If you take a look at what the media says and does these days, it really is no surprise that most Americans can’t trust what they say or even take them seriously. Case in point, Tuesday's late afternoon segment of MSNBC Live, where Democrats were brought on to simply campaign for other Democrats.
Host Chris Jansing started off cheerleading so openly for Democrats that viewers wouldn't have been surprised if she brought out pom-poms:
A glimmer of hope for Democrats today, voters across battleground Michigan are off to the polls for today's Senate primary contest. Back in 2016, a 12-point drop in turnout among black voters played a key role in President Trump's Michigan victory, but now early data suggests that there's a high level of interest among this key base of the Democratic party, our colleague, Heidi Przybyla writes, quote, "In Detroit where 80% of the population is black, City Clerk Janice Winfrey said she's already received more than 90,000 requests for absentee ballots for the Senate primary on Tuesday, the most ever, eclipsing even past general elections." So, Heidi Przybyla’s article was so interesting and one of the people that she talked to was a 31-year-old African-American single mother, she didn't vote in the 2016 election, but here's what she has to say now, Trump is really one of the best things to happen in a generations-long movement for racial equality
A glimmer of hope? Hope for who, the Democrats or you? Jansing's idea of "reporting" is openly rooting for the Democrats to win Michigan in November. But her guest Eddie Glaude wanted a turn, attacking Trump and his supporters next:
Well, I mean, we could put the point differently that Donald Trump has revealed the ugly underbelly of American politics, So, I think there's general consensus among at least the Democratic constituency that Donald Trump and his Republican enablers are, constitute an existential threat to the country, and I say that without any hint of hyperbole. And so I think what we're seeing in Michigan and in Detroit, particularly in Wayne county, more broadly, is an all-out understanding that Donald Trump has to be -- has to be sent home. We have to see the back of his head because he represents a fundamental threat to the country.
Takes notes folks, if you support Trump you are an existential threat to the country. Glaude has nothing to say about the protesters burning down cities and beating people up, but he has all the time in the world to attack Trump and Republicans.
But Glaude wasn’t done, he had to call Trump a racist before he signed off for the evening:
But the main thing is that when we hear him talk like this, we need to understand it for the paternalistic language that it is, I've done more for African-Americans, we don't need him to do something for us, we need him to be the President of the United States, to understand us as a constituency and to uphold the principles and norms of democracy. He sounds like a plantation owner and that we should be grateful to him, that we should show gratitude to him, what does he mean? On the face that he's done more than Lyndon Baines Johnson? I mean on the face of it, it’s patently false. But just simply having to answer the question is insulting, as if we're some ward of the state
So when Democrats pander to black voters by promising reparations, that’s fine and noble of them, but when Trump tries to boast of his record on black unemployment, criminal justice reform, etc -- admittedly in the worst way -- that is now racist, condescending, like a plantation owner.
You can’t have it both ways. Glaude has been in the MSNBC bubble so long that he's lost touch with reality.
Sleep Number sponsored today’s in-kind contribution to Joe Biden on behalf of the media. You can fight back by letting advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Read the full transcript below to learn more.
MSNBC Live
08-04-20
3:43 PM ETCHRIS JANSING: A glimmer of hope for Democrats today, voters across battleground Michigan are off to the polls for today's Senate primary contest. Back in 2016, a 12-point drop in turnout among black voters played a key role in President Trump's Michigan victory, but now early data suggests that there's a high level of interest among this key base of the Democratic party, our colleague, Heidi Przybyla writes, quote, in Detroit where 80% of the population is black, City Clerk Janice Winfrey said she's already received more than 90,000 requests for absentee ballots for the Senate primary on Tuesday, the most ever, eclipsing even past general elections. Joining our conversation Eddie Glaude Jr., the chair of African-American studies at Princeton University, he's also an MSNBC contributor and Alaina Beverly, the former National Deputy of African-American outreach for President Obama's 2008 campaign. So great to have both of you. So much to talk about. So, Heidi Przybyla’s article was so interesting and one of the people that she talked to was a 31-year-old African-American single mother, she didn't vote in the 2016 election, but here's what she has to say now, Trump is really one of the best things to happen in a generations-long movement for racial equality, Powell said, citing an ‘overt’ approach to fanning racial tensions that has activated Americans across all demographic groups, Eddie, is she right?
EDDIE GLAUDE: Well, I mean, we could put the point differently that Donald Trump has revealed the ugly underbelly of American politics, it’s all out in the open or to use another letter for it the genie’s out of the bottle, and we can’t put that genie back in the bottle. So, I think there's general consensus among at least the Democratic constituency that Donald Trump and his Republican enablers are, constitute an existential threat to the country, and I say that without any hint of hyperbole. And so I think what we're seeing in Michigan and in Detroit, particularly in Wayne county, more broadly, is an all-out understanding that Donald Trump has to be -- has to be sent home. We have to see the back of his head because he represents a fundamental threat to the country. And I think we've seen that in previous elections, midterm elections, we've seen enthusiasm among black voters and I think we're going to see that in November, but before I say anything else Chris, let me just give you my prayers, I know you lost your aunt and I am just keeping you and your family in my prayers.
JANSING: That is so kind of you Eddie, thank you so much and I just thank everybody who has been so kind and has reached out. Alaina, look this was your job, we all know that Donald Trump won Michigan by just over 10,000 votes, those kind of stories, Michigan, Wisconsin, that haunt Democrats, that still keep them awake at night, so given what this 31-year-old young black woman had to say and knowing that she's just one of so many, how does Joe Biden, how do the Democrats take that feeling and turn it into wins?
ALAINA BEVERLY: I think Eddie is right the in that African-American voter enthusiasm is up already because we know that our vote matters as our livelihoods depend on securing our democracy and using our votes this November, so what you're seeing in terms of the turnout, or the requests for absentee ballots in Michigan is reflective that African-Americans are 14% of Michigan's population, but 27% of the individuals who are contracting covid in this state and almost 40% of the deaths in this state. According to the university of Michigan, 45% of Detroit's population is unemployed. So individuals are requesting absentee ballots and are taking back their voting power because their livelihoods and lives depend on it you're seeing a resounding answer to that question, what Trump asked in 2016. What the hell can you lose? We can lose our homes, the unemployment insurance is expiring because of the CARES act. There's so much on the table. What Biden needs to do is ensure everyone has a voting plan and continue to demonstrate that he's the leader to provide an alternate choice to the reality we're finding ourselves in right now that is dire.
JANSING: To continue to draw that contrast that I hear from a lot of Democrats that I talk to, Eddie, and then you have the president in this interview and there's so much of it we could deconstruct but I want to play in particular what president trump had to say about president Johnson and the civil rights act.
DONALD TRUMP: I did more for the black community than anybody with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln, whether you like it.
JONATHAN SWAN: You believe you did more than Lyndon Johnson?
TRUMP: Yeah.
SWAN: How?
TRUMP: I got prison reform.
SWAN: Lyndon Johnson?
TRUMP: Well --
SWAN: He passed the civil rights act.
TRUMP: How did it work out?
SWAN: You think the civil rights act was a mistake.
TRUMP: Frankly it took a long time. But for African-Americans --
SWAN: You think that was a mistake?
TRUMP: Jonathan, under my administration, African-Americans are doing better than they've done in the history of this country.
JANSING: Eddie, I know that that he's said before that he's done more for African-Americans he's said it multiple times, he wouldn't answer Jonathan Swan’s very easy question, was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a mistake?
GLAUDE: I mean, you know, one of the things that I have a hard time doing, Chris, is taking seriously Donald Trump around these sorts of issues. I mean, we need to understand him for who he is, I mean we can call him a narcissist, we can call him an egotist, we can call him a vulgarian, but the main thing is that when we hear him talk like this, we need to understand it for the paternalistic language that it is, I've done more for African-Americans, we don't need him to do something for us, we need him to be the President of the United States, to understand us as a constituency and to uphold the principles and norms of democracy. He sounds like a plantation owner and that we should be grateful to him, that we should show gratitude to him, what does he mean? On the face that he's done more than Lyndon BainesJohnson? I mean on the face of it, it’s patently false. Buty just simply having to answer the question is insulting, as if we're some ward of the state, that state actors must do something for as opposed to us being citizens of this republic. Claiming our just do as citizens find it insulting and just another example of how debased his character is, in my view.
