One of the biggest sins in politics is pandering. This week, Sen. Cory Booker was accused of doing just that to appeal to white people and Sen. Kamala Harris was accused of pandering to Black folks.
SEE ALSO: Kamala Harris Leads Senate To Finally Passing Anti-Lynching Bill
In case you missed it, while being interviewed during “The Breakfast Club” radio show on Monday, Harris was asked if she smoked weed in the past. “I have,” she answered. “And I inhaled. I did inhale.” She confirmed she got high while in college and when asked who she listened to when lighting it up, she responded with, “Definitely Snoop, 2Pac for sure.”
The only issue was that Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986 and finished law school by 1989. The two artists she name-dropped hadn’t even released their first album until years later (2Pac in 1991 and Snoop in 1993 after starring on Dr. Dre‘s “The Chronic” in 1992).
Then there is Booker. While talking to an all-white audience in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, he brought up the topic of blackface and said, “So how do we get to a point where we can start having the conversation without people falling into a defensive crouch? I’ve had conversations with white friends of mine this week who had the safety to come to me and ask me, ‘I don’t understand this blackface thing. Can you explain it to me?’ Imagine in this climate saying that publicly? If you want to have more creation and empathy, put yourself in a white person’s position.”
In addition, when Booker was on “The Breakfast Club,” he was accused of pandering when asked by Charlamagne Tha God about his relationship status. “You don’t want to marry somebody now. Once you start getting hot, you might become president? She might just want you for that.”
Booker chuckled, “No, before I declared president, I’m dating somebody really special.”
“Oh! So Cory Booker got a boo?” Charlamagne quizzed.
“I, I got a boo,” Booker answered. See below at the 31-minute mark.
Booker’s boo is reportedly actress Rosario Dawson.
Part of the reason why Booker’s relationship status has been in question is that he’s been accused of being gay since former Newark Mayor Sharpe James made up the rumor (along with another that Booker took money from the KKK) when they were campaigning against each other in 2002. The rumor, which is rooted in homophobia, stuck for years.
In December, Booker told The Philadelphia Inquirer, “I’m heterosexual.” He added, “Every candidate should run on their authentic self, tell their truth, and more importantly, or mostly importantly, talk about their vision for the country.”
Nonetheless, Harris’ weed comments and Booker’s blackface comments promptly went viral. See the reactions below.
