What could go wrong? Bloopers from past State of the Union addresses
Biden Misses the Beat
Credit: Getty Images
State of the Union addresses are an important part of the American democracy, but they also tend to be quite long. President Clinton was notorious for his prolific parlance. As an audience member, after a while, it's easy to get lost. For most of the congressional representatives and other VIPs on site for the president's address, that isn't too difficult a problem. Given copies of remarks and natural pauses in the president's speech, there are a good number of clues for when to applaud and when to stay silent. But for Vice President Joe Biden, those clues weren't enough in 2010. Caught on camera, the VP raises his hands to applaud, but as Obama goes on, Biden drops his hands in his lap. The gesture says, "I meant to do that." The facial expression shows Biden less at ease.
