Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) used Paul Ryan’s words about Trump’s racism against him, and asked if Trump is racist, why are Republicans cozying up to him.
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Cleaver said on MSNBC’s Hardball, “I just wanted to say, Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House after the president made some comments about Mexican judge, he said, and I quote, this is textbook racism. And the problem is that if that’s what it is, why in the world are my colleagues in Congress on the Republican side hugging him?”
There are only two possible answers to the question posed by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Either Republicans are racist, or they are using racism for political gain which makes them racist. There is no acceptable area in American society where using racism is ok. The idea that Republicans aren’t racist, but they use racism to appeal to people who are is a cop-out. If a person uses racism for gain, they are racist. If someone like Paul Ryan calls out racist behavior, then continues to support the racist, they are aiding the spread of racism.
If Republicans aren’t racist, why do none of them stand up to Trump? What is stopping them from confronting the racism of their party? If they need to be racist to win elections, that means that they are members of a racist party.
This is not complicated. Anyone who encourages enables, or practices racism is a racist. Their motives don’t matter.
Since Republicans are afraid to stand up to the Racist In Chief, that makes each of them guilty of spreading racism.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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