Saw on CNN last night a story about how a lot of white voters are saying they won’t vote for Obama because he’s a “Muslim,” but they are using it as a transparent (and yet self-comforting) code word for something else.
True, but Obama married an African-American (i.e., a descendant of American slaves) and spent years in an AA church, showing clearly that his loyalties are with them.
And then, there’s that ol’ one-drop rule.
I can’t possibly be the only Doper looking forward to January 20, 2009. On the steps of the of the Capitol Building, the good people of the United States have organized a Welcoming Committee for the new President, who has come to save them all from Global Economic Meltdown.
On the top of the Rotunda, Gabby Johnson has positioned himself as the lookout, to let the good people know when the new President arrives. He is using his trusty spyglass. It is almost high noon.
Gabby Johnson: He’s a-coming
:: band strikes up a patriotic tune ::
Gabby Johnson: Hey, the president is a Ni… GONG
Harriet van Johnson: What did he say?
Howard Johnson: He said the president is near.
Gabby Johnson: No, god dangit dagblammit, the president is a Ni… GONG
:: crowd goes silent as President-Elect Obama rides up on a palomino and they see him for the first time ::
Dr. Sam Johnson [reading from notes]: As chairman of the welcoming committee, it’s a pleasure to present a laurel and hearty handshake to our new [looks up]… Nigger.
It was pretty much the same when George Bush senoir’s campaign was going down the tubes to Bill Clinton. People were raving about Clinton/Gore being crazy and it would be the end of the world and all. . . this is not racially based. It’s pretty common really.
The Inaugural Address begins. “Y’all excuse me while I whip this out . . .”
I’ve been thinking about both the issue of race and this scene in Mel’s greatest since I first thought Obama was going to get elected back in February. I am completely filled with respect for the office of the President, but I would be willing to pay so much money that I do not have in order for the most perfect Blazing Saddles tribute to be carried out on that day. If he could close the ceremony by kidnapping himself into the oval office it would be even better.
I think that most hardcore racists these days are about as likely to vote for a viable candidate as the Nation of Islam guys on the street corner the other day appeared to be: not at all. Now, as has been noted, the Republican party responded to LBJ’s signing of the Civil Rights act by courting racists. I have no evidence of their success other than anecdotes about relatives and acquaintances, but it does seem that they have been successful, for the most part.
To add other ambiguity to the mix, I have a co-worker/friend that I feel is racist, and many of my other co-workers and friends feel he is too. (he can be outspoken on the matter, but truly, he has other redeeming qualities). He is normally a sincere Republican, and does normally back up his support for them on the issues. Since the announcement of Palin as McCain’s running mate, when the election is brought up, he volunteers that he is voting for Obama. Now, he’s a bit sexist as well, so that may be the deciding factor here, but it’s an interesting election.
That would be awesome. I bet he secretly wants to do it, too.
In all sincerity, I’ve spent most of my life as a Republican, and hanging out with Republicans. Most of the time that I’ve spent with Liberals/Democrats was either in College or on this board.
I am absolutely 100% positive that Democrats/liberals are a lot more concerned with race than Republicans/conservatives.
Most of us just don’t give a shit.
Hmm. Do you think that maybe that that indifference about race on the part of many Republicans/conservatives (and I agree that many, if not most, Republicans/conservatives are in fact not racist at all) perhaps gives their minority of nutjob racists a shelter for the indulgence of their bigoted views?
I agree that Democrats and liberals sometimes seem to over-focus on issues of race and racism, but I think that’s had at least one very good side effect: it’s driven a lot of the racists away from us. The Democrats lost a lot of numerical support when the “Southern Strategy” siphoned off pro-segregation voters to the Republicans, but the process also weeded out a lot of toxic and embarrassing views among their supporters.
It’s certainly not true, I would argue, that most conservatives are racist, but it seems to be true that most racists (at least the extremist bigot types) are conservatives. And this is true partly because they recognize that liberals actively repudiate racist views.
Maybe mainstream conservatives need to give more of a shit about race, and express their anti-racist views more frequently and more prominently, to discourage the support of the racist-wingnut minority whose presence in their party is currently something of an embarrassment to them.
I second that emotion.
You’ve got this as backwards as can be. The Democrats are the only party that actively campaigns for policies that explicitly discriminate on the basis of race.
… aaand that’s how the right takes us through the looking glass on the issue of race.
You want to institute policies that counter institutional and social racism? You’re a racist!
You want to counter policies that favor the rich? You’re starting a class war!
Truly the art of Doublespeak.
Aside from any argument over whether affirmative action is itself racist,
it is not the case that only Democrats support affirmative action.
Also, it was a Republican President who required that immigrants of certain (brown) nationalities register themselves after 9/11.
Not to mention Stanley! 
It is true that most Republican discrimination has been indirect. And, to be fair, aimed mostly at the poor, who just happen to skew ethnic and have not tended to vote Republican.
Obviously not, since the Democratic obsession has not shielded them from having a minority of nutjob racists.
No, just a different kind of racism.
Regards,
Shodan
Yes, I do. I think that’s a good thing. I’ll elaborate further at the end if the rest of your post doesn’t address the reason.
I think that’s accurate as well.
You’ve hit on the fundamental root of something.
In your view, and the view of many on the left, your intolerance against wrong-thinking is one of your strongest weapons. I don’t mean “wrong-thinking” ironically. I think most of us would agree that racism is fundamentally bad.
But, I think people have a right to think what they want to think and believe what they want to believe. I am not the thought police. I don’t think there should be a thought police. If somebody wants to believe that blacks are inferior, that’s their problem. I don’t think that somebody should be persecuted for that belief. As wrong as that belief may be, it’s a very slippery slope. I don’t like the PC movement, and I don’t like the bully tactics I often see those on the left employing against beliefs they find offensive.
I think the right for people to think for themselves and not be afraid to make up their own mind is more important than the leftist imperative that they think correctly.
Scylla, since you’re basically a good dude, from what I can tell, I assume there’s an inferred “until it leads to genocide, hate crimes, etc.” inherent at the end there.
I get the point about it being impossible to police thought, but there are certainly people that will use this weakness of thought to spur others to harmful actions.
Well yeah. A lot sooner than that. I’d say it’s their own business until it interferes with the legitimate rights of others.
Hah! More than once I’ve misread his name as Baruch Obama.
If this Leader of the Free World gig doesn’t work out, mebbe he can get a job with the World Council of Churches or somesuch. . . .
Bingo. And it looks like some are using “Arab” in much the same way. No surprise. It’s not cool anymore to admit you’re being motivated by simple racism.
(By the way: your post after the one cited above was sarcastic, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it? (We moronic moose are pretty slow in the morning.)