# Why if you disagree with Obama and his policies some label you as a racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 11, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918 "2011-09-11T05:24:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**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:** [September 12, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/201 "2011-09-12T15:55:43Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > You didn’t see lefties calling Bush a socialist, so this is a pretty pathetic attempt at equivalency. You’re right. They called him a Nazi and a Fascist. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/202 "2011-09-12T15:58:52Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You’re right. They called him a Nazi and a Fascist. How many national elected figures called him that? How many talking heads? ---
**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:** [September 12, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/203 "2011-09-12T16:08:01Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > How many national elected figures called him that? How many talking heads? The argument being made was about what individual TPers did, not nationally elected figures. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/204 "2011-09-12T16:22:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The argument being made was about what individual TPers did, not nationally elected figures. Well, for one thing it’s an indication of who’s in charge in the party. Assume that there are equal percentages of crazy assholes in both parties (I don’t think there are, people on the right believe a lot of crazy nonsense, but assume it). Which party is bending to the demands of the crazy assholes? The Republicans have decided that the crazy assholes are running the show and build policy to appease them. There is no similar capitulation on the left. That’s what my point was. Individual TPers are nuts and they are holding the reins. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/205 "2011-09-12T16:31:00Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You’re right. They called him a Nazi and a Fascist. And although those terms are clearly hyperbolic, some of the policies enacted during his administration did have the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime - for example, “enhanced interrogation techniques”, extraordinary rendition and the suspension of habeus corpus rights, illegal wiretapping, the attempts to use the Justice Dept to attack political rivals, Free Speech Zones including the arrest of people for wearing t-shirts with objectionable messages on them, use of a major news outlet as a propaganda vehicle and of course the questionable march to the invasion of Iraq. My point is, there was some substance behind the hyperbole. What’s Obama done that even vaguely resembles socialism? Bank and car industry bailouts? The Republicans had done those long before. Even his health care reform was a gift to the private sector, and the accusations of being a socialist/Communist/Nazi started long before that came on the scene. The equivalence is dubious. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/206 "2011-09-12T16:31:03Z")
I’m a bit amused by all the people claiming Jeremiah Wright has been “embraced” by the Democrats and is representative of the Democratic party. What planet do they live on, because on this one he’s by every major Democratic figure I can think of and no one will touch him with a ten foot pole. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/207 "2011-09-12T16:46:11Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’m a bit amused by all the people claiming Jeremiah Wright has been “embraced” by the Democrats and is representative of the Democratic party. > > What planet do they live on, because on this one he’s by every major Democratic figure I can think of and no one will touch him with a ten foot pole. I think you’ve missed a word there but I take your point. And Al Sharpton as well - very much a fringe figure and demagogue to a very small demographic. Jesse Jackson was hurt badly by his “Hymietown” comment. Cynthia McKinney had very little if any support for her accusations against the police and lost her primary shortly thereafter. While I’m not claiming that the Democrats are squeaky clean - the likes of Rangel and Murtha have definitely left a bad taste in my mouth - the accusation that the Democrats embrace the radical left-wing kooks is not supported by much evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/208 "2011-09-12T16:53:28Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I think you’ve missed a word there but I take your point. And Al Sharpton as well - very much a fringe figure and demagogue to a very small demographic. > > Jesse Jackson was hurt badly by his “Hymietown” comment. Cynthia McKinney had very little if any support for her accusations against the police and lost her primary shortly thereafter. While I’m not claiming that the Democrats are squeaky clean - the likes of Rangel and Murtha have definitely left a bad taste in my mouth - the accusation that the Democrats embrace the radical left-wing kooks is not supported by much evidence. You’re right. I meant to add “condemned” but missed it. He certainly isn’t embraced by Democrats the way Republicans embraced Fallwell and Robertson, who both claimed 911 was God’s punishment on America. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/209 "2011-09-12T17:17:28Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > What’s Obama done that even vaguely resembles socialism? He won’t cut taxes on the rich. That’s the very definition of Socialism; Marx’s and Lenin’s wet dream come to life. Don’t you know anything? ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/210 "2011-09-12T17:34:40Z")
_climbs on his soapbox_ > [@Gyrate](#): > > Well, yes. Because there’s quite a lot of difference between the two groups in terms of historical treatment. You may have heard of it, despite your feigned surprise that such a thing existed. What does historical treatment have to do with today? In fact, what does that have to do with, apparently, you being content to argue that what’s acceptable for Democrats/liberals to do is unacceptable for Republicans/conservatives to do? This is nonsensical bullshit, is what it is, and is a main reason why there are far more people in prominent positions of the Democratic party race-baiting, making references to race and/or sweeping generalizations of entire ethnic groups than there are in the Republican party. The Democratic party/liberals have become colorblind. And by colorblind, I mean as in the color of the person’s skin makes them blind. Democrats/liberals can mock, lampoon and caricature Republicans/conservatives, regardless of race, superimpose their faces on, say, known terrorists or monkeys, refer to them by less-than-flattering terms, parade around signs and shirts stating how said Republican/conservative leader should have been aborted, insinuate that any non-White Republican/conservative ‘the man’, talk about how certain non-White Republicans/Conservatives should be lynched, shipped back to Africa/the plantation and so on and so forth and there’s little to no peep from the left. But God forbid a Republican/conservative ever, at the very least, make a political cartoon about Obama in the same vein as the one made about Bush for the better part of eight years. That guy, or girl, must obviously be a racist and/or is looking to perpetuate racism. Obviously. …I wonder what’s wrong with that picture? > [@](#): > > There is therefore a _legitimate_ double standard that cannot be handwaved away. No, there isn’t, especially since this double standard is also applied to political party as much as it is race. In fact, it’s probably applied moreso to political party than it is to race. Most any knowing Black conservative in a political position will tell you this, as they’ll often times find themselves on the wrong end of disparaging comments about race with either no one on the left running to their defense or they’ll get a minimal half-hearted defense after much protest. To make use of a personal anecdote, on this board I was told that I was a moron on the basis of being Black and a conservative, and was compared to being a capitalist for Stalin. And wouldn’t you know it, absolutely none of the left leaning posters made any kind of peep about it. It’d be sad, if it wasn’t all that expected. /soapboxmoment > [@](#): > > [Really?](http://crap4facepolitics.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/racist-obama.jpg) Well perhaps I can’t read the minds of the sort of people who make pictures like [this](http://www.onewhiteduck.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/racist-obama-sign-3.jpg) or [this](http://www.politicususa.com/wp-content/uploads/racist-obama-sign-202x300.jpg) or [this](http://www.zaiusnation.com/stuff/zaius/moosic2/obama_gang_signs2.jpg) but I can notice a certain theme to them. Especially if I [keep](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L-O37X6d440/SFquZel4AhI/AAAAAAAADew/73Qppk7owGo/s320/0618pin.jpg) [on](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F3e3Hbq32k0/Tkr8dAjChrI/AAAAAAAAASI/suMVPmt7NXU/s1600/teapartysign1sm.jpg) [looking](http://wonkette.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/obamabestsignever.jpg)… Yes, really. Nice way to try to move the goal posts. Perhaps you should keep on looking and hopefully try again. Just to remind you, you said, and I’m going to quote you verbatim: > [@](#): > > With Bush it was personal - nasty, but nasty on an individual level and linked to his facial expressions. When someone does it to Obama there’s more than sufficient reason to suspect that it’s not him personally but his race that’s the underlying driver and way too much to rule it out casually. This is a crock and it makes no effort not to be, as it rests on the assumption that _anyone_ who says anything negative about Obama is doing so because they’re a racist. It’s a ridiculous personal attack and one which you can’t even prove without being a mind reader. But you know what? Continue on as you have. > [@](#): > > Yes, how dare I suggest that black people might occasionally be subjected to racist abuse, especially when there’s so little evidence that it happens. Nice straw man. Care to try that again? > [@](#): > > Seriously, it’s already been pointed out that a vast amount of the right-wing’s objections to Obama are based on lies and misconceptions about him. I’m going to need a cite here, with percentage breakdown of opposition by reason, as I’m thinking you just made that up on the spot. > [@](#): > > There are many legitimate objections about what Obama is doing and has done but so much of the rhetoric is about his legitimacy to hold office (despite the fact that he was born in Hawaii), his religion (which is not Islam or atheism), his economic policies (he hasn’t raised taxes on most people and he’s not remotely a socialist or Communist or indeed fascist) that you have to wonder what’s driving this if not his race or his party affiliation, and the vitriol wasn’t nearly this bad for previous white Democratic presidents. So here’s a question for you; if the vitriol, if you want to call it that, is less than what was levied at Bush Jr. but more than what was levied at past Democratic presidents, then what does that say about the vitriol levied at Bush Jr. relative to what is being levied at Obama? ---
**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:** [September 12, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/211 "2011-09-12T17:45:02Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > And although those terms are clearly hyperbolic, some of the policies enacted during his administration did have the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime - for example, “enhanced interrogation techniques”, extraordinary rendition and the suspension of habeus corpus rights, illegal wiretapping, the attempts to use the Justice Dept to attack political rivals, Free Speech Zones including the arrest of people for wearing t-shirts with objectionable messages on them, use of a major news outlet as a propaganda vehicle and of course the questionable march to the invasion of Iraq. > > My point is, there was some substance behind the hyperbole. What’s Obama done that even vaguely resembles socialism? Bank and car industry bailouts? The Republicans had done those long before. Even his health care reform was a gift to the private sector, and the accusations of being a socialist/Communist/Nazi started long before that came on the scene. The equivalence is dubious. There is no “substance” behind the hyperbole of either side. The “hallmarks” of the Nazi regime was dictatorial, one-party rule and genocide, and there is no reason to evoke the image of Nazis other than to stir up references to those. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/212 "2011-09-12T17:54:02Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > _climbs on his soapbox_ > > What does historical treatment have to do with today? It is a well known fact about human beings that they remember history and see the present in the light of it. > [@](#): > > In fact, what does that have to do with, apparently, you being content to argue that what’s acceptable for Democrats/liberals to do is unacceptable for Republicans/conservatives to do? This is nonsensical bullshit, is what it is, and is a main reason why there are far more people in prominent positions of the Democratic party race-baiting, making references to race and/or sweeping generalizations of entire ethnic groups than there are in the Republican party. If you are talking about things like the Wright clip, I agree that they are wrong to say those things. I disagree with you that these are “people in prominent positions in the Democratic party.” > [@](#): > > The Democratic party/liberals have become colorblind. And by colorblind, I mean as in the color of the person’s skin makes them blind. > > Democrats/liberals can mock, lampoon and caricature Republicans/conservatives, regardless of race, superimpose their faces on, say, known terrorists or monkeys, refer to them by less-than-flattering terms, parade around signs and shirts stating how said Republican/conservative leader should have been aborted, None of this has anything to do with racism. > [@](#): > > insinuate that any non-White Republican/conservative ‘the man’, Not sure what you mean by this–you omitted a word or phrase. > [@](#): > > talk about how certain non-White Republicans/Conservatives should be lynched, shipped back to Africa/the plantation and so on and so forth On the one hand I simply don’t believe there has been a liberal who matters who has said anything like this in, let’s say, the past fifteen years. I’d seriously doubt any _conservative_ who matters has said anything like this in the same time period. But if I’m wrong, then you’re right, the people who said this said an evil thing. > [@](#): > > and there’s little to no peep from the left. Peep. > [@](#): > > But God forbid a Republican/conservative ever, at the very least, make a political cartoon about Obama in the same vein as the one made about Bush for the better part of eight years. That guy, or girl, must obviously be a racist and/or is looking to perpetuate racism. Obviously. Yes, it is obvious. See below. > [@](#): > > No, there isn’t, especially since this double standard is also applied to political party as much as it is race. In fact, it’s probably applied moreso to political party than it is to race. Most any knowing Black conservative in a political position will tell you this, as they’ll often times find themselves on the wrong end of disparaging comments about race with either no one on the left running to their defense or they’ll get a minimal half-hearted defense after much protest. I do sympathize with black conservatives. I think they are in a difficult position for reasons you describe here. > [@](#): > > To make use of a personal anecdote, on this board I was told that I was a moron on the basis of being Black and a conservative, As I said, I recognize this is difficult to deal with. It should be noted, though, that criticizing someone because they are black and X is different from criticizing them because they are black. The latter is racist by definition. Whether the former is racist or not depends on the X and the context. > [@](#): > > and was compared to being a capitalist for Stalin. Don’t know what this means. > [@](#): > > And wouldn’t you know it, absolutely none of the left leaning posters made any kind of peep about it. It’d be sad, if it wasn’t all that expected. “Moron” doesn’t draw ire around here. > [@](#): > > Yes, really. Nice way to try to move the goal posts. Perhaps you should keep on looking and hopefully try again. Just to remind you, you said, and I’m going to quote you verbatim: > > This is a crock and it makes no effort not to be, as it rests on the assumption that _anyone_ who says anything negative about Obama is doing so because they’re a racist. It’s a ridiculous personal attack and one which you can’t even prove without being a mind reader. But you know what? Continue on as you have. Here you’re claiming you don’t see the examples provided as criticising Obama _simply_ on the basis that he is black. Your claim is literally unbelievable. _No one_ believes you when you claim this. Do you know this? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/213 "2011-09-12T18:18:59Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > What does historical treatment have to do with today? In fact, what does that have to do with, apparently, you being content to argue that what’s acceptable for Democrats/liberals to do is unacceptable for Republicans/conservatives to do? If you (generic ‘you’) portray Bush and Obama as monkeys, it carries a meaning for Obama that it doesn’t for Bush. If you portray them each draped in a white sheet, it carries a meaning for Bush that it doesn’t for Obama. ---
**Author:** ![commonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@commonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commonsense)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/214 "2011-09-12T18:20:39Z")
Are U? ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/215 "2011-09-12T18:28:33Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > It is a well known fact about human beings that they remember history and see the present in the light of it. No, that’s called “living in the past”. > [@](#): > > If you are talking about things like the Wright clip, I agree that they are wrong to say those things. I disagree with you that these are “people in prominent positions in the Democratic party.” Apparently, you’ve never listened to Maxine Waters, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson or Andre Carson go on their usual race-laced tirades about how Whites are oppressing Blacks, how some group wants to hang Blacks from a tree, how some group can go to Hell, how \ and so on and so forth. I guarantee you that you couldn’t name me ten prominent Republicans who go off on race-laced tirades, while I could most certainly name you ten Democrats who do. And not just Black ones. > [@](#): > > None of this has anything to do with racism. How about you read what I write out in its entirety instead of chopping up my responses and responding to them line by line? The point, which you conveniently butchered, is that many of these things are often times directed towards Republican/conservatives, even the minority ones, without there being so much of a peep from the left (would you seriously like examples of this?). However, the moment any of these accusations were levied against a minority on the left, the accusations of being a racist would fly. Apparently, what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander. > [@](#): > > Not sure what you mean by this–you omitted a word or phrase. Indeed I did. I meant they’re accused of “following the man”. > [@](#): > > On the one hand I simply don’t believe there has been a liberal who matters who has said anything like this in, let’s say, the past fifteen years. I’d seriously doubt any _conservative_ who matters has said anything like this in the same time period. At least you qualified that with “a liberal who matters”, though I’d introduce you to Bill Maher (oh, but he’s not really a liberal, right?). As it is, we were talking about individuals, and since Democrats/liberals like talk about indidivual Tea Partiers being racist, then it’s only fair to show you to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E3ctO7fdrcc). Which was met with a half-hearted kind of, sort of but not really condemnation from the NAACP. > [@](#): > > Yes, it is obvious. See below. Yes, it’s “obvious” if you assume there’s racist underpinnings involved. But that’s just nonsensical. > [@](#): > > I do sympathize with black conservatives. I think they are in a difficult position for reasons you describe here. Yeah, because the other side (i.e., the left) has no problem harboring racists and will turn a blind eye to them for the most part so long as they continue to support the party. > [@](#): > > As I said, I recognize this is difficult to deal with. It should be noted, though, that criticizing someone because they are black and X is different from criticizing them because they are black. The latter is racist by definition. Whether the former is racist or not depends on the X and the context. Cop-out. Imagine, if you will, that some conservative commentator on this board found, say, some Black liberal and said “you’re a moron because you’re Black and a liberal”. Within ten minutes of such a statement being posted, there would be twenty comments about how said conservative commentator is a bigot, a racist, ignorant and whatever other pejorative one could possibly think up. Don’t even bother to deny it, because both you, I and every poster on this forum knows this would happen. So how, exactly, would you rationalize the two different set of responses? That’s a question worth knowing the answer to. > [@](#): > > Don’t know what this means. Again, how about you stop chopping up my responses? > [@](#): > > Here you’re claiming you don’t see the examples provided as criticising Obama _simply_ on the basis that he is black. > > Your claim is literally unbelievable. _No one_ believes you when you claim this. Do you know this? Because that’s not what I claimed. In fact, I didn’t claim anything. I called someone else’s claim into question because it’s literally asinine and simply cannot be proven without first assuming that those who criticize Obama or lampoon him are racists. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > If you (generic ‘you’) portray Bush and Obama as monkeys, it carries a meaning for Obama that it doesn’t for Bush. If you portray them each draped in a white sheet, it carries a meaning for Bush that it doesn’t for Obama. So you think it’s okay to portray Obama as a (potential) KKK member and not Bush? I have a sneaky suspicion that you wouldn’t believe this to be the case, though I could totally be misinterpreting what you’re saying. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/216 "2011-09-12T18:38:07Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > So you think it’s okay to portray Obama as a (potential) KKK member and not Bush? I have a sneaky suspicion that you wouldn’t believe this to be the case, though I could totally be misinterpreting what you’re saying. No, if you put a white sheet over Obama, he’s just dressing up as a ghost for Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/217 "2011-09-12T18:39:13Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Oh, look. Someone wants to run to the defense o > > No, that’s called “living in the past”. Not sure what the “no” is doing here. Are you denying that it’s a well known fact that people in general tend to ‘live in the past’ as you called it? > [@](#): > > Apparently, you’ve never listened to Maxine Waters, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson or Andre Carson go on their usual race-laced tirades about how Whites are oppressing Blacks, how some group wants to hang Blacks from a tree, how some group can go to Hell, how \ and so on and so forth. I guarantee you that you couldn’t name me ten prominent Republicans who go off on race-laced tirades, while I could most certainly name you ten Democrats who do and do it often. And not just Black ones. This is not responsive to my post. I have already said I disagree that these guys are “people in prominent positions in the Democratic party.” And when they are speaking _to Democrats as Democrats_ they don’t talk like this. I agree they shouldn’t talk like that at all. But it’s not an in-house thing where the house is “The Democratic Party.” It’s more specific than that. > [@](#): > > How about you read what I write out in its entirety instead of chopping up my responses and responding to them line by line? The point, which you conveniently butchered, is that many of these things are often times directed towards Republican/conservatives, even the minority ones, without there being so much of a peep from the left (would you seriously like examples of this?). However, the moment any of these accusations were levied against a minority on the left, the accusations of being a racist would fly. Apparently, what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander. Nothing was lost in the “chopping up.” It is the standard format for discussion at the SDMB. If you’re going to talk about geese and ganders here, then for the metaphor to go through, the things you’re talking about must be of a kind. But I was pointing out, by my “chopping up,” that you were talking about two _different_ kinds of things. Not geese and ganders. Ducks and pigeons. > [@](#): > > At least you qualified that with “a liberal who matters”, though I’d introduce you to Bill Maher (oh, but he’s not really a liberal, right?). Bill Maher is a liberal who matters–who fwiw I’m on the record as saying I somewhat despise. But tell me what he said? > [@](#): > > As it is, we were talking about individuals, _No clue_ what you’re talking about here. In what important sense are we “talking about individuals”? Rather, I’d have said we’re debating about whether individual actions on either side are or are not representative of accepted attitudes on either side. > [@](#): > > and since Democrats/liberals like talk about indidivual Tea Partiers being racist, then it’s only fair to show you to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E3ctO7fdrcc). Which was met with a half-hearted kind of, sort of but not really condemnation from the NAACP. Text of the condemnation from the NAACP? And are what is your argument that this is _representative of accepted attitudes_ among liberals? > [@](#): > > Cop-out. Imagine, if you will, that some conservative commentator on this board found, say, some Black liberal and said “you’re a moron because you’re Black and a liberal”. Within ten minutes of such a statement being posted, there would be twenty comments about how said conservative commentator is a bigot, a racist, ignorant and whatever other pejorative one could possibly think up. Don’t even bother to deny it, because both you, I and every poster on this forum knows this would happen. So how, exactly, would you rationalize the two different set of responses? That’s a question worth knowing the answer to. You’re making predictions and prophecies. I honestly don’t know what would happen. Go try it and see, I guess? If people said “it is stupid to be black and liberal” is, in and of itself, a racist statement, they’d be incorrect. (Though an argument _for_ that position might be racist. I’d have to see the argument.) > [@](#): > > Again, how about you stop chopping up my responses? Well… no I won’t, because that’s how things are done here. Nothing has been lost or in any way deceptively taken out of context. > [@](#): > > Because that’s not what I claimed. Then I apparently misread you. > [@](#): > > In fact, I didn’t claim anything. I called someone else’s claim into question because it’s literally asinine and simply cannot be proven without first assuming that those who criticize Obama or lampoon him are racists. Do _you_ think they (the six given examples) are manifestly examples of criticisms of Obama solely on the basis of his race, or not? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/218 "2011-09-12T18:46:31Z")
Who the fuck is Andre Carson and what “prominent position” does he have in the Democratic Party? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/219 "2011-09-12T18:59:09Z")
He’s a member of Congress. He said the Tea Party wanted to lynch blacks. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918/220 "2011-09-12T19:07:10Z")
Obbn, I know you’ve probably heard a lot already, but I just wanted to give you a perspective from a center-left guy (me). The republicans, since the 60’s, have catered to racist sentiments in order to win elections and switch old-time democrats over to the republican party. This is not a debated point. The Southern Strategy employed by Nixon consisted largely of this behavior. Then when you think about the fact that nearly every black representative in government is a democrat and not a republican, one starts to wonder, “Why aren’t republicans willing to elect black politicians?” or “Why aren’t more black people running as republicans?” No one takes black republicans seriously, and there is a reason that 80%+ of black americans vote for democrats. Thinking back to 2008, it was amazing enough to me that Obama was able to win the primary. I can’t imagine a black american winning the republican nomination at least for another 20 or 30 years. So much would have to change in conservative attitudes that it seems almost impossible to imagine. Now, having said all that, hopefully you can recognize and admit that racist sentiments play a very large role in the republican party. This was not always the case, of course. And it doesn’t always have to be the case. I believe the republican party is much better off with people who are intelligent, open-minded individuals with kind hearts. As much as I disagreed with many of his policies, George Bush was an open-minded, compassionate conservative and I don’t think anybody would consider him a racist (I’m sure I stand to be corrected). We need more people like that in the republican party. I admit that it is very unfair that republican has become synonymous with bigot, racist, etc. Anyhow, if anything they should be calling you a hypocrite, not a racist. Not that I am calling you a hypocrite, it’s just, THAT is the argument that THEY are making about you regarding the debt issue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-if-you-disagree-with-obama-and-his-policies-some-label-you-as-a-racist/595918.md?page=12)