Updated December 3rd, 2020 at 13:10 IST
Barack Obama criticises use of 'defund the police' slogan, faces backlash from Democrats
Barack Obama criticised the fellow Democrats members for using ‘snappy’ slogans such as “defund the police” but faced a backlash from the party members.
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Former US President Barack Obama criticised the fellow Democrats members for using ‘snappy’ slogans such as “defund the police” but faced a backlash from the party members who say “it’s not a slogan”. In a recent interview released this week, Obama opined that using slogans such as ‘defund the police’ can turn voters away and it reduces the possibility of carrying out a change. However, soon after the Snapchat political show, Good Luck America was released, it drew immediate criticism from Black progressive Democrats including Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Kentucky state representative Charles Booker.
“You lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done,” said Barack Obama in the show.
“The key is deciding, do you want to actually get something done, or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with?” he added.
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‘We lose people’ to police
Even though Obama defended the young progressives as significant “new blood” in the party and singled out Omar, the congresswoman who has spoken publically on the essence of the phrase being the boost to social spending criticised the former US President on Twitter. Meanwhile, Kentucky state representative said that Breonna Taylor did not die because of a ‘slogan’. The black Louisville woman was shot dead in her own apartment by the police officers in March during a botched raid.
We didn’t lose Breonna because of a slogan.
— Charles Booker (@Booker4KY)
Instead of conceding this narrative, let’s shape our own. It’s time we listen to the people, organize and build coalitions around our own message, and cast a vision that inspires us all to lead for change at the ballot box and beyond. https://t.co/mBg7wanaR6
We lose people in the hands of police. It’s not a slogan but a policy demand. And centering the demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country gets us progress and safety. https://t.co/Vu6inw4ms7
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN)
Even Cori Bush, who made history by becoming the first Black woman to be elected to Missouri in Congress lashed out at Obama and wrote on Twitter, "With all due respect, Mr President—let’s talk about losing people. We lost Michael Brown Jr. We lost Breonna Taylor. We’re losing our loved ones to police violence. It’s not a slogan. It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive. Defund the police."
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Published December 3rd, 2020 at 13:12 IST