# The Democratic president of the United States of America, the guy who ran against Donald Trump and just launched his campaign to do so again, just called someone "an illegal" in the State of the Union address **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 8, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607 "2024-03-08T13:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/121 "2024-03-09T04:32:34Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > Because people are afraid this will become a talking point among progressives. They’re afraid that it will be yet another excuse to not vote for him. ⁢ > > Who are these people who are so “afraid” because Biden said the word “illegals” that they will vote for Trump? Am I really being that unclear? I didn’t say they thought they would vote for Trump. I said they are worried they won’t vote for Biden. And I’m pretty clearly referring to people in this thread who accused the guy of trying to destroy Biden. That only makes sense if they think what he’s saying would somehow get people to not vote for Biden. I thought I made it clear that I don’t actually think this is likely to happen. Hence why I said “I would save the anger until we see if this sentiment actually takes hold.” I’m doing my best to understand this whole “tempest in a teapot” you described. It seems to me that, while Jimmy may have overreacted, so did a whole lot of other Dopers. * * * And since it’s hard to quote, I’ll respond to another post you made here, too. I don’t agree that the “Come to Jesus moment” is worse. That’s just a common turn of phrase. I’m not aware of it having any history of being antisemitic. The word “illegals” does have a big history of being racist. This is also why I can’t give Jimmy too much grief. He’s upset over a racist term. I think he jumped to the wrong conclusion, but the anger itself makes 100% sense. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/122 "2024-03-09T04:33:15Z")
I said the country, not me. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/123 "2024-03-09T05:25:26Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > …And the last time I saw a ‘Victory Lap’ that Petty, I was watching NASCAR… we saw what you did here. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/124 "2024-03-09T05:52:02Z")
I’m prolly older than you are. What is the proper term these days? Non-legal immigrants? Biden is _decades_ older than I am. It’s a little challenging even with teenagers in the house to always correctly choose inoffensive words that were previously acceptable. To me “illegals” is short form for “illegal immigrants” and therefore not a racist term. That said, maybe “illegals” is a relatively commonly used as a slur these days? And by who? 'Splain please. Jesus H Christ, ain’t none of the racists I grew up with would have used “illegals.” This was Juan Corona country. The most _ahem_ polite word _ahem_ they would have used was “w\*\*\*\*\*k.” I get words change with time, and even if I don’t understand or agree with the logic, miss manners says choose the inclusive and not denigrating word. And I try to do just that. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/125 "2024-03-09T06:17:01Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > I haven’t attacked anyone, except for calling Darren a racist, which he is. I have however been attacked repeatedly, so I don’t know that you’re framing the way this thread has developed in a particularly accurate way. When you replied to my post you only replied to the first half then ignored the second half was there. The second half of my post directly addressed why I think an exception needs to be made in this even though I agree that illegal is or maybe a slur. You may not consider that an attack but I do. And it’s lying by omission. You responded to my post and tried to create a straw man out of it. What you want is for Democrats to say that Joe Biden is a racist. That’s the entire “point”, such as it is, of the thread. He completely blew the tired ass rhetoric of him being too old out of the water so now this is the only other attack that Republicans can take. It’s a loser and is transparent as every time Trump tells a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/126 "2024-03-09T06:33:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And I’m pretty clearly referring to people in this thread who accused the guy of trying to destroy Biden. That only makes sense if they think what he’s saying would somehow get people to not vote for Biden. The thing is, the way I see it, it _can_ prevent people from voting for biden. The general campaign season is just starting people are just now starting to tune in to see what’s going on. Us here in this thread we’re the outliers. We follow this s\*\*\* everyday most people don’t. I’m almost certain that’s why Biden decided to turn it up the way he did at the SOTU. People turning into the State of the Union and they may be see that all of the Biden is old rhetoric is overblown? But then people start making accusations that Biden is using racist terms. “I’m not sure that I agree that illegal is a slur, but there’s just all of this smoke around there has to be a fire right?” It’s just another attempt to create a both siderism argument. That’s why people keep bringing up Trump every single time one of these ridiculous accusations or criticisms gets brought up. Nobody in this thread is going to have their vote changed in any way between now and november. But there are millions of people who will. And every little bit matters. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/127 "2024-03-09T06:46:47Z")
Democratic candidates must be absolute perfection. Snowy white wings and all. There can be no flaws or mistakes or else we are free to vote for the demon spawn and shrug our shoulders due to a single mistake. They must be run out of town on a rail at the first hint of warm humanity. Republican candidates can be utterly debased and debauched, as long as they worship the rich and stomp on the poor. The important thing is that money gets redistributed - up. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/128 "2024-03-09T07:07:17Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > "…now the people from the only party who could ever have been said to have a chance at doing anything good in the country are the people who yell at you for saying something racist is racist? I also found this and bit confusing.I think that maybe you were so anxious to ensure you got your entire point across that you inadvertently became wordy and used some awkward phrasing. Is this close to what you were trying to say? …the members of the Democratic Party, the only party that could truthfully be said to have a shot at doing anything good for the country, are now the people railing at you for pointing out that saying something racist is, in and of itself, racist. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/129 "2024-03-09T07:45:21Z")
I’m just glad I live in a country that people try to sneak into, rather than get out of. One of my great grandfathers was a German draft dodger, at sixteen. He got to the US on a ship, that he stowed away on. Don’t know what kind of, or if, he had papers, but he came to Kansas where he already had a brother. I never met him but I’m proud of him. When I’m buried I will be four spots away from him and my great grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/130 "2024-03-09T09:54:56Z")
Wait, this is what he said? > “Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right,” Biden said. “But how many thousands of people being killed by legals?" How dare you Joe! How dare you use their offensive language, turn it on it’s head, and show their utter hypocrisy, cravenness, and their (totally in character for fascists) ‘waving of a bloody flag’ to villainize people they hate for no rational reason. At long last, have you left no sense of decency? With deepest apologies to Joseph N. Welch for twisting his famous phrase to make a point. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/131 "2024-03-09T11:08:52Z")
UP NEXT: **BIDEN** : …in the words of the old Negro spiritual… **IDIOTS** : HE SAID _NEGRO_!!!111!!! RACIST!!!11!!! **SANE PEOPLE** : He’s quoting Martin Luther King Jr. **IDIOTS** : Yet again showing he’s old! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/132 "2024-03-09T11:37:22Z")
I used the word “uppity” on this board once and the freakout was very large…by mods no less. So yeah…can happen more easily than you might guess. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/133 "2024-03-09T11:39:25Z")
Ahh, yes, I remember the olden days when “uppity” was a neutral word. /s ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/134 "2024-03-09T11:42:14Z")
You just made fun of people freaking over negro but uppity is a bridge too far? Fine…I did my apologies and mea culpa over “uppity” (including a long discussion). I’m not going to re-litigate it. If “negro” is passable to you but “uppity” is not…that’s for you to explain. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/135 "2024-03-09T11:50:03Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If “negro” is passable to you but “uppity” is not…that’s for you to explain. Because, not that long ago (into the late 1960s) _negro_ was the polite word. And it’s more than fucking “passable” when you are quoting a Black man using that word in a totally non offensive way. Now it’s your turn to show when _uppity_ ever wasn’t “a bridge too far”. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/136 "2024-03-09T11:53:39Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Now it’s your turn to show when _uppity_ ever wasn’t “a bridge too far”. As I said…already been there. So have you. Enjoy the read (again). I’m done with it. > [@The SDMB needs to have a banned words list](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-needs-to-have-a-banned-words-list/978494): > > In a thread in IMHO about the new Martin Luther King statue in Boston I used the word “uppity.” @puzzlegal put in a mod note saying: I had NO idea that this word had racist baggage associated with it. NONE AT ALL. If you want to say I am stupid…fine. I really did not know. I use the word so rarely I cannot remember ever using it before. Context. Context, context, context. There is no reading of what I wrote that is racist. Instead, the mod saw “a word that is naughty” and pounced … ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/137 "2024-03-09T11:59:09Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I’m done with it. Yeah, you made that so very clear . . . by bringing it up again. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/138 "2024-03-09T12:01:32Z")
Just noting your inconsistency. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/139 "2024-03-09T12:25:39Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > When I heard that quote, yeah, I was pretty bummed. But I’m always always always about the context. > > The problem with “an illegal” is that it’s a grossly dehumanizing phrase. Does Biden has a history of using grossly dehumanizing phrases? If so, I’ll treat it as part of that history. Does he have a history of supercringe verbal gaffes? If so, I’ll treat it as part of that history. > > He shouldn’t have said that. I’d advocate for his post to be moderated if he posted it here. But I’m not gonna treat it as emblematic of him unless he has a pattern, now or in the future, or using dehumanizing language to refer to immigrants. This. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/140 "2024-03-09T12:39:39Z")
In terms of the OP, the simple fact is that “illegals” is not the phrasing that Biden has used previously, and was simply in response to what MTG was hollering. Therefore, the extent of the complaint here is that Biden neglected to say “…as you call them”, exactly once. I’ll admit it was enough to make me do an 18-minute melodramatic monologue at my kitchen table. But I’m over it now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607.md?page=8)