Ta-Nehisi Coates on Joe Biden: "Biden cast Democrats as the true party without mercy."

[ancianita]

Coates' essay in the latest issue of The Atlantic Monthly quotes Joe Biden in 1994:

Let me define the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. The liberal wing of the Democratic Party is now for 60 new death penalties...the liberal wing of the Democratic Party has 70 enhanced penalties...The liberal wing of the Democratic Party is for 100,000 cops. The liberal wing of the Democratic Party is for 125,000 new state prison cells.

Coates has influence over whether African Americans and other minorities trust this party, and it looks as if he's not particularly trusting either party. His research must be recognized as a valid source of questioning any and all party candidates. Joe Biden is no exception.

Here is where we can find his voting record on crime.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Joe_Biden.htm

If "today’s Democratic party is female, professional, black and Hispanic," as others in these threads have described, then Joe Biden has some 'splainin' to do about his own words, or eat them. And soon.

Joe Biden will have to answer to Democrats now for his "tough on crime" stance THEN.

[haikugal]

1. I'm questioning his notion of 'the liberal' wing...

He thinks Biden is liberal? I don't think liberals did the things he says they did.

[ancianita]

3. Regardless, JB presumed to speak for them, emphatically. I don't recall them protesting his stance.

[haikugal]

5. I don't think this guy speaks for all people of color why would anyone think Biden

speaks for liberals?

There hasn't been a liberal wing that has been listened to in decades...

Whatever....

[ancianita]

9. A McArthur genius is influential. If Biden's words are his issue, the party needs to get out

in front of those issues in gaining PoC votes. The best person to do this would be Biden himself.

You can't avoid the fact of his quote, no matter who said it.

I purposely headed Coates here to get some AA attention about Biden's viability for them as a candidate.

[haikugal]

10. I'm not questioning his genius.

I'm not questioning Biden's quote.

I'm questioning his premise regarding liberals...that seemingly dirty word. I don't think he has a working understanding of it's meaning other than as a useful slur.

[ancianita]

12. It was definitely hijacked as slur back then.Yet even his recent voting record reflects his words.

If you're trying to preserve the current best definition of "liberal," I'm with you.

But the issue isn't in our collective defining over Biden's.

The issue is whether PoC can even trust the very best liberals if they vote for leaders like Biden who have sold out to "tough on crime" covers for racism, as Nixon, Reagan and Clinton did back in the day when the economic gains of their families were literally demolished, and their voter franchise taken away with the "felon" label.

[haikugal]

13. Agreed, however...

Up until this election we all had to choose the lesser evil all too often.

I agree that Biden isn't liberal enough and I won't vote for him if he runs.

I have seen 'the evil liberal' trotted out her on DU very recently so I call it when I see it. Your explanation aside, I still think it's being used here as a slur...a dog whistle.

[ancianita]

15. You'll have to explain the dog whistle interpretation. Do you mean Biden? Coates? Me?

[haikugal]

18. I mistook Biden's quote as being Coates...

My apologies!

I can understand why such things are concerning for people, this quote is horrible.

Sorry I got in the way....

[ancianita]

19. Not a problem! Thanks for all your input!

[brush]

28. C'mon, people. Maybe some are too young to remember Biden's role in the Clarence Thomas hearings

Last edited Wed Sep 30, 2015, 10:46 PM - Edit history (2)

Joe Biden was the one who refused to let the other women testify that Thomas sexually harassed them also.

An Anita Hill movie is coming out soon and this will put Biden's actions back then back in the news.

Perhaps this (the fact that we have Thomas on SCOTUS being guided by Scalia in cases on voting rights and Citizens United et al) is one reason why Biden is reluctant to declare.

[jeff47]

4. That's a quote of Biden, not Coates. (nt)

[haikugal]

7. Yes, however Coates is on about liberals and their horrible policies...

When have we had a liberal named Biden? Weren't most of those policies implemented by third way democrats? They aren't liberals, have never been liberals.

That's all I'm saying.

[ancianita]

14. Fine. Then maybe the high praise for his being in the race will damp down with a bit of realism.

His position as leader has much strength.

But that doesn't mean he's immune to questions of his voting record on crime and his presuming to speak for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

I'd like to see more Democrats pay attention to the past problems they've ignored for PoC.

It shouldn't be just up to Bernie Sanders to do that for our party.

[haikugal]

16. Agreed completely!

Let's hope we can bring about the changes that are so very important for so many. It's life and death. I mean that in so many ways...

[Bluenorthwest]

26. I take issue with Biden calling himself a liberal, he's a big business DOMA yes voter.

I don't consider him a liberal, I was not pleased when Obama chose him for VP and all of that crime drama he and so many were into was vile to me and got my constant criticism at the time.
Why is Biden a major Democrat? Because Barack Obama made him one. I'm sure Obama also knew about all of Biden's nastier aspects and that he wanted to elevate that. Blaming liberals for a centrist daisy chain is inaccurate.

[ancianita]

27. And who is blaming liberals, again?

[haikugal]

17. Apologies and my thanks...

I thought this

Let me define the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. The liberal wing of the Democratic is now for 60 new death penalties...the liberal wing of the Democratic Party has 70 enhanced penalties...The liberal wing of the Dmocratic Party is for 100,000 cops. The liberal wing of the Democratic fParty is for 125,000 new state prison cells.

Was Coates as you saw...duh...

It's hard to believe Biden would say such things but then again not so much...

[ancianita]

20. Well WE have to believe he said them. And HE has to NOW explain this. It's No Small Thing these days

[haikugal]

21. We all have to address this, I agree completely! POC in particular.

It's a huge issue.

[ancianita]

22. Damned right. And yet, so far this "Biden issue" has gotten little response here. We ignore this at

our party's peril. It's no small thing for this party to leave the answers to its past compromises of PoC's interests to ONLY Bernie Sanders to answer.

For that I not only fault Biden and our faulty collective memory, but also Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She's no visionary. She's a tool.

Party members must do the vetting that our leaders won't do. We can't go in lockstep with leadership, which is what we did in the 90's. That's exactly how we lose PoC votes.

[haikugal]

23. I like your passion and agree completely on all counts.

Possibly we aren't hearing much because he hasn't declared yet...even so this is our history and we need to collectively own it. For us to do that we have to remember it.

[jeff47]

2. What a terrible smear, accurately quoting his record!!!

[fredamae]

6. No, Biden et al & IMO

should Never be described as "Liberal". Look at his Votes/Bills etc from when he was a senator.

Period. Thank you.

[BlueWaveDem]

8. Joe should probably stay out, but it's interesting that

He could announce tomorrow and be firmly in 2nd place, which must also be weighing on his decision.

[ancianita]

11. When OUR party's #2 has not answered vetted issues, we can lose by attrition of voter confidence.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. I think of Biden as the DOMA voting Senator from Capital One, the only reason I have ever voted

for him is named Barack Obama.

[ancianita]

25. Seriously. I love the man personally. But he knows what his Delaware does for corporations.

He's never said a mumbling word about their tax haven laws or whether what his state does hurts or helps the working class of this country.

If he runs, he'd better answer to that issue, too.

[Blue_Tires]

29. It's hard to work myself up over a 21-year-old quote...