Participating as a guest in MSNBC’s “The View” The Sunday ShowMichael Beschloss of NBC News, a presidential historian, said that Glenn Youngkin (Virginia Republican governor) “played race to get elected” and “perfectly happy “to connect with Virginia’s horrendous, violent, unsavory history. This includes decades of slavery, white supremacy, politics.
Jonathan Capehart (left-wing host) heard Beschloss repeat Beschloss’s liberal and race-baiting commentary at the symposium. That would be a great thing.
He was a liberal historian and he accepted:
Jonathan, Jonathan! It was said at another historic moment decades ago. Glenn Youngkin, a Virginian who played the race cards, did so starting from the bottom.That would be a statement in every state of the Union, as you all know. In Virginia, it is particularly relevant. Virginia has had a long and glorious history, as both of you know. — James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were both flawed leaders. However, they all showed a deep commitment to democratic principles.
Beschloss continued to delve into Youngkin:
We are here now also Glenn Youngkin seemed perfectly content to share Virginia’s terrible, violent and ugly past, which includes centuries of slavery and white supremacy politics.On the eve the Civil War began, which Union state had the highest number of slaves in the country? Virginia, with half a billion people living in 1861.
Then he tied the knot with Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
All I am saying is, anyone running for or operating politically in Virginia has a responsibility to respect that history and to not attempt to revive it. This brings us back to Republican politics: Richard Nixon talking to law and order and Ronald Reagan discussing welfare queensGlenn Youngkin was just as famous as Tony Morrison talking about Tony Morrison. Tony Morrison is a well-respected, justifiably African woman who won the Nobel Prize. BelovedI don’t think he has ever seen it. He’d use that information to not only send a whistle but also an air horn for white supremacy-believers.
The NBC News historian didn’t mention Nixon’s Democratic opponent in 1968, Hubert Humphrey. He also called for law and order.
Capehart then switched to playing the well-known clip of James Carville, veteran Democratic strategist and complaining about “woke” left. Zerlina Maxwell (a liberal MSNBC contributor) defended wakefulness, saying that it simply means not being a “jerk”. Beschloss worried that Democrats allow conservatives to stigmatize waking. Here’s Beschloss:
But It is an awful mistake for Democrats and Progressives to permit conservatives to make the term “woke” into an epithet to use against them.As an example, let’s take Virginia. To be “woke” you must have a deep respect for America’s ugly history. And then, it should also mean trying to ensure that this never happens again. It is not appropriate to use “Woke,” as an epithet, in order to stop this happening.
This is the episode The Sunday ShowFidelity partially funded the project. You can find their contact information here.
The following is a transcription:
The Sunday Show
November 7, 2021
11.03 am
JONATHAN CAPEHART: And you had a very bracing assessment of the role of whiteness — of white — and white grievance in the Virginia election. It would be great if you could do that again.
MICHAEL BESCHLOSS PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN MSNBC: Jonathan, it’s possible. This was a statement that was made decades ago in another historical time. Glenn Youngkin, a Virginian who played the race cards, did so starting from the bottom.That would be a statement in every state of the Union, as you all know. In Virginia, it is particularly relevant. Virginia has had a long and glorious history, as both of you know. — James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were flawed leaders, but they had a strong commitment to democracy principles in each case.
We are here now also Glenn Youngkin seemed perfectly content to share Virginia’s terrible, violent and ugly past, which includes centuries of slavery, white supremacy politics, and other nefarious acts.On the eve the Civil War began, which Union state had the highest number of slaves in the country? Virginia, with half a billion people living in 1861.
All I am saying is, anyone running for or operating politically in Virginia has a responsibility to respect that history and to not attempt to revive it. This is a connection to Republican politics, back to Ronald Reagan speaking about welfare queens, and Richard Nixon discussing law and order.Glenn Youngkin was just as famous as Tony Morrison talking about Tony Morrison. Tony Morrison is a well-respected, justifiably African woman who won the Nobel Prize. Be lovedI don’t think he has ever seen it. He’s using the book to sound an air horn, not as a dog whistle but to signal white supremacy to those who aren’t convinced.
CAPEHART
(…)
ZERLINA MAXWELL – MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR It’s all that — “woke” means, I think, “awake”. I also mean it doesn’t refer to being an idiot.
(…)
BESCHLOSS It is an awful mistake for Democrats and Progressives to permit conservatives to make the term “woke” into an epithet to use against them.As an example, let’s take Virginia. To be “woke” you must have a deep respect for America’s ugly history. And then, it should also mean trying to ensure that this never happens again. It is not appropriate to use “Woke,” as an epithet, in order to stop this happening.
CAPEHART: Hmm. Zerlina was the one who put it all together. It was once “woken” which meant “aware.” It can also be translated as “aware”.
BESCHLOSS – That is absolutely right.
About Post Author
