# Hillary gives black folk the Byrd **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329 "2005-11-16T16:30:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/81 "2005-11-17T08:35:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s not racist. It’s dumb, but there’s nothing overtly racist about it. I wish people would keep in mind that “nigger” is a word, not necessarily a declaration of principles. I’ll poll the niggers in my office this morning about the validity of this statement. I think one may be a fag as well. Hopefully I’ll have time to post this afternoon the results of the poll if I can keep from spending too much time pitting my realease from employment. Hey, they’re just words, right? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/82 "2005-11-17T13:24:02Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You could certainly call somebody a white nigger and be a racist for doing so. I’m not attempting to say that. But I don’t see that here. I mean, he’s specifically identifying “niggers,” whatever they are, as something separate from black people and not defined by race. So I don’t think it _could_ be racist. Well, he managed to insult both whites and blacks at the same time, so it is either pan-racism or some sort of specialized brain damage. Maybe we can fund an institute for the study of Bizarre Self-Immolating Verbalism. In Hurricane, WV, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/83 "2005-11-17T13:47:54Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > New Yor requires only that you be a resident at the time of the elction. I’m having trouble finding the cite, but I’ve seen an article pointing out that every state has the same requirement, lenient though it is. There was a SC ruling many years back that the US Constitution set those eligibility requirements for Senator, and the states could not restrict them further. Is this Jeanne “Does somebody have Page 11?” Pirro we’re talking about? That’s the best the NY GOP can come up with, really? Hint, guys - if Giuliani were serious about returning to office, this is where he’d start. If he doesn’t think he can beat Clinton, then nobody else can, either. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/84 "2005-11-17T13:48:11Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Yeah, I’m a conspiracy nut. My record around here really backs up that suggestion. :rolleyes: Your ham-handedness is hardly a conspiracy. I’d say the evidence is mounting up nicely now. > [@Marley23](#): > > That’s your fault for repeating her campagn’s allegations, you douche. When you repeat something someone else is saying, it implies you support it. So, since you repeated my posts in your post, that would imply that you’re supporting it. Gotcha. I’ve never seen the results of ass-trepanning before today. Thanks for sharing the results here! I’m going to bundle your crap here as you’re obviously panicking about all of this: > [@Marley23](#): > > Why aren’t you pitting the other co-chairs? > > I mean, if you weren’t just mindlessly parroting Pirro’s allegations, why did you single out Clinton? There are many other people you could blame here. All she did was co-chair the thing. The most reprehensible person, from your standpoint, would be whoever chose that location for the party. But you don’t know who that is, and I’m thinking you didn’t try to find out. Even Pirro had the sense to say “and her Democrat colleagues.” You just stuck Hillary’s name in the thread title because her name was the one most prominently attached to the story. I’m more than willing to take you at your word that you weren’t just looking for a chance to smear Hillary Clinton. And I agreed, twice, that it was not a politically smart choice to hold the party where they had it. (That makes three.) > It’s just that if you’re not out to attack Clinton, you obviously didn’t think about your posts before you made them. As I stated in the OP, > [@Stpauler](#): > > (Yes, yes, I know. Newsmax is wrong, and evil, and nasty, and sticky, but it doesn’t seem that many newssources are reporting this yet). Newsmax didn’t give much more details that what was linked. Feel free to find out who the other folk were. As it sits, Clinton does have joint responsibility for throwing the party. Sorry, I guess you’ll have to learn that grown-ups aren’t perfect. Of course, it’s really fun to watch you flip, flail, fret about this as if I’m an accomplice to a right-wing conspiracy to discredit Clinton instead of just pitting a stupid event. I’m sure you’re going to accuse me of being part of the right-wing without knowing that I’ve voted straight ballot democrat in the last two elections. But, whatever gets my white nigger **Marley23** through the day, I guess. (See, I can use it without it being offensive too! :rolleyes: ) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/85 "2005-11-17T14:25:59Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Well, he managed to insult both whites and blacks at the same time, so it is either pan-racism or some sort of specialized brain damage. If “incredibly clueless” falls under “specialized brain damage,” I’m with you. Same thing if “senile” falls in that category. It was a damn fool thing for Byrd to say. Near as I can tell, he’s aware of his own racist past and ashamed of his own racist past, and he tries to escape and repudiate it, but sometimes he slips back into nasty habits. I don’t know that it’s fair to call it racist, but things can be cretinous without being racist. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/86 "2005-11-17T17:02:18Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > At any rate, with Lott, I’m not talking about beliefs he held in 1950. I’m talking about his behavior in 1992 and beyond, as I’ve already described in numerous cites. > > I can link you again to his meetings with the CCC, in which case you seem likely to respond that these don’t contain specific evils that he did. I can link you to his votes on issues that strike me as anti-civil-rights, in which case you seem likely to respond that it’s racist to require a person to prove their lack of racism by voting along with the “black community.” What I can’t do is force you to connect the dots between his meetings with racists and his votes along lines that the racists would like. Speaking at the CCC = being a member of the Klan? Even if we accept that, Lott apologized and denounced their racist agenda. If you’re going call everyone “racist” who doesn’t agree with you on certain legislation, then we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that. There are principled reason to oppose a much legislation that is generally called “pro-civil rights”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/87 "2005-11-17T17:15:40Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > So, since you repeated my posts in your post, that would imply that you’re supporting it. Gotcha. I’ve met rocks less dense than you are. I quoted your statements and commented that they’re stupid. You just repeated what the Pirro campaign was saying. Good luck figuring out the difference, I know how mysterious it is. > [@](#): > > Newsmax didn’t give much more details that what was linked. Feel free to find out who the other folk were. I didn’t realize I was the one who started this thread. > [@](#): > > I’m sure you’re going to accuse me of being part of the right-wing without knowing that I’ve voted straight ballot democrat in the last two elections. What makes you think I give a shit how you vote? > [@](#): > > But, whatever gets my white nigger **Marley23** through the day, I guess. (See, I can use it without it being offensive too! :rolleyes: ) You’ve managed to dodge both what I _said_ and what I _asked_ while responding to nothing. His statement was dumb - I’ve said that three times now - and the words he used obviously bothered people or he wouldn’t have had to apologize. That said, I don’t see how the statement was racist. He used a word that racists often use, but I already said and you just demonstrated, saying “nigger” doesn’t automatically make a statement racist. If it WAS racist, I’m sure you’d be able to tell me what he meant. You’ve deliberately not done that, so I’m thinking you can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/88 "2005-11-17T17:25:08Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > I’ll poll the niggers in my office this morning about the validity of this statement. I think one may be a fag as well. Hopefully I’ll have time to post this afternoon the results of the poll if I can keep from spending too much time pitting my realease from employment. > Hey, they’re just words, right? **duffer** , I didn’t say people wouldn’t be offended by the words. That’s a given. It’s why Byrd shouldn’t have said what he said in the first place, and why he quickly apologized. Then again, people have been offended by the word “niggard,” so I’m trying to look at what Byrd said instead of just saying “he’s a racist because he said nigger.” I don’t see any racist intent in the statement, and I don’t even know what those sentences are supposed to mean. If he’d said ‘There are white niggers out there, those kids wearing their jeans below their asses and all, and they’re just as bad as the black niggers,’ I wouldn’t be arguing this point. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/89 "2005-11-17T17:38:35Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I’ve met rocks less dense than you are. And I’m sure you talk with them too. > [@Marley23](#): > > I quoted your statements and commented that they’re stupid. Yet you agreed with my point, my main point, my sole point, that this event should not have been held at Douglass’ home. Still, you feel like ranting and rambling. Go figure. > [@Marley23](#): > > You just repeated what the Pirro campaign was saying. I just repeated what happened. I also repeated what the Washington Post and Newsmax said. Of course, it’s easier when you tie that ribbon to a your crazy kite to make my statement seem like I’m running Pirro’s agenda. And now you’ve unspooled and frankly it ain’t pretty. > [@Marley23](#): > > Good luck figuring out the difference, I know how mysterious it is. As you speak from experience obviously. > [@Marley23](#): > > I didn’t realize I was the one who started this thread. No, because that would require independent thought and not your obviously shameful party loyalty and blindness that keeps you linked to defending Clinton. > [@Marley23](#): > > What makes you think I give a shit how you vote? I thought you might want to know since you obviously you’re trying to stick me in a right-wing box over and over. It’s really sad that you’re like that. > [@Marley23](#): > > You’ve managed to dodge both what I _said_ and what I _asked_ while responding to nothing. His statement was dumb - I’ve said that three times now - and the words he used obviously bothered people or he wouldn’t have had to apologize. That said, I don’t see how the statement was racist. \*\*He used a word that racists often use, but I already said and you just demonstrated, saying “nigger” doesn’t automatically make a statement racist. \*\* If it WAS racist, I’m sure you’d be able to tell me what he meant. You’ve deliberately not done that, so I’m thinking you can’t. Feel free to make “nigger” part of your daily vernacular and not use this idiotic excuse that it’s not a racist word (But some racists may use it). If that’s the crutch you’re using to support your argument, I’m surprised that you think your position could still stand. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/90 "2005-11-17T18:11:49Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Speaking at the CCC = being a member of the Klan? Even if we accept that, Lott apologized and denounced their racist agenda. Read the links, **John**. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/91 "2005-11-17T18:43:25Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > If you’re going call everyone “racist” who doesn’t agree with you on certain legislation, then we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that. I disagree that anyone here has said that. What _has_ been suggested is that Lott’s past acts and recent associations, taken together with his voting record, raise questions about his attitudes on race. _Poll tax! How I love ya How I love ya My dear old poll tax._ - Tom Lehrer (to the tune of “Swanee”). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/92 "2005-11-17T18:44:44Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > And I’m sure you talk with them too. If only. > [@](#): > > Yet you agreed with my point, my main point, my sole point, that this event should not have been held at Douglass’ home. Still, you feel like ranting and rambling. Go figure. I’m trying to make a basic point that you’ve missed: repeating the rest of the allegations and targeting Clinton was dumb. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, and I took you at your word the first time you said you weren’t out to smear her. But you picked a dumb way to go about your actual goal, which was saying “this was a bad place to have an event for Robert Byrd.” Ta da. > [@](#): > > No, because that would require independent thought and not your obviously shameful party loyalty and blindness that keeps you linked to defending Clinton. You know what’s really ironic about this? I don’t like Hillary Clinton. So your conclusion that I’m doing this because I’m a partisan Democrat (if I was that partisan, I wouldn’t have admitted this was a bad idea) or that I’m doing it out of love for Hillary (I didn’t vote for her in 2000 for the Senate, and it’s possible I won’t vote for her in 2006 and 2008 as well; I’ve never been a fan) are pretty far off-base. > [@](#): > > Feel free to make “nigger” part of your daily vernacular and not use this idiotic excuse that it’s not a racist word (But some racists may use it). If that’s the crutch you’re using to support your argument, I’m surprised that you think your position could still stand. Is there some reason you can’t just answer a simple question? I’m not asking you to publish the OED. I’m not saying people should or shouldn’t be offended by the use of “nigger.” I’m a fan of finding out context before condemning someone for what they say, however, and I just can’t find the racist intent in what Robert Byrd said in 2001 (as opposed to the other statements you quoted, where there’s no question about what he says or means). He said something confusing and compounded it with a stupid choice of words, but I can’t find a way to interpret his statements to mean “white people are better than black people.” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/93 "2005-11-17T18:47:26Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Speaking at the CCC = being a member of the Klan? Even if we accept that, Lott apologized and denounced their racist agenda. I never said that these were equal. However, these aren’t what we’re discussing. We’re discussing speaking at the CCC, meeting repeatedly with their leaders, and probably being a member of the CCC (did you read my links and my excerpts?) We’re talking about someone who, within the past couple decades, has had sustained, repeated, and intimate involvement with a racist group. Yes, he apologized and denounced their racist agenda; and as I said, I am satisfied by that. However, I reject the idea that he had nothing to apologize for: he had plenty to apologize for. > [@](#): > > If you’re going call everyone “racist” who doesn’t agree with you on certain legislation, then we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that. **John** , that’s bullshit. That’s not at all what I’m doing. Care to show me where I’ve called Bush racist, or Delay racist, or Cheney racist, or Scalia racist, or any of a number of other people racist? What I’ve done is I’ve called someone’s activities racist when they repeatedly involved themselves with segregationists and praised those segregationists, especially when they praised those segregationists for specifically segregationist activities (remind me what Thurmond’s splinter party was called?) It’s offensive bullshit to suggest that I’m calling him racist for disagreeing with me on legislation. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/94 "2005-11-17T18:53:37Z")
Hillary Clinton likes to play both sides. She likes to obscure her actual opinion in order to just politic it up, and play the game. I don’t think she’s racist. I just think she’s a really shitty senator. I for one am going to vote against her next year. Erek ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/95 "2005-11-17T18:53:48Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > (remind me what Thurmond’s splinter party was called?) :smack: Wise man say: Google first, snark later. “The Dixiecrat Party” isn’t as damning a name as “The Segregationist Party,” which I’d somehow got it in my head was the name of Thurmond’s splinter party. And the formal name was actually “The States Rights Party.” Granted, the party formed exactly because [Democrat Truman was pushing civil rights initiatives that segregationists like Thurmond found to be unacceptable.](http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_025200_dixiecratpar.htm) But my above-quoted snark was wrong, and I apologize.\* Daniel - Note that I’m apologizing for something I did that was wrong, not for your misinterpretation of my innocent comments. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329/96 "2005-11-18T03:37:03Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Hillary Clinton likes to play both sides. She likes to obscure her actual opinion in order to just politic it up, and play the game. I don’t think she’s racist. I just think she’s a really shitty senator. I for one am going to vote against her next year. > > Erek Looks like she’s doomed now, huh? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-gives-black-folk-the-byrd/331329.md?page=4)