Conservatives Who Ripped Obama For ‘Race-Baiting’ Now Silent In Wake Of Norquist’s Racial Remark
Conservatives Who Ripped Obama For ‘Race-Baiting’ Now Silent In Wake Of Norquist’s Racial Remark
Eight days ago in Jacksonville, Florida, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) predicted to a crowd of supporters that he would soon face race-based attacks from the right:
They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?
Conservatives immediately criticized Obama for injecting race into the campaign. The right-wing site Newsbusters complained that he “pre-smeared the opposition by charging they will ‘make you afraid’ by identifying him as black.” Hugh Hewitt said Obama was engaging in “casual slander of his opponents” by warning of “imagined grievances.”
A host of television pundits claimed Obama was playing the “politics of fear” by “race-baiting.” Watch it:
Yesterday, Grover Norquist — an influential supporter of John McCain — did exactly what Obama predicted would happen, making a not-so-subtle reference to Obama’s skin color:
Norquist dropped by The Times’ Washington bureau today and, as part of his negative critique of Obama’s liberal stances on economic issues and other matters, he termed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee “John Kerry with a tan.”
Will those who attacked Obama for “race-baiting” now acknowledge the validity of his concerns?
Justice in this country never comes easy. We have to fight for it. Just yesterday, we were reminded exactly what I am talking about, Grover Norquist said,"Barack Obama is basically John Kerry with a tan." This is why we can't back down. We need strong people. We need leaders. We need you. Your country needs you because thanks to good, decent committed people like you, we're going to make sure that true justice does arrive in this country.
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Well we have tried the lily white politicians and look how well that is working. People, could we just try someone with brains, diplomacy, someone that might have a plan to get America back on course. How many soldiers have to die for your gallon of gas ?
June 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pmThe answer to your question is “Of course not.”
June 28th, 2008 at 12:15 pmWhile I’m certainly repulsed by the idea of defending Grover, he wasn’t exactly saying you shouldn’t vote for Obama “simply because of his skin color” in that statement, which is what we all know is coming down the pike.
Best not to over-react to the “small stuff” for fear of minimizing the significance when something REALLY offensive comes up.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:25 pmYou think thats bad. Sean Hannity staged interviews with inner-city kids on his radio show and of course, they screened the audience until the found a racist who supported Obama. So Sean Hannity made it seem to his listeners that only misinformed, biased, racist people would vote for Obama. Of course, he didn’t bother to interview people at universities or campaign gatherings…nope, he had to find the the least informed voters off the inner city streets who support Obama.
Geez Hannity, If I wanted to use cheap and dirty tricks like you, I would of done the same thing and go interview the least informed McCain voters who might live in trailer parks or isolated rural towns…but I’m more interested in finding out the truth, rather than manipulating my audience.
For shame that you used the racism card in your show yesterday.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:25 pmGrover Norquist is a d!nk.
But he’s an unedited d!nk. He sez what right-wingers think — if you can call it thought.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:26 pmWill those who attacked Obama for “race-baiting” now acknowledge the validity of his concerns?
NO!
AEOSATSQ
June 28th, 2008 at 12:32 pmWhat sane parent names their spawn “Grover”?
June 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pm8. dbadass Says:
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Muppets freaks? Oh, wait — you said sane.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:35 pmSo? Hillary Clinton is George W. Bush with a vagina.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:41 pmThese asswipes will acknowledge the truth of what Obama said as soon as the moon turns into green cheeze. Please don’t hold your breath while you wait. Too many good people would die prematurely.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:42 pmrogers:
June 28th, 2008 at 12:44 pmIf that is your best Yoda, it needs work
Well, the repubs can’t run on their stellar record now can they ? Now they are trying to use North Korea’s blowing up the Nuclear tower as bush’s big achievement. Scarborough, David Gregory are pushing that for bushie.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pmrodgers Says:
Age, race, gender…its all gonna come up, but only you can choose to highlight it…
Dr. Matt, can you rewrite this so it makes more sense?
June 28th, 2008 at 12:49 pmThis attacking the victim is setting up an inoculation of those that will be attacking him from a racist point of view. When they start race baiting and someone complains, they will reference this. Its BS, but then they are bullshit people.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:51 pmIn case there was any doubt the GOP have nothing to offer voters in November Norquist’s racist rantings settled that matter. Welcome to the GOP’s “big tent” way of thinking.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:55 pmWill those who attacked Obama for “race-baiting” now acknowledge the validity of his concerns?
No. That’s the essence of hypocrisy, the inablilty to recognize in yourself the faults you complain of in others.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 28th, 2008 at 12:55 pmMcCain had a fundraiser in the RiverOaks, Houston this week, attendees were asked for $70,000 each, to be divided into several places so as to stay semi-legal. Reported thatover $2.5 million raised in one night. Tough to compete with those fighting for their oil shares. And don’t kid yourself, Riveroaks is just as prejudiced as small town America.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:57 pmthe spruce-goose-two is up and running. on fossil fuel. so they can kill people more efficiently.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:06 pmIf you’re going to make the least bit of sense, roger, make sure Dr. Matt is posting.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:10 pmOne other President tried to cut out the oil depletion tax suddenly the V.P, with close ties to oil, became a President. No wonder no one wants to tackle the Enron loop hole.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:21 pmI used River Oaks, but anywhere near oil and it is McCain’s land. Good thing tho, heard for the first time Texas might go Democrat. One can only wish.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:23 pmHewitt and other anti-Obama partisans can’t connect the dots! The vigor of whim and caprice has for too long fogged the world views of our brethern on the far right side of the aisle, and so, they lash out in hypocritical herky jerky viciousness against “otherness” not realizing it is the sheer power of diversity that has made this nation strong!
Hewitt and his ilk are xenophobic, homophobic, and not given much to any deviation from their orthodoxy of them against the hordes. It seems for the moment, Hewitt, Hannity, Norquist and the far right are intellectually bankrupt regarding relevant solutions to modern concerns, problems and international relations caused by their very leader one Mr. Bush over the past 7 years. And so, their campaigns work on the litany of ugly America – Know-Nothing, Jim Crow, Red Scare, Federalist elitism – just to list a few.
What ne’erdowells the likes of those mentioned above! All would do wonders to embrace our 21st century America, ah, but resistance is so profitable! -Kevo
June 28th, 2008 at 1:27 pmDr.H.Matt and your invitation wasn’t in the mail ? Neither was mine. Oh well, guess your open mind just doesn’t fit in with that crowd.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:28 pmDid I miss something ? How has Obama changed ? Seems like he even manages to fill sandbags in Illinois, while McCain was fundraising. Obama manages to vote while McCain has missed like 300 votes and especially the one for GIs. Obama has a plan while McCain is having trouble following a plan.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:33 pmBlack, white, female, just give us some intelligence. Will they have to pander, probably but America’s wheels are past coming off and we need a new mechanic.
I posted some thoughts on the historical perspective of the Republicans and race. If you like you can read more at http://www.tagg-lines.com.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:53 pmObama was right wsn’t he — and Norquist the ignoramus entered right on cue.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:55 pmBut wait, give Fox another day or two and they will spin it into something against Obama.
Guido@28
Flagged your ass for that racist crap.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:56 pmThe insult was intended to be the comparison
to John Kerry. Those who like Kerry will
tend not to see that; So it must be the tan.
And part of the game this year will be to
interpret anything possible as a racial slur,
as they are, of course, unpopular.
But both of these are normal American politics and Norquist should have seen it coming.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:56 pmGrover is a goon and the repugs love him. That’s it.
June 28th, 2008 at 2:04 pm#39 I noticed, big time….The war, Israel and now FISA..Sad…Blessings
June 28th, 2008 at 2:13 pm37. Marie Says:
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Yoom betcha.
Grover is the perfect right-wing tax-whiner — he don’t wanna pull his weight or pay his freight.
Ever met a right-winger who DIDN’T wanna weasel out of being an American? Aside from defense-contractors, that is. You know — self-made “entrepreneurs.”
June 28th, 2008 at 2:14 pmSorry that was in response to #30..Not 39
June 28th, 2008 at 2:17 pmWe are going to ban you again.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
how about just ignoring it? it’s never got any worthwhile contribution to make. the way the page is laid out, you don’t even hafta read the comment to see the author.
Scroll on by–wop–just scroll on by…
June 28th, 2008 at 2:17 pmThe right wing attack machine will never acknowledge their racism. They are upset because Barack Obama beat them to the punch by neutralizing their racist remarks.
Oh, and don’t forget about all the racist tee shirts and other items that can be purchased over the Internet(s). If the right wing complains about it, then it must be true about themselves. Transference comes naturally to these fools.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:10 pmObama is inoculating himself from more of the same kind of smear so fundamental to a Republican campaign. In the arena of ideas the Reeps are bankrupt and the only thing going for them is lies, smears and pandering to racist bigots.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:10 pmI suppose we can’t accuse McCain of “age-baiting”. Can we?
June 28th, 2008 at 3:19 pmMy, my. Obama has a lot of hope for the United States, I guess he just underestimated their intelligence.
He can’t change everything all at once. He has to raise a huge ammount of money to win. He can’t change the politics of Washington until he is elected. He can’t change the ownership of the media by a few corporations until he gets elected. We can’t change the fact that no matter what law we pass a corrupt administration will just break the law.(Nixon, Reagan, Bush) As long as Bush, or McBush is on the White House it makes no difference what laws the Congress passes.
So get focused, hold your condemnation until Obama is in the White House and changes all his postions. Do not look at the campaign, look at his life and what he has done when the world was not watching.
This is a non-white liberal running for President. If there were all of these horrible things in his past, ones that were real, do you not think we would have heard more than Rev. Wright, and the Stealth Muslim.
He has to get elected, give him some lattitude, and please spare us all the FISA histeria. We had a good law, and Bush just broke it. We have a less good law now – maybe. The idea is not to worry about a law, but to find a person who will abide by the law.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:19 pmyeah thanks Hugh! corporate-owned media slander is just part of our imagination…
June 28th, 2008 at 3:20 pmGopers can’t stand the fact that they have a lousy candidate and will quite possibly lose in the fall… but not only will they lose, they will lose to a person of color… a portion of the population that they have continually minimized and rejected as part of their party.
Make no mistake though, if BHO gets elected it will be the hunting of the president (clinton) x10… everything a president obama does will get the scrutiny that president chimpy never did.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pmThe right was just mad, because Obama has taken the sting out of their comments, by telegraphing TRUTHFULLY just what the right is going to do.
“He is John Kerry with a tan” is just one comment. How about “he’s EXOTIC”?
Obama knows what he is up against, and he is calling their shots and making them look like exactly what they are, bigots.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:34 pm49 comments so far,
but nothing from
backup,
our favorite concern troll…
•
good luck.
÷
June 28th, 2008 at 3:41 pmI wonder if Hewitt’s “imagined grievances” on the part of Senator Obama include the blatantly racist “If Obama wins, do we still call it the White House” buttons for sale at the GOP get-together a few weeks ago.
Before you feign outrage, you should first ensure the charges aren’t true, so you do not look like a vapid, hypocritical buffoon.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:49 pmWant to do something about this? Sign the petition.
Obama taking on Fox News – ColorOfChange.org petition (wiretapp)
I got this e-mail from the campaign today:
“More than 70,000 ColorOfChange.org members have stood up to Fox for using race-baiting and fear to convince Americans that our country’s first viable Black candidate for President is not “one of us” (if you don’t know what Fox has done, just keep reading–we’ll give you the whole story below). It’s a great start, but we’re still missing your voice–and we need it.
If we can get to 100,000 signatures, we will go after Fox head-on: We’ll deliver the petitions to Fox News headquarters in New York, shaming the network in front of their competitors’ news cameras. Then we’ll turn attention to their advertisers.
But first, we need your help. Can you take 30 seconds to add your voice and invite your friends and family to do the same?”
colorofchange.org
Demand Fox stop race baiting and fear mongering
After Senator Obama won the Democratic nomination, he and his wife gave each other a “pound” in front of the cameras—a Fox anchor called it a “terrorist fist jab.” Then last week, a Fox News on-screen graphic referred to Michelle Obama as “Obama’s baby mama”—an attempt to associate the Obamas with racist stereotypes.
Tell Fox News chief Roger Ailes to stop racism before it hits the airwaves, and make it clear that you’ll take action when another racist smear happens.
June 28th, 2008 at 5:41 pmSo, let’s all then say McCain is just a bleached skin with white hair version of Governor Bobby Jindal. I mean, they are both extremists, conservatives, bad and ugly.
Enough said.
June 28th, 2008 at 5:48 pmCuz you know only liberals and people of color are racist.
June 28th, 2008 at 5:51 pmGreat preemptive strike. Seems to be working fairly well — for now.
June 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pmHe should have said Sen. Obama is Kerry with a small chin.
June 28th, 2008 at 7:57 pmyes, because only liberals and people of color engage in race-baiting…/sarcasm
Republicans: masters of race-baiting in subtle ways…
June 28th, 2008 at 7:57 pmThere’s isn’t anything subtle about racism. It may seem subtle from the thrower but the receiver gets it full force.
June 28th, 2008 at 8:32 pmHopefully a President Barack Obama will appoint John Edwards to be our next Attorney General, because just as we need someone with the stature of Barack Obama in the White House, we also need someone with the stature of John Edwards to head the Department of Justice.
June 28th, 2008 at 9:26 pmI second that, Wizard2000. I think Edwards would make a fine AG.
June 28th, 2008 at 9:41 pmThe issue could be reframed (otherwise I’m gonna get really tired of this and the immature sniping): Isn’t Mr. Obama Kenyan-American and Ms. Obama Yoruba-American (or is she? I don’t know…).
Maybe this ISN’T the way to go… again I don’t know, but it would seem to me, the wise approach would be to take control of the issue and at the same time signal to people like Mr. Norquist that if he’s going to talk background he better be clear with the specifics–otherwise he reveals himself as a bigoted idiot and he’ll have Edwards or some other surrogate on his back.
And by the way Norquist is a Euro-American… (excuse me! Realllllly truly sorry for that insensitive remark: I meant: Scandinavian-American.)
[sigh!]
(As Conyers said, “Okay, I think we know what kinds of games are being played here.”)
June 28th, 2008 at 9:44 pmMiro, are you serious or just another typical repug?
June 28th, 2008 at 11:17 pmHe`s just jealous of Obama`s kool- aide……..
June 29th, 2008 at 2:01 amPerhaps racist pig Norquist will do the world a favor and drown himself in his celebrated bathtub.
June 29th, 2008 at 8:28 amAnd in later news today, John McCain stopped by the newsroom and referred to Grover Norquist as, “Grover Norquist the ass”.
June 29th, 2008 at 8:53 amrepublican = insanity!
June 29th, 2008 at 8:56 amCorrection:
June 29th, 2008 at 8:58 amAnd in later news today, George W. Bush stopped by the newsroom today and referred to John McCain as “John McCain, my dad’s crazy old war-mongering uncle”, and Grover Norquist as, “Grover Norquist the ass”.
Hey! I can use this! :-)
Game of Life Says: Miro, are you serious or just another typical repug?
American Politics is the art of shutting down debate, not to mention brainstorming. I’ll readily admit to being a political naif.
But yesterday I was reading about Ishmael Reed and Richard Pryor and the New African-American [literary] Criticism of the 60s and it’s difference from the goals of the Harlem Renaissance. Central to the discussion of the article was the issue of framing and that the context of the language and cultural context from which the message during the 60s was sent was important. Reed in fact has used language as context from Japanese to Yoruban to force change to the context of the discussion. And context still is important for Reed who also believes as a writer that if you are going to report from the neighborhood then you need to live in the neighborhood.
Norquist tries to frame his message in the context of “scarey brown skinned people” not even “African-American”. Norquist’s frame only retains any power by it’s vague un-known-ness. But I don’t think Norquist “lives in the neighborhood” that he’s trying to influence–or snear at or provoke for that matter. He’s become known for what he is. He’s a bore.
But in the meantime, Norquist and and some in the media have been trying to shut down, divert and coopt, my interest and other people’s interest in our different backgrounds and cultural heritages, and US immigration history (not just during the time of the collapse of the Yoruban Empire and the slave trade, but of any immigration movement). And so I’m saying to myself, “Why let the politico’s shut down my interest in immigration history, cultural backgrounds and the Obama?” And it’s boring to just call Norquist a bigot. Most people know that. He knows it. What would be more interesting is to call his bluff as he nudges with the race issue and turn it into an interesting discussion about history.
But then I suppose, this is a political season and we all gotta STFU and act frightened till the elections.
Ah Life! Olodumare is everwhere! :-)
June 29th, 2008 at 10:39 amThere is an old lawyer maxim that you don’t jump up in a courtroom calling a witness a liar until you absolutely have the goods, otherwise it can all backfire on you. Smearing Obama as “Kerry with a tan” strikes me as rather mild. We call McCain, “McBush”. Does the reference to skin color alone make their charge race bating? Are we that thin skinned? I hope not. Worse will surely come. For me, I’ll save the outrage.
June 29th, 2008 at 12:13 pmKira Says:
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Want to do something about this? Sign the petition.
Done, thx for the link.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:38 pmAlways always remember — Rove and the GOP have a calculated plan for 2008 and it includes racial slurs against Obama. This is the opening shot and more will follow. Be ready and demand an end to this despicable tactic.
Oh, Rove will claim his innocence. He is pathological.
June 29th, 2008 at 11:26 pmHi Miro #60 & #67
Until your posts, I had never heard of Yoruba. I’m pleased to say that not a day goes by I don’t learn something. Fascinating history I’ve been reading thanks to you.
I appreciate different cultures and dislike the current xenophobic mentality that seems to flourish under neocon republican government.
Thanks for posting!
June 30th, 2008 at 2:00 am