Leave Joe Biden Alone

With Barack Obama announcing Senator Joe Biden as his running mate, I feel compelled to launch a pre-emptive strike, pleading with the inevitable parade of "race commentators" who will be asked to rehash his earlier comments on Barack Obama as "the first mainstream African-American [presidential candidate] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." When Fox News calls, looking to do a talking heads segment, politely decline.

Let them know that you would deeply appreciate the opportunity to discuss race and racism in the United States, but that Joe Biden's campaign gaffe does not quite register enough for your earnest concern. Suggest that you instead wrestle with the disparities in health care between whites and African Americans that led to HIV/AIDS rates in some black neighborhoods rivaling those in sub-Saharan Africa. Offer to denounce the nativist and racist sentiment being spewed about Latin American immigrants by hatemongers trolling about on the internet. Propose to shed light on the woefully under-discussed issues of sex trafficking and slave labor affecting thousands of Asian immigrants and Asian Americans.

And after they have unceremoniously left you discussing racial politics with the dial tone, do not fret dear race commentator. You have chosen to embrace maturity in a political climate that has descended to the depths of its opposite.

Perhaps our nation's combustible mix of Puritanical idealism, hedonistic consumer capitalism, and the racial taboos inherited from an anxious white supremacy, was destined to lead here. We demand otherworldly perfection from our political leaders, yet subscribe to the fallenness of man, and thus search incessantly for their shortcomings, and failures. The frivolity of consumer capitalism, the whims of political power, and the ubiquitous landmines of sex, race, and money encourage genuine moral failings, such as Eliot Spitzer's prostitution scandal. But without any acknowledgement of this broader reality, which would rob each event of its novelty, and deny our perverse thrill, these scandals are sold to a public whose revulsion and desire are targeted for profit.

An old dilemma certainly, but our twenty-four hour news, enabled by cable television and the internet, has kicked it into overdrive; and we as a nation are bordering on overdose. Like our discourse on sex (and often intertwined with it), race-talk has been one of the most consistent fruit-bearing trees in the garden of "gotcha" politics. But since racism is often determined from the "state of mind" of the racist, the degree of difficulty shifts from say, catching a Senator soliciting gay sex in a public restroom or finding a Congressman with stacks of money in his freezer. To play "gotcha" with racism, we must often take a wayward statement and derive an entire constellation of beliefs from it--not impossible, but a risky endeavor.

Joe Biden is an excellent case in point. When he made the aforementioned comments, he was summarily dismissed as a competitive presidential candidate. Thirty years of dedicated service to the country as a legislator deeply concerned about families, education, and foreign policy were out of the window. No one cared that he had received a 100% rating from the NAACP, or is a committed supporter of old-school affirmative action--including minority contractor set-asides for highways and construction. He was never even given credit for recognizing he had offended people and immediately apologizing. In comparison to the entire Bush administration, or John Edwards' apology for his sexual affair, with its lawyerly contortions about his wife's cancer being in remission, Biden's straightforwardness and willingness to admit mistakes--Iraq, for instance--was and is refreshing.

For the half of Americans who were not born when Biden first took office in 1972, Biden's comments may seem wildly off base given our relatively tame experiences with America's most prominent black presidential candidates, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. By comparison, Biden I am sure, cannot help but remember America's introduction to both, when Rev. Jackson was giving "Black Power" speeches a few years after Martin Luther King's assassination, wearing dashikis, gold chains, and an Afro, and Rev. Sharpton was stomping through 1980s Brooklyn with a perm and an ill-fitted jogging suit. Neither could honestly have been said to be "mainstream" in American politics (for better or worse), to have inspired the physical attraction that Obama clearly has, or to have had during their public careers, the aesthetic dimension of presidential gravitas. To quote comedian Chris Rock, "how can you take anyone seriously with that hair?" If anything, the crucial mistake of Biden's comment is forgetting about Shirley Chisholm's inspiring 1972 presidential campaign and its progressive, grassroots vision of change.

With that said, dear race commentator, I hope you accept my humble plea kindly.This election has confronted you with a bevy of genuine issues to discuss, and there is still the matter of all the ones that are so often ignored. It is only with this in mind that I feel obliged to paraphrase Chris Crocker, vanguard of the Britney Spears fan club, and ask--before it even starts--for you to leave Joe Biden alone.

Brandon M. Terry, a graduate of Harvard and Oxford, is a Ford Foundation fellow and doctoral student at Yale University in Political Science and African American Studies.

Comments

[afamstudies]

I agree that these gaffes often deflect us from the more serious, and often life threatening, problems we face due to the racist world we live in. they take us on a convenient detour and occupy much too much of our time. there are plenty of examples, the remarks made by a Seinfeld actor come to mind. obviously he was wrong but days, weeks, months of headline news? when other more dire situations (mentioned above by terry) are all but ignored by news outlets, that's crazy! or is it? we can pat our selves on the back for our concern and outrage over a single man's words, believe that our work is done, and the racial status quo perseveres.

[steamboat]

I didn't read the story yet, so perhaps the title is misleading.

But as far as "Leave Joe Biden Alone", my answer would be "WHY", what makes him privileged?"...And that goes for Obama, McCain, Bush, Clinton, any public official............and Biden has alot of dirt in his closet accumulated over the years. Two PLAGERISMS, a favorite of the lobbyists, questionable votes (including Iraq) and friends, and many other things. So he's fair game, as they say, just like anybody else.

[editrix66]

Why don't you read the article and find out his point?

[UnknownSoldier]

Why did you leave out Shirly chisolm the first woman and black american to run for president.

[JimR]

He didn't:

"If anything, the crucial mistake of Biden's comment is forgetting about Shirley Chisholm's inspiring 1972 presidential campaign and its progressive, grassroots vision of change."

[Dreamers 101]

Mr. Terry

As an African American it makes me proud that you can articulate the feelings of most of the people throughout this country and not just for African Americans but all people that feel "racism" is a gotcha game in our politics.

I am perplexed beyond measure that anyone could have taken Senator Biden"s comments in any other way but in the context of how his words were stated, I never took any offence to it but found it puzzling that others did.

To me if Senator Biden"s comments were a direct put down of Senator Obama then one could probably make the argument that his statement was racist; if the statement was "he speaks articulate" which is a compliment to someone about proper American English or oratory.

If on the other hand he had said he speaks articulate for an African American then one could argue that comment was offensive and boarder on a stereotypical comment perceived to be racist.

This in my opinion is what Bill Clinton completely missed with his comment about "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here."

The missed placed comment by Bill Clinton was the stereotypical comment that makes a comparison which is 1 + 1=2 the math in general seems on the surface to be correct but the out come is that the comparison or math need not had been made in the first place.

[formerprosecutor]

Thanks for the pre-emptive strike, but a "gaffe" (?). I suppose in the most PC circles, it was. Since when is a compliment cemented in truth a "gaffe"? My apologies and deep respect to the late, great Ms Chisholm, but she was not a "guy".

[seenitall]

yet, Fzux lets stand Rush Limbutt's vile and vulgar remarks about others go unanswered...they love him!!!!

[Outofnowhere]

Full disclosure here....
I and I suspect many other black people were thinking the same thing that Biden said about Obama. I mean come on "articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy" wow what a bad thing to say!

[UnknownSoldier]

Many other blacks who unwittenlingly believe the well crafted image Hollywood and the Mainstream Media have created for black american males. Yes, they believed that when Biden said it, but then there are others who were not surprised at all. You know that Thurgood Marshall guy could speak really well too.

The Media is biased against Dems, and the PUMAs are the new Swiftboaters

[Outofnowhere]

I figured someone's dander would get up....
I'm well aware there are plenty of articulate, good looking and/or qualified black people (way more than Thurgood Marshall; that was tired and you didn't have to go back that far). The point being some of the "media creations" are clowns that profess to be our leaders and have run for POTUS, who incidently didn't open their mouth while the Clintons (you know the PUMA people's idols) said far worse things during the primary season. Ever wonder why?
Quit thinking with your emotions and you'll find our enemies are more than the PUMAs and the media. They count on your anger to separate you from those who may have more in common w/ith you than you know.
I'm not at all unwitting, stand by my comment and didn't qualify it hoping most people would be reasonable enough to know I wouldn't disparage my own. Brother.........

[BigBen]

Clean and different.

[THEhillbilly]

If any republican had made that comment, you'd be literally screeching and doing some kind of tarantella, flouncing all over yourself in fifty-percent-real, fifty-percent-feigned outrage.

"... articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." -- Biden

Bad!

'..."how can you take anyone seriously with that hair?" ' -- Rock

Same thing, but Good!

By the way, the "race commentators" (Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et al.--it would be amusing to see you try to stick someone else with that label) are pretty much demode now. Leave them alone.

[steamboat]

Don't forget Biden's foot-in-his-mouth stupid comment concerning 7-11's and Indians.

[LizM]

Do you know who he was talking and laughing with when he said that?

[sueno]

I LOVE THIS SELECTION!
Biden is a great guy, salt of the earth type.
Yes, like Hillary and the rest he has a few flaws-
but compared to McBush and the rest of that camp, he's a superstar.
McCain is scared of this guy! One reason is that Biden can speak about many points in their careers.
Such as when McCain almost became a Democrat,
people forgot how much of a maverrick he was (or sell-out might be more appropriate?
Biden can help us remember the good old times.
Last point, The Dems are united- the few dems. who vote otherwise- let'em-
We know about integrity, unlike the GOP. And let those demented few, eat cake and sleep difficult nites on the ridiculous choices that they made- That's right vote McCain while our kids die.

[IdahoDarren]

Oh, for the want of an "and"! Joe needs to remember the old Schoolhouse Rock episode "Conjunction Junction". So much misunderstanding from a small word. Barack Obama is the first "mainstream" black candidate for president AND he is handsome, articulate, well-dressed and groomed and etc. etc. The whole shebang, the package, the voice, the charisma, the smooth politician charm.

And, I would add, he is SO not Bush/Cheney/McCain. I don't expect Obama will carry my most-red of home states but he will receive more votes than any Democratic candidate for president has in many years. Those of us in Idaho who vote on more than guns/gays/abortions can only hope that the Republican cheating machine in other states simply cannot, this time, abort the will of the people.

[reshas1]

What a DUD.. Thought at least the the BO would come up with a zinger... This is Blahsville

[BassMent]

As any number of pundits and bloggers predicted, in these first few days following the Biden pick we'll see every one of Delaware Joe's gaffes paraded out dating all the way back to the beginning of his political career. Then the MSM will get tired of this stuff when they see how much traction they're getting with it (none).

We progressives know a couple of things about this election. The first is that the corporate media, owned and operated by billionaire executives and millionaire shareholders, has an enormous vested interest in seeing McCrackey win (continuing tax cuts for the ultra-rich into eternity). The second is that we can't let this happen... not just because we can't afford the continuing corporate welfare at the expense of the working class, but also because we can't afford endless war, continuing erosion of civil rights, further collapse of the economy as criminals are bailed out at the expense of the honest, or four years of offshore drilling mentality while energy alternatives that could rescue the planet from certain doom are ignored. We cannot let the status quo continue under BushCo Act III.

Mr. Terry's message focuses on one particular issue that we could spend weeks dissecting and parsing. But his broader implication is that progressives need to stop engaging in this kind of self-destructive behavior. We need to unite. We need to win. Obama isn't perfect. Neither is Biden. But for cryin' out loud, consider the alternative....

[Dreamers 101]

Spot on

[dshall]

Thank you for this thoughtful and well-written post. I wish we had the opportunity to read similar articles on this site.

[feo]

Let's concentrate on McCain not knowing one country from another, one religious sect from another.

[Forestfromthetrees]

The GOP is scared that Biden might give them a run for the "Dick Chenney will cuss you out on the Senate Floor" money. I am black (well let me check...yep, still black) and I like Biden. I'm excited to have him on the Obama team.