President Joe Biden called out Republicans in Congress as “the party of chaos and division” and said they are “worse” than Strom Thurmond, a former South Carolina senator who ran for president as a segregationist in 1948.
“I’ve been a senator since ‘72. I’ve served with real racists. I’ve served with Strom Thurmond. I’ve served with all these guys that have set terrible records on race. But guess what? These guys are worse. These guys do not believe in basic democratic principles,” Biden said at a fundraiser in San Francisco on Wednesday, according to the pool traveling with him. “Time and again Republicans show they are the party of chaos and division.”
Biden’s comments come as Republicans in Congress are holding still a foreign aid package that would send aid to Ukraine and Israel. The $95.3 billion foreign aid bill, which was passed by the Senate last week, still faces a showdown in the House as House Speaker Mike Johnson has told his House Republican Conference members that he is not rushing to respond to the bill.
It’s really hard to believe that this is a statement they wanted to put out there.
- Reminds people that he’s really old and has been in government longer than most people have been alive.
- Reminds people he was friends with those real racists.
- Reminds people of his long history and own troubling past with racist politics.
- Compares modern Republicans unfavorably to old racists, but not in that they’re more racist, but that they don’t believe in democracy. Maybe, if forced, people could come to the same conclusion about which of those things is worse, but it’s just not a great look to compare racism as being the not-as-bad thing.
This has to be one of those statements that strikes these egotistical old men and makes them think “I’m brilliant, no need to second guess, just say it” while their aide just looks on horrified.
- A proven track record with the experience needed to lead us on.
- Are you friends with all of your coworkers?
- Reminds people that he is willing to change, adapt, accept new ideas, and acknowledges past ignorance.
- A racist democracy can be corrected so long as we work together. Meanwhile nothing can be done within a state established by those who do not believe in democracy (fascists).
Biden’s a geriatric relic who doesn’t have the good sense to step aside and let the younger vanguard lead the way but fucking anyone can spin what he’s said after the fact in whatever way they want. Doesn’t mean that spin isn’t a wild reach, just like yours.
You’ve completely missed the point. This isn’t a situation where a negative claim is made by an opponent and then you get a chance to respond. The problem is that Joe Biden’s negatives are being injected into people’s minds, not by his enemies, but by Biden himself. You won’t have an opportunity to spin it, and any benefits from calling the Republicans anti-democratic chaos agents is muddied by simultaneously raising the salience of things they should prefer to be forgotten.
And spin can try to blunt damage, but it never completely neutralizes it. You want to be doing damage control as rarely as possible, because every time you’re doing it you’ve lost something.
This kid is 13 years old and wants to criticize Biden no matter what he says. And… He’s the youth vote which Biden really doesn’t have to worry about much. 1 they don’t vote and 2 the ones that do vote Dem.
And I should know a thing or two about former segregationist senators, being one myself
Can you explain, please?
Biden was against busing for school desegregation.
Without that and with the existing racist housing policies, it would have effectively prevented school desegregation.
Strum Thurmmond gave the longest fillibuster, and it was against civil rights.
Biden and Strum were friends, to the point Biden even gave a eulogy at his funeral.
You know that saying about how when you see four guys sitting at a table and one’s wearing a nazi uniform?
Biden was super chummy with those old racists, so for him it was more like he was the only one out of uniform. Seriously, don’t you remember the last primary? He kept talking about how they’re all his friends and get along so well.
He just didn’t know they didn’t give a fuck about him after Obama. They only liked him because sometimes he pulled a Manchin.
I cant imagine being judged for somethi g i did 50 years ago, as the basis for the person I am today.
I really am not a fan of Biden, but come on, bringing up shit that happened half a century ago is really manipulative. It’s as if you’re saying that your actions as a 30 year old are representative of the person you are at 85, which simply isn’t true.
Well, the eulogy was 2003…
And the 2020 primary he wouldn’t shut up about how great friends he is with Republican senators.
It only changed when they gave him the cold shoulder.
I mean, really, do you think Thurmond was better?
As bad as shit is now, it was much worse for minorities back in the 50s/60s. And while Biden didn’t get to the Senate till the 70s, he made quick friends with the older Republicans that had been in power then.
You can’t play the “people change” card decades before they changed.
I mean, really, do you think Thurmond was better?
Better than people who are racist and fascist traitors? Yes, obviously.
Your question is like asking if negative eleventy-billion is a bigger number than negative infinity.
Jesus…
People are really out there running around America thinking Strum Thurmond wouldn’t have overthrown the government if he thought he had half a chance?
You wouldn’t be interested in buy a bridge in Brooklyn would you?
I am friends with a bunch of people that I don’t share views with. I have some friends that support trump, does that suddenly mean I support trump? Absolutely no, it doesn’t. I’m just saying, his actions now are what we should judge him on.
As for becoming friends with people in congress, that’s called politics dude. You become friends with the people around you to further your own career. That goes for any career… Am I talking to teenagers here? Sheesh.
In this analogy you’d be friends with trump tho…
Like, do you have any idea what know kind of person Thurmmond was?
It would be nice if we had more to celebrate than what amounts to sick burns.
Does it help or hurt that Biden also gave a eulogy at Strom Thurmmond’s funeral?
