Would there be all this "outrage" if Obama were white?

[Hugabear]

If Hillary or Biden were president, but everything else were exactly the same - would we be seeing all this "outrage"? Would we be seeing all these thugs organizing "tea parties", or attempting to disrupt congressional town hall meetings? I think we all know the answer to this. Sure, the right-wing propaganda machine would be in full force, just like it was during Bill Clinton's administration. But even when Hillary was looking into health care reform during the 90s, we never saw the level of hatred and vitriol that we see now. I don't recall seeing any conservative thugs organizing in various cities. For the most part, they griped about it to their friends, co-workers, etc - but that was about it.

As bad as Limbaugh might have been, people like Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage have taken it to the next level. They walk right up to the line of calling for armed insurrection - never actually saying so much, but leaving no doubt that they wouldn't be disappointed if it were to happen. If we were dealing with President Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, they sure as hell wouldn't be having their citizenship called into question. Beck & company would still rail against the Democratic president, but they wouldn't be encouraging their sycophant followers to form mobs and disrupt the process.

It's bad enough for these assholes that they have a Democratic president. But they'll be damned if they're going to have to take orders from a black Democratic president.

[UndertheOcean]

1. Obama is already half white , its not helping him much with the bigots though

[Hugabear]

2. All they see is the color of his skin

And he don't look like them.

[Xenotime]

7. Shouldn't they be judging by the content of his character?

Or have we forgotten that?

[Hugabear]

9. We're talking about freeper types here

Freepers, birthers, whatever you want to call them. When was the last time they judged someone by the content of their character, and not based on whether they were black, Hispanic, female, gay, transgendered, etc?

[kestrel91316]

10. They don't care what MLK said - he was just another "n----r" to them.

[Caliman73]

27. The people who remember that are not the problem

The people who are the problem NEVER believed that in the first place. Racists judge character only in people who are like them. People who are not like them are already judged to be inferior simply because they are not like them.

[timeforpeace]

34. Dismissing criticism of Obama as racism won't work forever. Policy success will go far to alleviate

the criticism.

[NYC_SKP]

17. Half-white is WORSE! It means a Black and White "Interbred". This is how they think.

Black man w black woman? OK.

White man w black woman? OK.

White man w black woman? Kinky, and OK.

.

Black man w white woman?

No fucking way!!!

.

This is how the racist male thinks. Pathetic, hateful, disturbing.

[JerseygirlCT]

40. Doesn't matter to them

any African blood is enough to make him a target in their minds.

[Posteritatis]

46. Bigots are one-percenters when it comes to race; "half" doesn't occur to them. (nt)

[H2O Man]

74. Obama is brown.

He had a white mother, and a black father.

[LynneSin]

3. They'd just find a different outrage - that's all

It's always something.

[orwell]

21. Bingo...

...we have a winner.

Being a white southerner sure helped Bill Clinton...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Yes and no.

They'd still be carrying on as they are, I just think the degree would be a little different.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. No.

[liberal N proud]

6. He is a Democrat

They can't stand that, add race to it and their skin is crawling with rage.

[rfranklin]

8. It is an escalation fed by their racism...

They impeached a president for some personal transgressions that had nothing to do with the job. They should have been ashamed but they were willing to disrupt the government and harass the White House with a sham that embarassed us around the world (their behavior, not Bill's.) Now that their conservative paradise has proven to be a total bust, their anger and desperation knows no bounds. They will eventually create an incident that will be the equivalent of a disgruntled employee "going postal." Just a matter of time.

[TexasObserver]

11. No. We'd still hear all the socialist bullshit, but not the "illegitimate" nonsense.

[napi21]

12. I honestly don't think his color matters on this issue.

The difference you see now is that there's much more hatered between the parties now...on both sides. The Pubs are more demonstrative, but the hate is there on our side too. I think that's the main reason Obama has been trying to pudsh so hard for bipartisanship. He's trying to turn back the clock to the days when the parties differed greatly on the issues, but didn't HATE each other.

[timeforpeace]

35. America elected him=not racist but America criticizes=racist? Please.

[hfojvt]

54. the hatred and apparently fear too

there's always been a certain amount of hate, but it seems to have gone mainstream. So far, though, no rioting like in the 1960s.

[gratuitous]

13. Only the content would be different

All the "outrage" would still be there, it just wouldn't have the racist angle. If Hillary Clinton was president, there would be a definite sexist angle that isn't there now. If Joe Biden or Jon Edwards was president, the racist and sexist angles would be absent, but some other angle, probably elitist, would be there. The pretext doesn't really matter, just the manufacture of "outrage."

The worst thing about this is that the major media outlets are perfectly aware of the astroturf nature of all this, but they choose to ignore it. Strangely enough, though, they seem quite willing to ferret out non-existent ties between progressive protests and George Soros, ANSWER, the International Workers of the World, and the Global Communist Conspiracy to Bring America To Its Knees, and publicize those alleged connections.

[Renaissance Man]

14. There would be outrage...

...but not to this extent.

Birthers, teabaggers, and these townhall disruptors share one common trait -- they're not afraid of being identified with lynchmob mentality. President Obama's race only makes their actions more egregious.

[JitterbugPerfume]

15. they pulled some rank shit on

Clinton and John Kerry too .

They just hate liberal Democrats


And they hate black liberal Democrats with a special vengence.They don't even consider Obama's presidency legitimate, and that is a brand new low.

[CountAllVotes]

16. from what I've seen

the answer is yes. They are using all of their bullshit "talking points" to cover up their racism. I think they are doing a very poor job of covering up who they really are and what their actual intentions are as well.

These people are a bunch of sick racist SOBs and I have zero respect for them.

:kick:

[sarge43]

18. Yeah there would be.

The night riders would stir up other 'outrages', re Bill and Hillary Clinton.

However, this round is especially virulent because of the bigotry. They have nothing to offer except hate and fear.

[Subdivisions]

19. Though there is a racist element present in some of what we're seeing,

I think this has as much or more to do with opposing ideologies and desperation. We hate them. They hate us. And, they hate us more because we're commie pinko libruls. The media and the government have us so polarized that we are on the verge of a civil war or a revolution or both. Sooner or later, something is going to spark.

[pnwmom]

20. Hillary yes, Biden, maybe not.

I think they would be just as upset about taking orders from the first lesbian President.

;)

[blondeatlast]

22. No, but there would be some. Angry whites tend to view any democrat with suspicion. nt

[lpbk2713]

23. Obama's heritage adds more nuts to the fruitcake.

Particularly when they can always hide behind the anonymity of their keyboard.

[abelenkpe2]

24. Yes

There would be just a much rage. If Hillary had won you would see a ton of sexist comments. If a white man had won you'd see something else equally nasty, but not so much racist commentary. That would still be hidden in the ugly underbelly of conservatives. So I thank our president for being half white and half black. It helps show the republicans for what they truly are: a bunch of crazy bigots. As long as they continue to spew racist commentary they will continue to alienate voters.

[BlooInBloo]

25. This thread is a wonderful way to explore all of the creative ways white folks...

do their best to avoid calling other white folks racist.

[Chovexani]

29. "I don't see color!!!1"

They keep it up and I might just have BINGO again!

[Karenina]

32. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[AspenRose]

65. *snort*

"BINGO"

:rofl:

[Liquorice]

49. So anyone who doesn't agree that the ferocity of the rethug attacks on

Obama are due to racism are just white people trying to cover for other racist white people? Wow. That is messed up. Talk about prejudice!

[Chovexani]

52. BINGO!

whoop there it is!! I win!

[Liquorice]

53. Are you saying I'm defending racists?? What do you mean by bingo? nt

[KittyWampus]

51. also a perfect way for those who feel a need to prove how UBER-liberal and unprejudiced they think

they are.

You really don't think this crap would be this bad if it was Hillary?

REALLY?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

26. 1993/1994 was pretty bad

They started crying that Clinton didn't get a majority vote and calling him illegitimate, that Janet Reno murdered the children of Waco, and then they started blowing up government buildings you know........which will probably start soon with the way things are going with these assholes. The move then was not to storm town halls, but to take up arms, move to the woods, and wait for the "gub'ment to come get 'em".

The fact Obama is black makes them insane, but make no mistake about it, the fact he's a Democrat and therefore a "librul, Amurica hatin' socialist commie" is the reason for the sudden anger at the "people in charge". They didn't give a shit for the last eight years.

[Chovexani]

28. Of course not

What a stupid question. Only the most clueless would have any doubt.

[Lex]

30. They were pretty outraged the entire time Clinton was President.

nt

[Karenina]

33. THAT'S cuz he had all dem culud folk up dey in da WHITE HOUSE!!!

:rofl:

[BlooInBloo]

44. (ahem) That's "in da Whizzle Hizzle" to you, please...

Thanks, carry on.

:P

[Chovexani]

59. ...

:spray:

[Hugabear]

36. Outraged? Yes. Forming mobs? Not so much.

Maybe I should have framed my OP a bit better. Were these people forming mobs, taking to the streets, disrupting the process, etc when Clinton was President?

[Lex]

38. I remember lots of militias forming.

nt

[Liquorice]

41. I do too. They were in a blind rage that only escalated as the economy got better. nt

[99 Percent Sure]

31. Well, they gave Billy Jeff hell too, remember? n/t

[Liquorice]

37. I believe they would go just as crazy. I mean, they impeached Clinton! How

much worse could it be! They were constantly saying Clinton was illegitimate, a criminal who killed his friends, etc. They had a big conspiracy that Blythe wasn't Clinton's real father, and I can't remember the rest, but it somehow meant he was an illegitimate president. It was horrible, and it doesn't surprise that they're acting this way now either. If Hillary were president, they would also be in a full-out frenzy.

[JerseygirlCT]

39. I think Hillary would have gotten a lot, too

for similar reasons - these people get absolutely crazy if someone other than a white man is in charge.

[Mr. Sparkle]

42. I would think so because it is an fake outrage.

remember the whole vince foster thing? These screwballs will try and find anything that tries to be -little any Democratic President.

[bcronos]

43. Racism exists only in your mind...

So when people disrupt congressional town hall meetings to express their anger at the Federal Government for trying to take over our Health Care system, it's because they're all secretly members of the KKK? To describe people passionately exercising their rights, and yes, getting angry, as racist because they disagree with a President who happens to be black, says a lot more about the accusers than the accused.

Mobs, thugs, assholes? Always with the childish name calling and racist accusations, never an intelligent, factual discussion. Can you please give some examples of racist remarks made by these people? They certainty didn't make it to the news, so unless you were actually there, the racism exists only in your mind.

And don't the forum rules prohibit broad-brush, bigoted statements?

[BlooInBloo]

45. Oh you're a cute one!

[Jack Rabbit]

47. If Obama were white, they'd be going with the one about the gay lover in the White House

. . . or some other story I "learn" about while standing the fast check line at the supermarket.

[The Straight Story]

48. If bush had been black would we have attacked him as much or been called racist if we did?

People from both sides attack the opposition quite harshly, Obama is no do different and it would not matter whether he was white or black.

[Bluerthanblue]

66. beg to differ...

imo and experience, there are some among us who likely would have been less likely to attack him on some issues and yes we would have been called racist for attacking him on most issues.

Questioning his birth and creating this whole fantasy about his being a terrorist and the whole theory about the announcements in the newspapers being planted some...47yrs ago??? No, that not only wouldn't have happened to Bush, it wouldn't have happened to Clinton. Something especially arrogant, ugly, and deviant was unleashed with the selection of 2000.(or rekindled?)

The reality is that racism is alive and kicking in this nation, and angry and intolerant people thrive on fear and control, something the Republican Party seems full of these days.

:hi:

[FLAprogressive]

50. We'd see everything but the "Birthers"

[SidneyCarton]

55. In a word, no.

This issue has gained mileage because it can draw on deep-seated racism throughout our nation. I am waiting for the day that one of these "birthers" finally has their meltdown and just starts screaming on national tv calling the President the n-word. When that happens, and from the looks of Orly Taitz yesterday, it may not be far off, that footage should be shown to everyone as proof that in the end, the "birthers" are nothing but a group of deranged racists.

[Rocknrule]

56. If he were white, they sure as hell wouldn't be calling him a Muslim

[LanternWaste]

57. Judging by the DU Primary wars alone, I would hazard a guess...

Judging by the DU primary wars alone, I would hazard a guess... "Yes."

That same level of hatred and vitriol you may not have seen during the 1990's was alive, and well, and kicking in and out from all sides last year.

[Autumn]

58. Yes

he's a Democrat.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

60. Evidence suggests yes.

We don't have to guess. We can look, to see what the reactions to the last two Democratic presidents - both white - was. And the answer is that, yes, a great many people are spectacularly and irrationally hostile to any Democratic president, black or white.

More generally, a great many people are spectacularly hostile to any US president from either party, although I feel there were better reasons to be hostile to the last few Republicans.

I don't know for sure whether there was as much, more or less hatred for Clinton or Carter than for Obama, but trying to measure that is the sensible way to answer this question?

Why make guesses about what people "would" do, when we can see what they did.

[mamaleah]

61. Of course they would be just as obnoxious and mean spirited.

The GOP firmly stands against anything anyone with a D next to their name does. A cure for cancer could be found, but a Rethug would find a way to bash it if it turned out the discovery was made by a supporter of a Democrat.

[ColbertWatcher]

62. Yes, but about some other made-up shit. n/t

[DevonRex]

63. No. Not to this extent. The racism is plain for all to see and it's

even uglier than what the RW nutjobs did to the Clintons.

[anigbrowl]

64. I think there would, to be honest

Certainly some of the anti-Obama stuff is racist, but those people would find some way to rationalize their racism into a dislike of any Democratic president since Dems get most of the black vote. To be honest, the BS does not seem all that different to me from that directed at the Clinton administration. Not exactly the same, just not all that different.

[quickesst]

67. Wow....

...it's like for some democrats 9/11 and Bush's eight year reign of war and terror never happened, and it's just like the nineties. Sure racism is involved, but right now, according to another thread, you can only find three states that are solidly red (and they're not in the south, so sorry to disappoint so many). Thinking logically, and taking into account that what's left of the far-right repug party has transformed into another, more violent and insane species,(note the gains Obama has made in red state voters) any president with a D after his name would be facing the same batshit crazies that Obama is. The blatant racism is just topping on the cake for them. My opinion. Thanks.
quickesst

[mkultra]

68. niether in the RW or here.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

69. as far as i remember bill clinton wasnt black, they would find some other

"reason"

[DailyGrind51]

70. The President needs to show more "outrage" at these obstructionists!

[Hippo_Tron]

71. I have no doubt that it has added to it

There are a lot of other bigot factors at work here. Part of it is xenophobia and part of it is Islamophobia (he's a secret Muslin, remember).

[nashville_brook]

72. i can't believe the level of denial displayed here. the OP is right on. and it's worse than that...

the Glenn Becks of the world are being ignored. if Beck were a black man spewing his brand of incitement toward a white president he'd be in jail faster than you could say 'institutionalized racism.'

[FatDave]

73. It's a complicated question.

Thinking back to '93, it seems to me the biggest difference this time around is that the crazies are getting mainstream attention and coverage. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Shine a light on these scumbags and let the world see that the right is a bunch of fucking lunatics.

Now certainly, racism is increasing the intensity in some of these people. When they get to really frothing and spitting, maybe that's the racism coming to the surface.

But as long as we're running questions by the "what if" machine, I've got another one: What if Alan Keyes was president? These very same people would likely be perfectly happy, and they'd probably be accusing white democrats of being racists for opposing him.

So yes, racism is surely a component of the right's fervor, but I think we may tend to overstate its magnitude. After all, they did pull the exact same shit with Clinton.

[HelenWheels]

75. Yes,they'd find something - they spent millions on Clinton

trying to find something and all they could find was a blowjob.

[SmileyRose]

76. Not THIS outrage but yes they'd have outrage.

Remember Big Dog was a rich white man and they were OUTRAGED that Hillary wore a headband (which is, I gather, proof to a nutjob that she's total lesbo) :crazy: