General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumswhat has obama done that make
the republicans hate him so much? is it because he's black? is it because of "don't ask -- don't tell"?
some republican from SC said today that they'll stand behind any republican candidate to make sure obama is a one term president.
elleng
(130,861 posts)DesertFlower
(11,649 posts)DJ13
(23,671 posts)If it was a white Dem President in office they would just find something else.
The (D) is the part they really hate.
jimlup
(7,968 posts)they wouldn't be frothing at the mouth about it like they are right now.
DJ13
(23,671 posts)They were just as rabid against him, and he WAS from the South.
unblock
(52,183 posts)remember the willie horton ads?
dukakis was a white, of course, but racist attacks against democrats work because racists see the democratic party as the party of blacks (and other minorities as well). so dukakis, clinton, or any other white politician in the democratic party is viewed (by bigots) as a a "black sympathizer" or a "traitor to his race" or a "white n-----".
this racism against the entire democratic party, even the whites, is a VERY large part of how they get non-rich people to vote against their economic self-interests.
demosincebirth
(12,536 posts)jimlup
(7,968 posts)Recalling the Clinton presidency - yes they were rabid. But they are much worse now. Then they were only foaming at their mouths. Now they are foaming blood. Seriously these folks are visibly upset with Obama and tone from their side is much more desperate. I think this works to our advantage by a great deal actually.
It is never a good idea to bring emotion (especially evil racist ones) to bear on a situation that requires careful rational reasoning (the politics of sitting a president.) I think they will destroy themselves with their own hate. Pretty much all we have to do is sit back and watch the comedy - like the current Republican clown car show.
SC is rabidly racist. I lived there when I was growing up. While on the surface they may not say it - I'm certain that we are seeing it in their irrational behavior.
Ecumenist
(6,086 posts)been "bandied about". Hell, he's been called "boy", Michelle has been denigrated by ,(was it Sessenbrenner?), for the size of her rear end..No, my friend, it's his color. So sorry. I know it when I see it.
emilyg
(22,742 posts)names we called Bush and Laura.
BklnDem75
(2,918 posts)Not people calling names from a political forum.
Ecumenist
(6,086 posts)malaise
(268,885 posts)That's why they hate him
edhopper
(33,556 posts)if it was Hilary or Edwards or dean. They hate all Democrats and everyone else who would get in their facist way.
malaise
(268,885 posts)even more and Obama has destroyed their centuries old meme.
baldguy
(36,649 posts)Yes.
toddwv
(2,830 posts)He has a beautiful intelligent wife and a wonderful family.
So naturally, he is a tremendous threat to the right's "Southern Strategy".
PA Democrat
(13,225 posts)even MORE obscene amounts of wealth. All other Republicans hate him because they are under the delusion that Obama is trying to take all of their money and give it to whatever group they hate the most, blacks, poor people, fancy pants elitists etc.
barbtries
(28,787 posts)after all he's the smartest candidate out there. he's clearly the one candidate who cares at least a little bit about the have nots in this country. i have to believe racism is a huge part of it because there are not very many other reasons.
Ecumenist
(6,086 posts)He's actually been given the right to guide "their" country. 'Magine that?
Sarah Ibarruri
(21,043 posts)Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)and if they allow another Democratic President to fix the economy after they have damaged it then the pattern may become undeniable even for them.
ThomThom
(1,486 posts)They just hate anyone that is not a republican. It is that simple. Hate and fear are all they really have. They think that if someone else gets something, they must be losing something.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Newt has said so many times during the debates.
Even when they did try to take him down they did not actively try to create serious national failures in order to do it.
What is really telling is that even when it would work to their advantage, they won't give the slightest inch to cooperate with Obama.
They could all go home heros for fixing bridges and other improvements if they would pass Obama's jobs bill.
But, they hate him too much to even accept the pork that has direct effects and gets people elected repeatedly because they see it as mutual loyalty.
cthulu2016
(10,960 posts)and Obama is the traget.
There is a lot of racism tht focuses the hate any Democratic president would get -- makes it even more passionate and assured.
But the biggest reason they hate is that they have to hate or else they are nothing. It is the source of their ideological and politicla coherance
FrenchieCat
(68,867 posts)who did something like pass healthcare reforms.....
which they hate with much passion,
but because like Jackie Robinson was to Baseball, Barack Obama has few
personal flaws for them to attack, and so they make shit up about the first
Black President.
Let me tell you, if Barack Obama wasn't an examplerary man,
he wouldn't be able to survive the next election.....
and in fact, even though he is an examplerary man,
he still may not survive the next election,
and yes.....a big part of it is because he is Black. How dare he!
Jack Sprat
(2,500 posts)Although all regions are guilty and not just the south. Being a southerner, though, I can tell you for certain that prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 most southerners were Democrats and fine with unions. LBJ said himself that the legislation would inevitably turn the South republican.
What is despicable about the whites (both South and other regions) who cannot understand that providence and progress is not something they should be fighting against. If Robert E Lee could accept defeat graciously and be the first in his church congregation to kneel beside a former slave for communion and if Bedford Forest could later disassociate himself for the KKK when it became violent just for the sake of hate towards blacks, then why can't 21st century whites finally accept the transition of a segregated workforce, schools, and neighborhoods? It would seem the former Confederate generals and slaveowners, who waged war to maintain the institution of slavery, made the bigger adjustment to change and accepted it with far more grace and humulity than some of our white brethren of 2012 (150 years later). Except for those with wealth, most of us in the white middle class have far more in common with those in the black middle class where we live and work among each other. Now they will deny their voting is based on race at all, but they are perfect stooges for all the welfare/food stamp/affirmative action/quota codewords that Repub politicians use to make them feel separated and still superior to black people even though they may be taking welfare or foodstamps themselves. It is outrageous to watch them vote against their own needs just to maintain that feeling of being better than those whose actual lives and livelihoods most nearly mirror their own.
Thaddeus Kosciuszko
(307 posts)RZM
(8,556 posts)Race by itself is probably only a factor for a relatively small number of Republicans, who just don't like black people period. But race does enter into many of the other reasons too. Here's my take:
1) He's an upstart. Obama had a pretty thin record in politics. Contrast that with previous Democratic nominees like Gore and Kerry, who had long public records. Race matters here because of the perception that Obama was given a pass on this because of his race. Republicans don't operate that way. You have to work your way up to the Republican nomination (Bush was an exception here). But most previous Republican nominees (McCain, Dole, H-Dub, Reagan, etc.) all had very long records too. None of them got the nomination on their first try. Romney and Newt are similar here as well. Newt's been around for years and Romney already has one failed presidential bid under his belt.
2) The media. Some of the hatred of Obama is really hatred for the MSM and the notion of a public liberal establishment that guides discourse. Republicans believe the media is biased against them and that the MSM foisted Obama upon the country. It's always easier to have a tangible human target for your hate, so some of that is directed at him instead of a diffuse entity like the media. Again, this is partly about race too. There's a perception that political correctness is the reason the media championed him.
3) He's a Democrat. That may be the biggest one. Republicans have never been know for their love of prominent Democrats, who by definition have to make their names opposing Republicans. It's how the system works. They also hate Clinton, Reid, Pelosi, etc. too.
4) He's on top. Haters gonna hate, as it were. When you're on top, you're a lightning rod. That's got nothing to do with race or even with being a Democrat. He's the most famous person in the country, so he's going to get a lot of hate no matter what.
5) Reverend Wright and all that he implies. This actually mattered a lot more than people think. One reason we tend to forget about it is that the McCain campaign did not go after him on this as much as they could have in the general. Republicans usually view themselves as patriots. They do not appreciate people like Wright (or anybody else on the left, for that matter) who blame America for its problems and strongly criticize American society and foreign policy. That's just not their bag.
Personally, I think that Wright was something of a tool for Obama - a way to gain legitimacy in a Chicago black community that he tried to break into (unsuccessfully at first, if you take into account his loss to Bobby Rush and the fact that the Chicago black political establishment resented his state senate victory and initially shunned him in Springfield). Some people on the right would agree with my take that it was a rather cynical thing. Others would argue that he really agreed with Wright on everything. Either way they can use it as reason not to like him. Obviously race is a big part of this one, but it's not entirely about race either. They harped on his connections to William Ayers for essentially the same reasons.
There are probably many more, but I can't think of them all now.
rusty fender
(3,428 posts)Yes,