Joe Biden is not racist.

[Claritie Pixie]

No way I can look at Joe's history and make that conclusion.

I'm still undecided on a candidate so I'm not endorsing Joe here.

That said, any of our candidates who use divisive without substance GOP-like tactics to cut down another get a ding from me.

I will make my decision based on a candidate's plans, not negative attacks. Don't like it one bit.

[Kurt V.]

1. of course not. but he is courting some of them.

[Claritie Pixie]

2. Courting? How?

Please explain what you mean so I can understand. Thanks.

[Kurt V.]

3. by making reference to racist he's worked with to pass legislation

[Thekaspervote]

5. On and on.. really? Can we just stop!!

[Kurt V.]

8. Honestly i can't. we know what voting block decides our candidate. we better remember that.

[Claritie Pixie]

7. I know he worked with segregationist senators.

I don't think that equates courting. Bipartisanship is a gray area...doesn't mean he agreed with their ideology or condoned their actions.

[Kurt V.]

13. Completely agree he isn't a racist. so why bring it up other than to court those fringe' economic

Anxiety' votes?

[marylandblue]

27. Apparently it's an old story he has told many times, and

he ignored his staff's advice that it was time to drop it.

[tishaLA]

18. It wasn't about "bipartisanship"; the guys he referenced were Democrats

[Claritie Pixie]

19. True. Poor choice of words on my part.

[qazplm135]

11. oh goodness

he said something stupid and is being stubborn about it but good grief you really jumped the shark with that comment.

[Kurt V.]

14. your words: stupid, stubborn. Let's take that seriously.

[qazplm135]

26. I do

Serious enough to not say something equally silly like you did.

[PatSeg]

23. Sorry,

that's quite a stretch.

[Kurt V.]

24. no. It's a plan. not necessarily a bad one, but that's part of it.

[Cha]

31. That's ridiculous.. you're completely Wrong.

[loyalsister]

33. How to appeal to bigots without being one

It's nothing new. The fact that racism was a motivating factor in the 2016 election has been an influence on candidate selection for 2020. The question of how to win back Trump supporting white working class voters is more accurately phrased "how do Democratic candidates get bigots to vote for them without joining in their hateful ideology.

Howard Dean inartfully mentioned that people who fly confederate flag should be voting for Dems because their kids need healthcare too.

Tough on crime became a priority as an overcorrection after Dukakis was destroyed with the Willie Horton ad.

Racism is so deeply embedded in our culture that people are comfortable with it until it becomes malicious and explicit. Talking about it tends to elicit a defensive posture Robin DeAngelo identified as white fragility. Where instead of taking a minute to chew on why someone might be offended by remarks that suggest racial insensitivity, white people turn the conversation around to center it on their hurt feelings and paint themselves as victims.

[dawg day]

4. I just wish he would think before he speaks, and listen to his advisors

He's old enough to know better, and I hope, not too old to learn.

[customerserviceguy]

34. Agreed

and he needs to vet his statements with his advisers before he utters them.

[Peacetrain]

6. No he is not..

[Thekaspervote]

9. Thank you!! Couldn't agree more.

I will gladly vote for our nominee, but hey candidates and those thowing out the negatives faster than a batting machine during spring practice, you will not get me to switch. Find something positive and go for it... that will get the voters attention

[Gothmog]

10. According to Symone Sanders, Biden did not praise a segregationist

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Claritie Pixie]

17. Thanks. I agree his comments have been misconstrued.

[LakeArenal]

29. As usual.

[tonedevil]

12. Is someone saying he is? /nt

[Claritie Pixie]

16. Not outright, no. Unfortunately, his comments have been interpreted that way.

Yes he worked with segregationist Democrats in his senate career. Should he talk about it?

Maybe not if he's going to be attacked. He is who he is though.

[tonedevil]

30. As I see it...

VP Biden didn't praise the Senators he talked about, but he did wax nostalgic about that time in a way that disturbed many people. On the other side no one has called him a racist, but some have expressed disapproval with what he said in a way that has his supporters upset. The cherry on this Sundae is Biden talking about Senator Eastland not calling him boy, but calling him son. I honestly don't know what he was trying to do there, but it reminds us that the Senator would have likely called Biden boy if he had been black and that's one of the things he overlooked to work with the man.

[Claritie Pixie]

35. Thank you foe your take on it.

I get what your saying.

[MoonRiver]

15. Nobody thinks he is a racist.

But he's leaving himself open to that accusation by Idiot and its minions.

[FloridaBlues]

20. I don't like it either. Twitter world has blown up over this but this will pass

When the nutcase in the WH takes us to war if he has his way.
Keep things in perspective

[Peacetrain]

21. That is so scary, and I think you are right.. we are talking about that right

now at our house..

[FloridaBlues]

22. I know right ? Scary times.

[Mike Nelson]

25. That is very...

… true. He did deny it... "Not a racist bone in my body," he said. However, the other candidates did not call him a "racist"… so, he changed the accusation. The accused person is now accused of calling Biden a racist... I suppose it's an effective strategy.

[Evergreen Emerald]

28. Seriously: He was stating that he is willing to work with the other side

no matter how idiotic their beliefs are. That is all he was saying. And he chose an idiotic belief that we could all agree is idiotic. It was just to make a point.

Please. Stop.

[CentralMass]

32. Joe Biden created the issue. Other canidates responded to it.

[highmindedhavi]

36. He called Jesse Jackson "that boy" back in1980

He said "that boy aint no dummy", it was a compliment to Jesse, wrong choice of words.

[robbedvoter]

39. while Obama was "clean and articulate"

[Honeycombe8]

37. No, he's not a racist. At all. Ever.

I don't support Biden. But geez, I can't believe the accusations being flung at him.

[robbedvoter]

38. Nobody called him that. It's not the working with racists as the fond rememberance of it.

In the times of 🍊, to hear a D candidate describing the good ol' times (which he wants back) with such examples - after he already said he intends to work with Rs a lot - makes some of us queasy. He called Cheney a decent man, Pence too - I am wondering what we have in common. This OP is a straw man