President Obama and the White House have stayed above the recent flare-up of charges against the President’s opponents. Maureen Dowd hears “Boy,” in Joe Wilson’s shout and now former President Carter says that an, “I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African-American,” Carter told NBC News. (CNN.com).
No one ever attacked President Bush, called him names like Nazi and Hitler.
President Obama’s supporters should be aware of the huge challenges this President has taken on. Health care, the economy, two wars, the environment, and etc. etc. etc. This is all on top of his role as the first African American president in U.S. history. To continuously cite racism as the cause of opposition to Obama is to disregard the fact that the President is taking on highly complex and divisive issues. His supporters, above all else, should give the President more respect than that.
The President can not fall into the trap of declaring opponents racist unless they are blatantly racist. This ‘gut feeling’ stuff is certainly correct in some cases but to fight anything but the most blatant cases weakens the President in his role as first African American President and just, President.
Yes, there are certainly cases where racism taints the debate. But to call opponents racist when it is not legitimate divides the nation further, weakens the President, and weakens everyone in the fight against the evils of racism.
So far, the President and his staff have stayed above this mess, brilliantly so, with the one exception being the Gates affair. That incident he recovered from.
Continue to remain above this mess Mr. President.
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Republicans are inherently racist, no question about it. The unbelievably reactionary behavior in response to having their party thrown out by the American people seems to just be standard behavior for this group of idiots. Screaming, yelling, making up false accusations, etc.. it’s all an act. Luckily after 8 years of GWB ruining the country’s reputation, throwing billions of dollars into an unfounded, unwarranted war, and decimating the economy, the majority of Americans finally woke up to the fact that they’ve been lied to all along. Let’s hope it continues.
All the issues you identified this president inherited. When I challenge my conservative friends to name one single thing Bush acomplished in his 8 years. Not one person could. Rather we stayed silent while this country was systematically destroyed.
We conservatives think that if we ingnore national problems long enough the problems will magically cure themselves. Since we lost, our party is yet to propose anything they are for. Anything! What king of a party have we become.
Republicans are inherently racist ???? You are painting with a wide brush my friend. The sleeping giant….Time for the parents to take back the rains.
“children at the wheel”.
Amen! Nancy Pelosi’s approval rating is lower than the President’s. Is that sexism? Harry Reid’s approval rating is lower than the President’s, is that anti-white racism? The approval rating for Congress is lower than for the President. What kind of racism is that? Carter and everyone else cheapens Obama’s entire presidency when they claim racism. Republicans have always opposed cap and trade and universal health care. They have always disagreed with people like the Clintons, the Kennedy’s, Al Gore, and Obama. People who disagree with the President’s ideas are less racist than who disregard his ideas and think only of his skin color and say that is the only reason anyone disagrees with him.
Playing the race card is low and dirty. I’m a conservative. I’m also a Christian and a Pastor. I was discipled by a church of God in Christ Pastor. I am one of the least racist guys in the United States. I am against the Presidents health care plan and stimulus spending because it will drive our nation to its knee’s. The numbers don’t add up. In short We can’t afford it at this time. But to be caled racist because I am against his Policies smacks of sleaze. When you’re behind in the polls bring out the race card. And I’m a Nazi because I would support the tea party movement if I could go to a rally. When you can’t win your arguments call names. Where is Tip Oneal and Gerald Ford when you need them. They could disagree and be best friends. They would go to the golf course and work out a comprimise. Now the liberals and conservatives hate each other. But then again I am a racist nazi. I reserve the right to disagree with my president. This dose not make me a racist. It makes me an American. Lets not forget that.
The “Joe Wilson” who posted that republicans are inherently racist seems to overlook the fact – yes fact – that the majority of white-hooded political racists come from the Democratic party – does the name Byrd ring a bell? Or what about Al Gore Sr. who fought the civil rights bill of the ’60′s forcing Johnson to get the republicans to pass the law. Stop re-writing history you buffoon! Your ignorance and racist attempt to smear the wrong party is more than evident. How about the days of Carter in the Georgia Governor’s mansion asking to have the black house keepers be the darkest they could find, ’cause they look good in their white uniforms’. Carter is so out-of-touch with his own history that he will do and say anything to keep his name in the papers. He is an embarrassment to the state of Georgia – just ask the locals.
“No one ever attacked President Bush, called him names like Nazi and Hitler.”
What planet were you living on for the last administration? In addition to BOTH of those names being applied fairly regularly, he was consistently called “shrub” and “chimp.” Think that would go over very well now?
If vigorous opposition to presidential policies 18 months ago was “patriotic,” why is it now “racist?” This is one of the weakest debating points I’ve ever seen come from the far left, and that’s saying a lot.
The simple truth of the matter is that the overwhelming majority of this country’s population are neither Republican nor Democrat, but something approaching what I call “pragmatic libertarians:” fiscally conservative, socially moderate or even liberal. Sadly, there’s no party to represent us, so we have to choose between those who would save our souls and those who would take our wallets. And after the last 16 years or so, there’s not a whole hell of a lot of difference about the wallets.
The Democrats are trying to take full advantage of having control of the Presidency and Congress, and I don’t blame them for that – it’s why it’s a bad idea for any party to have a super-majority… we get nothing but extremism.
John — please note:
Satire
Noun
1. Witty language used to convey insults or scorn; “he used sarcasm to upset his opponent”; “irony is wasted on the stupid”.
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/satire
“Republicans are inherently racist” That sounds like something a racist would say.
“Screaming, yelling, making up false accusations, etc.. it’s all an act.” The same could be said about the democrats over the past 8 years. It is funny when it is someone that disagrees with you, they are idiots, but if they hold your beliefs, then they are just fighting for a good cause.
Believe it or not, but there are millions of people who don’t want reform like the president is proposing. Most Americans agree that we need reform, as the polls show, but most Americans also agree that we don’t want major reform like the president has proposed (do some research). The people that oppose the current proposal aren’t racist, they just don’t want to see the best healthcare system in the world destroyed (ie fundamentally changed) – they just want to see it improved.
Anyone that uses the race card without strong evidence of racism is showing strong signs of desperation and it is clear to anyone with even an average IQ.
For a so-called “enlightened” bunch, the left sure cant get past their double-standards.
Any opposition to the presidents policies, and immediately the race card comes out.
Yet, those shallow-minded folks like our friend Joe Willison here (the poster above, not the congressman of similar name) can make broad generalizations about Republicans and there is no outrage.
Dear enlightened ones, discrimination is discrimination, if one form of it is shocking, then you should feel equally shocked when confronted with any form of it.
Can someone explain to me the logic behind your selective outrage? I guess I’m a bit too Republican to get it.
Very good insight, Mr. Siegel. I quoted your blog this morning while speaking to one of my friends who read about Jimmy Carter’s unfortunate comments, which seem to somehow be accepted as gospel.
I watched President Obama’s healthcare speech last week as it happened, and I do not believe for one second that Joe Wilson’s comments were made out of racism. It was at a point in the speech where Obama was talking about how there would be no government healthcare coverage for illegal immigrants (a point I will get to momentarily), and that was exactly when Joe Wilson made his now-infamous outburst, “You lie!”
Here’s the thing. Illegal immigration is one of the topics that many Republicans feel very strongly about, because they do not want to use taxpayer’s money to pay for individuals who aren’t going to take the time to become citizens. Basically, taxpayers should not pay for those individuals who don’t pay taxes. Well, the new healthcare plan would not take affect for about four years, according to the speech last Wednesday. By that point, the Obama Administration’s plan is to already have naturalized the illegal immigrants who are already in the country. So technically, the plan would not pay for “illegal” immigrants because, at that point, they would no longer be illegal. That is why Joe Wilson said, “You lie.” It had nothing to do with race – it had everything to do with policy and politics.
Robert -
A point I realized soon after re-reading both your article and my comment. =-) Sadly, I could not edit after the fact. I’m pretty well versed with satire, having once watched the MTV Video Music Awards for a whole 30 minutes.
Perhaps what is most maddening and saddening about Carter’s comment is that it cheapens the issue and hinders the fight against real racism. Carter is crying wolf and projecting, as have many far-left commentators since Wilson’s inappropriate outburst.
It’s amazing to me that nobody supporting Carter’s specious claim can fathom an opposition objection based simply on not wanting to heap another trillion dollars on the debt pile, not wanting yet another government takeover of something that touches everyday life, or not trusting the word of a candidate who has already broken most of his campaign promises. No, none of those things could possibly be it, so it must be racism.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Still, there’s hope… we can always import some underage prostitutes from El Salvador. That seems to be an ok business model.
John, as you point out it, Carter’s comment hinders the fight against racism. And that fight is real. That is why as an opponent of this President I salute him for his approach on the charges of racism. Obama has done more to fight racism by not crying wolf during the campaign and so far in his term than Carter did in his entire lifetime.
There is not much left to say, as Robert and the commentors have said it all, especially the ones like “Joe Willison” who is typical of the “frothers” on the left. They can’t deal with the fact that President Hopey-Changey was, shall I say, disingenuous. He did not tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He told a half-truth, the most dangerous kind of all.
One more thought. Most everyone has heard about the Kanye West incident where he rudely and drunkenly interrupted Taylor Swift when she was getting her award. If that was turned around and Taylor Swift interrupted Kanye West, the left would be screaming that she showed no respect to him and she was being racist, disrespecting him like that. That’s why playing the “Race Card” for everything is so ridiculous. While I don’t know what was going on in his head, I agree with President Obama(probably a first) that Kanye was just being a “jack-ass”.
On Sunday night, while waiting for plane, there was a little CNN segment with some random Democratic supporter and some random Republican (I apologize for not remembering their names). The Dem was stating that all the opposition to Pres. Obama was racial in nature, and then lumped in all the opposition with the extremist loonies (birthers and Tea Party people were all the same). He then went on to say it was like a mass public lynching of the president.
It reminded me of when Clarence Thomas was going through the nomination hearings. Except he himself called it a lynching, while many Dems felt that the only reason why he was nominated was because he was African American (see Joe Biden). A complete 180 degree uturn these days. Funny and sad how it all comes full circle.
At the same time this was going on, there are a ton of racial commentaries being bandied (from both sides) about the sports pages (see Serena Williams and Michael Vick). Go read some of the commentary there.
As for Mr. Obama’s commentary on West, entire thing is blown way out of proportion (in my opinion). As much as I don’t like many of his policies, for goodness sakes he was speaking off the record (and trying to be a regular guy), then a few seconds later says that he has a full plate and that the West/Swift thing is not very significant (or something to that effect). As noted in other pages here, Mr. Obama is correct…there are bigger fish to fry. It’s not like he killed a fly or anything.