I’ve lived in Virginia for a while, so I’m pretty familiar with all of our local-state politicians. Virginia breeds a weird type of Republican and a lovely type of Democrat. Most of our Democratic governors end up being middle-of-the-road centrists (Mark Warner, Tim Kaine) who come across like decent-but-boring guys for the most part. The Republicans are something else though – our last Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, was known mainly for two things. One was the well-deserved nickname of Governor Ultrasound, because he wanted to force transvaginal ultrasounds on every woman seeking an abortion. The other was his general sleaziness and corruption, which led to him being charged with about a dozen counts of public corruption (most of the charges were later dropped).
During McDonnell’s tenure, he was pretty close to his attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli was like McDonnell, only somehow creepier and sleazier. He ran for governor in 2013 and lost to our current governor, Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat. Cuccinelli has always been exactly this kind of “George Wallace In A Better Suit” Republican. And this morning, Ken Cuccinelli decided to go on CNN and #NotAllWhiteSupremacists with Chris Cuomo. He ended up telling CNN commentator Symone D. Sanders to “shut up.” Just watch the video – it happens within the first two minutes.
Ken Cuccinelli tells @SymoneDSanders to "shut up" while discussing #Charolettesville and white supremacy https://t.co/NtqeiXhlNh
— Deena Zeina Zaru (@Deena_CNN) August 14, 2017
Cuomo handled it pretty well. Sanders was pissed too:
Everyday I get up to fight for the human dignity of marginalized people on int'l television. Only to be told to shut up. That is supremacy.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) August 14, 2017
Here’s a tip for CNN, MSNBC and other networks: please don’t invite these good ‘ol boys on air to discuss how white supremacy is really someone else’s fault. Here in Virginia, we didn’t vote for Cuccinelli for a reason: because he’s a gigantic, gaping a–hole. No one cares what he has to say about Charlottesville or anything else.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Yea he can have a seat. This is what black women deal with DAILY. That’s why we are the front lines of movements. We know how to deal with trash like this man here.
And I am tired of dealing with it. We, as black women should not have to deal with it, at all.
I completely agree. I’m a young black woman myself and I’m beyond over having to check people. It comes naturally but for once I would love to not have to justify myself or credentials.
For instance last week at work a white male from a different team questioned my work (I work in a tech position). Then proceeded to ask my teammate if my work was correct (another white male). Luckily he emailed him back and asked why he didn’t email me directly and shut the idiot down. Mind you this is a project I’ve been heading since I started. I wanted to throw something
I’m very tired of it. I’m tired of being treated like this and I’m tired of having to educate people. I’m also tired of people who want to tell me I’m mistaken about racist behavior.
Seriously, fuck how everyone treats black women.
I know this is happening, but it is still heart breaking to hear about.
I generally hate it when guests speak over each other on CNN, but Symone was doing Cuomo’s job in calling out Cucinelli’s obvious lies.
I immediately called CNN & tweeted he needs to be fired. Cuchinelli took a lot of money from Bannon during is failed run for VA Gov. He brought suit against the public universities in VA while AG for their research on climate change & during a conversation about white supremacy he, a white male, told a black woman to shut up.
Beyond egregious. He needs to go!
So tired of being tired. I heard a commentator ask why Trump got 13% of the black vote given his racist views. I told my husband that question should be qualified because it was black men, not women, who voted for Trump in such a large number. Studies have shown that black men are far more likely to vote against their best interest. Black women knew what the deal was with Trump and his ilk. It was black men who voted for that idiot.
Cuccinelli is a piece of human garbage. He was vile when he was in the state assembly, he was vile when he was AG, and he is vile as a private citizen. CNN should not be giving someone as racist and corrupt as Cuccinelli a platform.
Technically, McDonnell was convicted and some of the convictions were overturned on appeal, not because he wasn’t guilty, but because VA has such lax corruption laws, he didn’t actually break the law.
I’m a Canadian but I try to keep up on American politics, this is the first time I’ve heard of Cuccinelli. I don’t understand why cnn bothers putting up this hateful, ignorant people…but at the same time, if they didn’t, the republicans would say they were biased and not giving the republican side. But then when they do invite a republican for their point of view, something stupid like this happens. Could this guy not control himself? You would think if he was there to try and a make a valid argument, maybe he wouldn’t act like such a….I can’t even come up with a proper word for him
seriously, who cares about what the republicans would say? they would trash CNN anyway. It should be about integrity. As pained as i am to say this, but CNN has lost all credibility long time ago. The fact that it took what it took for them to get rid of this piece of garbage Jeffrey Lord speaks volumes. it’s this pretend-wannabe objectivity of the media that made Trump possible.
It’s crazy how long it took them to tell lord to shove it….it’s sad to see how society is deteriorating under trump, after all the progress made in the previous years
@M Cucinelli was a little known state politician until CNN agave him a national platform.
Anchors need to start ending these interviews if their guests behave like that. Don’t give them air time to lie or be terrible people.
CNN is run by Jeff Zucker, who is responsible for the rise of Double Scoop. He sees this a reality show. It will never stop unless he is fired.
ITA. This is what happens when you prioritize profit over journalistic integrity.
@Tiffany SO MUCH THIS. In a strange “sad” way the orange cheeto isn’t wrong about CNN: it’s fake news, just not the reason he thinks it is.
Yep. CNN applies entertainment values to news. This is a huge problem.
I agree. No news organization is obligated to give a microphone and platform to a person. They should be more selective, and enforce consequences if guests step out of line.
Agreed. I think a respectful debate is healthy but this Jerry Springeresque spectacle is not.
What a pig. No offense to pigs.
actually chris – ken obviously DOES actually talk to people like that all the time b/c HE JUST DID ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. if you are so bold as to tell someone to shut up on TV you FOR SURE do it behind closed doors and worse. in fact, i can’t even IMAGINE the words that he would have said to symone sanders with no cameras on him. someone get these jokers off my tv.
i totally agree.
He could have just said ‘please stop interrupting me’ and that would have been a totally different situtation. The contempt in his voice was so palpable.
And i feel so sorry for woc. If they fight for themselves, they are immediately labelled as ‘angry women’, so even in dealing with situations like this they have to be carefuly in order not to give the other side more amunition. I understand that a lot of posters are exhausted.
Yes, the double standard is infuriating. He’s telling people to “shut up”, but she’d be the one to be labeled “angry” if she came at him in a similar fashion.
That comment made me bristle too. Maybe, Chris, because you’re a white dude, your personal interactions with Ken are not the same as a woman of color’s.
Ugh. Can’t believe he told Symone Sanders to shut up.
I watched that this morning, and like usual , the guests interrupted each other, got frustrated and talked louder and louder. I don’t remember seeing someone ever say “shut up” ever before this. Rude guy and no matter what her or Chris said, he wouldn’t stop making excuses for Trump or apologize to Symone.
Look in the mirror when you say that shiz, Cuccinelli.
He sure played himself. Failing to keep calm really proves the point of disrespectful-white-guys-who-don’t-wanna-share underpinning this resurgence of hate. What a douche. And a fail.
I like Symone. She makes her points well and she’s feisty. She’s gotten the best of Jeffrey Lord in the past too. Give her a raise.
But a word to CNN, constantly pitting fringe dwelling loonies against reasonable opinions can drag down the reasonable opinions. They are not equal in command of the facts or moral/ethical high ground. Be careful with that. I know they want to present all sides and since a lot of mainstream pundits on the right are anti-Trump, they have to dig a little deeper for Trump supporters. But they tend to not comport themselves well and it’s hard to watch.
Presenting all sides to portray a veneer of balance has taken precedence over presenting actual facts and information.
I don’t understand why these hosts keep letting people like Ken on their shows. Ken tried to over talk someone Saturday night because the person stated that there are WS in the WH and the host just sat there and let it happen. When they do things like this, the host needs to stop it or fact check then right then and there.
I blame CNN for that.. I think the news is feeding the racism we have in the United States.
You just blamed Symone. So according to you, everyone, but Ken is at fault. How is CNN responsible for Ken’s ideals?
I don’t think he’s blaming Symone. I think he’s blaming the network heads who are turning a profit by giving these people a platform and airing the controversy that they know is inevitable. More like…why let people like Symone deal with that nonsense in the first place.
Read statement #9, he definitely blamed Symone and said some other hateful things.
America’s racism is being fed by what’s always fed it…..hatred against those who are different and don’t conform/look like white people.
Cant we all just get along!
Oh, just shut up….
Seriously, folks, it’s time to stop feeding the troll. And I don’t usually say that. But this one is ridiculous. He stopped in here and I’m sure elsewhere just to spread racist garbage. Doesn’t even try to hide it.
I’m glad I have moved away from the Cooch’s state. That man is nuts.
I can’t handle him! I remember him from the Republican National Convention last summer, yelling “roll call vote!” when people were contesting Trump’s nomination–I thought maybe he was a principled Republican. Afterwards he fell right in line, defending everything Trump does.
Everyone always says, ‘you need to have discussions about topics’— but how are you supposed to discuss anything with someone of the opposite opinion who can’t listen? That whole interview was a mess, but it was basically throwing stones at a beehive, so what did they expect…