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Politics Chatboard

A "presidential response"

by Bob R/CA

Aug 15, 2017

There's been a lot of criticism of Trump's response to the violence at Charlottesville.

Trump initially failed to condemn the white nationalists, essentially saying it was just a matter of conflicting ideas.

Tow days and 48 hours of intensely critical news coverage and criticism from across the political spectrum, he finally, begrudgingly, made a second announcement, attempting to correct the perception he had no concern over the violent hate movement or its victims. But it was so stiff he actually looked physically distorted, as he read the teleprompter, like it was a hostage video.

And he failed to mention the murder victim by name. He insisted that this was just a restatement ("As I said before..."). And his statement began with a commercial for his campaign, bragging about the economy and jobs. After he finished speaking, a reporter asked him to condemn the movement, and he indignantly said, "They have been condemned. They have been condemned." As if he ...See MoreThere's been a lot of criticism of Trump's response to the violence at Charlottesville.

Trump initially failed to condemn the white nationalists, essentially saying it was just a matter of conflicting ideas.

Tow days and 48 hours of intensely critical news coverage and criticism from across the political spectrum, he finally, begrudgingly, made a second announcement, attempting to correct the perception he had no concern over the violent hate movement or its victims. But it was so stiff he actually looked physically distorted, as he read the teleprompter, like it was a hostage video.

And he failed to mention the murder victim by name. He insisted that this was just a restatement ("As I said before..."). And his statement began with a commercial for his campaign, bragging about the economy and jobs. After he finished speaking, a reporter asked him to condemn the movement, and he indignantly said, "They have been condemned. They have been condemned." As if he had "checked the box" and he had done all that needed to be done.

What do you think a true leader would have done differently, besides coming out earlier and making the right statements, striking the right empathy? Trump stated the justice department would be investigating punishing the killing as a federal matter. But to me that still felt as if it was simply checking a box, and done strictly because his advisors knew something more was required to address the criticism.

I think if Obama was president, a true leader would have responded something like this:

* a complete denunciation of the white nationalists, stating unequivocally their movement was un-American, and violated everything this country stood for.

* a call for the anti-nationalists to disband - to ignore the bait, that the voices of hate relied on their audience to amplify and recruit, and throw blame for the carnage in their wake.

* that the federal government would investigate these hate groups under federal statutes, as terrorists who planned and organized across state lines to spread violence and violate civil rights

* put together a council designed to study the problem of these modern hate groups, their utilization of tools like the Internet, and the problem of these divisive symbols of the rebellion and racism, and their place in the public square.

What else could and should be done? The white nationalists are supercharged right now, and view this weekend as a huge victory.

This is just the beginning....

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