Monday on ABC’s “The View,” co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain and Joy Behar defended former Vice President Joe Biden in the wake of former Nevada lawmaker Lucy Flores’ claim he inappropriately touched and kissed her in 2014 at a campaign rally.
Goldberg said, “Listen, in the old days we would call Joe—some folks of a certain age would say he’s overly familiar. Most politicians when they’re doing this with you, they are—Joe is a hands-on kind of guy. I’ve never heard anyone—she says she felt violated. I have to take her at her word. But it would have been nice if she turned to him and say, ‘You know what, I don’t really like this. Please don’t do this, Mr. Vice President. I’m not comfortable with this.’ Something, because he’s standing right there.”
Joy Behar said, “It’s a long way from smelling your hair to grabbing your hoo-ha. Let’s tell the truth. But she felt annoyed or uncomfortable, and we have to accept that. I don’t think it rises to the point we’ve been listening to like Harvey Weinstein and the rest of these people. It just doesn’t look like that. We all know Joe Biden. He’s been here. When I met him in Florida before he was vice president, he’s so friendly. He’s a close talker. He comes right up into your face, and you’re thinking I hope my breath is good. Or more important I hope he is. He talks close, he touches. That’s what he’s like. I feel it would be unfortunate if we got rid of everybody who’s an affectionate kind of person. Those are nice people too.”
Abby Huntsman said, “I always wonder when these things come out, what is the motive for this person? Is it simply to let people know, I was uncomfortable, which you could have done in private? Or is it because you want someone else to win and you want him to have doubts about announcing or the presidency? I’ve had concerns about the #MeToo movement from the beginning about getting to this place where you can’t have normal interactions with each other. This was uncomfortable, and that’s her place. Are we going to get to a place where we can’t shake hands or hug each other? I worry about that.”
Sunny Hostin said, “I’m sort of in the middle on this in the sense, I do believe with this particular situation there was a power dynamic. You’re talking about the vice president of the United States. She was running for lieutenant governor. She may not have wanted to offend him. A lot of women get put in that kind of situation where they’re offended, and they’re uncomfortable, but they may not say anything. That’s one thing. I do appreciate his response. He said ‘I may not recall these moments the same way and I may be surprised at what I hear. We have arrived in an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences and men should pay attention.’ I think that is the appropriate response. Perhaps he didn’t intend to make her uncomfortable, but she’s saying you did make me uncomfortable. He’s saying, I will listen. I don’t know if we’ll see anymore smelling of hair. and kisses.”
Goldberg said, “That pisses me off. I’m telling you … I don’t want Joe to stop doing that.”
Meghan McCain said, “I don’t either. I’m going to say one thing. There’s a certain kind of retail politician that loves people. I would put Bill Clinton in that category and my father in that category, and certainly, I would put Joe Biden in that category. He’s the only politician other my father to go into the crowd and shake everyone’s hands. That means something when you are in Iowa. When I heard this, I read her entire statement. I agree women should be heard. I worked at Fox News during the Roger Ailes time. There is a very big difference between things like that and things like this.”
She continued, “Joe Biden is a good and decent man.”
She added, “I vouch for his character and in my personal experience.”
Goldberg said, “I’m doing the same.”
Behar added, “Me too.”
Goldberg said, “For me, these things are not Democratic or Republican.”
She continued, “I want women to get to the place where they can say, ‘hey, you just made me uncomfortable.’ This idea that you have to tiptoe away from this, or you have to carry it. You do not have to carry it. If someone makes you uncomfortable, tell them. He came down to do you a favor. He came down to do you a favor. He was at your fundraiser. You had every right to say ‘Don’t do that Joe.'”
She added, “You have to stop mischaracterizing stuff…Don’t sit and wait and say ‘I’m uncomfortable’ on national television. Because it makes us suspect of your thoughts.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN