As the debate stage of the election began , Biden participated in the first presidential debate of the election on April 26 , 2007 in South Carolina . He was the second to respond to a question originally posed to Senator Hillary Clinton on whether Senator Harry Reid 's assessment that the war in Iraq was " lost " is factual . Biden responded by stating the war is not a " game show " or a " football game " , which can be lost . He went on to argue that the real question that should be asked is , " Are we going to be able to leave Iraq ... and leave behind something other than chaos ? " He elaborated on this statement revealing his belief in the need for a change in the strategy for Iraq , declaring that the United States has to " change the fundamental premise of this engagement , and that is ... to decentralize Iraq ... give the regions control over their own destiny ... " After the South Carolina debate , Biden campaigned in California to begin May 2007 attending events in San Francisco . Later in the month after President George W. Bush enacted economic sanctions against Sudan to pressure the government to end the genocide in Darfur , Biden momentarily shifted focus from Iraq to the crisis in Darfur . He released a statement on the campaign trail that expressed his belief that Bush was right to enact the sanctions . However , Biden argued that it was not enough , calling for a No-Fly Zone over the region and a possible commitment of United States forces to the nation
genocide in Darfur
Darfur genocide
Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign