Democratic Whip James Clyburn: 'Defund the police' cost Democrats seats, hurt Black Lives Matter mov
Democratic Whip James Clyburn: 'Defund the police' cost Democrats seats, hurt Black Lives Matter movementHouse Majority Whip James Clyburn criticized calls to "defund the police" during several media appearances on Sunday, saying that the phrase hurt Democratic congressional candidates and could potentially derail the Black Lives Matter movement. Clyburn said on CNN's "State of the Union" that he'd spoken with the late Rep. John Lewis about the phrase this summer, the two concluding "that it had the possibilities of doing to the Black Lives Matter movement and current movements across the country what 'Burn, baby, burn' did to us back in 1960."
Clyburn, a prominent student activist during the civil rights movement who has ascended to become the nation's most powerful Black legislator, has repeatedly denounced calls to "defund the police" as "sloganeering" that harms the overall cause of the Black Lives Matter movement. Clyburn cited calls to "defund the police" as a reason why Democrats lost races for Congress in the election, saying "these headlines can kill a political effort." I really believe that that's what cost Joe Cunningham his seat," Clyburn said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" as to why the freshman Democratic congressman lost his bid for reelection. Cunningham's Republican challenger, Nancy Mace, ran Facebook ads calling to "defend, not defund the police," attempting to tie Cunningham to the phrase.
Clyburn's comments also come alongside a broader Democratic reckoning about why the party underperformed expectations in races across the country. The anger among House Democrats came to a boil during a private caucus call on Thursday where some members insisted that calls to "defund the police" and attacks tying Democrats to "socialism" cost several members their seats in Congress.
Clyburn, who played a major role in changing the trajectory of President-elect Joe Biden's campaign during the Democratic primary, has been an advocate for a more compromising approach to politics that he believes would better enable progressive change. "I feel very strongly we can't pick up these things just because it makes a good headline," Clyburn warned. "It sometimes destroys headway. We need to work on what makes headway, rather than what makes headlines."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/democratic-whip-james-clyburn-defund-235728138.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
Tommy Tubbyville ran countless ads in Alabama. Every one of them was FILLED with lies. He didn't have a single ad with any truth in it.
So, someone explain to me how WE, as Democrats, are supposed to fight that.
Do we spend our entire budget debunking LIES?
The "Defund the Police" was NOT a Democratic Platform, but if you listened to the repugs (and some democrats) it was ALL we ran on. 
edit to add: Just who is the WE Rep. Clyburn? "I feel very strongly we can't pick up these things just because it makes a good headline,"
Republicans always spout lies and misinformation. Like Harris is the most liberal member of the senate. Give me a break.
And now Clyburn is saying defund the police hurt BLM?! No amount of protest is okay for Republicans and a large majority of white America. Sitting at lunch counter, call in dogs and fire hoses. Register to vote, kill organizers. Kneel at a football game, conspire to keep a quarterback from playing in the NFL.
No Republican, or right leaning independent, heard defund the police and thought, up until that moment I really supported BLM.
Anyway, great response. 
I like that. It's so true.
