Cliven Bundy spent the better part of yesterday trying to claim that despite musing whether blacks were actually better off as slaves, he wasn’t really a racist. In the process, though, the rogue Nevada rancher eliminated any doubt that he’s a loud and proud, stone-cold racist knuckledragger.
Bundy spent the early part of the day making the rounds of the right-wing radio fringe. First, on Alex Jones’ show, Bundy denied ever saying that many blacks never learned what it takes to make it in society because “they never learned how to pick cotton.” He also demanded–presumably with a straight face – that The New York Times retract its piece detailing his comments. This after video surfaced which corroborated and confirmed the Old Grey Lady’s reporting.
But in a later appearance with Peter Schiff, Bundy made statements that dovetailed almost word-for-word what was captured the day before. When Schiff asked him to clarify his statement, Bundy replied, “I’m wondering: Are they happier now under this government subsidy system than they were when they were when they were slaves and they was able to their family structure together and the chickens and the garden and the people have something to do?” And just in case there was any doubt, he added. “The statement was right. I am wondering.”
By the time of his press conference yesterday afternoon, it didn’t look like Bundy was even trying anymore. He simply said that he was “a-wondering” whether blacks were better off during the days of slavery. He then said it was actually a valid question to ask since when blacks were slaves, “their men [had] something to do” and they were “happier at home, with their gardens and their chickens.”
This sounds like a classic case of the damage control – if it can be called that – actually doing as much or more damage as?the original incident.
Edited/Published by: WG
