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> http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/joe-biden-yale-commencement-2015-quotes-118045.html?hp=rc3_4 <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/joe-biden-yale-commencement-2015-quotes-118045.html?hp=rc3_4>
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> Joe Biden's advice to Yale graduates
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> AP Photo
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> Sporting a pair of his trademark aviator glasses, Vice President Joe Biden spoke to graduating Yale students on Sunday and offered some pearls of wisdom to the Class of 2015. The Commencement Day event, where students traditionally wear off-beat hats, drew some self-effacing lines from the veep as well.
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> Here are a few of his choice remarks:
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> “You know, when President Obama asked me to be his vice president, I said I only had two conditions: One, I wouldn’t wear any funny hats, even on Class Day, and two, I wouldn’t change my brand.”
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> Biden then donned a pair of his signature sunglasses.
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> “Now look — I realize no one ever doubts I mean what I say. The problem occasionally is, I say all that I mean. I have a bad reputation for being straight, sometimes at inappropriate times.”
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> Corvettes are also better than Porsches, according to Biden:
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> “So here it goes — let’s get a couple things straight right off the bat: Corvettes are better than Porsches. They’re quicker and they corner as well. And sorry guys, a cappella is not better than rock and roll, and your pundits aren’t better than Washington pundits, although I’ve noticed that neither has any shame at all.”
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> Biden also took the opportunity to rib some of Yale’s athletic shortcomings while poking fun at his own presidential ambitions:
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> “One touchdown away from beating Harvard for the first time since 2006. So close to something you wanted for eight years. I can only imagine how you feel. I can only imagine. So close. So close.”
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> The vice president joked that most of his children and grandchildren, graduates of Ivy League rivals Penn and Harvard, were not happy with his presence in New Haven:
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> “On the other hand, my other son, Hunter, who heads the World Food Program USA, graduated from Yale Law School. Now he thought it was a great idea, but then again, law graduates always think all their ideas are great ideas. By the way, I’ve had a lot of law graduates from Yale work for me. That’s not too far from the truth. But anyway …”
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> Biden also joked about the “Overheard on Yale” Facebook page:
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> “On ‘Overheard at Yale,’ on the Facebook page, one student reported another student saying: ‘I had a dream that I was vice president and was with the president, and we did the disco funk dance to convince the Congress to restart the government.’”
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> Biden poked fun at the very notion of dreaming of the office of vice president:
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> “I’m just glad there’s someone — just someone — who dreams of being vice president. Just somebody. I never had that dream. For the press out there, that’s a joke.”
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> He also got serious, telling graduates that they should “try to look beyond the caricature of the person with whom you have to work,” relating his own interactions with the late Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.).
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> He talked about what his kids did after graduating from college and the opportunities afforded them by their Yale degree:
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> “My other son, it was a struggle — equally as bright, went on to be elected one of the youngest attorney generals in the history of the state of Delaware, the most popular public official in my state. Big headline after the 2012 election: ‘Biden Most Popular Man in Delaware — Beau.’”
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> On being selected as Class Day speaker:
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> “Now, look, folks, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I should say to you today, but the more I thought about it, I thought that any Class Day speech is likely to be redundant. You already heard from Jessie J at Spring Fling. So what in the hell could I possibly say.”
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> On remembering his own commencement speaker:
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> “You’re a remarkable class. I sure don’t remember who the hell was my commencement speaker. I know this is not officially commencement. But ask your parents when you leave here, who spoke at your commencement?”
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Eric D. Schwerin
Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC
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