Steve Hayes: At Times, Joe Biden’s Speech Felt Like a Scene from ‘Meet the Parents’

‘He gave a speech that was basically an announcement speech’

WALLACE: “Steven, it almost seemed as if Biden resented the fact that, yes, I’m not going to run, but I really don’t like the fact that I’ve decided I’m not going to run.” 

HAYES: “No question about it. The most important word in a number of words that he spoke, was ‘unfortunately’. I’ve decided I can’t move forward. I mean, he clearly wanted to do this. And I think send a message that if something catastrophic were to happen to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, that he is still interested in being president of the United States.” 

WALLACE: “So you think he very much left a plan B out there if something were to happen, either from the testimony tomorrow or from the FBI investigation I’m — in effect kind of, giving you the kind of candidacy I would run.”

HAYES: “Yes. Signaling that he would want to be president. He gave a speech as he say. It was basically an announcement speech. I mean in — in a way was sort of quintessential Joe Biden, right? It was at times I thought quite moving. It was at times sort of preachy and a lecture. And at other times it felt like the scene from ‘Meet the parents’ when Ben Stiller is saying the prayer and — as keeps going and doesn’t quite know when to stop with the prayer. He just kept going and going. But I think —“ 

WALLACE: “When you said a scene from ‘Meet the parents’ I was thinking to some other scenes, I’m glad that that was the one you were talking about.” (Laughter) 

HAYES: “That’s why — I saw you looked perplexed. So that’s why, clarified. Look, I think Karen is right about one thing in particular. You know, there’s — the conventional wisdom shows that debates don’t really matter much. I think this is an instance where the debate may have been determinative. I mean, if Hillary Clinton had bombed in that debate, if Bernie Sanders had decided to go after her, we could be looking at an entirely different scenario. But because, you know not only the Washington Post polls but other national polls and early state polls.”  

WALLACE: “But then — before I bring Charles in,  why not wait until tomorrow, which could be a big deal? Why not wait to see what happens in the Benghazi Committee testimony?” 

HAYES: “Because I think there may have been a concern that if he got out after that, that it would look opportunistic. I mean, if he decided to go after that, it would look opportunistic.”

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