If Biden wins the nomination I'm rooting for Apophis 99942 in 2020. Fun fact: Grandpa Joe teamed up with Strom Thurmond to bring civil asset forfeiture to the federal government.
Whatabout your whataboutism? Lynchings were off-color 20 years ago too. "What is socially acceptable" seems like a polite way of saying we didn't care about black people. The thing is, if the tables were turned, we'd still have democrats using lynching comparisons today in 2019.
I agree it's time for the media and dems to stop taking the bait when he drops these little tidbits. It is especially galling when they get caught saying the same thing. That's what turns of voters and causes them to stay home.
No, calling something wasn't necessarily off color twenty years ago depending on the context in which they were used. I remember being involved in a case in federal court in which a famous and controversial local civic and religious leader used the term to describe what happened in a case as a "lynching" and there was no issue as it was used to describe the seriousness of the viewed mistreatment by the government. It had nothing to do with not caring about black people in that context at all.
"Biden slidin' " . . . currently 4th in Iowa polls: The survey is full of alarming signs for Mr. Biden, who entered the race in April at the top of the polls in Iowa and nationally. He is still in the lead in most national polls, but his comparatively weak position in the earliest primary and caucus states now presents a serious threat to his candidacy. And Mr. Biden’s unsteadiness appears to have opened a path in the race for other Democrats closer to the political middle, particularly Mr. Buttigieg. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/us/politics/iowa-poll-warren-biden.html
He really reminds me of the last time that McCain ran, and you could feel the age. Sorry, Joe, if you ever had a window, you missed it.
Sure, Biden makes gaffes and some question his mental acuity because of it but I look at it from a perspective of "We're all human and make mistakes" - It's NBD to me. If he was in Houston and accidentally said he was in another city I'd be like, "Meh, he got the city wrong, he goes to a lot of cities" - NBD. I think people kind of ruthlessly mocking others about these types of slip ups is a bit distasteful. I don't see at as a sign of elderly feeble mindedness.
Jason Riley's column in the WSJ today https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-black-democrats-favor-joe-biden-11572997553?mod=hp_opin_pos_3 Why Black Democrats Favor Joe Biden The Obama link is the main attraction, but they also want to keep their health insurance and cars. By Jason L. Riley Nov. 5, 2019 6:45 pm ET Your typical black Democratic primary voter is likely to be middle-aged and female, and right now Joe Biden is her guy. But who’s her second choice? There is general agreement that black voters, while a small percentage of all voters, could again play an outsize role in determining the Democratic presidential nominee and the outcome of next year’s election. Blacks are concentrated in important primary states, such as South Carolina, as well as in the cities of key battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Perhaps taking them for granted, Hillary Clinton failed to mobilize enough black voters in 2016, when black voter turnout fell in a presidential election for the first time in 20 years. Mr. Biden believes he can succeed where she failed, and perhaps he can. His popularity among blacks obviously stems from his eight-year stint as Barack Obama’s vice president. He is quick to invoke Mr. Obama’s name in front of black audiences and to defend their administration’s policy victories, such as ObamaCare. Mr. Biden is also more politically moderate than most of his rivals, which sits well with older blacks who are more likely to vote. Nevertheless, Elizabeth Warren has risen steadily in the polls, while Mr. Biden’s campaign has been marked by mediocre debate performances and poor fundraising. A Ukraine scandal involving his son is now at the center of the impeachment drama, which at the very least makes it awkward for Mr. Biden to weigh in on the proceedings. Technically, he’s still the front-runner, but he looks like someone barely holding on to his lead, not poised to pull away from the pack. And if his campaign ultimately falters, Biden supporters face a dilemma. Pete Buttigieg is reportedly making a play for the Biden moderates. But he has next to no black support, and his marriage to a man could be a significant barrier to changing that, especially among older, socially conservative blacks casting primary votes. Recall that blacks voted overwhelmingly in favor of banning same-sex marriage in California in 2008. Support for gay marriage has grown since then among all groups, but the change in attitude is being driven by younger people, and a racial gap remains. According to the Pew Research Center, 62% of whites now approve of same-sex unions, versus only 51% of blacks. The two black Democrats running for president, Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, have been highlighting racial issues like slavery reparations and segregation. But black voters have shown little interest in either candidate, which may be progress of a sort. What made Mr. Booker and Ms. Harris interesting Democrats to begin with was their willingness to stand up to the party’s left wing on issues like school choice and tough law enforcement. But both changed their tune to run for president as progressives, and perhaps black voters think the obvious racial pandering speaks to their character. Unfortunately, older blacks might also balk at the fact that Ms. Harris is married to a white man. As Obama biographer David Remnick and others have noted, it mattered to black supporters of Mr. Obama back in 2008 that his wife was black. The future president had an exotic background, and Michelle Obama helped people settle the matter of how he identified. Commentators on CNN have discussed how Ms. Harris, the product of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, identifies as well, and the same older black primary voters who take issue with Mr. Buttigieg’s husband might also have a problem with hers. Mr. Biden’s closest competitors are Bernie Sanders and Ms. Warren, and surveys show that they stand to gain the most, particularly among younger black voters, if he fades. But there’s little reason to believe that older blacks are eager to follow suit. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in early October showed that 43% of blacks 50 and older were “enthusiastic” about Mr. Biden, versus 17% for Ms. Warren and 14% for Mr. Sanders. Mr. Sanders is no longer shouted down at his rallies by black activists like he was four years ago, but his support remains largely confined to black millennials. And some black voters may never get past Ms. Warren’s refusal to admit that she lied about being a racial minority to advance her professional career. The older blacks who are backing Mr. Biden believe that he has the best chance of beating Mr. Trump. They want to keep their medical insurance and their gas-powered cars. They understand that national borders are important, and they don’t want their taxes raised to finance free health care for illegal immigrants. And if Joe Biden, or someone who starts sounding like him, isn’t on the ballot, many of them might just stay home again. Ask Mrs. Clinton how that turned out for her.
Nobody believes Bernie or Warren are taking away your healthcare or your cars. That opinion piece is just that.... an opinion...and a dumb one at that. Biden is winning in the polls because he has the most broad coalition yes, but mostly because he has a ton of goodwill and people generally like him. He has a similar personality style to Bill Clinton which makes him popular. Pundits get far too tied up into policy and different lanes (progressive vs moderate, etc). What is far too often discounted is whether or not low information voters just like you or they don’t. There are sub factors which is about moderate positions that factor into his coalition support that brings in older African American voters, but it’s a sub category at best. In the end it’s about whether low information voters know you, like you, trust you, and lastly agree with your policy positions that they can understand.
except that Bernie and Warren both have signed on in support of the Green New Deal, which calls for 100% clean energy by 2030. And in the AOC version of the GND, the plan calls for replacing cars: “totally overhaul transportation by massively expanding electric vehicle manufacturing, build charging stations everywhere, build out high-speed rail at a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary, create affordable public transit available to all, with goal to replace every combustion-engine vehicle.” So it's easy to see how this columnist (and elderly black Democrats) might be confused.
