Most of the time when people say they have an unpopular opinion, it turns out it’s actually pretty popular.

Do you have some that’s really unpopular and most likely will get you downvoted?

  • phillaholic
    2•1 year ago

    He made a dumb joke, but here’s the full context

    During the chat with The Breakfast Club, Biden attempted to make an appeal for the Black vote as is expected of one running for presidential office on a Black media outlet. During the chat, Biden discussed having a Black woman stand as his running mate, his stances on marijuana decriminalization and legalization, and the state of the Democratic Party as it relates to Black voters.

    As the interview was set to end, Biden’s team is heard saying that the interview needs to wrap with Charlamagne saying humorously that “you can’t do that to Black media.” That prompted Biden to respond with, “I can’t do that to black media and white media because my wife has to go on at six o’clock.”

    Biden then adds after looking at his wristwatch, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”

      • phillaholic
        1•1 year ago

        It’s playful banter. The interviewer starts it with “you can’t do that to Black Media” jokingly when he needs to leave, and his response is pointing out the obvious. The kind of Black people consuming Black Media aren’t going to be voting for Trump, so it’ll be ok that he has to leave. Biden isn’t a great public speaker. He didn’t word this one well. It wasn’t a prepared statement, it was a response to other playfuyl banter. It’s primarily been used against him by right wing media in false outrage.

        I can’t be bothered to care about playful banter. He’s not redirecting government resources or ignoring folks that didn’t vote for him like the last administration. The context above makes it clear what he meant too.

      • phillaholic
        1•1 year ago

        No, the person’s intent matters entirely. It’s the same issue with comedians making jokes. Some get a pass and some don’t. It’s all about knowing the person’s actual feelings, intent, and historical actions. Dave Chapelle and Kevin Hart received significant pushback from their statements on Trans and Gay people respectively because neither had shown to support either group prior to saying them. Hart, to his credit, has eventually learned why his statements were hurtful and has corrected his behavior (Side note the docuseries on Netflix? i think is pretty great. It covers part of this where he is extremely bullheaded about needing to apologize and how going on Ellen should have been enough, and members of his staff do show him why he’s wrong. Overall the series is sort of tragic as his motives are at odds with his family and I came away feeling sad for him more than anything).

        If Biden is racist, he’s not showing it in any meaningful way today. Republicans don’t get the benefit of doubt because their policies are already anti-black. You may want to judge everything separately, but that’s not how it works. If someone does or says 9 racists things, it’s safe to assume the 10th thing is racist too.

          • phillaholic
            1•1 year ago

            I’m not going to reply to cherry picked quotes with no context. I’ve already said he’s not a great speaker, he’s 80 years old, and he’s changed from the past. His policies now are what I care about. Saying dumb things off the cuff isn’t the same as doing things actively to hurt blacks or minorities. If he was saying those things and actively harming those people he would be criticized all the same. Context matters.

              • phillaholic
                1•1 year ago

                It shouldn’t surprise me that you’re making binary judgement calls on me when you’re doing it to Biden. I never said Democrats don’t need to get better. I never said Biden was my first choice, that I support a majority of his ideas, or anything like that. I simply reject attacking him for things in the past that he’s corrected in the present when the alternative is active harm.

                Further, I didn’t choose team blue. Team red stopped being an option for me, so my upbringing of red-leaning purple turned blue by default. My primary concern is not letting anti-democratic fascists gain power. I can’t be bothered not picking off the cuff comments made in the past (his kids are in their 50s for fucks sake).

                  • phillaholic
                    0•1 year ago

                    I’ve been quite clear. You’re either acting in bad faith or are incapable of nuanced discussion. Either way, I’m leaving it here.