Opinion

Obama’s ‘defund the police’ comments showcase a radical cynicism

Once, Barack Obama was known for promoting hope and change. Now he is displaying a startling, even radical, cynicism about the commitment of White Americans to racial justice.

On the Snapchat political program “Good Luck America,” Obama dismissed “defund the police” as a “snappy slogan.” Obama’s concern was tactical: “You lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done.”