For some time now I’ve been noting the gratuitous use of the race card by the Presidents supporters against any who might dare to oppose his legislative agenda. That practice, as well as the whole comic opera that is identity politics in America may have reached a crescendo yesterday, with the same pronouncement by Jimmy Carter; a former President who has rehabilitated his personal reputation with the American people over the years, but not necessarily his reputation for political acumen, or leadership skills. Carter, who essentially called Congressman Wilson out as a racist, southerner-to-southerner, went on say that racism plays an important role in the opposition Mr. Obama has faced.
“I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African-American,” Carter told NBC News. “I live in the South, and I’ve seen the South come a long way, and I’ve seen the rest of the country that shares the South’s attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans.”
“That racism inclination still exists, and I think it’s bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people — not just in the South but around the country — that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It’s an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply.”
Indeed, following Wilson’s admittedly boorish behavior during the Presidents address, for which he quickly apologized-an apology accepted by Mr. Obama, Speaker Pelosi wished to steer the house debate back toward health care; but some house members would have none of it. Of course, we all know that Wilson was censured in the well of the House chamber, and deservedly so; but it was not unprecedented and perhaps if Bush critics had been held to a similar standard the Wilson censure wouldn’t seem so hypocritical.
The problem is that the public, especially the independent voters, is becoming increasingly skeptical to these breathless charges, as this latest Rasmussen poll indicates. And well they should be, regardless of what the punditry or the political elite maintain; unless of course this is the national conversation on race that Mr. Obama thought we should be having. If this exchange with Eric Dyson on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe†is any indication, then the over-arching meta-narrative may indeed be in trouble. If you can’t spare, or stomach, the entire 9 minutes then may I suggest that the real meat is around the three minute mark where Maria Bartiromo refutes Dyson’s risible assertion that no one ever called a President a monkey using one of her own colleagues, Erin Burnett, as an example. Then, fast forward to 7:45 and listen to the last two minutes; here Maria scores a direct hit as she ask Dr. Dyson if the 20-odd percent of folks who have come to disapprove of Obama since February have suddenly become racists!
James Boswell, in his book, “The Life of Samuel Johnsonâ€, states that Johnson was referring to false patriotism when he made his often quoted statement; “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel!†  The Krauthammer twist on that same theme is, “The Racism accusation is the last refuge of a liberal scoundrelâ€. And the more people realize the gratuitous way it’s applied in our country, the closer we will come to realizing Dr. King’s dream of a colorblind society. Let’s all hope that this is the signal of the coming swan song for the race card and identity politics in America.
UPDATE: Well, maybe I spoke too soon. According to ACE, Maxine Waters wants the legacy media to intimidate investigate the ordinary citizens RAAAAACIST Teabaggers! who aren’t down with Obama’s agenda. She wants the MSM to “vet” them, like they “vetted” Joe the Plumber, but, you know, not Obama or Van Jones…
UPDATE II: Jules Crittenden and Legal Insurrection have more on why the left should quit taking refuge behind the race card.
UPDATE III: Darleen Quick at Protein Wisdom weighs in with some more examples of the intensity of the identity politics card game going on right now.
UPDATE IV: The always insightful Ric Locke weighs in on the dynamics of how we got to this point in general.
UPDATE V: You know that the card playing is getting out of hand when independants like Ann Althouse are voicing their displeasure with the racialist demagoguery being employed by Obama’s political allies.
[...] Update: POWIP links to the video. [...]
Keep Pushing Back…
WaPo: White House not sure how to fight back.
Note how an aide in the article is quoted as remarking that racism is not at the heart of the many attacks against the White House.
They know it doesn’t poll well, so that what they say. But they mus…
Racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist, racist. Did you have enough? Are you ready to give in to our agenda? We got more and we’re not afraid to use it.
Poor racists, all white and bothered.
Did you even read the Rasmussen survey results? Do you deny that the public is beginning to see the race card canard as a connivance designed to silence the opposition? Can you argue with Maria Bartiromo’s logic in her question to Professor Dyson?
Just sayin’…
Bob – people saying the One’s detractors are racists is different than people saying that opposition to the One! is due to racism. Of course, to many a NPR-informed voter, ALL white conservatives are racist – I mean, it goes without saying… a given, dontcha know.
Carter’s stupidity is the single strongest argument there is against the existence of God.
Never has one man rejoiced so much in – and been so rewarded for – his own ignorance.
He loves to wallow in it more than a pig in sh*t.
Wrong. This is Southern Strategy revisited, the last gasp of an ideology that can’t even begin to quantify itself on its own merits.
Anyway, all the link farming and teabag action in the world isn’t going to change the fact that today’s Angry Right will inevitably have to settle for Mitt Romney: Presidential candidate and newly exalted/despised King of the RINOS.
No doubt many will hold their noses, just as they did for Bush and McCain.
I remember you from the days when you were trolling PW…
How do you figure that Hoot? And, how are citations link farming? And what kind of “southern strategy” are you referring to?
Nobody gives a tinkers damn about Obama’s race, but are concerned about how he’s trying to transform our nation; mistaking an election that was more about not being the man folks like you had spent the last 8 years diminishing, and demonizing, with having some kind of electoral mandate!…
And it has a lot to do with employing a “by any means necessary” strategy and marginally getting blue dogs elected to conservative congressional and senatorial seats; problem being that in order to keep their phony-baloney jobs they might, you know, actually have to vote the same way the bloviated and honor the wishes of their constituents…
That’s a problem Hoot, because while on paper Democrats enjoy large majorities in both legislative houses, and the control of the White house, if they rubber stamp Obama’s
communistsocialist, anti-American, anti-capitalist, agenda-then they are out in the next election cycle!So it seems that the limitations of the “by any means necessary” strategy employed to jam through a “new” new deal all at once; and the recognition of that strategy the genesis of Obama plummeting approval rate…
Thanks for Commenting; and remember, if we’re filthy Teabaggers, then that makes you the Teabagee…
The neo-Confederates are race card deny-baiting.
The fuck if you’d disrespect the President they way you’ve done Obama if he were all white.
All the crap you whimper about was caused by failed Republican policies. Starting with the dumbass WMD hunt you sent us into Iraq for and put us into debt for, or have you fuckin’ forgot Booooosh lowered taxes and went on a war binge at the same fuckin’ time causing huge increases of our national debt, you know debt, the supposed reason you’re out in the street in your yellow feathered chicken suits tea-bagging away.
You shit on America is what you did. Steam cleaning your turd pile from the carpet has not come cheap, either.
You can take your ignorant God and fuck off.
Your God sucks my cock, understand, fully completely sucks me dry.
He’s criticizing the Preident! That must make him a racist!
Why the venom edge? Did you vote for Carter too? That would explain a lot…
I wasn’t old enough to vote when Carter ran.
How in the fuck does his God have anything to do with one opinion expressed by a honorable former President of the United States of America?
I guess I’m the only one here with any respect for religion, God and country.
The God my mother taught me of was above petty politics.
Well, I will admit that I don’t see what God has to do with it; but maybe the person was being flip. I’v eknown commenters to be…
While I’ve tried very hard to keep my respect up for Carter, based on his good works at Habitat-for-humanity, it’s difficult. He was truly a train wreck as President, both with respect to foreign and domestic policy. He put our nation in a terrible bind in a short time…
But you are by far the only one here with respect for religion, Gid, and country. And God is above politics; he’s above all mundane things…
Remember Matthew 22:21; “They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
Nothing there about the mingling of Caesar and God…
Respectfully yours…
And you weren’t smart enough to vote when Obama ran. What a coincidence!
[...] Thoughtful race card scholarship from a Piece of Work in Progress. [...]
Oh really edge?
Don’t you remember opposition to Carter himself, or to Clinton? That neo-confederate snark is weak tea indeed, as well as the race card-deny-baiting…
And if Obama’s allowed his way he’ll spend more than 9 times the cost of Iraq on socializing America. All told, including medicare part D, Obama will still spend more than twice as much as Boooosh! ever did.
And, as far as spending the money engaging in the war on terror, remember the famous quote; “millions for defense, but not one penny in tribute…” I’d spend it again to restrict the fighting to anywhere but here at home…
And the WMD charge is just a distraction, as Obama would say. You know very well that ALL of the world’s intelligence agencies were in agreement that Saddam had them, and was trying to get the big one…
Remember the 500 tons of yellow-cake Booooosh! sold and shipped to Canada? You know about Canada, right?
If Obama were white, he’d be John Edwards! And, he’d be getting all of the same heat as now. The only difference would be there would be no blowback over his buds gratuitously playing the race card…
Think about it. And write that analysis I keep needling you about…
One doesn’t define one’s self. One is defined by how his actions are interpreted by others and society in general. Don’t like it, Tinkering Damner, rocket yourself to the moon.
This shit you learn at the university from Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Intelligent people who write books.
Deny all you want. Cry all you want. But occasionally shut the fuck up unless you have an argument that has logical merit. That’s but one method to keep yourself from being defined as a racist by your peers, a.k.a. making fuckin’ sense.
You’re a rock head, which is why you fall prey to Fox News.
Will our financial system collapse every year due to unbridled corporate idiocy allowed in the no-regulation-era? Then why are you projecting as much?
Only a stupid non-thinkering person could carry that ball and run with it.
Grow up, dude. America isn’t about your failed political party.
And I’ve got your yellow cake right here.
One is defined by ones actions and words, plain and simple. Regardless of how others percieve what I do or say, there are absolute measures of whether that would be racist or not; or any other descriptor that applies. When I was driving that aluminum cloud, regardless of how many people in America said that I was hopping around on a pogo stick, the fact is that I was flying military aircraft…
Really edge, I have no idea what you are getting at here. Communist/Marxist/Socialist does not necessarily equal intelligence; and the converse is true also. The same is true for Capitalists…
What is it that is illogical about my argument? How does it lack merit? Please enlighten mean from your position as an MFA on high…
Because, really, I don’t know what you mean.
Yes Bob, I think we all get the “by any means necessary†reference and the attendant cultural images that you seem to hope will be useful at this point.
And I’ll say it again–where were you guys when Tom Delay was ramming Medicare D through congress at the behest of the same folks that are using you as cannon fodder now?
I for one was screaming B.S. during that whole exercise, but Booosh! got plenty of Democrats on board with that one; enough to negate all of the Rethugs! that stayed true to their principles and voted against it…
And for your information, I used the, “by any means necessary”, reference to describe a tactic that trades intellectual honesty, ideology, and conventional morality for political expedience. Any other nefarious reasons you may fantasize are creations in your own mind I assure you.
I’m not going to play that game where you hijack my intent Hoot. You made your point, and where unable to answer the questions I put forth in reply, so instead just like Obama’s allies you’ll call me a racist instead. Nice strategy, I especially like how it’s working our for Obama and the Democrats right now…
I don’t know who Obama’s next opponent will be, but if he keeps going like he is he’ll easily be defeated…
I agree with Hooter.
Consider the fact that most every racist believes he’s not actually a racist and it’s there you have the collision of self-definition with the historical record.
You’re struggling to understand because you’ve invested little time in philosophy, other than the mouthing shit that rolls off the top of your head.
Now do you understand why Jeff Goldstein and I don’t vehemently hate each other on a personal level? We understand the others foundations. It’s not unusual to philosophically disagree, nor have a little fun doing it.
Oh, I don’t know, Jeff never asked me to get the fuck off his blog.
Just saying.
That’s because I started chopping down his money tree.
Hehe.
Just replying.
“Consider the fact that most every racist believes he’s not actually a racist and it’s there you have the collision of self-definition with the historical record.”
See edge, I don’t buy this sweeping generalization. it allows for the whole premise of unconscious and inherent racism. Once the meaning of racism is defined, and understood in someones head, then anyone with self-awareness can determine whether they are or are not a racist. From there it’s a conscious decision. The only situation where what you posit would be true is for someone in deep denial. And that is not the majority of people. The majority of people in our nation are not hypocrites…
And for what it’s worth, I don’t hate you on a personal level either. But I confess to not completely understanding your foundation…
Well I don’t hate you, either.
You need to read and understand the arguments of Derrida, Levi-Strauss, Lyotard and Foucault, etc…
Philosophy isn’t simply intuitive, and one doesn’t simply disagree whenever one doesn’t fully understand. I can’t explain all the arguments with someone who hasn’t read some philosophy, recall Jeff debating Patterico. And Jeff was very good at explaining, I’m not.
yuck – I don’t hate you, but I cannot say I would invite you over for dinner either. you like yourself too much.
The funniest thing of PW is that it’s mostly a gaggle of persons who haven’t the background to understand their hero.
But is sounds so good when stated so sweetely!
Maybe that’s the way it always is and PW is just a crucible of something larger, who can really say.
I left my mark. Haha. Grrr!
My last dog left her mark on our carpet. I can tell you she is not remembered fondly.
Yo, did you smack your bitch?
I remember that Jeff G used to deride Derrida!
I’ll Wiki those guys, and know everything soon! And then, it’s soooooo on…
In the meantime, you learn all you can about aerodynamics, propulsion systems, guidance, and materials…
Maybe you can Wiki them!
I gotta go now…
See you cats on the flip side!
To deride and disrespect Derrida are two different things. Actually I found Jeff to be respectful of the recognized voices in the circular game of language theory, meaning I tried to bait him once when one of the leading feminist theorists passed away, further meaning he didn’t bite and pull your type of juvenile vilification when the honorable Ted Kennedy passed, he was respectful.
Genuine intellects who forward differing opinions deserve a measure of respect. It’s our differences that make for honest debate, after all.
Back to hooters and bitches.
Andrew Sullivan speaks about Charles Johnson:
16 Sep 2009 09:40 pm
The Continued Evolution Of Charles Johnson
The pioneer of the anti-Jihadist blog, Little Green Footballs, is repulsed by some of the developments on the populist, racist right. He’s right to be; and has the courage to say so. For that he is subjected to the usual mau-mauing. Check out his blog. It’s an Yglesias Award in motion.
Mau-mauing? That sounds rather racist from a Brit? So what’s next, will CJ and Sully both appear on Bill Maher’s show, followed by a few doobs and a post show circle jerk?
Hey patriots, CJ will ban ya and Sully takes no comments, but you can always keep wikipedia honest on ACORN.
edge,
What in the world do you mean, referring jocularly to “chopping down Jeff G’s money tree”?
Are you insinuating that some of your more vile and sophmoric jousting with his commentariat was somehow meant to drive away his traffic? Or to somehow otherwise make his comment threads unwelcome to more thoughtful first time visitors?
I don’t believe that I like the tone you struck in that reply, and would appreciate it if you would expand on it; please clarify what you meant…
And as far as my “juvenile vilification” of Ted Kennedy goes, I waited a respectful period of time before taking on the beatfication of a man whose actions and public pronouncements betrayed a self serving hypocrisity; especially when he spoke of differing standards for the powerful versus the ordinary person, or accused others of purely political motivations…
If he’s put his ego aside in the 70’s, his “long held dream” of health care reform might already be a reality. But instead of making a compromise with Mr. Nixon, he chose to play politics; just like with Robert Bork…
I hardly think correcting the attempts at beatification by citing stubborn facts and inconvenient truths is juvenile. I never said Kennedy did no good in his long career, and did not attack any of his family that chose to remain out of the public eye; but simply said he was hardly the non-partisan secular saint that others were trying to elevate him as…
Coming from someone who never misses a chance to diminish, vilify, or question the motives of Reagan, Palin, Boooosh!, or any other prominent conservative that assertion rings hollow anyway.
[...] I noted yesterday, the distributed talking points are faithfully parroted in many publications such as, McClatchy and [...]
It’s interesting that anyone listens to Jimmeh Carter now. His whole Administration was a train wreck. Massive unemployment, massive inflation and huge international setbacks.
It was Carter who sat back and let the Soviets invade Afghanistan, leading directly to where we are now losing young women and men in combat and spending our national treasure. It was Carter who was in charge when the Mad Mullahs took over Iran, leading directly to the instability of the Mideast where our young men and women are dying in combat in Iraq today.
The only reason we are faced with so many of the troubles we have now is Carter. And he only went into politics because Miss Lillian did not trust her with the family gas station.
Carter, the National Hemmorhoid on stilts. My religion tells me not to hate. Carter makes it hard to follow my religion.
You saw other classless wingered-ilk doing it and didn’t have the spine to act with class.
You’re no Reaganite. Nancy R. would have smacked you silly.
Ha. Just admit it. The swirling propaganda in your propeller head got the better of you.
“You saw other classless wingered-ilk doing it and didn’t have the spine to act with class.
You’re no Reaganite.
Uh, I don’t believe that’s the case; but I’ll admit that I’ve been wrong once or twice…
And you of all people to accuse someone of not being a Reaganite?
I stand by everything I’ve ever said or written about Ted Kennedy…
Teddy Kennedy was a worthless piece of shit, who conspired with the enemies of the US to undermine a sitting US President, totally screwed over the South Vietnamese, and was an unrepentant murderer.
There is so much blood on his hands, both directly and indirectly, that his decent to Hell must have been on the Express elevator.
He doesn’t deserve beatification, he deserves vilification. Lefties and their mortal deities sicken me…