|
|
Post by devilschaplain2 on Jan 11, 2010 12:22:18 GMT -5
According to a new book on the 2008 elections called Game Change Senator Harry Reid remarked that then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama would experience success in the upcoming election because he was a "light-skinned" African-American with "no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." His defenders say he was simply referring to certain American voters who would have trouble voting for a black person with darker skin, while his critics say the comments were racist. I myself am leaning toward the racism side. The use of the phrase "Negro dialect" seems to indicate that Mr. Reid believes black people talk in a certain inarticulate or unintelligent way. He said he was surprised at how great an orator Barack Obama was, and those feelings seem racist to me. Then there's the matter of his Mormon faith which doesn't have the best track record when it comes to race relations, stating that people with lighter skin are less sinful than people with darker skin. Perhaps he's retained some of that teaching. Who knows? All I can say is that I personally suspect that Harry Reid still clings to some racist notions about non-whites in this country, and that's unacceptable from both blowhards like Rush Limbaugh and Democrats. politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/09/reid-apology-for-negro-dialect-comment/ |
|
|
|
Post by Amaranth on Jan 11, 2010 12:25:44 GMT -5
Yeah, it's only okay when Republicans are racist.
(not aimed at you, DC)
|
|
|
|
Post by m52nickerson on Jan 11, 2010 12:30:45 GMT -5
I think his comments show some ignorance as to the US today, but are not racist. In that same regard there have been comments made by conservatives that were branded as racist that I don't believe were.
|
|
|
|
Post by Amaranth on Jan 11, 2010 12:33:21 GMT -5
I think his comments show some ignorance as to the US today, but are not racist. In that same regard there have been comments made by conservatives that were branded as racist that I don't believe were. I'm not sure he's ignorant to the US today. I'm pretty sure what he said is spot on. If he was a jet black, ghetto-talking black man, he'd have no chance in America. |
|
|
|
Post by devilschaplain2 on Jan 11, 2010 13:05:51 GMT -5
I think his comments show some ignorance as to the US today, but are not racist. In that same regard there have been comments made by conservatives that were branded as racist that I don't believe were. I'm not sure he's ignorant to the US today. I'm pretty sure what he said is spot on. If he was a jet black, ghetto-talking black man, he'd have no chance in America. Oh I'm not saying he was wrong in his assessment of certain white voters in America. But the issue was his surprise at how well-spoken Obama was for a black man, and especially the way he phrased it. I believe racism manifests itself in two ways: 1. The homicidal type of racism that one would view on a site like Stormfront.org. This is the racism of the Klan and the Nazi Party--the kind where a white supremacist has a desire to lynch or harm a non-white person. This is the worse of the two. 2. General ignorance like that expressed by Harry Reid. It's kinda like when my grandfather makes a comment like, "Well he speaks really well for a black person" or "My nurse was an Oriental woman, but when she talked I could understand her pretty good." It's not a hatred of others, but just ignorance, usually based on being raised in a different time when racism was the norm. I'm sure Harry Reid sincerely supports President Obama and has no animosity toward him, but his shock that a black person could be as articulate as a white person demonstrates the latter form of racism mentioned above. |
|
|
|
Post by big_electron on Jan 11, 2010 13:58:45 GMT -5
I just love how the Republitards are calling for him to go (looking for fist smiley)
|
|
|
|
Post by Old Viking on Jan 11, 2010 15:26:37 GMT -5
Reid is a politicians. He is unintelligent by definition.
|
|
|
|
Post by ironbite on Jan 11, 2010 18:03:12 GMT -5
I find it hilarious that the Republicans are calling for Reid's head when they themselves are guilty of so much more blatant racism.
Ironbite-too bad Sky's banned...we'd get such a kick from him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Radiation on Jan 11, 2010 19:43:27 GMT -5
I find it hilarious that the Republicans are calling for Reid's head when they themselves are guilty of so much more blatant racism. Ironbite-too bad Sky's banned...we'd get such a kick from him. Sky got banned? When did that happen? |
|
|
|
Post by devilschaplain2 on Jan 11, 2010 19:47:21 GMT -5
I find it hilarious that the Republicans are calling for Reid's head when they themselves are guilty of so much more blatant racism. Yes, and Reid's statements are rather mild, especially in comparison with statements from the late Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond, or from Trent Lott or Rush Limbaugh. |
|
|
|
Post by MaybeNever on Jan 11, 2010 20:22:00 GMT -5
I find it hilarious that the Republicans are calling for Reid's head when they themselves are guilty of so much more blatant racism. Ironbite-too bad Sky's banned...we'd get such a kick from him. Sky got banned? When did that happen? The other day. Oriet banned him for thirty days. You can check the Skyfire thread in F&B for details. |
|
|
|
Post by Amaranth on Jan 11, 2010 22:23:32 GMT -5
Can I just say I was wowed by Obama's oratory abilities? There's seriously no "...for a negro" followup. Though it seems likely enough this may have been the case with Senator Reid, I thought Obama was particularly well-spoken, no disclaimers, clauses, or subtext.
DC: I believe you're right. I'd hazard to say there's a lot more of the "general ignorance" form than the "Klanny" type. In a lot of ways, I think they're more dangerous in the long run, in part because it's easier to watch the "Down with Darkies" crowd. You know where the overt racists stand. Harder with the more subtle types, and whether they mean well or not, the undercurrent they tend to generate is a lot harder to deal with than morons with white sheets.
|
|
|
|
Post by Undecided on Jan 11, 2010 23:33:25 GMT -5
I am unsure.
Colourism and linguicism are alive and well in the United States. The awkward part, to me, was the use of the archaism "Negro" and the implication that Obama could somehow "deceive" the American populace.
|
|
|
|
Post by szaleniec on Jan 12, 2010 16:14:29 GMT -5
I find it hilarious that the Republicans are calling for Reid's head when they themselves are guilty of so much more blatant racism. Yep. All the insincere protestations of tolerance in the world aren't going to change the fact that there's a reason over 90% of blacks in America vote Democrat. |
|
|
|
Post by Amaranth on Jan 12, 2010 16:21:35 GMT -5
I love how they're comparing this to the whole Trent Lott/Strom Thurmond thing.
|
|
