On the night of a primary, CNN is known for its comprehensive coverage of who won what, flashy graphics, stalling for time, and open speculation about what the heck will happen next. Moments of passionate exchange are, perhaps, less common.
Yet, during CNN’s Super Tuesday coverage, such a moment came when former Obama staffer Van Jones took on former Reagan staffer and Donald Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord in a heated debate about race, the Democratic Party and the Ku Klux Klan.
The trouble began when fellow contributor S.E. Cupp, a conservative, accused Trump of “crazy, dog-whistle policy proposals” to curry favor with prejudiced voters.
“Donald Trump has tried to otherize every other candidate in this race,” Cupp said, “… to sort of scare this very small part of the electorate who thinks that all of their problems are the fault of people who don’t look like them.”
Lord disagreed, questioning the purported freethinking of the GOP mainstream.
“I hate to say this about the Republican establishment, but their view of civil rights is to tip the black waiter five bucks at the country club,” Lord said. Trump, meanwhile, is “not going to patronize people.”
Jones wanted in on this.
“Hold on a second,” he said. “… The things that Donald Trump has done — and not just in this race — are horribly offensive.”
Jones was so eager to speak, he tried to stop Lord from interrupting — though Lord hadn’t tried to.
“I want to talk,” Jones said.
“I didn’t say anything yet,” Lord said.
“You breathed,” Jones said.
Though Jones allowed pundits had not “respected” Trump voters, he said “there is a dark underside here … he is whipping up and tapping into and pushing buttons that are very, very frightening to me and frightening to a lot of people.” He added: When Trump, who declined to denounce the KKK in an interview Sunday before doing so on Twitter, is “playing funny with the Klan, that is not cool” — especially given the candidate’s outspoken position on Muslim extremists.
The story goes on and on but it opens up a provocative discussion by some fairly reputable people. Van Jones, S. E. Cupp, David Axelrod, and Jeffrey Lord are power-hitters in the pundit world. Their discussion seems to run to the heart of the Trump problem. It’s worth a listen, warts and all. Good points brought up by all.
I don’t know why there is any argument over whether the KKK is a terrorist organization. That seems like a no-brainer. It also doesn’t matter which political party the organization belonged to 75 years ago. I don’t even think it matters what political party they belong to now. Political parties have no control over that.
What parties can control is the attitude the candidates take about the KKK and other hate groups. Donald Trump hesitated and equivocated over a question that should have been instinctual–he needed to disavow David Duke and the KKK. He didn’t. He lied and blustered.
Here is the underlining problem–sitting here in Northern Virginia, we think we are insulated from the KKK and we assume that all people repudiate the KKK and its members. We assume most of America is repulsed. That is our mistake. There is a part of America that certainly doesn’t have an issue with the Klan. While they might not embrace the Klan, the fact they aren’t members could very well be laziness rather than conviction. There are many Americans who think like the Klan, even if they don’t outwardly join the organization.
Up until 20 years ago, there was a local recording of the KKK right here in Manassas. There were active Klansmen walking around, doing nefarious things. I have seen the KKK all sheeted up down in the Northern Neck as an adult, faces hidden but strutting around the courthouse area in at least 2 of those small towns. I talked to the Imperial Wizard as a teenager. I was on an escalator in a department store. He was in full robes trying to recruit people as they got off. They are real.
I think its fool-hearty to dismiss the Klan. They are out there and represent a danger to our American way of life. They breed hatred and instill it in their children. They are toxic to a democratic society. Don’t assume people hate the KKK. Not all folks do.
Whatever negative attention Trump gets from not disavowing Duke, he gets a whole bunch of positive plusses from would-be supporters out there who think what he did is just fine.
Jeffrey Lord made a pathetic attempt to tie the KKK to the present day Democratic party. It may have had members among the Dixiecrats but most of them became Republicans because the civil rights movement of the Sixties scared them out of the democratic Party.
And, yes, they’re still among us. All one has to do is scare up a little xenophobia and they’ll be quick to show up (the leaflets they dropped when HSM was stirring up crap).
NPR had a decent article about the murder in Jackson, Mississippi by a few of today’s racists. It seems this country still hasn’t been able to wipe this stain from our shoes.
http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/02/12/385777366/a-black-mississippi-judges-breathtaking-speech-to-three-white-murderers
Is this another anti-Trump thread or a thread on a crazy guy vs a 9/11 truther or both?
Have you nothing to contribute to the conversation? Have you never heard of the people in the video?
It certainly is disgusting that Trump cannot bring himself to denounce the KKK. This is not a complicated issue. Van Jones passion is completely justified.
Again with the intellectual dishonesty.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/articles/2016-02-28/donald-trump-denounced-david-duke-before-he-refused-to-denounce-david-duke
Perception is reality. The denunciating story took on a life of its own. Trump misplayed that hand. I don’t think his supporters give a rat’s ass what his response was. However, it did feed the anti-Trump machine.
I don’t think it’s intellectually dishonest to talk about it–not at all. He said what he said on national TV. Seriously, does everyone have to research every word he says? He is a chameleon. That’s part of the problem. I see his refusal as appealing to his base.
@MoonHowler
Agreed… not only do his supporters give a rats ass but the end result may even boost his numbers. And I’ll agree with you 100% in saying he is a chameleon.
However, Mr. Thomas raises some great points which cannot be overlooked. This is intellectual dishonesty plain and simple. If we talk about his slow walking this disavowing at the very least be honest and present the other side of him disavowing. When the other side is not presented the net return is comments like starry’s which displays a complete lack of knowledge of the facts.
@MoonHowler
I have heard of self described communist and 9/11 truther Van Jones. Must admit that I don’t know the other guy from Adam.
He was a staffer under Reagan. <----the other guy. No one said you have to approve of Van Jones. It's an interesting discussion. .
The farcical MSM is still going with that phony KKK thing, eh? Van Jones? Sheeesh! It’s called ratings desperation.
Interesting reports coming out that some Bernie Sanders supporters will refuse to vote for Hillary if Bernie loses. They apparently dislike her so much that they may either stay home, write in Bernie’s name, or go for the Green Party instead.
And no matter what Mitt Romney says tomorrow in Utah in his advertised “speech” about the Repub primary contests, there is a good video out there of Romney praising Trump to the skies after Trump endorsed him in February 2012. The internet can trap your derriere no matter what side of the aisle you inhabit.
Found grandma’s favorite recipe for caramel corn. Sooooooooo good……..
Watch the video. There are 4 people in the discussion. You think any of it has discussion merit?
What I find disconcerting is that the conservatives on here have spent their entire time blowing up the messengers, rather than having an honest discussion about the ideas in the video.
It really isn’t about the people in this case, its about their ideas.
Tell me, Wolve, do you think that there are a good many people in the United States who still find nothing wrong with the KKK or white supremacists? I would say once you leave insulated NoVa many people don’t even flinch.
As for the Bernie-ites, doesn’t surprise me. They will have a choice to stay home, vote for Hillary, or a Republican. Many are young. Young people are notoriously unreliable about showing up at the polls.
There were a small cadre of Hillary people after the election in 2008 who went off half cocked and said they would not support Obama. Not sure whatever happened to them. I guess they had the same choice….stay home, vote for Obama or McCain.
@MoonHowler
I refuse to participate in any political and media farce about Trump and the KKK. I’ll swear to that on the grave of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV).
Apples and oranges. The issue is that Trump is offering these supremacist groups something they like. He doesn’t have to solicit. What’s wrong with this picture?
Look at the people at some of these rallies. They are bullies.
Not.
Trump said he didn’t know who David Duke was when asked on CNN. Are you cons going to fall for that cockamamie nonsense about his headpiece not working?
He just disavowed on MSNBC this morning—David Duke and the KKK.
Moon,
Intellectual dishonesty is how we’ve reached the point were there is a better than average chance that Trump is our next president. Intellectual dishonesty is how we’ve reached the point where there’s just as much chance that Hillary Clinton will be our next president. Neither is presidential material, IMHO.
Finding “common ground” can only happen in an atmosphere of intellectual honesty. Only then can progress occur “Perception = reality” is destructive when the “perception” is based on on lies and half-truths.
As long as we are willing participants to an intellectually dishonest public discourse, we will continue to get what we deserve: Lousy governance.
You don’t have to go real far out your front door to find lousy governance. (or mine)
Am I crazy or is there a chance Romney is going to swoop in?
I am sitting here feeling miserable over the Jesse Matthew situation and those poor parents.