While Republicans are mostly racist, can we stop claiming racism at EVERYTHING?

[PresidentObama]

What will it benefit us to label everything they say or do as racist?

It's a cheap tactic, and I don't agree with it. When McCain and the GOP use racism and race politics to their advantage, which is A LOT, I'll speak against it and have spoke against it. HOWEVER, what kind of strategy is it to claim racism at everything they do? Is this our path to victory?

John McCain isn't necessarily racist himself, but I think he'll use racial politics to win. We should stop him and the GOP when they do. But by claiming racism after every little situation, we're watering down our rapid response to them when they ACTUALLY use racism. Because it'll be like the boy who cried wolf, and people will just say we're claiming racism again as political strategy.

So cool it, and debate his ass on the issues. There is PLENTY to bash him with. PLENTY!

[beachmom]

1. McCain is not a racist, but he did decide to use the race card in his campaign.

There is a difference between the two.

[PresidentObama]

2. Agreed. And when he uses it, we should bash the shit out of him.

But do you agree with my OP?

If we claim racism over everything, when he does do something that's seen as playing the race card it'll look like the boy who cried wolf when we claim he's using racial politics.

[anonymous171]

3. It's not our tactic. It's the GOP's tactic. They want us to call them Racist.

So we need to call them something else. "childish" "juvenile" "incoherent" are good labels to slap on McCain.

[PurityOfEssence]

24. Ya know what? Innocent and wrongly downtrodden though we are, some things actually ARE our fault

One of the more tiresome habits of the human critter is to grant him/herself a waiver from the conventions of civility when wronged by the cruel, cruel universe. The monarchists sneer that the lowly peons simply aren't worth dealing with, and the disenfranchised either stick it to the man or suck pity for being so deeply, deeply hurt.

The racism issue is dangerous and unavoidable, but claiming that it's the reason for anything that goes wrong not only annoys people, but is an invitation to failure. Playing games is no help either: Obama was making a reference to race with his dollar bill comment, and to deny and fluff the accusation just makes him seem dishonest. He should have said something to the effect that he was addressing it, but not meaning to make a huge deal out of it. Regardless, his response is deadly: his whole schtick is that he's of an exemplary character, and such prima facie balderdash just turns people off.

It can't be dodged. It has to be handled carefully and SPARINGLY, but the tendency among our more self-defeating, wound-licking lefty brothers and sisters is to set themselves up with a further justification of the world being a bunch of big meanies to them. Apparently there's a greater need for stroking and syrupy sympathy than I'd thought.

Truly, my view of my fellow humans is taking some severe body-blows this season, and that's not good for a bleeding-heart pluralist like me: to want things to go well for them, I have to find SOME way to like them.

Back to the point, though: the Republicans are NOT the only ones playing childish games with racism, and I'm not just talking about the overt use of the term.

(revised for grammar...)

[Bjorn Against]

4. Nobody labels everything they do as racist.

We sure do hear a lot of complaints about us labeling everything our opposition does as racist, but I have yet to hear a single person that truly does blame every single thing on racism. However, when our opposition uses racist tactics we will call them on it. When they falsely warn us that Obama is a "black Muslim" they are engaging in racist tactics, when they constantly harp on the black church that Obama went to they are engaging in racist tactics, when they open a campaign commercial with his image juxtaposed next to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears they are engaging in racist tactics, when they put his image on a dollar bill in a campaign ad and then accuse Obama of playing the "race card" for defending himself from the attacks they are engaging in racist tactics.

Nobody is saying that everything the Republicans do is racist, but the fact is they are a party that caters to racists and they need to be called on their racism.

[MonkeyFunk]

5. Let's see...

right now people are claiming the tire gauge ad is racist.

Yesterday, people claimed that Lieberman calling Obama a "good young man" was racist.

They said the Britney/Paris ad was racist.

I think it's ridiculous, it's an insult to the REAL issues involving racism in this country, and it's hurtful to Obama's campaign to make such ridiculous charges.

[Bjorn Against]

8. The Britney/Paris ad WAS racist...

If you do some research on the history of racism you will see that there is a long trend of running pictures of black faces next to white women in order to provoke fear of interracial sex. For the McCain to run an ad with the picture of a black man's face next to that of a couple of oversexed celebrity icons is very reminiscent of other racist tactics which have been going on for years. When you look at that ad in a historical context you can easily see why it is racist.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. No, it was not racist

you have to twist yourself into knots to find the racism in there.

it was an ad about vacuous celebrity. Ask ANYBODY in America who the two most vacuous celebrities in the country are, and most of them will tell you Britney and Paris. THAT'S why they were used. Their being white is entirely incidental.

And if they'd used a vacuous black celebrity, people would scream even louder about racism.

[Bjorn Against]

14. Britney and Paris have absolutely no connection to Obama.

I am basing my belief that the ad is racist on a long historical precedent of racists running photos of black men next to sexually provocative white women. They have been doing this sort of thing for decades.

To even suggest that Obama has a connection to Britney and Paris is ridiculous, and everyone knows it is ridiculous. This was an attempt to send a very subtle message, not only did they show the two highly sexualized women, but they also put two prominent phallic symbols in the commercial. This was not a mistake, and the Republicans deserve to be called out on it.

[PresidentObama]

15. That's the stupid thing I've ever heard. The ad was meant to showcase him as a celebrity.

A celebrity popular with young people.

Who are seen as the top celebrities among that group?

Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The two in the ad.

Suggesting it has to do with the color of their skin is racist on your part.

The advertisement was dumb, but not because of that. It wasn't racist AT ALL.

[Bjorn Against]

19. Obama has NOTHING to do with Paris or Britney and it is not racist to say so

Go read a history book before you call me a racist. There is a long history of racists putting pictures of black men next to images of sexualized white women. Putting him next to two phallic symbols on top of it shows they were trying to create a sexual subtext to the ad. When you consider the history of this kind of thing being done to blacks for centuries it is hard to believe this ad was merely about celebrity. No one is going to believe that Obama has a connection to Britney or Paris as such a connection is ridiculous, so there is clearly a deeper motive for this ad.

[PresidentObama]

21. They were labeling him a celebrity. What are Hilton and Spears? CELEBRITIES!!

Thank you, use common sense..why don't ya?

Labeling this racist is totally bullshit, and you know it. So we shouldn't show ANY pics of Obama next to white woman or you'll cry racism? I think you've gone bat shit crazy, and missed the point of the advertisement.

[Bjorn Against]

22. There are a lot of celebrities in the world he has nothing to do with.

It is not common sense to think that it is just a coincidence that they put two sexually provocative women and two giant phallic symbols next to Obama's head in the space of just a few seconds in that commercial. This was a very carefully framed ad, and they clearly were trying to send to a very subtle message. There is a long history of this kind of shit happening, and I know this is about a hell of a lot more than merely "celebrity".

[doc03]

11. I think you are absolutely right. There are some here that called

everything that the Clintons said racist. That may help them in an area with a large black population but in most areas it actually turns people off. All the racist claims they accused the Clintons of certainly affected my vote in the primaries. The Black people in this country never had a better friend in the Presidency than Bill Clinton.

[cyndensco]

6. Much of what I have seen that has been called racist here

is pretty minor in my opinion. I have wondered if some are quick to label things racist because, until this campaign, they were unaware it existed. As someone who sees it, experiences it, with some regularity, nothing really has seemed that out of the ordinary.

One thing I have learned is to avoid that accusation until the truly offensive occurs. It really does lose its meaning if everything is labeled racist.

[Number23]

25. Ab-so-lutely

Much of what I have seen that has been called racist here is pretty minor in my opinion... One thing I have learned is to avoid that accusation until the truly offensive occurs.

Whole-heartedly concur.

[elocs]

7. Probably not, after all we attribute all that goes wrong to the ever omnipotent Bush.

I had gastro-intestinal distress tonight and I blame Bush for it. It was either something he did, didn't do, or should have done. Ultimately I think he either did it or did not do it because I am not Eskimo.

[grantcart]

9. good suggestion

I would also take exception to the "Republicans are mostly racist" as the ordinary Republican who just works his job or farm is not a racist even though his leaders cynically try to manipulate the issue.

If we could just get all of the Democrats who are still wondering if Obama is a muslim, etc, to to stand up and vote for Obama the polls would show him 15 points ahead.

[bluerum]

12. Of what benefit is the truth? Racism IS an issue.

[applegrove]

13. The GOP always has a southern strategy. Though McCain may not

have specifically said anything racist against Obama...there is enough in calling him "proud" to make one wonder.

[CitizenPatriot]

17. exactly

I agree that we don't need to make the accusations public, but make no mistake, they are being the racist slimes that they are. If you aren't around these people everyday, you will think we are all exaggerating and looking for trouble. I have no reason to think this other than the fact that it is true. Sorry if you don't like it....but it is racism in all of its glory. The way that it is being done, to deliberately go over the heads of most people, is nothing new. whatever. It's not worth fighting in-house over, but you can't convince me that it isn't happening. And there is merit to speaking the truth. It's powerful in its simplicity.

come here and spend time in the deep south. meet Sen Kevin Bryant from South Carolina. Listen to them in their churches and at the grocery store and have neighbors who have never seen a Muslim or been friends with a black person -- the only black people they see are cleaning their yards here. Seriously. I say this with eyes who moved here from liberal towns, where I would have been saying the same thing - it's not all racism. Now, I know better. It is all racism and it is calculated to reach a certain audience who GETS the message you do not. It is foolish to ignore this.

[GoesTo11]

20. Let's not call it racism then.

Since we aren't supposed to be in the audience that gets the message.

[applegrove]

27. Exactly. Why should we be silent?

[cali]

16. you give not a single example of people claiming racism where it doesn't exist

either do so or quit the little lecture shit.

[PresidentObama]

18. Look at the GDP front page, smarty pants. There is a thread...

...claming some ad on GOP.com is racist for showing Obama next to a tire gauge. Some how that's racist, and not a knock at his comments on inflating tires he made in my hometown.

How about you read what's posted before telling me what to do.

[kurtboss]

23. Two Schools of Thought

1 is that they're going to be racist pricks so you better make them cautious

or

2. Talking race is always bad for Obama so don't bring it up.


I believe no. 2 to be the case. So, yes the Paris/Britney ad is obviously about miscegenation with it's towers of prick, err Pisa, and Washington Monument....nonetheless, the main thing is that it was fucking retarded. No need to bring race into something that most voters won't recognize as racism.

BTW..I hate that Roger Simon guy, but he was finally right about something today on Hardball when he pointed out how stupid the ad was. "The One" is even worse as it mocks Obama's supporters

[Life Long Dem]

26. It plays their game by calling them racist.

Just because they behave like racist doesn't mean they are racist. It's a tool they are using and we play their game everytime we call their crap racism.

[ZombieHorde]

28. Your little OP is very offensive to Hungarians everywhere.

[BigDDem]

29. Amen!

I supported Hillary in the primary.
I was labeled a racist (in real life) by an Obama supporter
because I said I didn't think he had enough experience under
his belt to be president.

The racist card is way overplayed. Period.