Biden: I was wrong to say 'Shylocks'

[Hassin Bin Sober]

Biden: I was wrong to say 'Shylocks'

https://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/joe-biden-shylocks-reaction-111053

Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that it was a “poor choice of words” for him to use the term “Shylocks” in a recent speech.

People would come up to him and talk about what was happening to them at home in terms of foreclosures, in terms of bad loans that were being — I mean, these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men while overseas,” Biden said.

While Biden was referring to bank representatives and moneylenders haggling with people serving the United States overseas, the term originally comes from William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” In the play, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender, and use of the name to refer to greed has been called offensive by organizations such as the ADL, among others.

[redqueen]

1. How the f did he not know that?

[Vinca]

21. I didn't know that and I'm not that much younger than Joe.

[karynnj]

36. He might not have thought of the derivation of the insulting word

I never heard that word being used even when I am young, but it was not until I was far out of college that I learned that "gyped" went back to a slur on "gypsies. (and I was lucky enough to be a bystander when someone objected to someone else using the word.

To me, that word is - of course - connected to Merchant of Venice.

[redqueen]

39. Yeah, I thought 'gyped' was common knowledge too.

[Tipperary]

42. He had to know it, or he wouldn't have used it.

But WHY he would choose to do so is troubling.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

52. BIIIIIINNGGOOOOO!!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[myohmy2]

69. very troubling...

...imagine the stress and strain our nominee will be under toe-to-toe with trump...

...words matter; they have to be chosen carefully and applied forcefully...

...else your intent gets lost and your ill-chosen words become the focus...

[Blue_true]

43. That is why I have tried to cling to calling people that I am perturbed by "assholes",

it is a universal, nonracist, non sexist term that applies to any asshole. I honestly didn't know that the word meant what it does, I wouldn't use it due to that ignorance. I don't want to be in a position of using ignorance to explain why I hit someone with a degrading term, other than "asshole".

[SMC22307]

49. Seriously.

He really seems to be doing a lot of apologizing lately.

[The Valley Below]

2. The attempted character assassinations won't work.

[George II]

5. So now we're way back to more than five years ago! Desperation is rearing it's ugly head.

[question everything]

29. Five years ago? Well, that's progress, He was attacked for comments from 20 years ago

[revmclaren]

38. Can I pm you?

Have a screenshot you may be interested in that was deleated but you will want to see.

ONLY!!! 2019 and beyond.

[Perseus]

8. What attempted character assassinations? He said it and he apologized for it.

I am not supporting him at this time, I will if he becomes our nominee, I have nothing against Biden, granted that he is not my first choice, but I fail to see the character assassination.

[aeromanKC]

59. +1000

[George II]

3. SEPTEMBER 17, 2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SCantiGOP]

24. Yep, quote was more than 5 years ago

Easy to smell the desperation in the Bernie camp.

[NurseJackie]

33. Haaaaaa!

Grasping. Reaching. Desperate.

I've always said that BS followers are loyal and vocal... there just aren't enough of them to secure our party's nomination.

[aidbo]

47. is it a less racist thing to say because he said it 5 years ago?

[Perseus]

4. Joe doesn't always think things through

That is why he makes a few gaffes now and then.

[The Valley Below]

7. Nah. Joe has a great heart and everyone knows it.

This is pure BS.

[Perseus]

10. Nobody is questioning his heart, we all know his heart is in the right place

Part of his agenda may be something most progressives don't agree with, but one has to accept the fact Joe does make a few gaffes here and then, more than any other candidate.

What Biden supporters should be proud of is the fact that Joe owned the gaffe and he apologized for it, that is much better than the way he has reacted about other gaffes. I find his apology genuine and good, not sure why Biden supporters are so defensive about it.

I will add that to bring a gaffe from 2014 is a bit petty, well maybe full petty.

[redqueen]

35. Agree almost 100%

I'd say there's no 'maybe' - its definitely full-on petty.

[duforsure]

22. I agree

And he lives in the past too much. He's not my first or second choice, and I fear he'd let the guilty go free for what they've done. He's to soft . He's also not a great speaker. No matter who gets the Dems primaries I'll vote for them, anyone but trump.

[Blue_true]

44. Joe's appeal, even when he puts his foot into his mouth, is that he is a good

person trying to do good. That matters to people that place a high value on ethics and a desire for fairness, both of which Joe demonstrates.

[Dennis Donovan]

6. I love me Bernie!

A genuine genteel human of which monuments should be built of.

But, Senator, chill on bashing the Vice President?

[George II]

13. At least Biden acknowledged his error and apologized, even though that story is from 5+ years ago...

The families and friends of the victims in Sandy Hook are STILL waiting for an apology from Sanders.

[Dennis Donovan]

14. Hi George! It's almost 2020...

Give up on the 2016 primary?

[George II]

17. It has nothing to do with the 2016 primary. Yes, this is almost 2020 and Sanders still...

...hasn't apologized to the families and friends of the victims of Sandy Hook, who were murdered in 2012, and due in part to Sanders' position of gun manufacturers' liability the lawsuits against them were hindered.

[Dennis Donovan]

25. No, it has everything to do with 2016.

Please be honest with your fellow DUers?

Where exactly are you coming from?

[Blue_true]

45. What did Bernie say relative to Sandy Hook, other than support gun manufacturers? nt

[George II]

48. He voted for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) when in the House....

....and maintains that gun manufacturers should not be held legally liable for their guns being used by killers. He was initially against the parents of the victims' lawsuit against the manufacturer, distributor, and seller of the assault weapon that killed their children.

[Blue_true]

50. Yes. Him saying that he was wrong and working with the parents

would go a long way. I saw my parents outlive two of my siblings, a person takes that image to the grave. It is even worse when the children were so young as was the situation with the Sandy Hook parents.

[mopinko]

9. adl isnt wrong, but shit. it's shakespeare.

and stand out shakespeare at that. i remember wanting that role in high school english class.
c'mon people. it aint like he said the n word.

glad he apologized. and yeah, 2014.
we are evolving.
good

[boomer_wv]

11. Things that...

nobody will care about for 100, Alex.

This is from five years ago and involved him saying a term that 90% of people won't see as being offensive without it being explained to them. Oh, and he apologized for it, 5 years ago.

I'm ok putting this up against Bernie writing that women like being gang raped, if you'd like.

[BlueTsunami2018]

12. It means loanshark in general terms.

If you’re sunk gambling in my neighborhood you get a shylock loan from “a guy”, usually an Italian or Irish guy. Can I even say that? It’s a general term based on the character but people are going to jump on anything they can. Pretending this means he’s an anti-Semite while we have actual white nationalists in this government is ludicrous.

He’s apologized. Good enough.

[The Valley Below]

15. I remember people saying Bernie Sanders got "gypped" w/o

having any idea that offensive nature of that term's origin.

[wiley]

37. Great point

The smell of desperation is deep within that campaign it appears.

[DarthDem]

16. 2014

Try again. Jesus.

[TwilightZone]

18. Five years ago?

That's some impressive digging.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

62. Well, I'm glad to hear that anything Bernie has said or done more than 5 yrs ago

will never be mentioned here ever again... or at least no more than a dozen times!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[MerryBlooms]

67. !

[Hassin Bin Sober]

70. .

[evertonfc]

19. Stop apologizing damnitt

Dear Democrats. Stop apologizing for everything you have ever done or said. Christ, you look weak. There are people that wake up just to try and be offended. I'm so sick of some damn apology every damn day

[sammythecat]

55. I feel the same

and calling a bunch of greedy bankers Shylocks is simply calling a spade a spade.

[treestar]

68. +1

This is a literary reference, to Shakespeare, for crying out loud.

[OldRed2450]

20. I think the Jewish community knows where Biden stands regarding issues important to them.

Don't you? I really don't think that trying to paint Biden as antisemitic will fly with Jewish democrats.

[totodeinhere]

23. I'm a Bernie supporter but my comment applies to all of our candidates.

We need to stop obsessing over each and every word that our candidates have ever uttered during their entire political careers. This gotcha crap has got to stop. We all know that Joe is not antisemitic.

[David__77]

30. I agree with your perspective.

...

[stonecutter357]

26. good let's go Joe !

[awesomerwb1]

27. Keep trying bro (We all know you will)

[question everything]

28. Many people grow up with terms that they don't realize what they mean

While living in Iowa in the 80s, I've heard the term to "Jew" - to drive a hard bargain and, apparently seen as a positive..

And then a Jewish professor, a proud Jew, would often use the term "pound of flesh" which surprised me.

[LakeArenal]

63. And... Indian Summer was what we called it.

Every time we said it we weren’t thinking Indians really had anything to with it.

[YOHABLO]

31. Has Biden ever been confronted with Delaware's tax haven status?

[Blue_true]

46. Why should he? It is not something that he as a US Senator had power over.

Some states don't impose an income tax, some do, Congress has no say in that.

How a state incorporates tax laws is a function of the state legislatures and Governors. If you want change, start there, but be careful, Delaware is a solid blue state.

[Aaron Pereira]

32. He used an anti-semitic trope and that's unfortunate.

Maybe he wasn't aware or used a poor choice of words. He apologized and moved on.

What we should look out for false antisemitism. It's divisive and will certainly create a terrible reckoning on election day if we cast the shadow of antisemitism on our candidates in a cynical way during the primary. Unfortunately I've seen it done to more than one candidate and that would be Bernie Sanders of all people.

[James48]

40. I'm with Bernie.

He’s got a better, genuine message.

I’ll support whoever the nominee is, but right now I say Bernie is our best shot.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

53. BEYOND ANY AND ALL DOUBT!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[Kurt V.]

57. you rock. your optimism is uplifting

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

61. Thanks!! Optimistic about Bernie for sure... and for good reason!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[ecstatic]

41. Never heard that term before. nt

[Kurt V.]

51. he's a good guy but not very sophisticated.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

60. I think that's a fair characterization.

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[Fiendish Thingy]

54. I find Biden's long time support of the Banksters to be much more offensive than using this slur nt

[pamdb]

56. Shylocks

Jesus Joe, shape up. You can't do that kind of stuff, you should know better. Even if it was in 2014. You're just
lucky it's an old story.

[dem4decades]

58. God i want to win this thing. Got to do better.

[oasis]

64. "Recent speech"? 2014.

[myohmy2]

65. " Biden: I was wrong to say 'Shylocks' "

...completely wrong...

...and you can't get much wronger than that...

[RandiFan1290]

66. kick

This is disgusting

[David__77]

71. I don't see a problem with it.

That is, I don’t see a remaining problem once her apologized. In the current environment, the wrong word of phrase could lead to a big controversy in a way that wouldn’t occur if Trump said the same thing - that’s my opinion.

[RandiFan1290]

72. K