General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Bernie Sanders: Its a tragic mistake to dismiss anti-establishment voters as deplorable [View all]JHan
(10,173 posts)is yet another alarming example of how we avoid discussing racism and bigotry in this country.
As Jamelle Bouie said in slate it was "theatre criticism"
"The dismay over Clintons commentsthe insistence that it represents some kind of insult and not a statement of truthreflects the degree to which many of our reporters and observers still shy away from these facts. But this moment demands clarity. Readers dont need to know whether Clinton made a gaffe. They need to know whether she was right. Do millions of Americans hold explicitly racist views? Yes. Do roughly half of Donald Trumps supporters fall into a so-called basket of deplorables? Yes."
As a "woman of color" myself, I was amazed because it was the truest statement I had heard all year: a year of pundits and writers and journalists pussy footing around Trump's divisive strategies. And in typical fashion, the focus wasn't on the possibility that the statement was accurate, especially after a year of Trump proving it to be so, but that she said it..
Describing it as a moment of hubris is odd. This was a fundraiser (Edit) by LGBT supporters, where she was making pointed comments about the fear they understandably feel. Was it the smart thing to do politically? no it wasn't - but that doesn't stop it being the truth.