Biden draws criticism for pre-debate quip to Harris

Joe Biden drew a quick online rebuke Wednesday night for an onstage interaction with Kamala Harris before the second Democratic debate in Detroit even began.

As the moderators of CNN’s forum started introducing the candidates, the California senator walked out from the wings to face the audience and meet the former vice president at center stage. Biden’s first words to Harris were: “Go easy on me, kid.”

The introduction from the 76-year-old Biden to the 54-year-old Harris were swiftly criticized on Twitter as dismissive and patronizing.

“Kid?” asked Ian Sams, Harris’ national press secretary.

“She’s a senator and a bad ass. Not a kid,” wrote Democratic operative Christina Reynolds, the vice president of communications at EMILY’s List.

“And yes, some will say that’s just Joe being Joe. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t diminishing of her,” Reynolds continued. “He could have stopped at ‘Go easy on me.’ He didn’t. Call me humorless, and I suspect it won’t affect @KamalaHarris either way, but I don’t want someone calling me a kid.”

Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Epstein weighed in: “I know Bidenisms and ‘kid’ certainly is one, but urging a 54-year-old U.S. senator and opponent ‘go easy on me, kid’ is not a great start for his efforts to reset with this debate.”

Some social media commentators speculated that Harris’ subsequent references to her opponent early in the debate as “Senator Biden” were a backhanded response to his “kid” remark. Biden represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate for decades before becoming Barack Obama’s vice president.

“Fact check: @JoeBiden is not a ‘Senator,’” tweeted Andrew Bates, Biden’s rapid response director.

Clashes between Biden and Harris, the top-polling candidates onstage, had been widely expected following Harris’ thrashing of Biden at the first Democratic debate last month for his past opposition to federally mandated busing and statements regarding working with segregationist senators.

The two top-tier White House contenders did not disappoint, swatting at one another’s health care plans in the opening minutes of Wednesday’s broadcast.

Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine