Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On CNN's New Day Saturday, co-host Victor Blackwell devoted a segment to lamenting the absence of competitive minority candidates on the Democratic side in the presidential race, and the possibility that only white candidates will qualify for the next debate. He even allowed a liberal guest to blame President Donald Trump for Democrats being hesitant to vote for a candidate who is not a white male.
At 7:27 a.m. Eastern, Blackwell recalled that California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris recently dropped out of the presidential race as the CNN host fretted about the implications:
VICTOR BLACKWELL: The stage at the next Democratic presidential debate may look radically different than the actual party and the rest of the field. Senator Kamala Harris's exit from the race this week means that the debate on December 19 could include only white candidates in the December debate thus far based on who has qualified...
After naming the six candidates who so far look like they will qualify for the next debate, based partly on polling, he introduced his guest and began by posing: "So let's start here with this debate … Most diverse field in the history of the process to potentially an all-white debate stage. Is this a reflection of the party process, the candidates, the electorate? What do you think?"
Phillips blamed President Trump for Democrats rejecting minority candidates:
STEVE PHILLIPS, AUTHOR: It's a response to the election of the President who has gotten into power by fanning the flames of white racial resentment, and people are drawing an incorrect conclusion that the way to beat this President is to actually get a white guy to go after him. And so that notion is very widespread and pervasive. And so it really effects to the negative way that the candidates of color and the perception that a candidate of color is viable. And that's really what Kamala Harris ran into and what Corey booker and Julian Castro are facing.
As he followed up, Blackwell cited polling finding that Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are the two top choices even among minority Democratic voters, and then posed: "More than 60 percent of Democrats support either former Vice President Joe Biden, 39 percent; 22 percent for Senator Sanders. Has he done something? Or is this -- as you just said -- the narrative that you need a white guy to beat another white guy?"
Phillips alleged that Hillary Clinton was the most qualified candidate for President ever and complained about her being defeated by Trump as he responded:
PHILLIPS: That's the dominant narrative of Democratic politics right now. I mean, it's not entirely illogical when you put forward in 2016 probably the most qualified person to ever run for President in terms of Hillary Clinton against what was demonstrably least experienced person ever to be President, and white people chose that white guy over the female candidate, so there's a lot of fear and trepidation, and so the conclusion has been that, "Well, then, we need to get our own white guy if we actually want to win the White House.
It was not pointed out the argument that, in places where Republicans have nominated candidates who are minorities, nearly all the same white voters support the Republican nominee in the election.as when the candidates have been white.
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the December 7 New Day Saturday on CNN:
VICTOR BLACKWELL: The stage at the next Democratic presidential debate may look radically different than the actual party and the rest of the field. Senator Kamala Harris's exit from the race this week means that the debate on December 19 could include only white candidates in the December debate thus far based on who has qualified, including former Vice President Joe Biden; Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar; South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and businessman Tom Steyer.
Let's talk about this. Joining me now, Steve Phillips, founder of Democracy in Color and author of the New York Times bestseller, Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority. He's also host of the Democracy in Color podcast. … So let's start here with this debate, and then I'm going to get to some other issues of race in the party. Most diverse field in the history of the process to potentially an all-white debate stage. Is this a reflection of the party process, the candidates, the electorate? What do you think?
STEVE PHILLIPS, AUTHOR: It's a response to the election of the President who has gotten into power by fanning the flames of white racial resentment, and people are drawing an incorrect conclusion that the way to beat this President is to actually get a white guy to go after him. And so that notion is very widespread and pervasive. And so it really effects to the negative way that the candidates of color and the perception that a candidate of color is viable. And that's really what Kamala Harris ran into and what Corey Booker and Julian Castro are facing.
BLACKWELL: You know what's interesting is that one of the narratives of the 2016 primary was the difficulty that Senator Sanders had with resonating with black voters. When we look at the latest national poll from CNN, it shows that more than 60 percent -- let's put it up -- more than 60 percent of Democrats support either former Vice President Joe Biden, 39 percent; 22 percent for Senator Sanders. Has he done something? Or is this -- as you just said -- the narrative that you need a white guy to beat another white guy?
PHILLIPS: That's the dominant narrative of Democratic politics right now. I mean, it's not entirely illogical when you put forward in 2016 probably the most qualified person to ever run for President in terms of Hillary Clinton against what was demonstrably the least experienced person ever to be President, and white people chose that white guy over the female candidate, so there's a lot of fear and trepidation, and so the conclusion has been that, "Well, then, we need to get our own white guy if we actually want to win the White House."...