Bill Maher threw rapper “Killer Mike” a softball.
Who was Mike — real name Michael Santiago Render — supporting for president?
Presumably Maher figured the answer was easy, given Render’s political activism, which includes opposition to what he sees as systematic racism and police brutality.
Maher pitched, and Render gave an answer.
Except it was sort of a non-answer worthy of a deft politician.
“My feeling is — pick your policy, not your person,” Render responded, as the Maher audience applauded, no doubt anticipating an endorsement of Joe Biden over Mr. Personality himself — that larger-than-life character, Donald Trump.
Render wasn’t done: “This is not the Dallas Cowboys versus your favorite team,” he said.
“This is the policies that will affect our generations for the next 20, 30, 40 years to come,” Render continued.
“So close your eyes. Listen to the policies that are being pushed (more applause) and pay attention, even to the people who don’t have a chance of winning because they’re gonna say policies you may want to push — and I would say do that — but make it policy-based.”
Do you think Biden will lose the election?
Again the audience applauded, but Maher could clearly see where Render’s answer had gone.
Or had not gone.
“That means?” Maher leadingly queried. “Therefore?”
Killer Mike the Politician dodged it. “That means I’m for black people,” he said.
“And happy Black History Month!” he grinned.
Knowing he was cornered, Maher continued: “You’re not saying one candidate over the other?”
Still smiling and shaking his head, Render replied: “Hey man, my n****, you ain’t gonna get me in no trouble.”
In surrender, laughing with Render and the audience, Maher said “No, that’s your job with me, to get in trouble.”
“I still like the policy that the old man had that I was supporting,” Render said. “I would encourage people to find whose supporting that policy and see what happens.”
Bill Maher begs Killer Mike to endorse Joe Biden over Trump, and Killer Mike refuses 🤣
“You can’t get yourself to say ‘Vote for Biden over Trump’?!”
Killer Mike: “Can he get himself to apologize for the crime bill?” pic.twitter.com/5Vk1R7LFyV— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) February 3, 2024
To which Maher pleadingly responded, “But you can’t get yourself to say vote for Biden over Trump?”
“You want me to list it now,” Render replied. “Can he get himself to apologize for the crime bill? Can he get himself to get his head out of his a** and say, ‘Black people you are black regardless, I need you to tell me what I need to do?’
“Can he pick a coalition of former people who were affected by drug laws, street gangs, recidivism in crime and say, ‘I need you as a board to advise me how to fix federal prisons?’
“If he can do that, absolutely I can [endorse him]!” Killer Mike declared. “So my challenge is out there!”
And the audience applauded.
Render’s reference to the crime bill was the Violent Crime and Enforcement Act of 1994, with drafting in the U. S. Senate credited to Joe Biden.
The appearance on Maher’s program wasn’t the first time Render has swerved from the lockstep of Democrat uniformity.
In 2015 he was a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders for president and later refused to support Hillary Clinton, saying she was no different than Donald Trump.
