Van Jones: ‘Not Constructive’ to Call People Bigots for Concerns About Immigration Law Being Broken

On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” CNN Commentator and former Obama adviser Van Jones stated that calling people who have concerns about immigration law being broken bigots is “not constructive” and prevents honest conversation.

Host Bill Maher stated, “Democrats always say they want to win, but I just don’t see a lot of soul-searching on some of the issues that might help them. 48% of Democrats are concerned about immigration.”

After reading an article from Andrew Sullivan on the subject, Maher stated, “I think this is an issue Democrats have to look in the mirror a little about.Because I think Andrew Sullivan is not wrong about this.”

Jones responded that “beating people up who have some concerns about the law being broken and calling them a bunch of names and bigots and stuff like that, it’s just not constructive. Because it keeps us from being able to have an honest conversation. But, as a matter of strategy, I don’t think that the Democrats should throw away the Latino base chasing hardcore anti-immigrant people.” He further stated that Democrats “could be more nuanced. But the idea that we should somehow become a party that’s tough on immigrants, –.”

Jones also argued that the economy would fall apart if every person in the country illegally left, and the US is “based on the hard work of a lot of undocumented people. I want to respect those folks. And I don’t think that you have to — there’s almost this false thing now. Do you like the immigrants, or do you like the white guys who don’t have jobs? I think you can like both. … Listen, why don’t we just get everybody together who doesn’t have anything and go fight the bad guys? That’s what I want to do.”

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