Joe Biden

=== 2012 campaign ===
{{Main|Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign}}
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 on the decline, [[White House Chief of Staff|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 on the ticket with Hillary Clinton.<ref name="nyt-dd-replace" /> The notion was dropped when the results showed no appreciable improvement for Obama,<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 had 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/http://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 quite irked, since Obama had planned to shift position several months later, in the build-up to the party convention.<ref name="nyt0508122" /><ref name="ap051012" /><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/http://www.nytimes.com//2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Biden apologized to Obama in private for having spoken out,<ref name="pol-ebook">{{cite news |last=Thrush |first=Glenn |date=August 20, 2012 |title=Politico e-book: Obama campaign roiled by conflict |newspaper=[[Politico]] |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/politico-e-book-obama-campaign-roiled-by-conflict-079867 |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103084846/https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/politico-e-book-obama-campaign-roiled-by-conflict-079867 |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Julie|last=Pace|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/joe-biden-gay-marriage-apology_n_1507939.html |title=Joe Biden Reportedly Apologized To Obama Over Gay Marriage Comments |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[HuffPost]] |date=May 10, 2012 |access-date=May 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528233546/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/joe-biden-gay-marriage-apology_n_1507939.html |archive-date=May 28, 2013 }}</ref> while Obama acknowledged publicly it had been done from the heart.<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>

The Obama campaign valued Biden as a retail-level politician, and he had a heavy schedule of appearances in swing states as the [[Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012|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/http://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/http://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" once again drew attention to Biden's propensity for colorful remarks.<ref name="time-be-joe" /><ref name="lat-offt">{{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>

[[File:P101112ps-488 Air Force One Obama watches VP debate.jpg|thumb|Obama watching Biden debate Paul Ryan in the vice presidential debate on Air Force One]]
In the first presidential debate of the general election, President 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 |website=[[Gallup, Inc.]] |language=en |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> ''Time'' magazine's Joe Klein called it "one of the most inept performances I've ever seen by a sitting president."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Klein |first=Joe |date=October 3, 2012 |title=Obama's Debate Strategy: Unilateral Disarmament? |url=https://swampland.time.com/2012/10/03/the-debate/ |access-date=January 29, 2024 |magazine=Time |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129055645/https://swampland.time.com/2012/10/03/the-debate/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Over the next few days, Obama's 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 |website=[[Pew Research Center]] |language=en-US |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 |website=CNN Politics |language=en |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 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |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 against Ryan 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 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |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/http://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 over Romney.<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 |language=en |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 September 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. embassy in [[Benghazi]].<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 |website=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 won reelection<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> over Romney and Ryan with 332 of 538 [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College votes]] and 51% of the popular vote.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2013-jan-04-la-pn-obama-biden-officially-win-second-term-20130104-story.html |title=It's official: Obama, Biden win second term |last=Memoli |first=Michael A. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 4, 2013 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103082641/https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2013-jan-04-la-pn-obama-biden-officially-win-second-term-20130104-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>