Sunday, August 19, 2012

Biden and the Press' Double Standards

Kudos to the Boston Globe editorial staff for recognizing the double standard being applied to Joe Biden by their compatriots in the press:
When Vice President Joe Biden warned a Virginia rally of hundreds of African Americans that Republican efforts to loosen bank regulations meant “They’re going to put y’all back in chains,” Stephanie Cutter, Team Obama’s deputy campaign manager, said the president would have “no problem with those comments.”

But imagine if Republican Paul Ryan uttered comments like that. Mitt Romney’s pick for vice president would be pilloried for racial insensitivity — and so would Romney. In the fight for civility and substance over pointless hyperbole, Biden may not be the worst offender. But he’s an offender nonetheless, and he should apologize.
Biden has a history of making remarks that would rile up liberals if they were spoken by a conservative politician. Back in 2008, when Biden was running against Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, he had to apologize for saying, “I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
I'll be honest, there's a perfectly reasonable, complimentary, non-racist interpretation of the "articulate/clean" comment, and I choose to believe that is what Biden meant.  In other words, that was a fake controversy ginned up by the usual race hustlers and their ilk. 

But the chains comment?  How much longer can the White House stand by that comment?  Come on, the man was making a slavery reference to a black crowd.  Get real.

6 comments:

Achin' Akin (R-Misery) said...

Every media outlet known to mankind jumped down Biden's throat on that one.

At least Obama doesn't introduce him as "The next President of The United States."

And take comfort that it's only lefty Dems that say stupid things. Brilliant GOPs speak nonstop brilliance, such as...

Answering a question about abortion from a local Fox station in St. Louis, Akin said victims of “legitimate rape” very rarely get pregnant because their bodies prevent them from doing so.
“If it’s legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” he told reporter Charles Jaco.

Darren said...

I disagree. Most mentioned it, but there hasn't been near the outcry there would have been had a Republican spoken the same words--and to its credit, the Boston Globe editorial board recognized that.

Akin claims he "misspoke", and has apologized. When you admit to "misspeaking", it's all over. Barack taught me that.

And when/where I grew up, "he did it, too" wasn't accepted as an excuse. Where did you grow up, Achin? Because in working class (at best) little ole North Highlands, we clearly had higher standards than existed in your hamlet.

Har Har Hardy Har Har said...

Darren said: "And where/when I grew up, "he did it, too" wasn't accepted as an excuse."

Good to see your upbringing took root in you!


I only pointed out the one instance. There's plenty more where that came from. But you know that.

Honestly!

maxutils said...

I disagree with you on both counts, Darren . . . Biden's comment on Obama indicates a genuine level of surprise that the Dems could have found a black man to run for President who had those qualities . . . it happens in a 'storybook.' THAT is racism. Probably unaware of it, but that's the worse kind, because it's harder to see. On the other hand, the 'chains' comment was metaphoric -- especially in context: to paraphrase, 'the Republicans say they want to unchain Wall street again . . . they're gonna put you back in chains . . .' That would have been a fair statement to make in a campaign speech to any audience -- but isn't it MOST emphatic before an audience whose ancestors may well have been in literal chains? He's campaigning for his party, not trying to win Republican friends. Interestingly, I haven't heard any complaints from audience members . . . just thin skinned conservatives. It doesn't even matter whether he is correct about the Republicans' intentions -- it's a campaign, and people use hyperbole and exaggeration.

Darren said...

Of *course* the liberals in the audience aren't going to attack Biden--they voted for him 4 years ago, and they're going to vote for him again.

I'm glad the Boston Globe editorial board is being honest, because too many others aren't. Because this isn't about whether or not Biden is a racist, this is about the double standard in press coverage between Dems and Republicans.

maxutils said...

Didn't they jump on him about the first comment? In my mind, this latest one didn't really deserve a lot of commentary. If you think he's wrong, then add another tally mark on the 'reasons not to vote for the Dems' scorecard . . . but I didn't find it offensive in the least.