During an interview with MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace on Thursday, Belcher expressed his agreement with the criticisms directed at Sanders. He went on to delve into what he believed was a racist dog whistle inherent in Sanders’ comments.
Belcher, who hails from the South and has worked on Barack Obama’s campaigns, pointed out the use of the word ‘humble’ by a southern governor as triggering racial undertones. He explained, “It stinks of a racial trope that I think I’m very familiar with, with the key word being ‘humble’.”
He further elaborated, “It’s always been about ‘you uppity Blacks’ and ‘you got to know your roots.’ It’s a dimension that I think they’re leaning into constantly, portraying Vice President Harris as an ‘uppity Black who doesn’t know her place and needs to be humble.’ That’s how I connect the dots on this.”
Belcher emphasized the significance of understanding the context of racial aversion and aggrievement politics in this situation. He described the use of language as a historical dog whistle, perpetuating the stereotype of Black individuals not being humble and not knowing their place.
Wallace concurred, labeling it as “the through line” of Sanders’ discourse.
