While Hillary Clinton continues to enjoy a significant lead among African American voters, particularly in more conservative southern states, an off-color joke made by Clinton and New York mayor Bill de Blasio calls into question why, exactly, Hillary has been given the de-facto black vote.
The joke was made during a dinner event on Saturday night attended by New York press corps, lobbyists, and lawmakers. In a three minute comedy routine between the former secretary of state and current NYC mayor, Clinton expressed gratitude at de Blasio’s endorsement, but questioned why he had taken so long to put his support behind her candidacy.
“Sorry, Hillary,” de Blasio joked. “I was running on C.P. time.”
For the unaware, C.P. Time, or CPT, is an old joke in reference to a racial stereotype that black people are habitually late. The fact that “colored people” is no longer an acceptable nomenclature should tell you about how ancient the “joke” is.
Clinton quickly corrected de Blasio jokingly, saying that C.P. time in this case stood for “Cautious politican time.”
It’s safe to say that if Bernie Sanders or even Donald Trump had made this joke, it would have been plastered all over the internet in minutes, rather than having a few mentions here and there days after the event.
You decide for yourself whether this was a joke worth making, and the implications that this flippant use of racial stereotypes might have for a Clinton presidency.
