Joe Biden is an excellent case in point. When he made the aforementioned comments, he was summarily dismissed as a competitive presidential candidate. Thirty years of dedicated service to the country as a legislator deeply concerned about families, education, and foreign policy were out of the window. No one cared that he had received a 100% rating from the NAACP, or is a committed supporter of old-school affirmative action--including minority contractor set-asides for highways and construction. He was never even given credit for recognizing he had offended people and immediately apologizing. In comparison to the entire Bush administration, or John Edwards' apology for his sexual affair, with its lawyerly contortions about his wife's cancer being in remission, Biden's straightforwardness and willingness to admit mistakes--Iraq, for instance--was and is refreshing.
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