! Thank you, pal. You can tell I’m new. Good to see you buddy.”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
Articulate, Bright, Clean Obama
Biden’s “chains” remark wasn’t the first time the Vice President made a racially charged statement. On January 31, 2007, well before he was tagged to be his running mate, Biden attempted to pay Obama a compliment and ended up insulting black Americans in the process: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man.”
This is one of the few Biden gaffes that got some play on the Big Three networks. However, it should be noted Biden’s “clean and bright and clean” outburst came at the start of the Democratic primary, long before there was any vested interest in protecting the man who would find his way on to the national ticket.
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
12 full stories
1 mention
7-11 Slur
African-Americans weren’t the only group Biden has slurred, as back on June 17, 2006 in a clip aired on C-SPAN he mocked those of Indian descent: “You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent....I’m not joking.”
Coverage on the Big Three networks that week:
0 stories
0 mentions
