I have to admit, I spaced out more than once when 2020 Democratic frontrunner and former Vice President Joe Biden droned on about climate change in the CNN climate town hall. But one statement really stood out to me. In fact, it made me burst out laughing.
At one point, Joe Biden said, “You can’t, in fact, preach to the choir if you can’t sing.”
I have yet to find a video of this hilarious moment, but many observers pointed it out on Twitter.
Real Biden quote from #ClimateTownHall: "You can't preach to the choir if you can't sing."
— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) September 5, 2019
Jack Jenkins, a reporter for Religious News Service, noted the statement. “Clearly Biden hasn’t heard many preachers sing,” he quipped.
Biden: “You can’t, in fact, preach to the choir if you can’t sing.”
Clearly Biden hasn’t heard many preachers sing.
— Jack Jenkins (@jackmjenkins) September 5, 2019
The conservative group Power the Future mocked Biden for the statement.
"You can't preach to the choir if you can't sing" – @JoeBiden #ClimateTownHall pic.twitter.com/yjpV8pzudS
— Power The Future (@powerthefuture) September 5, 2019
Completely beside the fact that many preachers cannot sing very well, preaching to the choir has nothing to do with one’s ability to sing.
Biden was playing off of the phrase “preaching to the choir,” which involves delivering a message people already want to hear. Again, the preacher’s singing ability has nothing to do with the choir hearing it.
The former vice president is a gaffe machine, but this one was particularly nonsensical and hilarious.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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