Biden speaks of U.S. as world leader during Columbus speech

COLUMBUS — Americans should welcome competition from China, Japan, the “Asian Tigers,” and Europe but never fear it, because the United States has the primary ingredients for economic success in the 21st Century that those countries do not have, Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday.

But first Americans have to know it themselves, Mr. Biden told the annual convention of the Ohio Newspaper Association.

“With or without Barack Obama, I am absolutely convinced that America is better positioned than any other nation in the world to be the leading economy in the world providing Americans with decent jobs,” he said. “I’m absolutely convinced that Americans are regaining their confidence about their ability to do that. It will not happen until they believe it’s in their reach. It’s becoming apparent it’s within their reach.”

Other countries like China and Russia may produce engineers and scientists, but they will never experience the level of economic innovation that America has enjoyed because they lack a free press and an educational system that challenges government.

“You can’t think differently in a country that worships at the shine of orthodoxy,” Mr. Biden said. “You can’t think differently in a country where you are conditioned to accept and you’re not able to challenge the powerful interests in that country … .

“Why are countries that are producing more engineers and scientists not the leading innovators in the world?” he asked. “…I’ve always believed it’s because in many of those counties that have made such strides in education, they are penalized, they are prevented from challenging orthodoxy, political wisdom, economic orthodoxy … .

"Change only comes through ideas. ... You’ve been the keeper of that flame since the founding of this republic.”

The 44-minute speech before newspaper publishers, editors, and business officials largely steered clear of the partisan rhetoric that has dominated Mr. Biden’s speeches in more political venues. Without specifically mentioning the presidential election or Ohio’s March 6 Republican primary contest, he attempted to make the case that Mr. Obama has the nation on the right economic track.

He mentioned no other candidate other than his boss.

“We encourage our children to challenge orthodoxy,” Mr. Biden said. “Children, even in schools that are not viewed as good, are never penalized when challenging orthodoxy. That is not unique, but it is rare in other educational systems … .

"If I have to pick one single thing … to guarantee security it is to be the best educated nation in the world. … Everything else flows from that.”

Republican National Committee spokesman Ryan Tronovitch said Mr. Biden was in Ohio on Thursday because Mr. Obama needs his help here in state deemed critical to his re-election.

“The Obama administration has too many problems to count in Ohio, and that’s exactly why you see Vice President Biden here today,” he said. “It’s too bad another campaign speech won’t change Barack Obama’s blatant overreach on the First Amendment or the fact that Obamacare was resoundingly rejected in every Ohio county.

“Ohioans are ready for a real leader, not one with a laundry list of broken promises and failed economic policies,” Mr. Tronovitch said.

The visit marked the Vice President’s second to the key battleground state in less than a month. Mr. Obama was in the Cleveland area shortly after the first of the year to make a point about what he considers Congressional Republican obstructionism.

By comparison, of the GOP presidential contenders who do have an Ohio primary election battle ahead on March 6, just one has appeared in the state so far in 2012 as they’ve concentrated instead on early primary and caucus states.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich traversed Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will visit the Cleveland area on Feb. 18, and former Pennsylvania governor Rick Santorum has stops planned in Columbus and Akron on the same day.

The Ohio Republican Party announced Thursday that it will co-host with its Georgia counterpart a GOP candidate debate on March 1 ahead of the March 6 Super Tuesday. The two states will award the most delegates — 66 for Ohio and 76 for Georgia — of all the states holding primaries that day. The debate will air live on CNN.

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