I have made an observation that I think a lot readers of this blog will disagree with at face value. However, if you let me qualify the statement with an explanation, I will end my diatribe with a call, nay, a plea for evidence to the contrary.
Here’s my observation: there are no racist elected Democrats at the federal level.
Here are my qualifications: whoa, whoa, whoa there history buff. I’m talking about Democrats elected today, and I’ll count going back to 2000 (though I’m confident you would be hard-pressed to find a racist Democrat in the 90’s). And not someone who used to be a Democrat and is still racist, but I will accept someone who said something racist at any time in the past and currently holds an elected federal position as a Democrat.
And I mean good ol' racism, not “a racially charged comment,” whatever the fuck that is. I’m talking mentioning a race in the context of mocking them or flaunting some sort of stereotype, like calling a black president a “tribesman.”
For example: I don’t think Dr. Laura was really offensive by saying “nigger” a bunch of times to (not at) a caller who was asking her for help dealing with racism - that just makes her callous and a bad psychologist. She did offend me when she said people who might get offended by racism shouldn’t “marry outside their race.” That is some bona fide ignorant “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” anti-miscengeny.
So here’s the deal: please don’t let more than three claims pile up at a time. If you think you have more than one example of an elected federal Democrat making racist comments, choose the one that is most offensive and is actually attributable to the person. I ask that you only make one attempt to provide me an example at a time, and that you hold your example if three others have not yet been judged by me.
I will be judging whether the comments are racist and it will be at my sole discretion, but you should know going in that I don’t support Democrats or have any vested interest in the matter. I don’t think Republicans are racists, but I do think that if you’re a racist and a voter, you’re voting for a Republican.
And if you’re a racist and holding public office, I’m very confident you’re a Republican. A rarity as well, but still… the fact remains until you fine folks set me straight.
Why are there more votes than exmaples... I can't believe Biden never said something remotely racist.
ReplyDeleteI haven't rated this yet and I didn't think I could find anything...
ReplyDeleteI have some examples but I don't think there are all that many racists out there other than the diehard haters like the Klan, some black groups, and the typical religious denominations that promote racism as part of the religion.
Here are some but I reluctantly post them because I think most of them are just temporary slips of non-PC views not racism. In other words I'm not hyper sensitive about it and stupid and expected slips of racism is to some extent expected. In the end if they are "racist" I just don't care, I would rather enjoy a bit of honesty, if Obama was or is racist (or any of the rest) it is a problem for them not the rest of us...
"You cannot go to a 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian Accent." -Senator Joe Biden
Mahatma Gandhi "ran a gas station down in Saint Louis." -Senator Hillary Clinton
About Secretary of State Roger Noriega and several Hispanic Congressmen “a bunch of white men...you all look alike to me” U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL)
"Civil rights laws were not passed to protect the rights of white men and do not apply to them." -- Mary Frances Berry, Chairwoman, US Commission on Civil Rights
"We have lost to the white racist press and to the racist reactionary Jewish misleaders." -Rep. Gus Savage (D-Illinois)
“Typical white person”. - Barack Obama
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African American [Barack Obama] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy."- Sen. Joseph Biden Jr.
"A few years age he (Obama) would be getting coffee for us" - President Bill Clinton
Wow you googled the same thing I did. As it turns out, I already did the research on these, but thanks for not reading my clearly stated rules (what shoudl I expect from anarchists...)
ReplyDeleteThe Biden quote is... frankly... cryptically odd out of context. The people working in 7-11 are stereotypically Indian. I'm not sure I've ever heard a stereotype of Indians frequenting 7-11, just stoners. The whole quote is:
“In Delaware, the largest growth of population is Indian Americans, moving from India. You cannot go to a 7/11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.”
I just don't consider a Senator talking about the demographics of his state to be racist. If he was like "the cow-kissers have overrun every 7-11," you would have a slam dunk case. I dunno, I guess Republicans have just really raised my bar of what I consider racist.
I'm not convinced the Clinton remark is racist, especially in the context, yet again. She was introducing a quote by Gandhi while in St. Louis, and joked that he ran a local gas station there (since politicians are always talking about how they just met with Joe Schmoe Average who runs a dirt farm in Bumblefuck). After the crowd laughed, she said, "No, Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader of the 20th century." She then proceeded to quote him. If that's offensive... I disagree. Then again, I never thought the "macaca" stuff was racist.
And since I didn't want to do your research for you, I'm going to break here and let you decide which one, emphasis on the singular, you think has the best shot. I don't need a flood of bullshit, just one good example.
Bret I read your rules, that is why I had all the disclaimers (so now who does not read the posts... stop bitching).
ReplyDeleteI don't think Ole Joe is racist, I think he is a retarded asshole from the Atlantic coast I expect him to have hateful shit spew out of his pie-hole.
If I were to guess (and that is all I am going to bother to do) I would think that cigar-licker Clinton was actually the typical liberal racist who hates classes of people more than is actually racist (in the Nation of Islam/Klan way).
But your contest is like asking what Republican is NOT a neocon boot licker and while there could be a few out there - would it change anything or even be the slightest bit important?
I agree that asking for a Democrat that is racist is kind of like asking for a Republican who is a socialist, but my point was originally this:
ReplyDeleteTC and others asked why there is nearly universal support among black people for Democrats. I would argue no black person in their right mind would vote for a Republican when the party is clearly harboring racists, while Democrats who even show a hint of racism apologize profusely or are ousted.
Also, I would bet my left nut Hillary Clinton isn't a racist. If either of those two are racist in any way, it's Biden, and he's racist in the way I'm racist, which is to say he descrminates but does not exhibit prejudice. If that needs more qualifying, I can explain it further.
ReplyDeleteWell. I don't know anymore, but I'll just throw names out there that I mentioned. You guys decide if they're "racist." Harry Reid, that chick that made the Vietnamese comment and Cyntia McKinney. Bill Clinton made a "racey" comment too.
ReplyDeleteNow. Whether they're outright "racist" I'm not sure but I'm almost sure Bill isn't racist.
Also, did Obama act out of "race" with the Cambridge affair?
Anyway.
The way I see it, it doesn't bother me either way if blacks close ranks with Obama. It's not necessarily "racist." I asked the question to elicit responses.
What were the GOP examples again?
You all fail. I found one: Robert C. Byrd, Democratic Senator out of West Virginia, longest serving Senator in US history, and former member of the KKK. He wrote a letter to the then-Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940's saying,
ReplyDelete"The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation."
If you want something done right, I guess you gotta do it yourself...
I know I'm going to the regret this...
ReplyDeleteOk. Let's use this example as the main criteria.
The GOP leadership have gone that far?
The Palin/Gingrich comments you cited on my blog seem more in-line with Reid than the example used.
What Harry Reid comment is that?
ReplyDeleteThe "light-skinned, negroe accent" one.
ReplyDeleteOh right. I wrote that off as projected racism, not that others are projecting racism onto Reid, but that Reid is projecting racism onto the American people. I don't think Reid was saying, "I would support Obama because he's light-skinned and doesn't talk with a negro accent," but rather, that "America would support Obama because he's light-skinned and doesn't talk with a negro accent."
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I think it's a fair statement. I can't imagine Americans electing someone like Flava Flav or Snoop Dog.
Is it racist that I don't trust Obama's white half?
It is interesting how his mulatto heritage is not really talked about.
ReplyDeleteMost black people I know focus on it a lot, but white people don't really care because he's "black enough" to be an outsider, someone not to be trusted, perhaps even "unknowable."
ReplyDelete