Biden to Blacks: The GOP Wants to "Put Y'all Back In Chains"

[AUChizad]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-biden-chains-romney-welfare-sloths-20120814,0,7352673.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fpolitics+%28L.A.+Times+-+Politics%29

Biden's 'chains,' Romney's welfare sloths add race to campaign

By James Rainey

August 15, 2012, 5:30 a.m.

Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Mitt Romney’s tax policy would put “y’all back in chains,” and Campaign 2012 spun off into the outrage zone once again. It’s pointless to deny that the Democrats’ freewheeling No. 2, regardless of how he intended it, invoked a bit of class and race fidelity to the Democratic ticket in his speech before a mixed-race crowd in Danville, Va.

Biden may have been retorting Republican claims about “unshackling” the economy. But a practiced stump speaker (even a gaffe-prone one) doesn’t start dishing y’alls unless he’s trying to establish solidarity with the country folk. And it’s hard to see how a reference to putting people “back” in chains would not be heard (in a town that is roughly half African American) other than as invoking a return to slavery.

“Romney wants to, he said in the first 100 days, he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchain Wall Street,” Biden told a crowd of about 800. “They're going to put y’all back in chains.” So identity politics, rarely missing from the American political scene, is back at center stage, if only in slightly more overt form than they have been in the recent past.

The outrage from the Republican camp came swiftly and predictably. The Obama campaign had reached a “new low” while promoting “division and demonization,” said a Romney spokeswoman.

That was sanguine compared with the response from Ben Shapiro, one of the editors over at conservative Breitbart.com. “Race-baiting at its finest,” Shapiro railed, writing that Biden’s remarks were typical of a campaign whose “fallback position appears to be vulgarity and political slander.”

Biden said Tuesday evening that his language in the Virginia speech merely echoed the language of Republicans, including new vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who have used the “unshackling” rhetoric frequently. Still, it would take a remarkably obtuse 21st century American to step into a room with many African Americans spread through the crowd, refer to returning them to chains, and not realize there would be a bit of racial resonance.

Does it matter? Perhaps.

It would matter a lot more if appeals to class and race were unique to Biden and the Democrats. But race, while not the overriding factor it once was in American politics, has not been banished from the public arena. Sometimes it’s merely introduced in more subtle ways.

Take a Romney television ad that popped up just last week. Called “Long History,” the ad introduces an old conservative fire-starter about liberals wanting to go easy on welfare slouches.

The ad correctly said that Obama had objections to the 1990s welfare reform. But it also contends that “Obama quietly ended work requirements for welfare. You wouldn’t have to work and wouldn’t have to train for a job.” But the president's policy did not end the work requirement. The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Factcheck.org called that claim “simply not true.” The Obama administration policy turns the question over to the states to decide what work requirements should be maintained.  That’s the kind of unshackling of state governments that conservatives normally cheer.

So where’s the racial angle in the ad? None is overt. But there is a long history in conservative politics of invoking the welfare slouch. Politico’s Roger Simon said he thought he heard a “dog whistle” in the Romney ad.  "A black president,” Simon said, “now is saying minorities don't have to work for their welfare checks, they just get it in the mail for sitting around watching TV."

Both sides obviously are rallying their bases for a long slog to November. History says that the appeals will not be subtle. And a little messaging via class and race divides cuts right to the heart.

Joe Biden is a fucktard. As bad or worse than Bush & Palin.

I find the double standard fascinating. The media seems to be chuckling this off as "Biden being Biden."

Not that you guys need the encouragement on this, but could you imagine if Paul Ryan said this exact same thing? He would be pushed out of the race for a comment like that.

[Townhallsavoy]

Same ole same ole. 

Obama's entire administration has complete free reign to say whatever they want. 

Hell, they linked Romney to the death of some guy's wife.  CNN was "ballsy" because they spoke negative about it.  It should have been lambasted by every media outlet. 

[Tarheel]

Same ole same ole. 

Obama's entire administration has complete free reign to say whatever they want. 

Hell, they linked Romney to the death of some guy's wife.  CNN was "ballsy" because they spoke negative about it.  It should have been lambasted by every media outlet.

It was a "random act of journalism" as Rush Limbaugh called it.

You're right about it being the same ole same ole when it comes to Dems and the media; almost every gaff or outrageous claim they make is sloughed-off or dogmatically defended respectively.

If ANY Republican had said this they'd be crucified.

Biden's remarks reminded me of this Hill-dog classic:

[Tarheel]

The Pharaoh's campaign spokesman said that Romney's response (see excerpt from article below) was "unhinged".  I think his response is measured, appropriate, and on-point.

What is unhinged is the "Obama/Biden 2012" campaign.

Romney's response as reported in The Hill, all emphasis is my own:

Romney slams Obama in tough speech
By Emily Goodin and Justin Sink - 08/14/12 08:16 PM ET

Mitt Romney used a tough new campaign speech to personally blast the Obama campaign on Tuesday, saying comments earlier in the day from Vice President Biden are "what an angry and desperate presidency looks like."

"Mr. President, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago," Romney said while campaigning in Ohio.

Romney was responding to Biden's suggestion that the GOP ticket's economic policies would “put y’all back in chains."

The vice president made the remark while campaigning in Virginia, during a discussion of Wall Street regulation.

...

Romney repeatedly and harshly criticized Team Obama for the remarks.

"His campaign and his surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency. Another outrageous charge came a few hours ago in Virginia. And the White House sinks a little bit lower," Romney said.

"This is an election in which we should be talking about the path ahead, but you don't hear any answers coming from President Obama’s reelection campaign. That’s because he's intellectually exhausted, out of ideas and out of energy. And so his campaign has resorted to diversions and distractions, to demagoguing and defaming others. This is an old game in politics; what’s different this year is that the president is taking things to a new low."
...

Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/243697-romney-comes-out-swinging-against-obama-in-tough-new-speech

[CCTAU]

What is sad is that minorities are already "back in chains." The government, with affirmative action, has created several generations of minority mindset that they are not as good as the rest of society and need/deserve an extra hand to make it equal. This mindset translates into even more reliance on the government. The greatest trick ever pulled by the government is convincing minorities that this is normal. I think most Americans feel there has to be a reasonable middle somewhere, but anytime the subject is broached, the person is immediately a racist and wants to punish minorities just for being a different color.

[GH2001]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-biden-chains-romney-welfare-sloths-20120814,0,7352673.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fpolitics+%28L.A.+Times+-+Politics%29
Joe Biden is a fucktard. As bad or worse than Bush & Palin.

I find the double standard fascinating. The media seems to be chuckling this off as "Biden being Biden."

Not that you guys need the encouragement on this, but could you imagine if Paul Ryan said this exact same thing? He would be pushed out of the race for a comment like that.

Agree Chizad.

We knew the race card was coming though. Allen West (a black man and Colonel in the military) said a while back that the race card was the last card in the deck. And it's used when there is desperation. Michelle even said they would use it if needed. And as CCT even said above, they don't even realize they have already been in chains to the dems/big govt for years via entitlements. I know you don't care for Herman Cain that much, but wouldn't we as a society rather see a black person do what Cain has done than to live on welfare forever? I know I would. I would love to see blacks do great and be independent. I think Cain is an inspiration for blacks. Too bad they don't see it that way.

Bottomline: They cannot talk about the economy!

[GH2001]

The Pharaoh's campaign spokesman said that Romney's response (see excerpt from article below) was "unhinged".  I think his response is measured, appropriate, and on-point.

What is unhinged is the "Obama/Biden 2012" campaign.

Romney's response as reported in The Hill, all emphasis is my own:

Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/243697-romney-comes-out-swinging-against-obama-in-tough-new-speech

Not sure what happened in the last week (other than Ryan being picked), but the Romney camp has made some adjustments. They have went more aggressive which I am all for. You are not going to beat the Obama machine being Mr Rogers. His speeches have been his best lately. Maybe Rep. Ryan lit a fire under him.

[Tarheel]

...

Bottomline: They cannot talk about the economy!

EXACTLY!

[Tarheel]

Not sure what happened in the last week (other than Ryan being picked), but the Romney camp has made some adjustments. They have went more aggressive which I am all for. You are not going to beat the Obama machine being Mr Rogers. His speeches have been his best lately. Maybe Rep. Ryan lit a fire under him.

I don't mean this to sound disparaging of a war veteran but Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are not John McCain; Romney is not just play-acting...he wants the job of President and he's going to fight for it from what I can tell from his campaign and his surrogates.

[GH2001]

I don't mean this to sound disparaging of a war veteran but Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are not John McCain; Romney is not just play-acting...he wants the job of President and he's going to fight for it from what I can tell from his campaign and his surrogates.

Agree. I am much more Bullish on Romney than I was on McCain. Never liked McCain and never will. He is one of the people in the House of Reps in DC that needs to go (along with Reid, Pelosi, Graham and many others on BOTH sides). I think Romney is sincere even if I don't agree with 1/3rd of his views (or past views). Ryan has def made the ticket more attractive to me and I think he has gotten Mitt fired up. I am glad Mitt addressed the hate comming from the Obama camp.  Biden is a full tard.

[Tarheel]

I've often been critical of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) but every now and then he does make the right call in a political situation such as his recent critical remarks regarding the "chains" quip by VP Joe Biden; he's misquoting how Biden said it but the point is well-taken in my opinion.

An excerpt from Politicker dot com, any emphasis is my own:

Rangel on Biden’s ‘Chains’ Comment: ‘You Bet Your Life It Was Stupid’

By Colin Campbell 11:04am {24 AUG 2012}
 
After Vice President Joe Biden infamously told an audience that Mitt Romney is “going to unchain Wall Street,” and concluded they are “going to put y’all back in chains,” Mr. Romney’s campaign cried foul. This was an obvious and unfair allusion to slavery, Mr. Romney’s surrogates argued.
 
Well, count veteran Congressman Charlie Rangel among Mr. Biden’s critics on the Democratic side of the aisle.
 
“The Vice President said he’s going to put “y’all in chains,” Mr. Rangel told The Perez Notes in a recent free-wheeling interview. “Was he talking about slavery? You bet your ass he was. Was he using the vernacular? Yes, he was. Did he think it was cute? Yes, he did. Was it something stupid to say? You bet your life it was stupid.”
 
“It was something that if a black had said it, we would have been laughing, because we would know deep down, they may be beating the hell out of us but they ain’t thinking about putting us into any chains,” he added.

Republicans have called on Mr. Biden to apologize, but that doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon.
...

Source:
http://politicker.com/2012/08/rangel-on-biden-chains-comment-you-bet-your-life-it-was-stupid/