Biden’s “Record Player” Moment In Response To Slavery Question Stirs Outrage

Among Joe Biden’s innumerable bizarre and gaffe-filled moments on the campaign trail, this was perhaps the most bizarre and rambling response to a point blank question — some say disqualifying.

A clip of the Democratic frontrunner’s answer in last night’s third Democratic primary debate where the former Vice President was asked to address the legacy of slavery is going viral. He began by rambling somewhat incoherently about poor schools, parents, social workers and even gave advice to put on the “record player”.

As Time editor Anand Giridharadas observed, “It ended in a sermon implying that black parents don’t know how to raise their own children. This cannot go on.” 

Joe Biden’s answer on how to address the legacy of slavery was appalling — and disqualifying.

It ended in a sermon implying that black parents don’t know how to raise their own children.

This cannot go on.#DemDebate pic.twitter.com/WuI4b8n5Yz

— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) September 13, 2019

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Giridharadas further asked, “Is this not one of the most explicitly racist moments of all time in a Democratic primary debate?”

Moderator Lindsay Davis began by referencing comments Biden made “some 40 years ago”. She said:

In a conversation about how to deal with segregation in schools back in 1975, you told a reporter, ‘I don’t feel responsible for the sins of my father and grandfather, I feel responsible for what the situation is today for sins of my own generation and I’ll be damned if I feel responsible to pay for what happened 300 years ago.’

“But as you stand here tonight, what responsibility do you think Americans need to take to repair the legacy of slavery in our country?” she asked the candidate.

“Look, there is institutional segregation in this country and from the time I got involved, I started dealing with that,” Biden responded. “When you talk about education, I propose that what we take is those very poor schools, the title one schools, triple the amount of money we spend from $15 to $45 billion a year, give every single teacher a raise to get out of the $60,000 level.”

Biden’s answer to the question of what should be done to address the original sin of slavery was an absolute incoherent mess. As alarming as anything we’ve seen from him yet.

“Record players”? Seriously? pic.twitter.com/sbYch1CfGX

— Justin Kanew (@Kanew) September 13, 2019

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“I’m married to a teacher. My deceased wife is a teacher,” Biden went on. “They have every problem coming to them. We gotta make sure that every single child does in fact have three, four and five year olds go to schools, not daycare, school. We bring social workers into homes to help them deal with how to raise children. It’s not just that they don’t want to help, they don’t quite know what to do.”

“Play the radio, make sure the television — excuse me, make sure you have the record player on at night,” he added.

JOE SAYS LEAVE THE RECORD PLAYER ON FOR THE KIDS

— Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) September 13, 2019

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At this point the moderator interrupted “Thank you,” to mark the end of his speaking time.

When asked about how America should deal with the legacy of slavery, Joe Biden says kids needs psychiatrists and their parents should play them records at night.

This is a mind and a career that is over, and only he doesn’t know.#DemDebate

— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) September 13, 2019

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However, Biden decided he would keep going, and then pivoted to Venezuela while still struggling to form a coherent answer to the original question on slavery.

“How do you deal with the legacy of slavery in america”

Biden: “Get the parents to put on the radio” https://t.co/yI2WVSrVvX

— Channel Beige (@_pottsy98) September 13, 2019

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“Here’s the deal. The deal is we’ve got this a little backwards and by the way, in Venezuela… we should be allowing people to come here from Venezuela,” he said. “I know Madura. I confronted Madura. Number two, you talk about the need to do something in Latin America. I’m the guy that came up with $740 million to see to it those three countries in fact change their system so people don’t have a chance to leave. You’re all acting like we just discovered this yesterday.”