NYS Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. , SD 32.
What You Should Know: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Joseph Biden: What’s the Difference?
By Senator Rev Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District
You should know that lately all political guns, political commentaries, radio and television pundits have all set their sights on the person, Donald Trump, a real estate mogul and billionaire, who is a Presidential candidate in our nation.
You should know that in the history of American politics, never has any candidate received more free publicity than Mr. Donald Trump. This has come about because of part of a statement that he made where he criticized the Mexican government authorities for allowing criminals, drug dealers and rapists into the United States.
For the record, here are Donald Trump’s exact words from that speech:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you (pointing to the audience). They’re not sending you (pointing again). They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people! But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people.”
These words have caused an avalanche of criticism, starting with Univision, the Spanish-language television station that used to broadcast Donald Trump’s Miss USA Pageant. Univision literally cancelled Donald Trump’s contract because of Donald Trump’s comments about Mexico. This has caused Donald Trump to file a lawsuit for $500 million dollars against Univision for a breach of contract. Can you imagine what will happen if Donald Trump wins the lawsuit?
Macy’s chain of department stores have also broken their business relationship with Donald Trump and have discontinued the Trump Menswear collection of clothing, also citing to his comments about Mexico.
This chain of attacks, with the help of the media, its commentators and even comedians, have made Donald Trump the topic of the moment, calling him all kinds of names and epithets, making fun of his hair and his life.
The free media publicity escalated when Donald Trump criticized US Senator John McCain. What many people may not realize is that John McCain first insulted Donald Trump and millions of Americans who follow Donald Trump by stating: “… what he did was he fired up the crazies” – meaning that all of those millions of Americans who are following Donald Trump are crazy. McCain got away with his insult, but when Donald Trump responded to the insult by saying that John McCain was not a hero, the media beat up Donald Trump.
There is no moment in the day when you can turn on your television or radio without hearing Donald Trump’s name. The attention the billionaire has received – not having to spend even one penny out of his pocket – has let him jump to the front of the pack of candidates for the Presidency of the United States.
I want you to know that Donald Trump has not been the only public figure who has offended a large community of people. In my humble opinion, others have said even worse and have not received the punishment, criticism and mockery that Donald Trump has received.
Know, my dear reader, that in 2007, former US Senator Barack Obama, who represented the State of Illinois decided to throw his hat into the ring to run for President against Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was then US Senator for the State of New York and is the wife of former President Bill Clinton.
At that time, there were many prominent individuals who tried hard to make a mockery of Barack Obama and the African American community. The first offender was our current Vice President Joseph Biden. At that time, while Joseph Biden was serving as US Senator for the State of Delaware, he stated that then-Senator Barack Obama was the “first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”
Could you imagine, my dear reader, that Barack Obama is the first African American who is articulate, bright and clean and nice-looking?
Think about how with those words and how Joseph Biden effectively insulted, disrespected and made a mockery out of every other member of the entire African-American community in the nation. He completely ignored and disregarded the many intellectual and distinguished African Americans who contributed to this country’s greatness long before Barack Obama’s arrival on the political scene. Joseph Biden’s condescending remarks in 2007 about this African American man as an exception as “articulate” “bright” “clean” and “a nice looking guy” have been recorded as part of American history.
In 2008, there were also comments made by Ex-President Bill Clinton when he was frustrated with Barack Obama’s poll numbers against Bill Clinton’s wife, Hillary. Bill Clinton went to the late US Senator Ted Kennedy for his wife’s endorsement and to beg Kennedy not to endorse Obama and to endorse Hillary Clinton. According to various news outlet, former news giant, the late Tim Russert repeated the following words that Bill Clinton said to Ted Kennedy about Barack Obama: “A few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags.” Bill Clinton is also quoted in the book ”Game Change” by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin as saying: “A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.”
To me, it is appalling that none of these insults, derogatory remarks and attempts to make a mockery out of Barack Obama and the African American community never reached the level of criticism and condemnation that Donald Trump is receiving for his comment.
On the contrary, they all got rewarded, and one example of this is that Joseph Biden became the Vice President of the United States under Obama.
It is well-known that I have always criticized the double standards that exist: some people are damned while others get a spank on their hands.
My question is: why is that the Republicans get so much criticism and the Democrats get away with it? When we look at the words of Joseph Biden and Bill Clinton – and then the words of Donald Trump, to me, I see no difference.
Ladies and gentlemen, we might not agree with Donald Trump or like what he says, but one thing that we all do have to agree upon is that the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America guarantees us all the right to freedom of speech. We cannot support this First Amendment Right for some and curtail it for others.
I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.
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