Potential 2016 presidential candidates have mostly shied away from commenting substantively on the Ferguson grand jury decision and ensuing civil unrest,
Politico reported.
Hillary Clinton has made no public statement. Missouri Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who has been trying to calm tensions, said he would advise Clinton— "who is someone I consider a friend"— to steer clear of Ferguson.
"This is a very delicate situation, and the last thing we need is political exploitation," Cleaver told Politico.
She did deliver calibrated remarks about Ferguson in late August, criticizing inequities in the criminal justice system while lauding "decent and respectful law enforcement officers."
Also maintaining silence were former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Rep. Paul Ryan, and Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie said, "I think everyone has a right to protest, but those protesters need to be nonviolent." He added that the country was on edge for lots of reasons and needed leadership.
Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry said, "Any time a young person loses their life it's a tragedy, but it is wrong to perpetuate tragedy with violence," Politico reported.
"A young man is dead — this situation is truly a tragedy and our hearts go out to his family," said Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal. "Some have used this as an excuse for lawlessness, arson and destroying property, but that is not the answer."
Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley said, "The only way to promote peace in the streets of our nation is to better and more deeply understand the pain that all of our fellow citizens have now experienced in Ferguson. Violence only brings about more violence," Politico reported.
In a
Time magazine opinion article, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand wrote: "In the search for culpability for the tragedy in Ferguson, I mostly blame politicians. Michael Brown's death and the
suffocation of Eric Garner in New York for selling untaxed cigarettes indicate something is wrong with criminal justice in America.
"The War on Drugs has created a culture of violence and put police in a nearly impossible situation," he wrote.
Paul acknowledged, however, that in the Ferguson case, theft — not drugs — was the precipitating factor.
Republican strategist Dave Carney said that Paul had made minority issues his "brand," so it made sense for him to write at length about Ferguson.
Carney advised other politicians to steer clear of the issue and avoid "throwing out a press release" unless they really had something thoughtful to say, Politico reported.
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