Editing Joe Biden (section)

=== 2012 campaign ===
{{Main|Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign}}
[[File:P101112ps-488 Air Force One Obama watches VP debate.jpg|thumb|left|Obama watching Biden debate Paul Ryan in the vice-presidential debate on [[Air Force One]]]]
In October 2010, Biden said Obama had asked him to remain as his running mate for the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 presidential election]],<ref name="nyt1013102" /> but with Obama's popularity declining, [[White House Chief of Staff]] [[William M. Daley]] conducted some secret polling and focus group research in late 2011 on the idea of replacing Biden with Hillary Clinton.<ref name="nyt-dd-replace" /> The notion was dropped when the results showed no appreciable improvement,<ref name="nyt-dd-replace">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/us/politics/book-details-consideration-of-replacing-biden-on-2012-ticket.html |title=Book Details Obama Aides' Talks About Replacing Biden on 2012 Ticket |last=Martin |first=Jonathan |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 31, 2013 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082553/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/us/politics/book-details-consideration-of-replacing-biden-on-2012-ticket.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and White House officials later said Obama himself never entertained the idea.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/politico44/2013/11/wh-obama-never-considered-dropping-joe-biden-176520 |title=W.H.: Obama never considered dropping Joe Biden |last=Allen |first=Jonathan |newspaper=[[Politico]] |date=November 1, 2013 |access-date=November 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104143531/https://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/11/wh-obama-never-considered-dropping-biden-176520.html |archive-date=November 4, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Biden's May 2012 statement that he was "absolutely comfortable" with [[same-sex marriage]] gained considerable public attention in comparison to Obama's position, which had been described as "evolving".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-may-06-la-na-biden-gay-marriage-20120507-story.html |title=Biden 'comfortable' with equal rights for gays who wed |date=May 6, 2012 |first=Christi |last=Parsons |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=May 8, 2012 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526082737/https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-may-06-la-na-biden-gay-marriage-20120507-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Biden made his statement without administration consent, and Obama and his aides were irked, since Obama had planned to shift position in the build-up to the party convention.<ref name="nyt0508122" /><ref name="ap051012">{{cite news | url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/ap-source-biden-apologizes-to-obama-over-comments | title=AP source: Biden apologizes to Obama over comments | agency=[[Associated Press]] | publisher=[[Fox News]] | date=May 10, 2012 | access-date=May 16, 2012 | archive-date=October 6, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006123920/https://www.foxnews.com/us/ap-source-biden-apologizes-to-obama-over-comments | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/6-hidden-obama-campaign-fault-lines-080028 |title=6 hidden fault lines in President Obama's campaign |last=Thursh |first=Glenn |newspaper=[[Politico]] |date=August 23, 2012 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=December 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208190849/https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/6-hidden-obama-campaign-fault-lines-080028 |url-status=live}}</ref> Gay rights advocates seized upon Biden's statement,<ref name="ap051012" /> and within days, Obama announced that he too supported same-sex marriage, an action in part forced by Biden's remarks.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html | title=Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal | first1=Jackie | last1=Calmes | first2=Peter | last2=Baker | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=May 9, 2012 | access-date=May 10, 2012 | archive-date=May 10, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510014102/https://www.nytimes.comhttps://2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html | url-status=live}}</ref>

Biden had a heavy schedule of appearances in swing states as the reelection campaign began in earnest in spring 2012.<ref name="time-be-joe">{{cite news |last=Von Drehle |first=David |author-link=David Von Drehle |date=September 10, 2012 |title=Let There Be Joe |pages=41–43 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2123322,00.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109162947/https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2123322,00.html |archive-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref><ref name="time-mo">{{cite news |title=Mo Joe |last=Scherer |first=Michael |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,2116132-1,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 11, 2012 |pages=26–30 |access-date=September 6, 2022 |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927141830/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,2116132-1,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref> An August 2012 remark before a mixed-race audience that Republican proposals to relax Wall Street regulations would "put y'all back in chains" again drew attention to Biden's propensity for colorful remarks.<ref name="time-be-joe" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Memoli |first=Michael A. |date=August 17, 2012 |title=Biden's unscripted moments keep campaign on its toes |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-aug-17-la-na-biden-20120817-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082611/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-aug-17-la-na-biden-20120817-story.html |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/mission-impossible-managing-biden-079776 |title=Mission Impossible: Managing Joe Biden |last=Martin |first=Jonathan |newspaper=[[Politico]] |date=August 16, 2012 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103084811/https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/mission-impossible-managing-biden-079776 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the first presidential debate of the general election, in which Obama's performance was considered surprisingly lackluster,<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 8, 2012 |title=Romney Narrows Vote Gap After Historic Debate Win |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/157907/romney-narrows-vote-gap-historic-debate-win.aspx |access-date=January 29, 2024 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]] |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129055644/https://news.gallup.com/poll/157907/romney-narrows-vote-gap-historic-debate-win.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref> his lead over Romney collapsed,<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 8, 2012 |title=Romney's Strong Debate Performance Erases Obama's Lead |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2012/10/08/romneys-strong-debate-performance-erases-obamas-lead/ |access-date=January 29, 2024 |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129055644/https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2012/10/08/romneys-strong-debate-performance-erases-obamas-lead/ |url-status=live}}</ref> putting pressure on Biden to stop the bleeding with a strong showing against the Republican vice-presidential nominee, [[Paul Ryan]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reston |first=Maeve |date=September 25, 2016 |title=When Romney trounced Obama |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/25/politics/obama-debate-election-2012/index.html |access-date=January 29, 2024 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129055644/https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/25/politics/obama-debate-election-2012/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=MacAskill |first=Ewen |date=October 4, 2012 |title=Mitt Romney comes out on top as Obama stumbles in first debate |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/04/romney-obama-first-presidential-debate |access-date=January 29, 2024 |newspaper=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129055644/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/04/romney-obama-first-presidential-debate |url-status=live}}</ref> Some political analysts considered Biden's performance in the October 11 vice-presidential debate one of the best of his career<ref>{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Daniel |date=September 27, 2020 |title=Biden's team hopes for repeat of his 2012 performance as Trump debate nears |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/27/trump-biden-us-presidential-debate-2012 |access-date=January 29, 2024 |newspaper=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129055644/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/27/trump-biden-us-presidential-debate-2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Michael |date=October 11, 2012 |title=Biden plays aggressor in debate as Ryan makes GOP case |url=https://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/11/14376267-biden-plays-aggressor-in-debate-as-ryan-argues-gop-case |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928140933/https://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/11/14376267-biden-plays-aggressor-in-debate-as-ryan-argues-gop-case |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> and a key factor in Obama's rebound in the polls and eventual victory.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=October 12, 2012 |title=In Polls, Biden Gets a Hold |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/in-polls-biden-gets-a-hold/ |access-date=January 29, 2024 |website=FiveThirtyEight |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129055644/https://archive.nytimes.com/fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/in-polls-biden-gets-a-hold/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 12, 2012 |title=Sparks fly as Biden, Ryan face off in feisty vice presidential debate |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sparks-fly-as-biden-ryan-face-off-in-feisty-vice-presidential-debate |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082631/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sparks-fly-as-biden-ryan-face-off-in-feisty-vice-presidential-debate |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |publisher=[[Fox News]]}}</ref> The debate also became memorable for the popularization of Biden's use of the phrase "a bunch of malarkey" in response to an attack by Ryan on the administration's response to the [[2012 Benghazi attack|attacks on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi]] in September.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Memmott |first=Mark |date=October 12, 2012 |title=What's All This Malarkey About Malarkey? |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/10/12/162791655/whats-all-this-malarkey-about-malarkey |access-date=January 28, 2024 |publisher=NPR |archive-date=June 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606155406/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/10/12/162791655/whats-all-this-malarkey-about-malarkey |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Guarino |first=Ben |date=July 28, 2016 |title=Joe Biden loves the word 'malarkey.' But nobody knows where it came from. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/28/joe-biden-loves-the-word-malarkey-but-nobody-knows-where-it-came-from/ |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828231353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/28/joe-biden-loves-the-word-malarkey-but-nobody-knows-where-it-came-from/ |archive-date=August 28, 2016 |access-date=January 28, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Biden reused the phrase during his 2020 presidential campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=December 2, 2019 |title=The unexpected nostalgia of Biden's 'malarkey' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/02/unexpected-nostalgia-bidens-malarkey/ |access-date=January 28, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=October 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007174617/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/02/unexpected-nostalgia-bidens-malarkey/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On November 6, Obama and Biden were reelected.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-defeats-romney-to-win-second-term-vows-he-has-more-work-to-do | title=Obama defeats Romney to win second term, vows he has 'more work to do' | publisher=[[Fox News]] | date=November 7, 2012 | access-date=August 27, 2021 | archive-date=February 15, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215014622/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-defeats-romney-to-win-second-term-vows-he-has-more-work-to-do | url-status=live}}</ref>