The loud, sustained boos Mitt Romney received at the NAACP Wednesday were put into more context Thursday when Vice President Joe Biden stepped to the mic to defend the measure.
Romney was booed the loudest when he promised to repeal the health care reforms signed into law by President Obama. When Biden touted the law before the NAACP a day later, his words were met with vigorous applause.
Romney told the NAACP that repealing the law will lead to more jobs, a line he’s repeated endlessly on the campaign trail. Biden, by contrast, told the NAACP crowd the law will give health insurance to 8 million African Americans.
The response was extremely positive:
Biden offered a full-throated defense of the law later in the speech. He cast the legislation as Obama making good on a promise, as well as setting out an agenda for the future.
“We see a future where everyone has access to affordable health care,” he said.