U.S. Politics

[Derek Smalls]

talk is cheap. he's obviously using the moment to push his run for presidency. this is the same guy that not two weeks ago said black identity began and ended with whether or not a person was voting for him

If he didn't say anything, people would say he's hiding.

If he says something, he's "obviously using the moment to push his run for presidency."

Obviously, there are political reasons for doing this, but that's also not the point.

Trump could easily say something like that. Bush would have come up with something similar. At least pretend to give a excrement like Biden is.

[Badger]

a bit reductive and lacking

Biden 2020 campaign slogan

[delavan]

Not really my point, which was that someone who has never been President managed to make a more Presidential speech than anything that has left the mouth of someone who has been in the job for almost a whole term. It was a criticism of Trump, not an endorsement of Biden (although FWIW I think that your characterisation of what he said is a bit reductive and lacking in context).

Yes, Trump should softened his tone and risen to the occasion with a more conciliatory and humbler feel (however doubtful).  But what would be the reaction?  The die's been cast and the line's are already drawn: either 'atta boy!' from his red meat base or derision from everyone else.  Trump's general obnoxiousness aside, the point is that it's already a moot 'damned if he does, damed if he doesn't' point.  That said, imo d sword's reference to Biden's presumptuous white privilege criteria as to what constitutes blackness was very germane  ..even if it wasn't really your point.   

[CatoTheElder]

Yes, Trump should've softened the tone and risen to the occasion with a more conciliatory and (not possible) humbler tone.  But what would be the reaction?  The die's been cast and the line's are already drawn: either 'atta boy!' from his red meat base or derision from everyone else.  Trump general obnoxiousness aside, the point is that it's already a moot 'damned if he does, damed if he doesn't' point.  That said, imo d sword's reference to Biden's presumptuous white privilege criteria as to what constitutes blackness was very germane  ..even if it wasn't really your point.   

With regards to 45: The point is that he is the President and the safety and security of this country is his duty.
If he is damned either way, the logical choice would be standing before the country to urge peace and try to ease tensions. He is charged with preserving American lives and institutions. Instead he consistently chooses to increase tentions and insight discontent, bellowing the rhetoric of a strongman. When presented with the opportunity to do the right thing he chose to placate those who wish for a tough guy instead of a leader.

With regards to Biden: We can consider that he actually meant it. He's been a gaffe machine his whole career so "You ain't black!" disgusting as it was, is around par for the course. He needs to say something about this to his party to try and recover. But maybe, just maybe, he also meant it.

[Badger]

Congrats to Steve King on his future job at Fox News

[delavan]

With regards to 45: The point is that he is the President and the safety and security of this country is his duty.
If he is damned either way, the logical choice would be standing before the country to urge peace and try to ease tensions. He is charged with preserving American lives and institutions. Instead he consistently chooses to increase tentions and insight discontent, bellowing the rhetoric of a strongman. When presented with the opportunity to do the right thing he chose to placate those who wish for a tough guy instead of a leader.

With regards to Biden: We can consider that he actually meant it. He's been a gaffe machine his whole career so "You ain't black!" disgusting as it was, is around par for the course. He needs to say something about this to his party to try and recover. But maybe, just maybe, he also meant it.

Good points.  As for Biden, I don't doubt for a second the sincerity of his latest comments.  It was just the assuming, presumptuous tone of his 'blackness' blurting that I found off-putting (his penchant for gaffes aside), esp. now when sensitivities and a sense of discretion should be razor sharp (yes, Biden and razor-sharp aren't roommates but still.....anyway......point taken). 

[Johnny English]

Good points.  As for Biden, I don't doubt for a second the sincerity of his latest comments.  It was just the assuming, presumptuous tone of his 'blackness' blurting that I found off-putting (his penchant for gaffes aside), esp. now when sensitivities and a sense of discretion should be razor sharp (yes, Biden and razor-sharp aren't roommates but still.....anyway......point taken). 

They were pretty poorly judged comments from him, but also consider that white people have a massively varying range of social experience with black people. I have known and I'm sure you know white people who have grown up so utterly part of black communities, usually as mathematical minorities in their own neighbourhoods, that using the term "nigga" is complete natural to them and to their friends and of no consequence, and they are completely comfortable and natural sounding doing so. Most of us, regardless of our level of wokeness and of our heart and our intellectual commitment to equality, couldn't possibly hope to sound anything other than horribly awkward and ill judged at best if we were to do the same.

I don't know enough about Biden's upbringing and history to know where he sits on that particular scale, but I do know that he is a career politician who pretty much on the left side of the tracks as a result of his objection to local Republican racial politics and then went on to serve the first black President in history. It doesn't seem like a huge leap of faith to think that Biden is incredibly comfortable around black people and isn't someone who is uncomfortable talking about colour and race.

[MoreCharacters]

the only people who care about Biden's comment to Charlemagne are white people who dislike Biden

it's amazing it's being talked about while America is burning

[SixFeetDeep]

the only people who care about Biden's comment to Charlemagne are white people who dislike Biden

it's amazing it's being talked about while America is burning

I just thought it was a funny quote but

BET co-founder Robert L. Johnson said Biden should apologize to "every black person he meets."

"Vice President Biden’s statement today represents the arrogant and out-of-touch attitude of a paternalistic white candidate who has the audacity to tell black people, the descendants of slaves, that they are not black unless they vote for him," Johnson told Fox News last week.

"This proves unequivocally that the Democratic nominee believes that black people owe him their vote without question; even though, we as black people know it is exactly the opposite. He should spend the rest of his campaign apologizing to every black person he meets."

[d sw0rdz]

the only people who care about Biden's comment to Charlemagne are white people who dislike Biden

it's amazing it's being talked about while America is burning

first off, while i am ethnically caucasian i am not 'white'. again, even though ethnically i am derived from a people coming from the range of the caucasus, knowing me most/all americans would likely consider me a brown minority. now that that's out of the way, i have black friends and colleagues who were pissed at what he said

i feel it's very relevant to the current events going on, as it was yet another example of a rich white privileged politician minimizing the black voice and black identity to whatever he/she wanted it to be. part of the current issues at hand includes the unfortunate fact that blacks voices are not valued, so him deciding to speak on this in light of all of that was very rich immo

with regards to the other posts, i honestly wouldn't have cared and wouldn't have been critical had biden decided not to say anything. similarly, i haven't gotten all up in arms about what trump has been saying as it's been status quo with his usual schtick of sowing discord amongst the people.

i stick by my original comment RE 'talk is cheap', and would rather see actual action/policy change rather than the fluff we're always given.

what was more beneficial for the black community, this current situation, and our country as a whole - the speech biden gave today or his 94 crime bill? 

[insanity]

the only people who care about Biden's comment to Charlemagne are white people who dislike Biden

it's amazing it's being talked about while America is burning

I originally thought this to be true about found out like D swordz that this is not the case.

Black people were pissed!  Ask your community see how they felt. Curious what they would say

[Badger]

I don't know enough about Biden's upbringing and history to know where he sits on that particular scale, but I do know that he is a career politician who pretty much on the left side of the tracks

I'm revoking your lefty card, your standards are nonexistent

[CatoTheElder]

The Biden gaffe was bad, I just don't think something like that should have been a surprise.

[Badger]

The Biden gaffe was bad, I just don't think something like that should have been a surprise.

It's just deeply demoralizing that after watching Republican voters fall in line and pretend the emperor has clothes for Trump, that an unstoppable number of Dems could not muster a better answer than doing the same for Biden.

[Johnny English]

I'm revoking your lefty card, your standards are nonexistent

Cool, I don't carry it anyway. Some of my views are slightly to the left of centre (at least in countries in which the Overton doesn't place virulent racists in "moderate") but I've never claimed or wanted to be a placard carrying Marxist. I'm a salesman, FFS. My career is built upon success at the expense of others.