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Cenk on the heated Piers Morgan/Larry Elder interview about Rachel Jeantel
From the July 18 Young Turks:
"Piers Morgan clearly has no qualms about inviting people on his show who fiercely disagree with him or even attack him personally, and tonight's opening interview with radio host Larry Elder did not disappoint. Elder told Morgan his interview with George Zimmerman trial witness Rachel Jeantel was horrendous and "condescending," and even told Morgan that he was being "stupid" for his assessment of Jeantel's character." (Mediaite)
Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
Video of the full interview is here:
Transcript is here. The exchanges highlighted by Cenk:
MORGAN: Let's get back to my interview with Rachel Jeantel because you tweeted some ridiculous things. You tweeted at one stage, would I like Rachel Jeantel to fly my plane? Why would you say that?
ELDER: I'll tell you why I said that, Piers. I'll tell you why I said that because after you interviewed her you condescendingly went on television the next morning and called her one smart cookie. Bull. Why don't you hire her as a nanny? Let's see how smart she is. It's a condescending kind of thing that a lot of white people say --
MORGAN: Do you think she's stupid, Larry?
ELDER: -- to black people. I think you're stupid for saying that kind of thing to try to get black people against --
MORGAN: That wasn't my question.
ELDER: Race and racism is the --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Do you think Rachel Jeantel --
ELDER: When it doesn't.
MORGAN: Do you think she's stupid, Larry?
ELDER: Racism is not a major problem in America anymore, Piers. Racism is not a major problem in America anymore. The number one problem facing black people are the large number of black people born outside of wedlock, 75 percent. In 1960, 5 percent of all people in this country were born outside of wedlock. Fast forward, Piers, the number now is 43 percent.
ELDER: I'll tell you why I said that, Piers. I'll tell you why I said that because after you interviewed her you condescendingly went on television the next morning and called her one smart cookie. Bull. Why don't you hire her as a nanny? Let's see how smart she is. It's a condescending kind of thing that a lot of white people say --
MORGAN: Do you think she's stupid, Larry?
ELDER: -- to black people. I think you're stupid for saying that kind of thing to try to get black people against --
MORGAN: That wasn't my question.
ELDER: Race and racism is the --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Do you think Rachel Jeantel --
ELDER: When it doesn't.
MORGAN: Do you think she's stupid, Larry?
ELDER: Racism is not a major problem in America anymore, Piers. Racism is not a major problem in America anymore. The number one problem facing black people are the large number of black people born outside of wedlock, 75 percent. In 1960, 5 percent of all people in this country were born outside of wedlock. Fast forward, Piers, the number now is 43 percent.
MORGAN: Thank you, Larry. Just out of interest, how many languages do you speak?
ELDER: I don't speak Ebonics as well as Rachel, if that's what you mean.
MORGAN: No, how many languages do you speak, was the question.
ELDER: And the relevance of that is what?
MORGAN: You don't think she's a smart cookie. She speaks three languages fluently, how many do you speak?
ELDER: Oh, really? You think she's a smart cookie.
MORGAN: Yes.
ELDER: So you want to bring it back to Rachel. That's not what we're talking about here.
MORGAN: I think you're being -- I want to bring it back to Rachel because she was why I booked you, Larry.
ELDER: How you treated black people like children to whom the truth cannot be told. Rachel Jeantel needs to get her act together. If my mother were alive she would say, how dare she speak like that?
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Do you know her educational background, Larry?
ELDER: I know how she presented herself on the jury.
MORGAN: Larry, do you know her educational background or not?
ELDER: People evaluate you the way -- based on the way you express yourself.
MORGAN: Larry, do you know her educational background.
ELDER: No, I don't.
MORGAN: This woman -- this young 19-year-old black woman that you are eviscerating for her lack of intelligence, do you have any idea about her background?
ELDER: Why don't you hire her if she's so sharp as a co-host, Piers?
MORGAN: No, no. That wasn't the question, Larry.
ELDER: If she's one smart cookie, why don't you hire her as a co- host?
MORGAN: Do you know her educational background? Yes or no?
ELDER: I know she came across on the jury. That's all I need to know.
MORGAN: That wasn't my question, Larry. Do you know anything --
ELDER: Why are we even talking about this?
MORGAN: Because actually I think it's relevant.
ELDER: Let's talk about something --
MORGAN: Let me --
ELDER: Let's talk about something --
MORGAN: Let me enlighten you, Larry. I want you to talk about Rachel Jeantel.
ELDER: I don't speak Ebonics as well as Rachel, if that's what you mean.
MORGAN: No, how many languages do you speak, was the question.
ELDER: And the relevance of that is what?
MORGAN: You don't think she's a smart cookie. She speaks three languages fluently, how many do you speak?
ELDER: Oh, really? You think she's a smart cookie.
MORGAN: Yes.
ELDER: So you want to bring it back to Rachel. That's not what we're talking about here.
MORGAN: I think you're being -- I want to bring it back to Rachel because she was why I booked you, Larry.
ELDER: How you treated black people like children to whom the truth cannot be told. Rachel Jeantel needs to get her act together. If my mother were alive she would say, how dare she speak like that?
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Do you know her educational background, Larry?
ELDER: I know how she presented herself on the jury.
MORGAN: Larry, do you know her educational background or not?
ELDER: People evaluate you the way -- based on the way you express yourself.
MORGAN: Larry, do you know her educational background.
ELDER: No, I don't.
MORGAN: This woman -- this young 19-year-old black woman that you are eviscerating for her lack of intelligence, do you have any idea about her background?
ELDER: Why don't you hire her if she's so sharp as a co-host, Piers?
MORGAN: No, no. That wasn't the question, Larry.
ELDER: If she's one smart cookie, why don't you hire her as a co- host?
MORGAN: Do you know her educational background? Yes or no?
ELDER: I know she came across on the jury. That's all I need to know.
MORGAN: That wasn't my question, Larry. Do you know anything --
ELDER: Why are we even talking about this?
MORGAN: Because actually I think it's relevant.
ELDER: Let's talk about something --
MORGAN: Let me --
ELDER: Let's talk about something --
MORGAN: Let me enlighten you, Larry. I want you to talk about Rachel Jeantel.
Elder also said to Morgan about Jeantel: " Instead of saying young lady, take this as an opportunity to take stock of your life. You're treating her like she was a victim. "
And then: "Come down to South Central sometime. See what's going on down there. They're not worried about George Zimmerman, they're not worried about Mark Furman, they're worrying about the thug down the street coming from a single parent household and that situation had been created by the left-wing people like you who feel sorry for people and therefore you want government to take care of them."
Wow. He's got this whole blame the welfare state game down! Elder even said: " I think that I would rather have a George Zimmerman living in my neighborhood and maybe if George Zimmerman was living my neighborhood we'd have a few fewer Ariel Castros. I thought we wanted people to be proactive." He's also essentially repeating this right wing talking point that other black people are more threatening to the black community and the USA in general rather than racist white people.
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