Trent Lott said:
"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."
Published in Wednesday's New York Observer, Joe Biden said:
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."
Tell me why Lott's comments are so much worse that they were all over the news until he resigned from his leadership post, while I haven't heard anything about Biden's statements in the mainstream media? Arguably, Lott may have said what he did because he happened to agree with some of Thurmond's domestic or foreign policies, regardless of Thurmond's racial opinions. On the other hand, I don't see how Biden's remarks can be seen as anything other than offensive. Why isn't Biden's quote all over the news like Lott's was?
2007-01-31 07:41:18 · 14 answers · asked by aDWsd 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
I realize Biden is not Senate Majority leader, however he is still a prominent Senator, Presidential hopeful, and Chaiman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
2007-01-31 07:43:17 · update #1
The republicans should not stoop to the gutter politics that the democrats like to engage in. We can win on issues, we don't need to play the gotcha game. It's not worth it. There are better and more important things we need to fight for than this. I also don't want to restrict anyone's freedom speech no matter how stupid it is.
2007-01-31 07:46:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
1. Biden is a bonehead and should not be running for President. His record on a number of things is iffy and this quote just shows he's not sufficiently articulate to be worthy of election. He can stay in Senate leadership positions because he is just one of several boneheads there. But the Presidency is special and its occupant should be held to a higher standard.
2. His comments do appear to be all over the media - what sources do you use? I've read and heard it in a number of sources. ABC news is pretty mainstream...
3. Why are Lott's comments worse? Are you joking me? You don't think that it's a really, really bad idea to have as a decisionmaker someone who says he supports Thurmond and all he stood for at the time of Thurmond's presidential bid? That is akin to saying he's totally behind Ol' Strom's stump speeches.
Wikipedia notes "His primary campaign platform was the perpetuation of segregation. One 1948 speech, met with cheers by supporters, included the following:
“I wanna tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that there's not enough troops in the army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the nigra [or perhaps "******" - see link at http://www.slate.com/id/2075453/ for audio clip] race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and into our churches.""
4. I think Biden's comment that Obama as a candidate for president, listing what he sees as his strengths is pretty dang mild in comparison. The overreaction to the term "clean" is amusing. He's saying he's got a clean record, as opposed to someone like Sharpton. That seems like a reasonable judgement. It's still foot in mouth disease, a clumsy attempt to comment on an opponent. But it's a far cry from endorsing instutionalized segregation.
5. All the damage control in the world by Lott wasn't sufficient for him to remain in power. There's a great analysis of how Lott could have honored Thurmond at that birthday party without saying, in essence, "hey, too bad we didn't keep the blacks in their place - Strom had the right idea!" Check out http://www.slate.com/id/2085000/ to see how Lott subsequently phrased his statement on Thurmond's death. It was classy and avoided any ugly racist sentiments. Too bad he didn't use it at the party.
2007-02-01 03:58:27 · answer #2 · answered by World Traveler 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I heard Biden's comments on the radio this morning, as part of him declaring his candidacy.
While I see what you're getting at, you have to remember Thurmond was a segregationist.
It's only going to get highlighted if it appears the race for the Dems is going to come down to Biden vs Obama. Not likely.
2007-01-31 07:47:41 · answer #3 · answered by MoltarRocks 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
you recognize, I observed this this morning on some information coach and that i don't think of it fairly is the reality that he had an affair, it fairly is his hypocrisy--Ensign has been a maximum advantageous conservative between Senate Republicans, enjoying a key function in annoying the resignation of Larry Craig in September 2007. Ensign called Craig a "shame" after he became into arrested in June 2007 in an airport adult adult males's restroom on disorderly habit rates. Craig resisted the calls from Ensign to offer up yet retired from the Senate final November. He additionally fought for the impeachment of Clinton. it fairly is the comparable style of hypocrisy of Newt Fruit in his outrageous comments approximately Clinton and his very vocal help of the protection of Marriage Act. get rid of the hypocrits!
2016-12-13 05:30:39 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Given Joe Biden's record, it is really impossible to believe that his comment was intended to be racist, or to even imagine that he is really a racist. He just made a general comment that was subject to misinterpretation by people who want to attack him and falsely attribute bad intent.
Trent Lott had a long history of backing racist laws, so it's just a whole different ball of wax.
No comparison whatsoever.
2007-01-31 07:55:48 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm not offended by Lott or Biden,I wonder what Biden had to say about Lott.That would be interesting.
2007-01-31 07:46:36 · answer #6 · answered by Dr. NG 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Although I don't agree with Sen Biden's politics... its absolutely unheard of that he should resign!!
I mean since when did you have to resign for telling the truth? He was talking about a serious black (I refuse to use the lame-O politically correct hyphenated terms) candidate for president.. not blacks as a whole.. get a clue man!
2007-01-31 07:50:57 · answer #7 · answered by artrickwo 3 · 3⤊ 2⤋
When Biden starts cheering for southern politicians that wanted segregation and Jim Crow laws then you'll have a point.
2007-01-31 07:48:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
He meant the first black RUNNING IN A PRESIDENTIAL RACE. There was Al Sharpton but he wasn't 100% clean because there were some scandals and he wasn't good looking either.
2007-01-31 07:51:46 · answer #9 · answered by Raven 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
LOOK AT WHAT BIDEN SAID ON YOUTUBE ABOUT COMING FROM A SLAVE STATE
ALSO, LOOK AT THE VIDEO WHERE HE SAYS YOU CAN'T EVEN GO INTO A 7-11 OR DUNKIN DONUTS WITHOUT SEEING AN INDIAN
2007-01-31 07:53:25 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋