Joe Biden Says 'I Don't Think The American People Are Racist' in Response to Tim Scott Rebuttal

[DonViejo]

By Tommy ChristopherApr 30th, 2021, 7:48 am

President Joe Biden responded to Sen. Tim Scott’s declaration that “America is not a racist country” by saying “I don’t think the American people are racist,” but also describing root causes of systemic racism.

On Friday morning, The Today Show aired Lester Holt’s exclusive interview with President Biden, during which Holt asked the president to respond to part of Senator Tim Scott’s rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s address before Congress, during which Scott declared that “America is not a racist country.”

“I watched the speech last night, I watched the address, and then I watched the rebuttal from the junior senator from South Carolina last night, Tim Scott. He said, among other things, America isn’t racist. Is it?” Holt asked.

“No, I don’t think the American people are racist,” Biden said, “But I think after 400 years, African Americans have been left in a position where they are so far behind the eight ball in terms of education and health, in terms of opportunity, I don’t think America is racist, I think the overhang from all of the Jim Crow, and before that slavery, have had a cost, and we have to deal with it.”

more + video
https://www.mediaite.com/news/watch-joe-biden-says-i-dont-think-the-american-people-are-racist-in-response-to-tim-scott-rebuttal/

[IamHappy]

1. Is Biden/Harris trying to split hairs?

The country is not racist but the people are??? Nobody is racist??? "... after 400 years African Americans left in a position where they were left behind". WHY?

[dsc]

7. actually I thought that was the literal definition of systematic racism

that the system (without regard to the racism or lack thereof of the people with in it) is racist so therefore the outcomes will be racist. That is why Baltimore, despite having every person who was in charge of Baltimore (DA, Mayor, Judge) being Black didn't see either Gray not being killed, nor his killer cops jailed.

[lindysalsagal]

2. Politically, he had no choice. He had to rebut that B.S. or own it.

And no one wants to be called a racist.

[Ron Green]

3. What a mess. Black man lies for white racists, white President

can’t respond with the truth.

[doc03]

4. That's bullshit spend a few minutes in a McDonalds

one day and listen to the conversation among the retirees.
Fortunately my generation won't be around much longer. Us baby boomers have f---d up things pretty bad.

[RegularJam]

8. Spend a minute next to a table of 18 yo's in a McD's.

The conversation often isn't that much different. The new and brutal conservative movement we are seeing is a youth movement. That is one of it's most frightening aspects.

[doc03]

13. Yes it is I thought all they were interested in was

video games and sex.

[RegularJam]

5. The cornerstone of what Carville has been trying to say.

This is the messaging Carville thinks we need on a consistent basis. Do not broad-brush but define the problem.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. I do wonder what he really believes about this issue...

He certainly seems to sincerely get that systemic racism is a problem. But I wonder if he really believes the US (meaning, the citizens) AREN'T racist. I dare say a third are outright white supremacists, whether they realize it or not. Another third enables it, actively and passively.

I will never understand the semantics wordplay around racism, between systemic versus individual behavior.

To me, all of our systems are comprised of human beings, many of whom intentionally perpetuate white supremacy in those systems.

Our culture is a system, and our culture is racist AF and always has been. We never dealt with it and the core wound starts to ooze pus periodically and at times outright erupts, which is what has happened over the last five years. But it isn't new.

And the US isn't alone in that.

[jalan48]

9. This doesn't sound very woke to me.

[Celerity]

10. Then it should make the Carville fans here do their happy dance.

At least he didn't say that no Americans are racist. That would have been a disaster.

[jalan48]

12. Carville was pretty easy pickings, apparently Biden and Harris not so much.

I think politicians try and avoid absolutes and prefer to move in shades of grey.

[inwiththenew]

11. Once again the right with the help of the media control the narrative

That isn't what President Biden said during this speech but now both him and VP Harris have had to come out and address the strawman Scott created.