March 9, 2020

"Trump is going to try dampening black voter enthusiasm for Biden by contrasting the two men’s criminal justice records."

"The framing will be simple: Trump signed a bipartisan criminal-legal reform bill, the First Step Act, and has been generous with his pardon powers toward unjustly imprisoned black people, like Alice Marie Johnson.... ...Trump’s status as a self-styled reformer is laughable, [but] Biden’s record is grotesque. Most of its lowlights occurred in the 'tough on crime' 1980s and 1990s... [when] he viciously characterized people who commit crimes as sociopathic 'predators' who are beyond rehabilitation. He cast then-President Bush’s escalation of the War on Drugs as lacking 'enough police officers to catch the violent thugs, enough prosecutors to convict them, enough judges to sentence them, or enough prison cells to put them away for a long time.' He authored the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act [that]... expanded the death penalty, eliminated education funding for imprisoned students, created harsher sentencing guidelines for a wide range of crimes, and increased funding for local police departments and corrections departments....  Perhaps more than any other official of the era, he embodied the Democratic impulse to outflank Republicans from the right by locking more people in jails and prisons. He helped catalyze the most dramatic expansion of the carceral state in the history of the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. He said he was 'not at all' ashamed of his involvement as recently as 2016...."

From "On Criminal Justice, Biden Has No Moral Standing Over Trump" by Zak Cheney-Rice (New York Magazine).

... the most dramatic expansion of the carceral state in the history of the country... — I don't think I'd ever seen the word "carceral" before — "the most dramatic expansion of the carceral state in the history of the country." But it's a word that the OED traces back to the 1500s. It means what you can easily see it means — relating to prisons. Nabokov used it in "Invitation to a Beheading" (1960), describing the opening of a prison door: "... suddenly the key scraped in the lock and the door opened, whining, rattling and groaning in keeping with all the rules of carceral counterpoint." That is, opening the prison door sounded exactly like opening a prison door.

ADDED: This magazine essay is larded with assurances that Trump is awful on criminal justice too, so it's only that Biden will have trouble gaining an advantage here. Biden can't get "moral standing over Trump," but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

148 comments:

tim in vermont said...

So did he explain why Trump’s efforts are “laughable” beyond that, well, he’s Trump and the writer must genuflect to the zeitgeist of his bubble? If anybody finds that explanation, I guess I might read his crap.

Chris said...

Exactly how are trump's efforts laughable? He's done more than the sainted Obama.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Pres Trump would be doing a lot more of these types of "fixes" of our systems - health care, legal issues such as this column is about, border/immigration control, cutting back unnecessary/inefficient regulations - if so much of the time and energy of the administration wasn't taken up by the asshole Democrats and collusion/impeachment/resistance. On an individual level, these types of changes (prescription price control, hospitals posting prices, prison reform) don't make a huge difference, but when looked at from the overall impact, they are very significant.

Mr. Forward said...

Is a hot dish in prison a carceral casserole?

Limited blogger said...

Laughable, I say! hahaha!

AllenS said...

If Slow Joe Biden says he can't remember any of that stuff, he might not be telling a lie. If he tries to talk his way of out it, look out, the gaffe machine will be working overtime.

Wilbur said...

To what percentage of the electorate are these issues important? What percentage of the black electorate? I suspect less than the writer might imagine.

Ann Althouse said...

Re "laughable"...

The essay is relying on the reader to detest Trump, but there are 2 things:

1. the "children in cages" aspect of immigration enforcement. (But Obama did that too, so how does Biden get any moral standing by pointing at that?)

2. Trump's support for the death penalty — and some references to expanding it, say, for drug dealers.

Also the positive of signing the Prison Reform Act is diminished because it was already int he works during the Obama administration.

Ann Althouse said...

Here's how Biden responded when asked about his own responsibility for a "children in cages" policy.

Kevin said...

I remember when the Democrats ran John Kerry on his war record.

Good times.

stevew said...

Trump doesn't have to be the best ever at prison and criminal justice reform to win more minority voter's support, he just has to be better than his opponent. If Biden's record is admittedly and widely known to be "grotesque" then Trump wins.

How many more black and hispanic voters, compared to the 2016 vote, does Trump need to improve his re-election chances? Not many says all the smart people.

Eric said...

Enthusiasm for Biden? By anyone?

Amadeus 48 said...

Zaks have to Zak. Keep on Zakking, Zak.

Kevin said...

Biden promised black people they would be put back in chains.

That would be a nice opening to a commercial on their gains under Trump.

gilbar said...

but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

well, because; Orange man BAD!!!

Temujin said...

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.

Trump would most certainly have done more in his first term if he had had a willing team working with him. It took 2 years for the majority of Republicans to join him. And the Dems are still trying to 'coup' him out of office. Trump has had a number of out of the box ideas to change how we operate, including how we deal with illegal immigration, and prison reform. But while the Dems may be aware of these things, there is no way in hell they are going to take part in any of these things. Including Amy Klobuchar, who is currently posing as the bipartisan choice (for VP).

As for Obama, he did commute a slew of sentences, particularly in his last term. But among his 'reforms' was to create a Presidential Commission. I know this seems big to those who love how a bureaucracy works, but this is classic Obama. Meetings, pronouncements, and commissions to study.

Trump is action. Here's an idea. Let's take action on it. That's how you have to work in business and it's why business works and government does not.

Kevin said...

Republicans pounce.

rhhardin said...

Blacks will be asked to self-quarantine.

Michael K said...

I know this seems big to those who love how a bureaucracy works, but this is classic Obama. Meetings, pronouncements, and commissions to study.

Madeline Albright: "Of course we took terrorism seriously. We had meetings on it almost every week."

The Bergall said...

Reminds me of that Steely Dan song "Pretzel Logic"............

Automatic_Wing said...

I like how giving black activists the policy they wanted is portrayed as some kind of malign voter suppression effort.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

...but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

Central Park 5.

Sally327 said...

All these things were true about Biden when Obama put him on the ticket in 2008. I think it's safer to assume that Black voters already know this about Biden and pointing it out as a way to get them to drop support needs to be done carefully and not try to portray Trump as the white Savior.

Browndog said...

Interesting line of attack.

We saw the same thing with Bloomberg and stop-and-frisk. 'Conservatives' attacking democrats for their 'tough on crime' stance from today's 'woke' perspective.

Shouting Thomas said...

The policing method liberals are condemning worked to end the crime wave of the crack epidemic.

Putting the bad guys in jail ended gang control of the streets in NYC.

There are lies and damned lies. File this entire argument under damned lies.

David Begley said...

Dampen? How about “inform?”

AllenS said...

I don't believe that Trump will focus at all on contrasting the two men’s criminal justice records. I think Trump will try to get black voters to vote for him by pointing out how he has been working at trying to give them economic freedom by having jobs.

Matt Sablan said...

Seems like standard campaign tactics.

AllenS said...

Trump has said this before, and I think that he'll keep saying it (to black voters): "What have you got to lose?"

There is no need to pander to black or any other color voters.

Shouting Thomas said...

Or, to phrase my argument another way...

Blacks are in jail in such huge numbers because they earned their way into jail.

Big Mike said...

Also the positive of signing the Prison Reform Act is diminished because it was already int he works during the Obama administration

@Althouse, lots of things were “in the works” during the Obama administration.

GatorNavy said...

Time to reread the Bonfires of Vanity by the esteemed Mr. Wolfe

Ralph L said...

Butty and Bernie say they'll let all drug offenders out of prison and still didn't get many black votes. Perhaps this isn't that important to them, just to the media.

Temujin said...

Trump can simply rattle off the names of about 30 or so US cities that are now, and have been run by Democrats for the past 50-100 years.

Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Washigton DC, St. Louis, San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Philadelphia, Portland, Milwaukee, Oakland, Kansas City, New Orleans, and on and on and on.

Let everyone know: if you love the crime levels and lack of services in your cities, if you love that your kids go to horrible schools, keep voting for Dems. The same people telling you how racist Republicans are, have been screwing you regularly for 50+ years. Want to keep things the same? Vote the same. Want change? Vote differently. It's not about color of skin. It's about how you think.

Browndog said...

Trump also needs to be careful championing his criminal justice reform while Kim Kardashian remains the face of the cause.

3 times in a row she has chosen a guilty as hell murderer to save from death row. Two of them were spared by claiming they are in fact innocent and getting high profile celebrities on board.

AllenS said...

I was going to post something similar to what Temujin just said. It's a theme that Trump needs to be repeating.

Browndog said...

Blogger Ralph L said...

Butty and Bernie say they'll let all drug offenders out of prison and still didn't get many black votes. Perhaps this isn't that important to them, just to the media.


Or, perhaps they have family members murdered by drug dealers and want no part of them being back in the hood.

Todd said...

Temujin said... [hush]​[hide comment]
Trump can simply rattle off the names of about 30 or so US cities that are now, and have been run by Democrats for the past 50-100 years.

Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Washigton DC, St. Louis, San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Philadelphia, Portland, Milwaukee, Oakland, Kansas City, New Orleans, and on and on and on.

Let everyone know: if you love the crime levels and lack of services in your cities, if you love that your kids go to horrible schools, keep voting for Dems. The same people telling you how racist Republicans are, have been screwing you regularly for 50+ years. Want to keep things the same? Vote the same. Want change? Vote differently. It's not about color of skin. It's about how you think.


3/9/20, 7:40 AM


There is a great campaign ad, right there.

Ralph L said...

We watched the 2012 BBC show "Good Cop" last night on Britbox, in which he turns vigilante partly due to the impotence of the police. All the criminals are white, of course, but it was still cancelled, and we were left hanging. Too close to reality?

Quaestor said...

...but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

Althouse commits a thought crime. Room 101 is ready and waiting.

Quaestor said...

Trump can simply rattle off the names of about 30 or so US cities that are now, and have been run by Democrats for the past 50-100 years.

Tim Pool reports.

narciso said...

that's conceivable, remember john Lindsay's barn burner of a campaign, didn't happen, the one thing Bloomberg did right, he refudiated in large part, and went for all the stock narratives, which made him viceroy of American Samoa,

traditionalguy said...

Carceral states are what Dems and ChiComs both favor. How else can the Government commoditise “human life” that holding the serfs in a controlled camp. The joke going around is that Bernie now supports The Wall because he sees its function as keeping Americans in rather than Mexicans out.

Rockeye said...

He isn't trying to "dampen" their voting, at all. He is actively courting their votes by stating his case that he is the better choice.

narciso said...

they don't really things to get better

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

So by saying, "Vote for me. I've done more for Black people than Joe has," Trump will allegedly be "dampening" as in suppressing the Black vote? Zack two-names is a hack writer of propaganda, not a reporter. They aren't even thinly disguising their advocacy now.

narciso said...

johnny come lately, is still wrong

narciso said...

like star trek picard one concern is he can't any more chislers like the Negron woman,

Howard said...

For President Trump to be successful with this tactic, he's going to have to get it done by direct marketing. The MSM won't sell it for him. Don't blame me and other libtards, we didn't make the world.

wild chicken said...

Doesn't it hell Biden that crime went down after the increased incarceration? And that black leaders had demanded the tougher enforcement?

I mean how can a guy stay ahead of the black demand curve.

wild chicken said...

Doesn't it matter

AllenS said...

Howard, if there is one thing that Trump isn't and hasn't been doing is relying on the MSM do get his message out.

That's why he does all of those rallies and cranks out those twitter messages.

Trump is woke.

JAORE said...

" Biden can't get "moral standing over Trump," but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?"

Ooh, ooh. Pickme teacher. Pick MEEEeeee!

Gahrie said...

..but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

Because Trump is a Republican and Biden is a Democrat. Haven't you been paying attention the last seventy years?

(I just taught the Daisy Ad in my US History classes on Friday)

Kevin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

MSNBC
@MSNBC
·
13h
Fmr. Bloomberg adviser Tim O'Brien: "If Republicans really want to make an issue out of Hunter Biden ... there is going to be a scorched earth response aimed at all of the Trump children that is going to be unlike anything they've experienced thus far."

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Biden has the corrupt press behind him.

Rick said...

Notably the left media ignores the substance trying to turn the political implications into the story. It's a twist on the "Republicans Pounce"

Kevin said...

All these things were true about Biden when Obama put him on the ticket in 2008.

Biden wasn't picked by Obama to get black votes.

In 2020, it's the key to his campaign.

AllenS said...

If Biden is the Democrat nominee, I don't think that Trump needs any black votes to win, and win bigly.

CJinPA said...

The War on Drugs was largely supported by black Democrats.

There were excesses, but there were also many genuine thugs taken off the streets, mostly from minority communities.

Anyone who frames crime & punishment in simplistic good v. evil terms is acting politically. There are downsides to mass incarceration, just as there will be downsides to the current trend of releasing prisoners. We've seen both extremes many times.

MBunge said...

"...why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?"

Because Orange Man Bad.

One of the more bizarre things about Trump-haters is now profoundly ignorant they are of his actual record in office. Not that there aren't things they could criticize but they really know very little about what Trump has done. They just KNOW he's incompetent and awful.

Mike

Howard said...

Why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

Because they are both belly slithering bottom feeders neither one has standing

narciso said...

no it was impeachment insurance, I'm not that keen on this criminal justice reform, because I know it can be abused, I think at the time, the crime bill which wasn't considered draconian enough was reasonable, but since we forget the lessons, 'the dog returns to its vomit'

Fernandinande said...

"Criminal justice reform" is always black black blackety black, for some mysterious reason.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Scorched Earth? Remind me which Trump son is a deadbeat dad and AG impersonator?

narciso said...

Guiliani isn't appreciated for bringing new York from the snake plissken brink, honestly Churchill has more than a semblance of a point,

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

And is Hunter living with his own wife again or his dead brothers wife? Or the pole dancer he knocked up? So hard to keep track!

Kevin said...

"If Republicans really want to make an issue out of Hunter Biden ... there is going to be a scorched earth response aimed at all of the Trump children that is going to be unlike anything they've experienced thus far."

Yes, yes, the Muller Investigation and Party-line impeachment vote were olive branches from the left.

Hunter and the rest of Joe's corrupt family are the appetizer.

Joe's role in lying to the FISA Court is the main course.

narciso said...

O'Brien, was no.1 in the never trumpers to the late wayne (lne), hence he didn't see Bernie bros taking his boss for 700 mil,

narciso said...

joe was the proud papa behind fisa, he assured us, we could never end up in the world of minaret and shamrock, I don't think he remembers,

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Wait until Beau Biden’s assistant attorney general badge gets its own Twitter account and starts hassling Hunter. Good times!

“Remember when you left me in that rental car with a broken crack pipe? Phoenix is too damn hot for a gold badge like me.”

Anonymous said...

Notice how they frame it like Trump is trying to suppress the black vote.

So dishonest!

He's trying to win the black vote.

Ken B said...

This is a common dirty trick by Republicans, using a Democrat's record against him. Twitter has the right, impartial approach : if you quote a Democrat saying something embarrassing they ban you. And they are indeed impartial. They banned Bernie Bros who quoted Biden.

Calypso Facto said...

The biggest criminal justice reform Trump has implemented is allowing the economy to create the lowest unemployment and biggest wage gains on record for blacks.

"Enthusiasm for Biden? By anyone?"

On a long-ish run around Madison last week I saw yard signs for Bernie, Warren, Bloomberg, and Yang ... but nary a one for Biden. A ghost campaign in Wisconsin's most liberal city. Yikes.

Leland said...

I wonder how racist Trump really is when people are not told he is racist by the New York Magazine. After all, it is the New York Magazine that is looking at the black population as a monolithic voting block, as if they are all the same and associated with a carceral lifestyle.

Freder Frederson said...

but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

Seriously?! Trump was as big a tough on crime guy as anyone. He took out full page ads in the NYT calling for the execution of the Central Park Five, and continued even after they were exonerated.

Jersey Fled said...

Remember that every Black vote switched to Trump is a twofer. One lost vote for Biden and one gained for Trump. It doesn't take much. Most analysis that I have read indicates that if Trump were to increase his share of the Black vote by as little as 5 points, from 8% in 2016 to 13%, he would be unbeatable.

Incidentally, if you don't think Trump's kids have been investigated to death already, and if you don't think they would have been outed on the slightest of pretext by now, you are a fool.

narciso said...

wayne barrett, that was the name,

bbkingfish said...

That might work.

Freder Frederson said...

Carceral states are what Dems and ChiComs both favor.

Look at the states with the highest prison populations. Most of them are deep red states (OK and LA have the highest rates, and LA has dropped from number one because of criminal justice reform pushed by the Democratic Governor).

Sebastian said...

"I don't think I'd ever seen the word "carceral" before"

Really? You mean, you don't read prog lit, you, a former law professor? Even in Madison, WI, you live in a bubble sheltered from the culture war, criminal justice branch?

Churchy LaFemme: said...

I would be curious about the racial demographics of New York Magazine readers. I expect it's about like that of NPR.

Ray said...

The real battle is dissuade a portion of Black voters that all Republicans are racist. The Democrats have worked decades to create this image, so they don't have to really deliver anything. If Trump can change "all Republicans are racists", to "not all Republicans are racists" he'll win in November. The actual details of what he's done and how Blacks benefit is how he's communicating that message. People like Kanye and James Brown (football), plus the Blexit movement magnify this message.

Ken B said...

Over time “carceral” garners use.

narciso said...

clay Felker, who sally quinn hexed, is rolling over at what the magazine has become, remember they went all in on cosby and ailes, and buried the Weinstein story at a critical point,

Francisco D said...

For President Trump to be successful with this tactic, he's going to have to get it done by direct marketing. The MSM won't sell it for him.

One of the reasons that the GOPe hate Trump is that he is a consummate marketer. They find it déclassé to sell ideas and personalities.

The GOPe prefers to contrast their "leaders" with twits like Dukakis, Gore and Kerry, although the alternatives (whom I voted for) are only marginally better.

JAORE said...

Joe's explanation:

The white kids are just as prone to commit crimes as those criminals I locked up in '94.

narciso said...

cheney rice, is a sjw eleventy, all in on Kaepernick and getting rid of confederate statues, because that matters,

narciso said...

they would never allow a tom wolfe in their midst, it's too much doubleunplusgood,

Sebastian said...

"Trump’s status as a self-styled reformer is laughable, [but] Biden’s record is grotesque."

Better than Biden is a low standard, and one Trump will meet.

Trump did sign a reform package, he did pardon blacks, and on this watch black economic opportunity improved. Plus, as far as I can tell, he does not give off any of the clueless-whitey vibes that irritate blacks: he isn't gonna put y'all back in chains.

So, he has a record to tout, and a style that connects. Advantage: Trump. Therefore, progs must ramp up the TDS and the bad-faith arguments. Expect more crazy.

rehajm said...

Most important takeaway: it is confirmation Trump is making serious headway with black voters.

Wince said...

Althouse said...
I don't think I'd ever seen the word "carceral" before.

Carceral Knowledge?

Directed by Mike Nichols and written by Jules Feiffer. It stars Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret, and Candice Bergen.

Iman said...

Can an essay be laughable and nauseating at the same time?

Yes... yes it can.

Rory said...

"'the dog returns to its vomit'"

My dog ate something off the ground a couple weeks ago. On the way home from the park, he started vomiting in the back seat. Nowhere to pull over, and by the time I was able to get off the road he had re-enjoyed the vast majority of it. We went in the house, he immediately went into his brand-new crate with orthopedic mattress, vomited and tried to dig right back in before I pulled him out by tail. The boy ain't right, I tell ya....

JAORE said...

"Interesting line of attack.

We saw the same thing with Bloomberg and stop-and-frisk. 'Conservatives' attacking democrats for their 'tough on crime' stance from today's 'woke' perspective."

Sure BD, if you define 'Conservatives' as Democrat candidates for POTUS.

Browndog said...

Fernandistein said...

"Criminal justice reform" is always black black blackety black, for some mysterious reason.


No one is allowed to talk about it. The only people I've seen that confront it head on with the truth is Colin Flaherty and Tommy Sotomeyer.

Browndog said...

Sure BD, if you define 'Conservatives' as Democrat candidates for POTUS.

Them, and so called conservatives that you are seemingly unaware of.

bagoh20 said...

Compared to today, the 90's crime rates were horrible, possibly the worst in American history. Does anyone care that something the government did seems to have been very successful? This is what's wrong with the media today. It's all conflict, drama, and narrative. They do very little to inform us. They do much better at misinformation. Journalism, like education has completely lost it's function in favor of fashion and endless horse races. It's just another social media platform with an undulating pile of insect-like opinions feeding on each other.

Tina Trent said...

I’ll vote for Trump despite his cynical “criminal justice reform.” People here fantasizing about our “cruel” justice system are completely ignorant. It takes dozens of terrible offenses to even land in prison, let alone spend much time there. You can beat, burgle and rape (mon-campus/producer type) your way through quite a few victims as a minor before you even see overnight in a jail cell. And it’s getting worse. So, enjoy, those of you willing to spill other people’s blood and safety for your preening Atticus complex.

Michael K said...

The War on Drugs was largely supported by black Democrats.

The policy that may not say its name. Plus, of course, Stop and Frisk saved mostly black lives.

bagoh20 said...

Turning Blacks against Trump is going to be job one for the Dems/media. From here on in they will throw up all kinds of crap in an attempt to get peer pressure to make brave Blacks hold their tongues and get free-thinkers to be ashamed of themselves. Nice friends you have there running the plantation.

Quaestor said...

they would never allow a tom wolfe in their midst, it's too much doubleunplusgood,

You do this to annoy me, don't you?

May I remind you that Room 101 has more than one chair?

Quaestor said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Who will win the felon vote?

Rocketeer said...

Also the positive of signing the Prison Reform Act is diminished because it was already in the works during the Obama administration.

Huh. Kind of like the string economy we're enjoying right now, I guess. It's so weird how all this good stuff that was in the works during the Obama administration didn't seem to really get done until Trump came into office.

Amadeus 48 said...

What is the distance from Zak to Zed? And can a Zero be far away? And what is a good nickname for Zak the Zero? Zip? Zap?

And what about 'Zup?

'Zup? I say Zak the Zero should zip it or get zapped by Zorro. Bernardo will say nothing.

rcocean said...

Whenever the liberal/left - especially the NTY's - starts talking about "Morality" or "Morals" - I have to laugh. So pardoning crooks, and giving everyone a "Get out of Jail Free" card is "Moral". LoL. I also like the implication that black folks just love crooks who can be swayed by letting black crooks out of jail. Yeah, that's not condescending or anything.

A psychologist will have to explain why the Liberal/left loves thieves, killers, rapists, con-men, faudsters, muggers, and other assorted criminals and never wants to punish them, and always, I repeat always wants to let them go free to commit crimes. The only people they want to punish are Right-wingers who commit "Hate Speech"

Anyway, we've been through this "Soft on crime" approach before, and all we got was more crime.

Tommy Duncan said...

Trump employed and contracted with many thousands of people over his career in the private sector. Where are the well documented instances of racism and misogyny?

In spite of the intense effort and determination of the left to find or manufacture dirt on Trump, the vetting process has turned up only flimsy conjecture by the likes of Chuck and Inga.

rcocean said...

This also explains why all the talk of "Moderate Joe" is a lie. Biden will push the establishment positions on Foreign Policy, Trade, and defense. But on everything else he is a leftists either by conviction or due to his desire to appease the more radical elements. He has ZERO - i repeat ZERO - desire to fight the crazy Left and will adopt radical positions on most everything. Just look at what he said in the debates. That wasn't just rhetoric.

Most of his so-called moderate or even conservative positions in the past can be attributed to his desire to get re-elected. People in Delaware didn't like crime and they didn't like busing. Biden responded to that. But that shouldn't be mistaken for him caring.

rcocean said...

I'm really upset at putting chldren in cages. Especially so-called "Play Pens". children need to run free - like antelopes. Stop putting 2 year olds behind bars!

rcocean said...

We have a non-secured border, with criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers streaming into the USA at will. They are also violating the immigration laws. So, what about "THE RULE OF LAW". Seems that means nothing when set against "Brown Babies in Cages".

What a country!

IgnatzEsq said...

Trump doesn't have moral authority because Trump is a massive fraud, the evil sum of his deficiencies, devoid of everything but the hollow ideology of a megalomaniac. He is a demagogic president who openly expresses admiration for a foreign dictator. He's created a surge of right-wing nationalism and isolationism; polarization; false narratives; xenophobia and the demonization of others.

For example, he's um... um... Trump is a massive fraud, the evil sum of his deficiencies, devoid of everything but the hollow ideology of a megalomaniac. He is a demagogic president who openly expresses admiration for a foreign dictator. He's created a surge of right-wing nationalism and isolationism; polarization; false narratives; xenophobia and the demonization of others.

Also racism and sexism and children in cages. Racism.

Orange. Man. Bad.

paminwi said...

Feeder you stupid ass! That legislation that was “signed” by the Democrat Governor of Louisiana would NOT have been on his desk if the Republicans that are in the majority in both the House and Senate hadn’t passed the bill for him to sign.
Get off your freaking high horse about how Dems are leading the way!

Bob Boyd said...

Looks like the DNC wants Joe to be able to sit down for the next debate and take audience questions.

Why not just have Joe propped up in a hospital bed surrounded by smiling African-American children who have been coached not to exchange puzzled glances when he speaks or say, "Huh?"

Sam L. said...

"ADDED: This magazine essay is larded with assurances that Trump is awful on criminal justice too, so it's only that Biden will have trouble gaining an advantage here. Biden can't get "moral standing over Trump," but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?"

The writer was a Democrat! That's why!

Ray said...

'Why not just have Joe propped up in a hospital bed surrounded by smiling African-American children who have been coached not to exchange puzzled glances when he speaks or say, "Huh?"'

If they thought they could get away with it, they would.

Spiros said...

Covid 19 is probably a seasonal pathogen that is highly sensitive to heat. Warmer temperatures will help us get a handle on this disease. But several thousand people, especially the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, are going to die. Several million more are going to confront life destroying hospital bills. It is not out of the question for an individual with a mild case of Coronavirus to get a bill for millions of dollars from his local hospital.

The damage to the Trump presidency is so over the top that no amount of politicking will save it. The economy is cratering and people are amped over the obscene hospital bills they're going to get. We're no longer talking about shaving one or two points off the Black vote. It's over for Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump doesn't exactly radiate an inner light (like Obama did for the elites). He is a scoundrel that was elected to get stuff done. Not piss around like an idiot.

Bruce Hayden said...

The Democrats have exploited Blacks for two centuries now, from being the slave owners, through fighting on the losing side of the Civil War, through staffing the Klan, Jim Crow, to destroying the Black family with LBJ’s War on Poverty. But for maybe the last half century, they have been one of the most stalwart of Dem constituencies. Throughout much of the country, the Dems cannot win without the Black vote. What happens if they lose a large chunk of it?

That could be seismic. Moreover, there is a decent chance that Hispanics would follow suit. These are some of the most religiously conservative segments of our country. And somehow, they have an alliance, as very junior partners, with the godless left. The godless left that no longer worships the God of Abraham, but Gaia and the government. That no longer trusts in Christ, but just in billionaires and bureaucrats.

You want an existential threat to the Democrats? This is it. This is why the pretenses of neutrality have been cast off by the DNC - Bernie has close to zero ability to keep these demographic blocks on the Democrat’s plantation. Biden, as ostensibly Catholic, isn’t going to chase them away based on religion. A lapsed Jew who has found is god in communism will. Biden’s progressing senility is far less of a danger to their party.

I saw a picture the other day of a bunch of clergy, black and white, around Trump’s desk, laying hands on him (or or the one in front of them if they couldn’t reach far enough). Imagine them doing that with Bernie. Just wouldn’t happen.

There is a time to attack, and a time to defend. The attacker gets to pick his time and his place, while the defender has advantages of shorter lines and better defended positions. Make no mistake, Trump is on the attack, which means that the Democrats are on defense, with too many fronts to defend.

Drago said...

...but why doesn't Trump have moral standing over Biden?

Ignorance is Bliss: "Central Park 5."

Anybody else notice that the Central Park 5 case was presided over by liberal democrat mayors and liberal democrat District Attorney's and liberal democrat Assistant District Attorney's and convicted with NY juries and liberal democrat Judges.....but somehow it's all Donald Trump's fault?

In this very thread Freder has once again mentioned Trump in conjunction with the Central Park 5 when Trump's only apparent flaw was to have believed what the army of liberal democrat mayors, assistant mayors, District Attorney's and Assistant District Attorney's were saying.

You'd think at some point in the discussion of the Central Park 5 at least one of our reliable lefties like Freder or LLR-lefty Chuck would inadvertantly mention one of these dems.......but nope. It's as though Donald Trump, citizen with no oversight or power, was personally responsible for those events.

If this sounds to you as though it is vaguely similar to how the dems/lefties/LLR-lefties have attempted to shift responsibility for slavery, segregation and Jim Crow onto republicans, well, you wouldn't be wrong.

Michael K said...

Mr. Trump doesn't exactly radiate an inner light (like Obama did for the elites). He is a scoundrel that was elected to get stuff done. Not piss around like an idiot.

Hope springs eternal on the angry left.

Skeptical Voter said...

"Laughable" versus "grotesque"?

Alex I'll take "laughable" for 300 electoral votes.

stevew said...

"I'm really upset at putting chldren in cages. Especially so-called "Play Pens". children need to run free - like antelopes. Stop putting 2 year olds behind bars!"

And don't you dare mention the evil Pack 'n Play!

DavidUW said...

Shorter opinion piece:
“Trump is going to appeal to black voters by citing truthful examples from his and Biden’s records”

rcocean said...

Booker and harris have just jumped on the Joe Train. Bernie is supposedly behind by 24 points in Michigan. If its a blowout, Obama will probably come out and endorse. Well, Bernie is a good loser as shown by 2016.

RobinGoodfellow said...

Ann,

I think you mean “damping”. If he turned the firehose on them he would be dampening them.

Francisco D said...

Covid 19 is probably a seasonal pathogen that is highly sensitive to heat. Warmer temperatures will help us get a handle on this disease. But several thousand people, especially the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, are going to die...

Spiros,

That part of your statement makes sense. Many thousands of people die of influenza every year. This is likely to be a very bad year.

However, the rest just sounds like you are desperate to "Katrina" President Trump. The real damage will not be insurance bills, but managing our supply chain dependence on China.

Bob Boyd said...

I'm not a revolutionary, but I play one on TV. - Honest Bernie Sanders

bagoh20 said...

"If its a blowout, Obama will probably come out and endorse."

It seems like the only time anyone endorses Biden is when he's the only alternative left to Trump. Not very convincing endorsements from Democrats.

Nerissa said...

Biden is loved by Blacks for helping Obama look good for 8 years. Harms Biden did to other Blacks to include his help in imprisoning more of them is nearly unimportant to most Blacks. NOTHING is more important to most Blacks than honoring Obama.

Before you kneejerk call me a racist pull out your dictionary. "Racism" is not defined as "Wanting the best things for the Black community even if their beloved Obama takes an image hit."

hombre said...

The criminal justice reforms of the 80s and 90s, particularly mandatory prison sentences, coincided with reductions in crime rates. The reductions defied predictions and occurred despite an upswing in the age demographic (15-25) most responsible for crime.

The criminal justice “reforms” of today, including those favored by Trump, pander to the black voters and will result in increased victimization in the long run. Since young black males commit a vastly disproportionate number of serious crimes reforms intended to reduce incarceration of those offenders will result in increases in crimes and crime rates. Most of those crimes are intraracial, so more black victims will result.

NYC is already reaping the results of bail reform measures: a 22% increase in serious crime. “Moral standing” with lefties on criminal justice issues depends on forgiving criminals for their crimes against innocent citizens. Always has. I’m sorry to see Trump side with them.

Not Sure said...

Trump is just abusing another presidential power to gain political advantage over Biden. When do the next impeachment hearings start?

Michael K said...

The criminal justice “reforms” of today, including those favored by Trump, pander to the black voters and will result in increased victimization in the long run. Since young black males commit a vastly disproportionate number of serious crimes reforms intended to reduce incarceration of those offenders will result in increases in crimes and crime rates. Most of those crimes are intraracial, so more black victims will result.

I agree but it seems to be what they want now.

DanTheMan said...

The next impeachment hearings start the day after he wins re-election. If he loses he will be indicted and arrested.

Big Mike said...

Moreover, there is a decent chance that Hispanics would follow suit.

Actually, the way I read it, Hispanics are not “following suit,” they are out in front. It would not surprise me to see the Latin vote go to Trump by 55-45, and 60-40 is not out of reach. Put me down as someone who will wait to see how much support Trump gets from Black voters. Notwithstanding Democrat theology, blacks are scarcely a monolithic entity. Trump won certain subgroups of the black vote in 2016, and his economic policies have enlarged the number of people in those subgroups. But he is not going to get to 40% of the total black vote.

bagoh20 said...

Trump already outperformed both McCain and Romney among Black voters in 2016. If he increases that, he will win easily. Not just becuase of the extra Black votes, but because it shows that he will win over many more traditionally Democrat voters who are even easier to pull from Democrats than Blacks are.

Amadeus 48 said...

Like everything else--the Cold War, Y2K, bird flu, repealing Net Neutrality, the Mueller investigation, etc.--this will fade away by early summer. Trump will claim he cured it, and the Dems will wonder what happened to their plans and dreams.

Are low oil prices a bad thing? They used to be a good thing.

AllenS said...

"Are low oil prices a bad thing?"

Sometimes --

Dow -- 23,731.49 −2,133.29 (8.25%)

... and yes, there are other mitigating circumstances at play here.

tcrosse said...

If the Dow really goes into the shitter it will be where it was when Obama left office.

Amadeus 48 said...

Hint: low oil prices are a good thing, in general, and they really put a crimp into Russia/Iran/Venezuela/Saudi Arabia, who have historically used oil as an international weapon.

Warren Buffet observed years ago that Mr. Market is manic/depressive.

The stock market is unique: it is the only market in the world where people want to buy as prices go up and want to sell when prices go down.

walter said...

I would love to hear Biden address the casserole state.
I'm not joking!

Joanne Jacobs said...

I believe the casserole state is Minnesota.

Unknown said...

It is not out of the question for an individual with a mild case of Coronavirus to get a bill for millions of dollars from his local hospital.

Um. Yes it is. A bill for millions of dollars is out of the question for nearly anything, let alone a "mild case" of anything.

Google is your friend: the costs for the pre-transplant, procurement, hospital admission, physicians fees, post-transplant fees and immuno-suppressants. When all of these fees are factored in, a heart transplant can total $997,700.

I'll give you a single million for that. Plural millions for an upper respiratory tract problem? You need to find a new hospital.

Ken B said...

Biden has been popular with black voters for 30 years. Really. So suddenly his 30 year old public votes are supposed to hurt him with those black voters? I don’t think so, I think the writer is making stuff up, assuming that policies that he doesn’t like (or understand) they must not like, must never have liked.

Bruce Hayden said...

“Hint: low oil prices are a good thing, in general, and they really put a crimp into Russia/Iran/Venezuela/Saudi Arabia, who have historically used oil as an international weapon.”

You forget Iran, which was already hurting. There are still plenty of people around there who remember the prosperity and freedom under the Shah, and the rest, no doubt, have learned about it from their parents and grandparents. The lowered returns from oil are just going to compound the problems they are facing, with the ruling clergy responding to the Wuhan Coronavirus with 7th century solutions, with their clergy telling them to fight it by sticking essential oils up their anuses and to lick Shiite shrines to clean them.

Not sure what is going on right now with Saudi Arabia. They still have a lot more freedom, based on their very low oil break even point. They appear right now to be helping to drive the cost of oil down, greatly disadvantaging their enemies, esp Iran.

DanTheMan said...

>>It is not out of the question for an individual with a mild case of Coronavirus to get a bill for millions of dollars from his local hospital.

Technically, you are correct. You can get a bill for a million dollars.
But most insurance policies have an out of pocket maximum. Mine is about $5000 I think. So, yes the hospital can bill me for eleventy seven trillion zillion dollars.

I'll pay $5000, max.

DanTheMan said...

>>The stock market is unique: it is the only market in the world where people want to buy as prices go up and want to sell when prices go down.

I made a big buy today with our retirement funds. A stock I've been watching dropped 5% today, and 10% over the last two weeks. This looks like a market panic to me. I guess I'll know in a few months if I was right or not.

Gretchen said...

It is framed as Trump doing something bad for Biden rather than that Trump wants to win the African American vote by enacting programs beneficial to them.