In his desperation to defend 2020 Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders from criticism, on Tuesday, regular left-wing MSNBC pundit and Princeton University professor Eddie Glaude actually compared Fidel Castro’s violent Communist takeover of Cuba to the American Revolution. Glaude made the outrageous argument while trying to excuse the socialist Senator’s defense of Castro during a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday.
Referring to Sanders’ controversial remarks, 9:00 a.m. ET hour anchor Stephanie Ruhle fretted: “More and more of his past comments are coming out. Even Sunday, his defense of Fidel Castro. How do you win the state of Florida after defending Castro?” Glaude rushed to downplay the comments: “Well, let’s be clear, I don’t think he defended Castro....And we need to understand, and I tweeted this, that we need to understand the Cuban Revolution in a nuanced way.”
Even Ruhle was stunned by that argument, sarcastically replying: “And you think the American voter understands the Cuban Revolution in a nuanced way? Thank you, Princeton University.”
Glaude insisted the brutal rise of authoritarian communism in Cuba in 1959 was really not that different from the founding of the United States:
Three points. One, we need to recognize the politics of fear, where we’re trying to use the red scare as a way in order to push Bernie Sanders in a corner. Two, we need to understand the generational differences that appeal to what Bernie Sanders said about Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. For kids that I teach, who weren’t even born when Clinton was president, I don’t think that’s gonna fly. And three, the notion of revolution, when Castro came to Harlem in 1960 and all those black folks showed up for Castro, what did that mean? If were to talk about revolution in the way in which we’re talking about complexity, are we going to deny the significance of French Revolution because of Robespierre? Are we going to deny the significance of the American Revolution because it reconciled with slavery? In other words, revolutions are complex.
Following the unhinged rant, Ruhle quipped: “I’m pretty sure Robespierre ain’t getting put on a bumper sticker.”
Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, a Michael Bloomberg surrogate, was also on the panel and incredulously asked: “Are we trying to bring Cuba to America?” Glaude dismissed him: “Oh, Mike, don’t be silly.” On Sanders, Nutter emphasized: “He’s a democratic socialist. He’s a socialist.” As if there was a distinction between the terms, Glaude pushed back: “He’s a democratic socialist, Mike, let’s be very, very clear....A democratic socialist, don’t be silly.”
Nutter pressed: “What are you talking about?...What does that mean?...explain that to the folks here in America.”
Minutes later, the segment concluded with Never Trump Republican Steve Schmidt also piling on Glaude and actually providing a robust defense of capitalism:
Florida’s gone. It’s all over. Right? Good-bye. That state was ceded, should Bernie Sanders be the nominee, to Donald Trump with those comments about Castro....And this is not a socialist country. This is a capitalist country. American capitalism has lifted more people out of abject poverty by the billions all over the world in the fastest period of time in all of human history. It’s the most successful economic model that there’s ever been. It’s alleviated more suffering that any other, and the idea it’s going to be repudiated by the Democratic nominee, I think is, for Democrats, pretty naive to believe that this is a winning issue in a presidential contest, in a red hot economy.
While Glaude was eager to fight with Schmidt, Ruhle interjected and reminded him: “Eddie, here’s the thing, capitalism is our current system, and that means we have to go to commercial because we need to pay the bills if I want to stay in business here.”
Something has clearly gone awry in the Democratic presidential race when one MSNBC pundit is defending Fidel Castro and another is preaching the benefits of capitalism.
Here is a transcript of the February 25 discussion:
9:12 AM ET
(...)
STEPHANIE RUHLE: More and more of his past comments are coming out. Even Sunday, his defense of Fidel Castro. How do you win the state of Florida after defending Castro?
EDDIE GLAUDE JR. [PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR]: Well, let’s be clear, I don’t think he defended Castro, he said that he – he rejected authoritarian regimes, I want to be very clear about that. And we need to understand, and I tweeted this, that we need to understand the Cuban Revolution in a nuanced way. Right?
RUHLE: And you think the American voter understands the Cuban Revolution in a nuanced way? Thank you, Princeton University.
GLAUDE: Three points. One, we need to recognize the politics of fear, where we’re trying to use the red scare as a way in order to push Bernie Sanders in a corner. Two, we need to understand the generational differences that appeal to what Bernie Sanders said about Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. For kids that I teach, who weren’t even born when Clinton was president, I don’t think that’s gonna fly. And three, the notion of revolution, when Castro came to Harlem in 1960 and all those black folks showed up for Castro, what did that mean? If were to talk about revolution in the way in which we’re talking about complexity, are we going to deny the significance of French Revolution because of Robespierre? Are we going to deny the significance of the American Revolution because it reconciled with slavery? In other words, revolutions are complex. I would prefer –
RUHLE: I’m pretty sure Robespierre ain’t getting put on a bumper sticker.
MICHAEL NUTTER [FORMER MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA]: Are we trying to bring Cuba to America?
GLAUDE: Oh, Mike, don’t be silly. The point I am trying to make here is that –
NUTTER: He’s a democratic socialist. He’s a socialist.
GLAUDE: He’s a democratic socialist, Mike, let’s be very, very clear.
NUTTER: A socialist.
GLAUDE: A democratic socialist, don’t be silly.
NUTTER: What are you talking about?
GLAUDE: What I mean by that is there is no – you have to be very, very clear that there is no – how can I put this? When we say –
NUTTER: What does that mean?
GLAUDE: What do you mean, what does a democratic socialist mean?
NUTTER: Yeah, yeah, explain that to the folks here in America.
GLAUDE: In a context where there’s a society where there’s markets, we want the government to ensure that everyday ordinary people have the means not only to make a living, right, but put a roof over their heads without going broke, to be sick and have health care. To be able to have a living wage –
NUTTER: You mean like have a job, make money, and keep your money?
GLAUDE: To have a living wage –
NUTTER: And work hard?
GLAUDE: Of course, I just said that.
NUTTER: Okay, alright. But he’s a democratic socialist.
GLAUDE: Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord Jesus.
NUTTER: The Lord has nothing to do with this.
(...)
9:17 AM
STEVE SCHMIDT: But I would say, Eddie, to the Castro discussion, right, Florida’s gone. It’s all over. Right? Good-bye. That state was ceded, should Bernie Sanders be the nominee, to Donald Trump with those comments about Castro, not to mention all of the central and South American immigration into the state, with people fleeing socialism. But it’s – put a fork in it, it’s all over, right? Done.
And so, when you go through the states, right, that will determine who the next presidential election is, then you look at the Sanders agenda, it’s an awfully big bet to be making in places like Pennsylvania and Michigan, that they’re going to be receptive to his message of socialism.
And you can go and listen, right, you can say democratic socialist, but we can also go to listen to Senator Sanders reading the Eugene Debs speech, quoting it, right, and saying, “Hey, I’m a socialist. This is who I am. The great socialist cause.” And this is not a socialist country. This is a capitalist country. American capitalism has lifted more people out of abject poverty by the billions all over the world in the fastest period of time in all of human history. It’s the most successful economic model that there’s ever been. It’s alleviated more suffering that any other, and the idea it’s going to be repudiated by the Democratic nominee, I think is, for Democrats, pretty naive to believe that this is a winning issue in a presidential contest, in a red hot economy.
RUHLE: Eddie, here’s the thing, capitalism is our current system, and that means we have to go to commercial because we need to pay the bills if I want to stay in business here.
(...)
