Survey finds more negative than positive descriptions of Biden

{mosads}The survey asked people to give the one word that popped into their minds when they thought of Biden. Thirty-eight percent offered a negative word like “idiot” or “incompetent,” compared to 23 percent who offered something positive, according to the survey by the Pew Research Center in association with The Washington Post.

Overall, 39 percent used a neutral term, such as “vice president,” to describe Biden.

The word “good” was used the most often, according to the survey, but was closely followed by “idiot.” “Honest” was also used frequently, likely reflecting the association between Biden’s tendency for off-the-cuff remarks and a sense that he’s speaking from the heart.

More Republicans than Democrats had negative things to say about Biden, but people identifying as independents tended to be more negative, too, with 42 percent of that group coming up with a negative description in the survey.

The survey of 1,008 adults had a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Biden will speak to the convention on Thursday. In the face of critics who have called the vice president a possible liability to the campaign, President Obama has only described him in positive terms. Last month, he called him “an outstanding vice president and a great friend.”