Condoleezza Rice to Alabama Voters: 'Reject Bigotry, Sexism, and Intolerance'

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast



Ahead of tomorrow’s special Senate election in her home state of Alabama, Condoleezza Rice on Monday implored voters to reject Roy Moore—without explicitly naming him. In a statement to AL.com, the Birmingham-born ex-secretary of state called the election between Republican and accused pedophile Moore and Democratic nominee Doug Jones as “one of the most significant in Alabama’s history.” She added: “I encourage you to take a stand for our core principles and for what is right. These critical times require us to come together to reject bigotry, sexism, and intolerance.” While continuing to not name Moore, Rice further swiped at him by telling voters that “It is imperative for Americans to remain focused on our priorities and not give way to side shows and antics. I know that Alabamans need an independent voice in Washington. But we must also insist that our representatives are dignified, decent, and respectful of the values we hold dear.”

READ IT AT AL.COM

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Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/condoleezza-rice-on-roy-moore-reject-bigotry-sexism-and-intolerance

[Thor_MN]

1. Who could have known the Rice would make a sotto voice statement?

Blah, blah, blah, do what is Right.

[Skittles]

29. she heard the blast that killed those four girls

and still cannot bring herself to recommend Jones - she is a COWARD

[niyad]

2. that is almost funny, considering her work with the bushies.

[mia]

3. Whatever helps to defeat Roy Moore is good news. n/t

[riversedge]

37. Agree.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Was wondering where she was

given she was friends with one of the girls killed in the 16 St. Baptist Church & Jones helped prosecute 2 of the bombers.

[LisaM]

7. Same here.

I'd be a little more impressed if she actually stood with Doug Jones for working on the bombing case, but any progress helps.

[mountain grammy]

23. Yes, same here.

[marble falls]

5. I will only vote for Deocrats, but the fact is if my candidate loses (how could THAT happen)....

at least Condoliza Rice has the experience and skills to be an American President, especially when compared to the Orange Shitgibbon.

[forgotmylogin]

9. Condoleeza Rice is ridiculously intelligent.

If she could be coaxed from the bad side to at least be a progressive Republican...

During the Bush admin, I read that she is a Cold War scholar, and how not useful that was at the time when everyone was focused on the Middle East and terrorism while Russia was the least of our problems.

[marble falls]

11. She certainly leaves me in the dust. Off the line.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. And she's fluent in Russian

But apparently she used to be a Democrat but drank the Raygun kool-aid.

[xor]

18. I feel like I read that she used to consider herself a liberal democrat in her earlier years

[PragmaticLiberal]

24. I actually believe she IS a progressive Republican at heart.

At least when it comes to social issues.

I just think she's hawkish...at times.

[Voltaire2]

25. well then her participation in war crimes is even more inexcusable.

Not an idiot? Then fully culpable.

[rwsanders]

33. If she isn't an idiot then she's the perfect poster child for "book smart" doesn't equal...

"street smart". Because in the real world she looks dumb as a post for supporting the bushies. And I can't say her employment by Exxon shows any brilliance, just cynical, clever self promotion.
It's like watching the sequel to Highlander and finding out that all Connor has been working on is some luny sci-fi project.

[TomSlick]

28. I've got a nitwit dog that would make a better President than the Orange Shitbibbon!

At least she wouldn't do anything harmful to the Republic. She sleeps most of the day and doesn't tweet.

[marble falls]

30. Unfortunately the dog can't run for POTUS, though Orange Shitgibbons can.

[TomSlick]

31. Nevertheless.

She'd do a better job given the chance.

[marble falls]

32. No doubt. But then so could a .....

Same 'doo, better command of English.

[TomSlick]

34. You win.

That's funny as hell.

[karynnj]

6. Impressive

I remember when her picture as a former Secretary of State was unveiled at the State Department, Secretary Kerry spoke of her being a neighbor of one of young girls killed in Birmingham when the church was bombed.

The State Department really is a place where bipartisanship can work and where the connection between the Secretaries of State is just one small piece of that rather remarkable tradition. Every one of us believes in the power of America to make a difference in the world. Now, I first saw that as a kid when my father was serving in the Foreign Service overseas and I saw the United States help rebuild a broken Europe. But Condoleezza Rice didn’t have to leave home to have a searing lesson in the struggles that can lead to great transformation. I was a kid in high school when I first saw those images of growling dogs and water cannons turned on peaceful protestors in Birmingham. For Condoleezza Rice, this wasn’t something that she watched on television. This was her hometown.

My generation remembers the 16th Street Baptist Church, the bombing, as a wakeup call for the Civil Rights Movement. For Condoleezza Rice, it was something else entirely. It was the murder of an 11-year-old neighbor and friend Denise McNair. That an African American woman, a girl from the segregated South, would grow up to become the nation’s top diplomat, to be America’s face and voice in the world, speaks volumes about the power of America’s example and the incredible transformation, the transformative power really of America itself that we have witnessed these 50 years.

https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/06/227820.htm

I can imagine that a black woman, who saw things like this as a young girl, had more reason to speak out against a white supremacist (or very very close to one) who spoke of those happy days when there were slaves.

[RandomAccess]

8. Wow -- I'm impressed

I hope there are people in AL who can hear her, and will heed her message. Maybe other black Republicans?????

[IronLionZion]

10. My hope is diversity will destroy the Republican party as we know it.

As these assholes double down on bigotry, misogyny, racism, and whatever else, more of their minority/women/LGBT/etc. officials will hopefully speak up against it.

[paleotn]

12. coward

Name names or shut up.

[oasis]

35. +1

[Javaman]

13. a war criminal has no place in our society.

go away.

[yurbud]

19. Pol Pot likes our urban renewal program too.

[Saviolo]

15. Republicans will read that exactly opposite.

When she talks about "dignified, decent, and respectful of the values we hold dear." they will only hear family values, anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-POC. For those people she is endorsing Roy Moore in this statement.

When she says "I encourage you to take a stand for our core principles and for what is right. These critical times require us to come together to reject bigotry, sexism, and intolerance." they are going to hear the same thing. How many times have pundits on Fox come out to say "Obama was the REAL racist!" and how many far right pundits said that "Trump is the real pro-woman candidate, not Hillary!" They're still going to hear Condoleezza endorsing Roy Moore in this statement. Most of the hard-line Republican far right-wing folks in AL don't even believe that Roy Moore is guilty, so all of that crap about dignity, respect, and values just applies to the insidious Democratic forces casting false accusations against their godly candidate Roy Moore.

Without names, Rice's comments here are vague enough that the Moore supporters will feel emboldened by them, not dissuaded.

[rainlillie]

16. You first, Condoleezza ..

Leave the Republican party and then you'll have some credibility. "Bigotry, Sexism, and Intolerance' is pretty much all the republican party is made of.

[bullwinkle428]

17. So this is a bridge too far, Condi? You were totally fine with Chump.

[iluvtennis]

20. Condi Rice is an Alabama native - learned something new today

Link to tweet

[Solly Mack]

21. But don't reject torture.

Because torture is OK as long as you deny torture is torture and call torture by another name.

I ain't forgetting and I don't give passes to war criminals.

[Cryptoad]

22. O Ms Rice, could it be,,,,,,,

that u are but a token for ur beloved GOP?

[marylandblue]

26. Did she just endorse Apple Pie as a write in candidate?

[wishstar]

27. Not much of a statement in refusing to clearly disavow Roy Moore

but as much as can be expected from someone who gave Rex Tillerson such a glowing and misguided recommendation to be Sec of State.

[oasis]

36. Condi has been full of shit for the longest time. This dodge

is just another example.