Apparently Joe Biden called up NBC’s 3rd Hour Today show and ABC’s Good Morning America to tell the broadcasts to let his wife, Jill Biden, appear for softball interviews and sell campaign propaganda disguised as a children’s book. On Tuesday, the two morning shows obviously agreed, conducting embarrassing segments with the former Second Lady designed to manipulate viewers – and their children – into supporting her husband in the 2020 election.
On NBC, co-host Craig Melvin was delighted to be able to do his part in supporting the Biden campaign: “And welcome back, it has been a busy few months for former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Aside from campaigning with her husband, she’s also found some time to write a children’s book about the presumptive Democratic nominee’s life, it’s called Joey: The Story of Joe Biden.”
Not only was he eager to help sell merchandise for the Democrat, Melvin decided that Biden might as well just continue to hide in his basement right up through Election Day:
The former Vice President has been making speeches, by and large, in and around Wilmington, Delaware. If you look at all the major polls right now, him not crisscrossing the country doesn’t appear to be hurting him a great deal. Is there a chance that this is how runs the rest of his campaign?
What self-respecting journalist would argue in favorite of a presidential candidate staying sequestered in their home, avoiding both the public and questions from reporters? The answer is only a partisan activist would encourage such a strategy in order to protect the candidate he supports.
Jill Biden assured the anchor that her husband was “reaching thousands of people” virtually, but that it was “too dangerous” to do in-person events.
Talking about the book later in the nearly eight-minute long puff piece, Melvin asked a ridiculous question he already knew the answer to: “Let’s talk about the book here for a moment, it’s called Joey. What made you write this book right now in this moment?”
She wrote the book to help Joe’s campaign. It’s pure politics, nothing more.
Despite being very well aware of that fact, Melvin played along and pretended the book was legitimate children’s literature: “There’s a phrase that appears in the book several times, ‘Give me the ball, give me the ball.’ Why did you choose to focus on that phrase in particular, Dr. Biden?”
He delivered his lines perfectly, allowing Biden to proclaim:
You know, Craig, when I was writing the book, I had no idea how relevant that phrase would be. But right now, in this moment in history, I think it’s so fitting that Joe Biden is saying to Americans, “Give me the ball.” You know, “Give me what’s happening now. Let me handle it, let me take these burdens away from you and carry them on my shoulders”....So I think Joe is the perfect person for this moment in history, the perfect president.
The entire exchange was a joke. NBC thinks so little of the intelligence of it viewers that the network thinks it can get away with this kind of shameless electioneering for their preferred candidate.
ABC’s Good Morning America was no better. In a nearly six-minute long segment that should have been reported as a campaign donation, co-host Michael Strahan could not contain his excitement at being part of the Biden communications team:
I am thrilled to welcome our next guest, Dr. Jill Biden. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, mother, grandmother, teacher and former Second Lady of the United States. She’s currently on the campaign trail with her husband, former Vice President Joe Biden, and she’s written a new children’s book called Joey, all about his life growing up. Dr. Biden, thank so much for joining us.
After he jokingly urged her to tell him who the former Vice President was going to pick as his own VP, Strahan started asking about the book, sounding nearly identical to Melvin: “And now we want to talk about your children’s book, about Joe’s life. What made you want to tell his story in this way?”
Again Jill Biden was given the chance to deliver campaign talking points without challenge:
Well, you know, everybody sees Joe, these young children see Joe on TV and I want them to know Joe as a child because he has – he was so brave and adventurous and, you know, it was such a good story, never refused a dare. But, you know, Michael, he also was a little boy who stuttered and he had to overcome hardship and I want children to realize that even if there’s something that you’re dealing with or struggling with, that, you know, you can be a success. You can be or do whatever you want to do. And Joe’s story is an example of that.
Like an adoring fan, Strahan declared: “A story that resonates to all of us.”
Moments later, he asked: “And how do you think kids of today are going to relate to Joe’s childhood story?” Biden delivered a blatant ad for her husband: “I think children today can see, like I said, the hardships that he overcame, he stood up to bullies and he always fought back and he took control....I want young children to see who he was as a child and how he’s, you know, such a great leader.”
If the Biden campaign is just going to be allowed to take over the network morning shows then there’s no need for the DNC to even worry about buying ads ahead of the general election. And that is exactly the goal of Democratic hacks in the press.
The Biden campaign infomercial on NBC’s Today show was brought to viewers by McDonald’s, Allstate, and Walmart. The similar Biden ad on ABC’s GMA was brought to viewers by Popeyes, GEICO, and IKEA. (Company contact info is linked, let them know what you think of them sponsoring this content)
Here is a full transcript of the June 30 interview on NBC:
9:15 AM ET
CRAIG MELVIN: And welcome back, it has been a busy few months for former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Aside from campaigning with her husband, she’s also found some time to write a children’s book about the presumptive Democratic nominee’s life, it’s called Joey: The Story of Joe Biden. And Dr. Biden joins us now. Dr. Biden, good morning, always good to see you
JILL BIDEN: Hi, nice to see you, as always.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: “Joey: The Story of Joe Biden”; Dr. Jill Biden on Her New Children’s Book, The 2020 Race & More]
MELVIN: We’re gonna get to the book in just a moment. I’m not exactly sure how you found time to write a children’s book about your husband. But these are extraordinary times, campaigning right now is – it’s a bit unusual. I know you guys are doing a lot of these virtual roundtables and virtual townhalls. I saw the one last week that the former Vice President did with former President Barack Obama. Are you planning on doing one of these with the former First Lady at some point, Michelle Obama?
BIDEN: Oh, gosh, I don’t know. Well, nothing’s planned right at this moment, I know that we’re going to be out campaigning with Barack and Joe. But I’m doing these Zooms every single day. Last night I was on with thousands of women from Pennsylvania, Women for Biden. And so we’re in different states every single day, many different states.
MELVIN: You and your husband have been quite vocal about how this pandemic has been handled on a federal level. What do you think should have been done differently or what do you think we should be doing differently right now?
BIDEN: Well, right now, certainly, I think people aren’t – you know, they’re going back a little bit in that they’re not wearing their masks as the doctors have advised and they’re not social distancing. I know I was out the other day and I saw one person, I think, with a mask on, out of about maybe about 50 people that I saw, just when I was in the car. And I think people – you know, the numbers are spiking again – people have to listen to the doctors and the scientists and they have to heed their advice. We have to be safe. And the only way we’re going to do that is to wear our masks and social distance.
MELVIN: The former Vice President has been making speeches, by and large, in and around Wilmington, Delaware. If you look at all the major polls right now, him not crisscrossing the country doesn’t appear to be hurting him a great deal. Is there a chance that this is how runs the rest of his campaign?
BIDEN: You don’t know Joe if you’re saying that. Joe loves to be out with people. I mean, he can’t wait to get out there and campaign. But right now, you know, he’s Zooming, you know, from 9:00 in the morning until 10:00 at night. And so he’s reaching thousands of people, but he really wants to be out there talking to people personally. But right now it’s just – it’s too dangerous. So we’re just taking it step by step, listening to the docs.
MELVIN: There has been, as you perhaps have heard – there’s been a fair amount of interest in who he’s going to pick as his vice president. I know you and I know that you are probably pretty involved in this process, you probably – I would imagine giving him some advice. What advice, what council are you giving the Vice president when it comes to picking his number two?
BIDEN: Well, I think, you know, Joe really knows what he wants in a vice president, certainly because he’s been there and he knows how important it is that the person he – the woman he chooses will have the same values and the same values as to how to govern this country. So that’s what he’s looking for. I’m thrilled that he chose a woman. And so I’m looking forward to see who he chooses. I mean, certainly I – you know, I – I mean, we have a marriage. We talk about things. I mean, you and Lindsey know, I mean, certainly you would be talking about it, right? Don’t you hope that your spouse is your best friend and your adviser and that, you know, you have this love affair together, isn’t that what a marriage is?
MELVIN: Yes, on its best day. Here’s the thing, it sounds like you know who the Vice President’s already picked. I want to ask about one person in particular, Senator Kamala Harris reportedly on the short list. There was, of course, that tiff last year on the debate stage where she took him to task on busing and segregation. They’ve since made up, she endorsed him. The short list, where is she on the short list?
BIDEN: She’s on the short list.
MELVIN: How high on the short list?
BIDEN: [Laughter] Now, Craig, really?
MELVIN: Fine, fine. You’re not going to tell me this morning.
BIDEN: You had to try, right?
MELVIN: I do have to try. And you’re not going to tell me this morning, but for the record, I would like to point out, you didn’t deny that you know.
Let’s talk about the book here for a moment, it’s called Joey. What made you write this book right now in this moment?
BIDEN: Well, you know, I wanted young children to see who Joe was as a child. I mean, they see him all the time on the news, but you know, as a child, he was full of adventure and fun and never refused a dare, but he was also a child who dealt with a stutter and he overcame that stutter. And I want the little boys and girls in America to look at Joe as a role model and know that he overcame his stuttering and look who he is now. You know, as vice president running for president. So even if you come up with – if you’re faced with hardship in your life, know that you can overcome it and you can do and become, you know, whatever, whoever you want to be.
MELVIN: There’s a phrase that appears in the book several times, “Give me the ball, give me the ball.” Why did you choose to focus on that phrase in particular, Dr. Biden?
BIDEN: You know, Craig, when I was writing the book, I had no idea how relevant that phrase would be. But right now, in this moment in history, I think it’s so fitting that Joe Biden is saying to Americans, “Give me the ball.” You know, “Give me what’s happening now. Let me handle it, let me take these burdens away from you and carry them on my shoulders.” You know, whether that’s health care or whether it’s education or whether it’s inequity in this country. Whatever it is. And I think that, you know, Joe is ready to take this on, he’s a man. I think every president is known for something special, I think that – and, you know, Joe would be the 46th president and I think he’ll be known for his empathy and how he can relate to people’s problems. His dad lost his job, he dealt with a stutter, he got involved in the civil rights movement. And he knows how hard it’s been for people of color. So I think Joe is the perfect person for this moment in history, the perfect president.
MELVIN: Dr. Jill Biden, we’ll have to leave it there, always good to see you. Thank you so much for your time this morning.
BIDEN: Love to Lindsay, thanks so much.
MELVIN: I will pass it along. The book is called Joey: The Story of Joe Biden.
By the way, happy anniversary as well. Dr. Biden has been married to Joe Biden for 43 years. We could do an entirely separate segment on how one does that. Dr. Biden, thank you.
Here is a full transcript of the interview on ABC:
8:30 AM ET
MICHAEL STRAHAN: Welcome back to GMA, everybody. I am thrilled to welcome our next guest, Dr. Jill Biden. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, mother, grandmother, teacher and former Second Lady of the United States. She’s currently on the campaign trail with her husband, former Vice President Joe Biden, and she’s written a new children’s book called Joey, all about his life growing up. Dr. Biden, thank so much for joining us. And we know normally you’d be out on buses, you’d be on planes crisscrossing the country for a campaign, campaigning with your husband, but this pandemic has forced all of us to pivot. So how has the virtual campaigning been going for you?
JILL BIDEN: Well, you know, it’s been going – it’s been going well, but like you said, we’re so used to, you know, meeting people in crowds and on rope lines and now we’re here in our home in Wilmington, Delaware. And Joe is on, you know, in one studio talking on Zoom and I’m in another studio that we’ve created, talking on Zoom. So it’s totally different. And we miss being out there.
STRAHAN: Yeah, you miss that live energy from people, I’m sure.
BIDEN: Yes.
STRAHAN: And your husband said he will pick a female to be his running mate in the presidential election. Do you have any input in his choice?
BIDEN: Well, you know, I would hope he would listen to me and get my advice, but it has to be his decision. You know, he said that he wants a relationship like he had with Barack. No one knows better than Joe does about the the role of the vice president. And they respected one another and at the end of the day, you know, Joe is the last one in the room to give his opinion. And I think that’s what matters, that they share the same values and that they have the same, you know, vision about governing our country.
STRAHAN: And do you have any idea when we can expect an announcement? You can be exclusive right here, right now on GMA and it would be no problem.
BIDEN: You know, Michael, that’s a good idea. Should I go get Joe?
STRAHAN: Yeah, go get him. Give the name and, you know, just give it out right now.
BIDEN: Wake him up! Come on, Joe!
STRAHAN: I had to try, I had to try. And now we want to talk about your children’s book, about Joe’s life. What made you want to tell his story in this way?
BIDEN: Well, you know, everybody sees Joe, these young children see Joe on TV and I want them to know Joe as a child because he has – he was so brave and adventurous and, you know, it was such a good story, never refused a dare. But, you know, Michael, he also was a little boy who stuttered and he had to overcome hardship and I want children to realize that even if there’s something that you’re dealing with or struggling with, that, you know, you can be a success. You can be or do whatever you want to do. And Joe’s story is an example of that.
STRAHAN: A story that resonates to all of us. And you say it includes never before told family stories about Joe’s childhood. Could you tell us one of those stories right now?
BIDEN: Sure. Well, one of the things about Joe is that there was – in Maloney Field in Scranton, where he grew up, there was a flagpole. And so Joe was the only kid in the neighborhood who could shimmy up that flagpole and reach the top. And actually, Joe didn’t even remember that but he got a letter from a childhood friend, Bill Kotzwinkle, who wrote E.T. And he talks to Joe and he says, he writes this beautiful letter to Joe about how he remembers him and he said, “The only one able to reach the top of the flagpole was you.” And he says, “I shall always see you there, conquering the last few feet and then turning to wave back down at us.” And I think, you know, that’s Joe. I mean, he always took the challenge.
And the refrain that I have in the book is “Give me the ball, give me the ball.” And I think that there’s no better time for that, you know, to apply, than this time when Joe is saying to the American public, “Give me the ball, let me handle this. Let me take these burdens off your shoulders and put them on mine.” And so it’s the story of challenge and overcoming hardship and fairness.
STRAHAN: And wanting that responsibility to handle it yourself.
Now, how much input did Joe have while you were writing this book? Was there anything that he wanted to put in the book that you didn’t?
BIDEN: No, this was my book. This was my book. No, he let me write the book and tell the stories and I talked to him about his childhood. I talked to his brother and sister. I called his childhood friends and then I came up with the themes that I wanted to portray. What I wanted America to see about my husband and who he is, who he was as a child and who he is today as a man.
STRAHAN: And how do you think kids of today are going to relate to Joe’s childhood story?
BIDEN: I think those – I think children today can see, like I said, the hardships that he overcame, he stood up to bullies and he always fought back and he took control. And he fought for others, you know, with fairness. He got involved in politics because of the civil rights movement and still – he’s still fighting today for fairness and I want people to – I want young children to see who he was as a child and how he’s, you know, such a great leader.
STRAHAN: Well, Dr. Jill Biden, thank you so much for sharing your book with us. And congratulations to you and Joe, you just had your 43rd wedding anniversary a week and a half ago, congratulations to both of you and thank you for your time this morning.
BIDEN: Thank you.
STRAHAN: You’re welcome.
BIDEN: Thanks, Michael.
BIDEN: Thank you. Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, is available everywhere right now.
