Racist comments
Mitch McConnell distinguishes “African Americans” from “Americans” – and triggers a storm of outrage
The leader of the Republicans in the US Senate: Mitch McConnell
© Chip Somodevilla/AFP
Republican Mitch McConnell is known for his provocative statements. But now he has crossed a red line for many with a perceived distinction between two kinds of “Americans.”
The outrage in the US is great. After Republicans in the US Senate thwarted the Biden administration’s electoral reforms, the Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell was asked by journalists for comment on Wednesday evening. He should send a message to those voters who are now concerned that the restrictions imposed in many states will keep them away from the ballot box in the future.
In response, McConnell said, “The concern is misplaced because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting at an equal percentage to American voters.”
In fact, however, studies showthat the voting restrictions introduced by Republicans disproportionately target black voters and minorities. However, McConnell’s alleged distinction between two groups of “Americans” caused an even bigger outcry.
Democrats outraged by Mitch McConnell’s statements
Bobby Rush, a Democratic representative from Illinois, offered his criticism on twitter in three words to the point: “African Americans ARE Americans. #MitchPlease”. Colorado party colleague Diana DeGette went a step further, calling McConnell’s comment “disgusting.” “African American voters ARE AMERICAN and to suggest otherwise is as racist as it gets,” the Democrat tweeted.
Former Senator Charles Booker from McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, who is now running for the US Senate against Republican Rand Paul, also found clear words: “I’m no less American than Mitch McConnell”, he wrote on Twitter. “You have to understand that this is Mitch McConnell. Being black doesn’t make you any less of an American, no matter what that cowardly man thinks.”
For Malcolm Kenyatta, Democratic nominee for the Pennsylvania Senate, McConnell’s words were not a mere slip but rather an exact reflection of partisan attitudes towards black voters. “Mitch McConnell’s comments that African Americans weren’t fully American wasn’t a Freudian slip — it was an alarm bell. The same one he’s been ringing for years,” tweeted Kenyatta.
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Biden fails with electoral reform
Voting law changes are a hot topic in the United States. In the past year alone, Republicans have passed corresponding restrictions in a total of 19 US states. Their argument is to set limits to the supposedly widespread electoral fraud.
The Democrats, on the other hand, accuse the Republicans of making voting more difficult, particularly to the detriment of minorities, and thus influencing the outcome of the election in their favour. Because when the hurdles to voting are higher, blacks and members of other minorities in particular often stay at home in the USA – those sections of the population who are often more likely to vote for Democrats.
In contrast to the Republicans, the Biden administration wants to make voting easier with electoral reform. Among other things, the draft law provides for secure access to postal voting and includes stricter regulations for the reorganization of electoral districts and campaign financing. The Democrats failed with this project on Wednesday evening; as expected, the Republicans blocked the project in the Senate. An attempt by the Democrats to circumvent the blockade by changing the procedural rules failed because of two senators from their own ranks.
“I am deeply disappointed that the Senate has failed to stand up for our democracy,” US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter afterwards. Nevertheless, he does not want to give up the fight just yet and will continue to push the laws and procedural changes to protect the right to vote. “We haven’t run out of options yet,” Biden promised.
Sources: “USAToday“, “Guardians“, “Brennan Center of Justice“, with DPA material