Biden, His Time

Democrats keep having to play by the rules while nobody cares what the GOP does, especially Trump. Bill Clinton had to denounce rapper Sister Souljah in a 1992 moment that became shorthand for white Democrats telling Black America to stop being so violent all the time, something Republicans constantly bring up whenever we get too rowdy, Barack Obama had to denounce Pastor Jeremiah Wright's "God Damn America" speech, and now apparently Joe Biden has to denounce the Black Lives Matter movement or he loses persnickety white voters for good, despite the fact that it was young white Trump supporter who was arrested for killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin last week.

Mr. Biden, who has been a firm supporter of peaceful protests, is expected to travel on Monday to condemn violence, and to note that chaos has unfolded on Mr. Trump’s watch, according to someone familiar with his plans. He is also expected to charge more broadly that the president is seeking to change the subject from the coronavirus and economic challenges the country faces. Details of his Monday plans weren’t immediately clear.

On Saturday, he also got some cover on the left from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who at once praised Mr. Biden’s candidacy and policy positions and stressed the ways he and Mr. Biden “disagree on a number of issues.” The comments reflect the Democrats’ delicate balancing act as they try to keep their moderate and progressive wings united at the same time that Republicans are trying to portray Mr. Biden and his party as too progressive.

In Mr. Sanders’s speech, which was broadcast over livestream, he denounced Mr. Trump’s handling of the economy during the pandemic. Mr. Sanders, the standard-bearer for the party’s left wing, then commended several of Mr. Biden’s proposals that he said would “go a long, long way in improving life for working families.”

Among the policies that he called attention to were Mr. Biden’s support for a $15 federal minimum wage, equal pay for women, investment in infrastructure and universal prekindergarten. And while Mr. Sanders prefers a single-payer “Medicare for all” health care system — which Mr. Biden does not support — he also offered some praise for Mr. Biden’s health care proposal.

Trump will apparently counter with a rally in Kenosha itself on Tuesday, because of course we need more violent rhetoric from the Terrorist-in-Chief.

A spokesman for the president said that on Tuesday, Mr. Trump will visit Kenosha, Wis., where a police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, led to an outpouring of anger and protests that in some cases turned destructive. The president would meet with local law enforcement, the spokesman, Judd Deere, said in a tweet. National Guard troops were deployed to Kenosha last week. 

Democrat keep falling into this, what I call the "Sun Tzu trap":  If you engage the enemy using rules that the enemy does not follow themselves, you will find yourself at a disadvantage.

Trump, for instance, never has to denounce anything. People will go out of their way to gaslight and say "He never meant that" or "He never said that" and the perfect example of this is his "very fine people on both sides" comments on the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia a few years ago. The first time he did it was a stretch to say "and he also condemned the white supremacists" but then he equated both sides again just days later.

Combative and insistent, President Donald Trump declared anew Tuesday “there is blame on both sides” for the deadly violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, appearing to once again equate the actions of white supremacist groups and those protesting them. He showed sympathy for the fringe groups’ efforts to preserve Confederate monuments.

The president’s comments effectively wiped away the more conventional statement he delivered at the White House a day earlier when he branded members of the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists who take part in violence as “criminals and thugs.”

Trump’s advisers had hoped those remarks might quell a crush of criticism from Republicans, Democrats and business leaders. But the president’s retorts Tuesday suggested he had been a reluctant participant in that cleanup effort and renewed questions about why he seems to struggle to unequivocally condemn white nationalists.

The blowback was swift, including from fellow Republicans. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said Trump should not allow white supremacists “to share only part of the blame.” House Speaker Paul Ryan declared in a tweet that “white supremacy is repulsive” and there should be “no moral ambiguity,” though he did not specifically address the president.

Even Republicans called on Trump to denounce his own rhetoric. But that became "The media lied about the very fine people quote" as vomited out by Ann Althouse earlier this month. (no link, because ugh.)

But I'm reading the text this morning because I saw in a tweet that he was forefronting the Charlottesville "fine people" hoax. On his first day of campaigning with his running mate, he led with that. I say "he," but I don't really believe it's him. I think it's more likely that he's a foggy-minded figurehead, and other people have decided to frame the message like that. I consider these people — whoever they are — despicable. They have chosen quite deliberately to commit to a lie that is intended to make black people feel hated and they are doing it for political gain.

As my earlier post about the tweet says, I blogged in April 2019, "If Biden does not come forward and retract [a video relying on the Charlottesville hoax] and apologize and commit himself to making amends, I consider him disqualified. He does not have the character or brain power to be President." Now, more than a year later, Biden has done the opposite. He's doubled down on the lie and he's making it the centerpiece of his campaign!

Except as you can see above, Joe Biden was right. Donald Trump absolutely used the phrase "there is blame on both sides" regarding Charlottesville, which explains why Ann Althouse is a shitty law professor, completely disregarding the fact Trump said it just days after the incident.

But, Biden is the one who has to denounce the violence. Remember how that works. You'll be seeing a lot more of it.

Imagine roving patrols of Trump faithful attacking every Black and brown person they can find. Imagine that happening all over America in the wake of a Biden win...or a Trump win.

In another country, this would be described as "Militias loyal to the regime".

We're at an extremely dangerous point right now in history. The country is ready to explode in a series of mass shooting events and Donald Trump couldn't be happier.

But only Biden has to denounce the violence. 

John Oliver explains what's going on. Set aside 20 minutes to get it together here, so we can go forward.