Steve Kornacki tweeted two 1970s polls showing how unpopular busing was in Delaware then

[BlueWI]

37. Another soldier for the straw man army.

It would be simpler if Biden could signal respect for Harris with his first statement (Senator Harris, I have respect for your truth and experience, but I see things differently) and go on to say much of what he did say. He could have easily claimed the high ground that way.

I would add that most of us who were alive in the 1970s know that contexts have changed since then, especially those of us who actually experienced busing for racial integration. Yes, we noticed that white people didn't care for our presence at "their" schools, and I won't rate it as my favorite school experience either as a person of color. Being called the n-word and being marginalized by culturally incompetent staff did not lead to broad popularity of busing among black people across the board, although some appreciated the effort to institute a remedy, as opposed to the disinterest that is too common today about continuing segregation.

Commonly though, the way that anti-busing arguments were framed in the1970s eptomized white privilege and open racism. Biden, to some extent, represented the white suburban property owner mindset, with legal segregation only out of force for less than a decade. That's part of why James Eastland and Joe Biden could find common ground on the issue, as Biden himself unwisely reminded us.

If anyone needs to study the difference in contexts, it's Biden. All Democrats need him to be stronger in his communication, and probably his policies, on issues of racial disparity. His supporters are doing him no favors by not seeing this, and at least Biden's campaign staff will coach him up, as they obvious need to do.