Politics

Joe Biden Visits Convention Floor, Claims There’s No ‘Fracture In The Party’

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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PHILADELPHIA — Vice President Joe Biden, making a brief visit on Tuesday to the floor of the Democratic National Convention, put his best spin on the divisions on display, going so far to argue there isn’t “any fracture in the party.”

“I do not think there’s any fracture in the party,” Biden told a gaggle of reporters, who asked him about the protests from supporters of Bernie Sanders. “I wish we could put something on every Sanders delegate walking into a booth. If we were able to find out, I’d bet you everything I have that hardly anyone is going to pull the lever for Trump. Come on man. You kidding me?”

Biden’s comments come as Sanders supporters have booed the mention of Hillary Clinton’s name during speeches and DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has resigned over emails indicating the national party favored Clinton over Sanders.

The vice president suggested that Sanders supporters just want to blow off some steam before ultimately getting behind Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee. “The senator’s delegates worked their tail off. And they’re here in large numbers. Give ‘em a chance, man. Give ’em a chance. I promise you they’re going to be fine.”

“You know they’re going to show up,” Biden said when asked if he thinks Sanders supporters will go to the polls.

“They worked really hard,” Biden said. “They did more to change the attitude in the party than anything that has happened in a long long time. It’s all for the better.”

Asked about the Wikileaks email dump of emails of Democratic National Committee staffers, Biden said: “Like one of Bernie’s major supporters said last night; he didn’t lose or she didn’t win because of any email. Come on man. At the end of the day is… Bernie and his supporters did more to change the party than the party did to change him.”

Asked about Trump’s bump in the polls, Biden said: “I think this really, really early. And I had a grandfather from Scranton…He’d say, ‘Joe, people don’t vote until after the World Series.’ I think they focus right about the beginning of October.”

Before walking away from reporters to talk to some supporters on the floor, Biden cracked: “Anybody want to take a bet on this election? I’m not allowed to bet as a vice president.”

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