- The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 20, 2019

In an exchange about his support among blacks, Vice President Joseph R. Biden appeared to erase the existence of Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California.

Mr. Biden said at Wednesday night’s debate that he is a product of the victorious coalition created in 2008 by Barack Obama — “I come out of the black community in terms of my support.”

He then went on the brag about his support “from the black community … because they know me, they know who I am,” citing “three former chairs of the [Congressional] Black Caucus, and “the only African-American woman who’s ever been elected to the United States Senate, a whole range of people.”

That last claim caused an eruption of laughter among the Atlanta audience given that Ms. Harris was standing onstage a few feet away from Mr. Biden.

Sen. Cory A. Booker of New Jersey flashed a look of disbelief and said incredulously “that’s not true.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Harris herself began laughing loudly, asking “what about me?” and throwing up her hands as if to say “hello.”

The reactions caused Mr. Biden to say falsely “I said ’the first,’” apparently referring to his endorsement by 73-year-old former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois.

The clip of that exchange was the first played on hosting network’s MSNBC’s post-debate show, prompting Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson to call it the latest in decades of “Bidenisms.”

MSNBC host Lawtence O’Donnell later called the gaffe “as bad a moment as he could have had.”

• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.

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