Appearing as a guest on Wednesday's CNN Tonight, liberal CNN political commentator Marc Lamont Hill provided a glimpse at the caricature of Democrats having over the top expectations of what government can accomplish in improving their lives as he recommended that black voters in South Carolina, when deciding between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, should "think beyond a limited sort of political imagination" and "say, 'Who has the capacity to make our dreams come true?'"
As he switched to fellow guest and Clinton supporter Bakari Sellers, host Don Lemon went along with Hill's premise: "Hold that thought, Bakari. Hold your answer. Who can make dreams come true? Who can make our dreams come true, he's saying, referring to African-Americans?"
Moments later, Hill hit Clinton from the left on some of the legislation supported by her husband President Bill Clinton in the 1990s as not being liberal enough:
And I think that there are legitimate, intellectual reasons why one would not choose Hillary Clinton, particularly given her experience. Her experience with the crime bill, her experience with welfare reform, her experience with three-strikes, her experience with the prison litigation reform act.
He added:
We have to raise questions and say, "If she was an advisor during that time, when she were a part of those things and not just remained silent on them, does that mean that her vision of policy is connected to something that's against the interests of black folk?"
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, February 24, CNN Tonight:
10:50 p.m. ET
MARC LAMONT HILL: Bakari likes Hillary. I mean, you know, and that's okay. But I think right now black voters have to think beyond a limited sort of political imagination, as white voters do, and say, "Who has the capacity to make our dreams come true?" Not in a, you know, in a by and by sense, but in a very practical, political sense. Who can make policy that actually operates in our best interests? And that's a question for Hillary and Bernie.
DON LEMON: Hold that thought, Bakari. Hold your answer. Who can make dreams come true? Who can make our dreams come true, he's saying, referring to African-Americans? But I want you to listen to Bernie Sanders last night, and then you can answer the question.
(...)
HILL: I have to push back a little bit against Bakari here. I don't think it's a head versus heart argument because that would suggest anyone who voted for Bernie Sanders is only doing so for an emotional appeal, as opposed to an intellectual one.And I think that there are legitimate, intellectual reasons why one would not choose Hillary Clinton, particularly given her experience. Her experience with the crime bill, her experience with welfare reform, her experience with three-strikes, her experience with the prison litigation reform act.
We have to raise questions and say, "If she was an advisor during that time, when she were a part of those things and not just remained silent on them, does that mean that her vision of policy is connected to something that's against the interests of black folk?"
