# Latest McCain Desparation: Obama Wants Reparations for slavery... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 27, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767 "2008-10-27T15:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/21 "2008-10-27T17:04:06Z")
From reading the transcript and the purple headlines on Drudge and Fox News, it appears that the right wing media is grossly distorting Obama’s words in multiple ways. For instance [Drudge](http://drudgereport.com/) has the following headline in 40 foot font at the top of his page: [quote] 2001 OBAMA: TRAGEDY THAT ‘REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH’ NOT PURSUED BY SUPREME COURT Now let’s look at what Obama actually said – starting with Drudge’s first, all-caps headline: > [@](#): > > Obama said “one of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil rights movement, was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change, and in some ways we still stuffer from that.” Did he say that it was a “tragedy that redistribution of the wealth was no pursued by the Supreme Court?” No. He said the tragedy was that the Civil Rights movement became too _dependant_ on the courts and lost track of the ground up, grass roots movements to combat socoal and economic inequities. The first Drudge headline is a flat lie. It’s not even a distortion, it’s completely false. Let’s look at Drudge’s second headline. > [@](#): > > THE OBAMA VAULTS: Constitution ‘reflected fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day’… The link goes to this youtube video. Here is the transcription of that audio clip: > [@](#): > > I think that we can say that the Constitution reflected the enormous blind spot in this culture that carries on until this day and that the framers had that same blind spot. I don’t think the two views are contradictory to say that it was a remarkable political document that paved the way for where we are now and to say that it also reflected the fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day Now, the youtube video is shorn of any context, so we can only guess what “blind spot” Obama was saying was reflected in the Constitution, and what “contradiction” he saw, but Ialso don’t think we have to sprain our brains very hard to figure it out. Obviously, it is a factually true and indisputable statement that the US Constitution reflected some racist and hypocritical cultural assumptions. I don’t know what’s outrageous about a Constututional law professor observing that. I guess we’re just suppose to see the words “fundamental flaw” and “Constitution” and think that he’s trashing the Constitution. I’m sure that will work on 99% of Fox News watchers, but the rest of the electorate seems to be tuning out the right wing noise machine these days, so I don’t expect this stuff to get any traction in the polls. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/22 "2008-10-27T17:17:49Z")
Not about reparations but there’s enough threads already. [Palin Rant Warns of Communist Nightmare State](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF5ZkgNNBQE) > [@](#): > > See, under a big government, more tax agenda, what you thought was yours would really start belonging to somebody else, to everybody else. If you thought your income, your property, your inventory, your investments were, were yours, they would really collectively belong to everybody. This is beyond silly. How can anyone believe this shite? I can respect someone who holds right leaning political beliefs and doesn’t support Obama, but anyone who buys this bollocks is an idiot plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/23 "2008-10-27T17:20:32Z")
The McCain campaign [_is_](http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/10/mccain_slams_ob_3.html) using the interview, and lying about it shameless, but he hasn’t put the “slavery reparations” spin on it, except, perhaps, subliminally. > [@](#): > > “The American people continue to learn more about Barack Obama. Now we know that the slogans ‘change you can believe in’ and ‘change we need’ are code words for Barack Obama’s ultimate goal: ‘redistributive change.’ In a previously uncovered interview from September 6, 2001, Barack Obama expressed his regret that the Supreme Court hadn’t been more ‘radical’ and described as a ‘tragedy’ the Court’s refusal to take up ‘the issues of redistribution of wealth.’ No wonder he wants to appoint judges that legislate from the bench – as insurance in case a unified Democratic government under his control fails to meet his basic goal: taking money away from people who work for it and giving it to people who Barack Obama believes deserve it. Europeans call it socialism, Americans call it welfare, and Barack Obama calls it change,” McCain senior policy adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin said in a statement. So, he’s parakeeting Drudge’s fabricated headline, and he’s continuing with wild and absurd inventions about Obama’s economic policy in general, but he hasn’t openly gone to the “reparations” card. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/24 "2008-10-27T17:28:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Becuase your whole OP is based upon this tiny little shred “Today, aides say, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will seize on some of those remarks, as hyped by Mr. Drudge.” > > We don’t know _what_ remarks about\* what\* are those “McCain will seize upon”. Or as **The Flying Dut** chman sez "_At the moment McCain hasn’t done what you think he’s going to do. So far, no story here."_ > When this breaks for real, come back with some facts, OK? A) It’s not my OP. B) McCain’s aides went on record stating that McCain would use this. Drudge has hyped specifically the spread-the-wealth/reparations angle. Whether McCain presses with it or not, the fact that aides working for the campaign are making hay out of it … makes it a legitimate issue to discuss. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/25 "2008-10-27T17:34:46Z")
It sounds like it plays into their message, but falls apart upon closer inspection. But the words do sound “bad”. It keys on the liberal interpretation of “redistributive policies” as “redistribution of wealth”. To me, they look like different ideas, but I have to imagine that many will accept the conflation. I just don’t know how far this “secret agenda” thing can go. Is he a terrorist socialist? Usually those guys are fascist, right? I mean they made up that whole word that has fascist right in it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/26 "2008-10-27T17:40:03Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > . > > B) McCain’s aides went on record stating that McCain would use this. Drudge has hyped specifically the spread-the-wealth/reparations angle. Whether McCain presses with it or not, the fact that aides working for the campaign are making hay out of it … makes it a legitimate issue to discuss. Nowhere did it say that McCain would use the reparations angle, nor does it appear that he is. A WAG by the OP is hardly a “legitimate issue to discuss” excdept to tell him he’s full of it, and that his WAG seems to be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/27 "2008-10-27T17:50:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nowhere did it say that McCain would use the reparations angle, nor does it appear that he is. A WAG by the OP is hardly a “legitimate issue to discuss” excdept to tell him he’s full of it, and that his WAG seems to be wrong. I admit, I misunderstood just how deeply, if at all, that the reparations angle was being flogged … but the fact that this is being flogged at all (it seems more of a general “Obama is a Socialist” dipshittery) still makes this legitimate to discuss as a campaign issue. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/28 "2008-10-27T17:52:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nowhere did it say that McCain would use the reparations angle, nor does it appear that he is. A WAG by the OP is hardly a “legitimate issue to discuss” excdept to tell him he’s full of it, and that his WAG seems to be wrong. So it’s only fair to discuss things that are direct quotes from the candidate himself? Anything that the Drudge report says, or McCain aides says, or anyone else says is out of bounds for discussion. And when McCain aides say that McCain is going to use something to smear Obama, that’s out of bounds until he actually says it. Okay then. We’ll be good little posters and just sit here until you let us know when it’s appropriate to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/29 "2008-10-27T17:53:55Z")
That being said … the OP isn’t the only one mentioning reparations. In that link that \*\*Diogenes \*\*floated it was mentioned in the comments section at least once that I saw. > [@](#): > > _Originally quoted by someone who is obviously freaking out at [Boston.com](http://Boston.com): > He is talking reparations, people. Be forewarned_. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/30 "2008-10-27T18:03:18Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > For instance [Drudge](http://drudgereport.com/) has the following headline in 40 foot font at the top of his page: A forty _foot_ font? Man, it’s going to take a lot of scrolling to get to the bottom of that page. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/31 "2008-10-27T18:04:11Z")
We’re going to need a lot of mules. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/32 "2008-10-27T18:12:38Z")
The old fuck is on TV right now, raving at some mob, trying to make hay out of the interview. He seized on Obama’s phrase “redistributive change” and is try to extropolate socialism from it. McCain has become such a pathetic demagogue, man. He didn’t used to be that way. Next tuesday night is going to be magnificent simply to revel in the agony of the right wing media and the kind of assholes that go to these McKlan rallies. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/33 "2008-10-27T18:31:11Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > So it’s only fair to discuss things that are direct quotes from the candidate himself? Anything that the Drudge report says, or McCain aides says, or anyone else says is out of bounds for discussion. And when McCain aides say that McCain is going to use something to smear Obama, that’s out of bounds until he actually says it. Okay then. > > We’ll be good little posters and just sit here until you let us know when it’s appropriate to speak. But you see McCains aides didn’t say anything about “reparations” either. And I don’t think the Drdge report did either. So, all you’re discussing is a WAG from the OP which appears to be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/34 "2008-10-27T19:08:31Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The old fuck is on TV right now, raving at some mob, trying to make hay out of the interview. He seized on Obama’s phrase “redistributive change” and is try to extropolate socialism from it. > > McCain has become such a pathetic demagogue, man. He didn’t used to be that way. Next tuesday night is going to be magnificent simply to revel in the agony of the right wing media and the kind of assholes that go to these McKlan rallies. McCain’s support is very deep, and he keeps digging the lakebed deeper. The problem is that while his support is about a mile deep, it’s now roughly six inches wide. And McCain can’t do anything BUT dig the bed deeper. Whereas Obama’s support is like a REAL lakebed…it’s a couple miles wide, and ranges from shallow at the banks to really damn deep in the middle. McCain hasn’t figured out yet that digging the bed deeper doesn’t make your support broader, it just concentrates all the energy into that six-inch-diameter hole. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/35 "2008-10-27T19:34:33Z")
What is your evidence for the proposition that McCain is saying that Obama wants reparations for slavery? I think McCain is saying that Obama wants to redistribute wealthan which isn’t the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/36 "2008-10-27T19:45:27Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > What is your evidence for the proposition that McCain is saying that Obama wants reparations for slavery? I think McCain is saying that Obama wants to redistribute wealthan which isn’t the same thing. A man who wants to buy troubled mortgages at face value, using taxpayer money to do it, shouldn’t be talking about redistribution of wealth. Between his announcement two weeks ago that he would push for $52.5 billion in new welfare and his proclamation that he would freeze spending except for almost everything — he’s a fucking economic Looney Toon. And anyone who supports him is either uniformed, evil, or just plain stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/37 "2008-10-27T19:48:04Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > What is your evidence for the proposition that McCain is saying that Obama wants reparations for slavery? I think McCain is saying that Obama wants to redistribute wealthan which isn’t the same thing. Agreed that the thread title jumped the gun, but McCain still is lying and misrepresenting what Obama said. Also, McCain just voted to take my money and give it to billionaires, so he’s got no room to speak about “redistributing wealth.” By the way, when did giving tax cuts to the middle class become “Marxist?” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/38 "2008-10-27T20:01:37Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > By the way, when did giving tax cuts to the middle class become “Marxist?” Didn’t you know that middle-class tax cuts are the same thing as stealing food right out of the mouths of billionaires’ children? Do you realize how hard it is to feed a brood of baby Mellon-Scaifes on less than $300 million a year?! They can strip Sally Struthers to the bone in 30 seconds! You have to keep them fed! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/39 "2008-10-27T20:01:57Z")
If those middle class taxpayers are part of the industrial proletariat, such a case could be made, if you squint a bit. Later Marxist thinkers held that identifying with the cause of the industrial proletariat was sufficient for membership in that class, though the strict economic determinism of classical Marxism would deny any such fantasy. If I go to my bank and identify myself as a member of the ruling class, the merest glance at my available balance will convince them otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/40 "2008-10-27T20:28:20Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > A man who wants to buy troubled mortgages at face value, using taxpayer money to do it, shouldn’t be talking about redistribution of wealth. Between his announcement two weeks ago that he would push for $52.5 billion in new welfare and his proclamation that he would freeze spending except for almost everything — he’s a fucking economic Looney Toon. And anyone who supports him is either uniformed, evil, or just plain stupid. You have a cite for the proposition that the bailout bill involves buying troubled mortgages “at face value”? You don’t because it doesn’t. Most of the assets purchased won’t be the actual mortgages anyway but mortgage-backes decurities. Also, you can’t support Obama and then complain about McCain increasiong welfare because Obama would inrease it more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767.md?page=3)