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Castro Calls Trump's Electon Strategy "Racial Priming"

Former Housing Secretary and Democratic Presidential contender Julian Castro said today on Face the Nation (transcript with auto-play video):

There is a pattern here. This guy is the biggest identity politician that we have seen in the last 50 years and he engages in what's known as racial priming. Basically using this language and taking actions to try and get people to move into their camps by racial and ethnic identity. That's how he thinks he won in 2016 and that's how he thinks he's going to win in 2020.

On Trump's comments about Elijah Cumminhgs and Baltimore, Castro said:

I absolutely think it's important for us to call it out for what it is, which is racism.

He cited multiple instances of Trump's use of racially charged comments since he began his campaign in 2016 and said despite his hesitancy to use the word "racist", that is what Donald Trump is: [More...]

I think you have to be very careful before you use that word. However, this president has shown us time and time again from the way that he started his campaign, to the comments about that Mexican-American judge during the campaign, to his failure to immediately condemn white supremacists in Charlottesville in 2018, to just a couple of weeks ago his comments about Representative Ocasio-Cortez and her three colleagues, to just these comments about Representative Cummings and his district as well as his comments about a year and a half ago- or maybe two years ago now about John Lewis in his district.

Julian Castro's website is updated as he presents new policy plans. He has already published his plans for ending over-aggressive policing and immigration as well as several other issues.

He uses Twitter to state his position on issues. Today on education:

I went from underfunded public schools to Stanford and Harvard, and learned a clear lesson: Talent is universal, but opportunity is not. As president, I will fight to ensure all of our children have access to a world-class education.

On reproductive justice:

As president, I will expand access to health care, including abortion. I’ll appoint judges who respect Roe as precedent, repeal the Hyde Amendment and gag rule, and advance reproductive freedom for all.

and yesterday:

“To be a fairer nation, we have to protect the freedom to have an abortion in this country.”

He also says the dealth penalty should be abolished.

Donald Trump may be impeached or self-destruct, but we still need to figure out who should replace him. Knowing where candidates stand is a good start, as is knowing which candidates are making it up as they go along because they think it will up their chances (Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, are you listening?)

Harris's announcement today on student loan forgivemess is raising a lot of questions: It applies to pell grant recipients who have started and sucessfully maintained a business in a disadvantaged community for three years. Exactly how many people would that help? (It's hard enough to get a pell grant, graduate, and get the capital to start a business, let along start one in a disadvantaged community and have it be success for three years. As someone on Twitter wrote, it's like offering a free 72 ounce sirloin to anyone who eats it all.

Harris also announced this week a plan to invest $60 billion in "science, technology, engineering and math education at historically black college and universities." She hasn't said where the money would come from.

Joe Biden this weekend channeled Obama on health care and said he'd expand Obamacare. As as side note on Biden, the New Yorker last week had a long profile on his son Hunter who has been battling drug and alcohol addiction for years. Hunter was interviewed extensively by the author. The article asks if Hunter will negatively affect his father's chances for the nomination. I don't think so. I think Joe Biden will do that all by himself. To run for President at the age of 76 when he failed two or three times before is the height of narcissism in my view.

< The Choices According to Donald Trump | Jared's Most Excellent Middle East Adventures Continue On Our Dime >
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  • Display: Sort:
    Rodent-infested Baltimore tenements (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Peter G on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 09:33:39 AM EST
    Thousands of units are owned by a slumlord called the Kushner Companies, it seems.

    I'm (none / 0) (#2)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 09:38:03 AM EST
    so confused, is it all right to call Americans and American cities garbage or not?

    Parent
    Please clarify your question (none / 0) (#3)
    by Peter G on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 10:26:30 AM EST
    Are you referring to what is "all right" for a brown-skinned Congresswoman, or what is "all right" for a mean-spirited, narcissistic, old white male with too much power and (apparently) too much time on his hands?

    Parent
    Cities (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 11:16:51 AM EST
    At least Trump has put his money where his mouth (assuming that is where this shi+ originates) is by his long history of investing in rural areas

    Oh, wait.

    Parent

    Indefensible (2.33 / 3) (#10)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 06:56:46 AM EST
    Trump does have a gift for getting the Dems to defend the indefensible.  Baltimore number one in robberies, number two in murders, top ten in rat infestation, and that racist right winger Bernie Sanders called it "third world."  On the plus side, it does have less poop on the sidewalk than some west coast homeless aoses.

    A tireless and shameless defender (5.00 / 3) (#11)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 07:39:31 AM EST
    Of Trump and Trumpism, with a Gilbert and Sullivan screen name, opining on the defense of the indefensible

    Thank you.  For that.

    Parent

    Speaking (none / 0) (#12)
    by FlJoe on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 08:00:10 AM EST
    of rodents
    It turns out that Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law who works alongside the commander-in-chief at the White House, owns property in the Maryland city with a history of actual rodent problems, according to a pair of investigations.
    defend that.

    Parent
    I agree. (2.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 08:21:26 AM EST
    The problems in Baltimore are Kushner's fault. His minions are doing a big chunk of the robberies besides breeding rats.

    Parent
    You poor dear (5.00 / 5) (#15)
    by Yman on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 08:38:43 AM EST
    You're so confused ... let me help you out:

    1.  You're conflating Baltimore with Rep. Cummings's district.  His district is much larger than just Baltimore, but you and Don-the-Con want to pretend otherwise.  I wonder why that is ...

    2.  You think it's the responsibility of the US Congressman to address local crime and rodent infestations.  That's cute.  The Pervert-in-Chief was confused about that, too, when he blamed Obama for Baltimore in 2015.  But no need to shed your crocodile tears - Trump promised to "fix it fast!" as POTUS.  Should be any day, now!

    Heh.

    Parent
    How do red states rank (none / 0) (#16)
    by jondee on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 09:56:33 AM EST
    in terms of school quality, high school graduates, teen pregnancy, violent assaults, sexual assaults, morbid obesity, gun deaths etc?

    Not too well, to put it mildly.

    Some states haven't achieved sh*thole staus yet, but they're giving every indication of moving in that direction.

    Parent

    Paul Krugman (NYTimes op ed, July 30) (none / 0) (#17)
    by KeysDan on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 11:18:17 AM EST
    addresses not only Trump as a "vile racist", but also, that his is a racism "that rests on a vision of America that is decades old."   His racism misinforms a vision where the principal social problem is inner-city violence perpetrated by non-whites. And, it misses the decrease, generally, of the decrease in violent crimes.

     It is, as if, Trump has not visited an American city, other than for hasty rides up in his golden elevator into his Bone saw Prince-like decorated penthouse.

    The social state of rural America--white rural America--is deteriorating, with a rising age-related mortality and declining life expectancy (opiods, alcohol, and suicide).

    Parent

    Last time I looked (none / 0) (#27)
    by jondee on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 03:07:32 PM EST
    the state with the highest Trump approval rating, West Virginia, had the highest drug overdose rate.

    Just another example of the MAGA movement bringing hope and inspiration to the masses.

    Parent

    With all that time Trump (none / 0) (#29)
    by jondee on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 03:34:56 PM EST
    spent at Ground Zero, you can hardly blame hime if he had little energy left to explore what goes on in other cities.

    Parent
    Dude (none / 0) (#18)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 12:00:26 PM EST
    I can take you to some rural Trumper areas in S. GA. that would curl your hair but since they vote for Trump it is probably okay for them to be rat infested. If Trump was so concerned he would get on his son in law's case about being a slumlord. he's not concerned in the least. This is just another racist rant from Trump and his minions which apparently you are one too.

    Parent
    Trump is after Rep. Cummings (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by KeysDan on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 12:14:52 PM EST
    because of his pursing Ivanka and Jared's use of private email accounts and record keeping violations. So, of course, he gets an opportunity to use his racism.

    Parent
    The 7th District of MD (none / 0) (#20)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 12:23:12 PM EST
    includes Columbia, MD. A collection of planned, middle class communities. A community regularly part of CNN Money's 10 Best Places to Live. Suck on that.


    Parent
    What a coincidence! (none / 0) (#24)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 02:36:52 PM EST
    You know, Abdul, we were talking just the other day about the Dunning-Kruger Effect in a prior thread.

    >:-P

    Parent

    More trolling (none / 0) (#28)
    by MKS on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 03:13:57 PM EST
    No real discussion just stupid taunts.

    You are doing a lot of these lately.  Scared?

    Parent

    I'm not sure (none / 0) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 11:40:06 AM EST
    The emerging MSNBC theme that the Democratic Party IS the party of black voters is well timed.    Seen several Kornacki "deep dives" into the number of black voters in the dem primary.

    One in 4, ONE IN 4, ONE IN 4

    We got it.

    Really.

    Maybe he could do a "deep dive" (none / 0) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 03:04:45 PM EST
    Into the number of racists in the Republican Party.

    One of these days.

    Parent

    Steve Kornacki (none / 0) (#7)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 03:57:07 PM EST
    is right up there with Chuck Todd.  Hard for me to take his rolled-up sleeve frenetic polling spiels. When substituting for someone, the channel gets changed for something..anything, even Chip and Joanna's latest shiplap renovation.

    Parent
    Todd is the (none / 0) (#8)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Jul 29, 2019 at 04:03:01 PM EST
    most vacuous host ever. I've never watched enough minutes of his show to even have seen Kornacki.

    Parent
    But Steve has found a bone (none / 0) (#9)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 06:18:08 AM EST
    Maybe, just maybe, (none / 0) (#13)
    by KeysDan on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 08:21:05 AM EST
    this voting history oeuvre will earn Steve a raise so as to permit the addition of a second neck tie to his wardrobe. Although, some viewers may miss the perennial blue/white striped  number......part of an ensemble to observe until the camera moves on.

    Parent
    Not only that, Cap'n, but ... (none / 0) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 01:32:59 PM EST
    ... African Americans account for 25% of the Democratic primary electorate. Further, did you also know that one-quarter of all Democrats who go to the polls on primary election day are black?

    ;-D

    Parent

    I have decided to support (none / 0) (#21)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 12:33:37 PM EST
    the first Democrat who promises to pressure her/his AG to indict trumpenfuhrer and hopefully is whole clan. Throw Baron in jail with them so he won't be lonely.


    I guess humor has left the building. (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 04:27:09 PM EST
    Sarcasm is a thing.

    Parent
    The thing about humor is ... (none / 0) (#33)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 06:56:39 PM EST
    ... that the audience has to think it's actually funny. You know, I do get the sarcasm thing. But while Mr. and Mrs. Trump are certainly fair game as the butt of jokes, their 14-year-old son is not. Better for us to just refrain instead from any mention of him at all.

    Parent
    Let's please leave Baron Trump out of this. (none / 0) (#23)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 02:21:31 PM EST
    Having been 14 years old myself, I can only imagine how mortified he must feel while watching his family's schittshow play out on a national stage. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he first learned of his mother's foray into soft-core p0rn through the media. And listening to his father's abusive talk, I've no doubt that he probably behaves similarly toward his own family members. Young Baron's the one Trump family member for whom I have some empathy.

    Back in 1994, I was organizing a fundraiser for a local Democratic candidate, and the very wealthy owner of a mansion on Kahala Ave. in Honolulu offered the use of his gorgeous oceanside estate for the event, which we accepted. While setting up on the day of fundraiser, I had a ringside seat to the verbal and emotional torment his two young sons (who looked to be 10 and 13 years of age) suffered at the hands of their father.

    I mean, this guy was absolutely horrible to them, cussing them out with a string of four-letter expletives, and at one point throwing a small potted plant at his eldest. It was truly cringe-worthy to watch. From the defeated looks in the boys' eyes, it was pretty apparent to me that this was likely a daily occurrence for them. To this day, my one regret was that I never reported what I saw and turn that monster in to Child and Family Services. Being a member of a well-moneyed family is no shield from the damage suffered from lousy, abusive and / or neglectful parenting.

    In such instances, I'm reminded of a book about Anderson Cooper's recently deceased mother Gloria Vanderbilt, "Little Gloria ... Happy at Last," which chronicles the late heiress's rather harrowing upbringing at the hands of a spoiled alcoholic father (who drank himself into an early grave), an immature and self-indulgent mother and finally, an emotionally detached aunt who publicly called out Gloria's mother as an unfit parent and successfully sued her for custody of the child in a made-for-tabloids court trial which played out in the sensationalist U.S. media. Frankly, I'm rather surprised Ms. Vanderbilt turned out as well as she did.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Yes, kids have enough (none / 0) (#25)
    by jondee on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 02:37:16 PM EST
    to deal with in this world without being blamed for everything their idiotic parents do.

    Parent
    I seriously (none / 0) (#26)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 02:47:39 PM EST
    doubt he is mortified simply because this is normal behavior to him. However I agree that he didn't choose his parents and should be left out of the conversation.

    Parent
    I really hate to think that it's his ... (none / 0) (#34)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 07:03:07 PM EST
    ... zone of normal, but you're probably more right than not. Sheltered children often don't know any better because they have no real-world experience by which they can measure and assess their own situation.

    Parent
    Meet (none / 0) (#31)
    by FlJoe on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 05:26:12 PM EST
    the old racists, same as the new racists
    The day after the United Nations voted to recognize the People's Republic of China, then-California Governor Ronald Reagan phoned President Richard Nixon at the White House and vented his frustration at the delegates who had sided against the United States. "Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did," Reagan said. "Yeah," Nixon interjected. Reagan forged ahead with his complaint: "To see those, those monkeys from those African countries--damn them, they're still uncomfortable wearing shoes!" Nixon gave a huge laugh.
    They have been priming the racial pump for a long time, they hit a gusher with tRump.

    The only (5.00 / 2) (#32)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Jul 30, 2019 at 05:46:42 PM EST
    good thing that probably is going to come out of 4 years of Trump is the fact that he has exposed the GOP for all to see. No longer can they hide.

    Parent