Aiming to cauterize his political wounds, Joe Biden said in a Twitter video that he’ll be more respectful of people’s personal space in the wake of numerous women accusing him of making them uncomfortable with his physical contact.
But two words were missing from his carefully crafted explanation Wednesday: “I’m sorry.”
Instead, Biden framed the context of his interactions as being part of his persona — he’s someone who handshakes and hugs and shoulder-grabs people to show support. He twice mentioned the word “responsibility” — a word which voters like to hear from candidates expressing a measure of contrition – and he said he understood times have changed.
“Social norms have begun to change. They’ve shifted,” Biden said. “And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. And I get it. I get it. I hear what they’re saying. I understand it. And I’ll be much more mindful. That’s my responsibility.”
