Adding fuel to the Outrage! or beginning the race card’s swan song?

16Sep/0940

Adding fuel to the Outrage! or beginning the race card’s swan song?

For some time now Iâ€™ve been noting the gratuitous use of the race card by the Presidents supporters against any who might dare to oppose his legislative agenda.Â 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.Â 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 Wilsonâ€™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.Â 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 wouldnâ€™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.Â 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.Â If this exchange with Eric Dyson on MSNBCâ€™s â€œMorning Joeâ€ is any indication, then the over-arching meta-narrative may indeed be in trouble.Â If you canâ€™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 Dysonâ€™s risible assertion that no one ever called a President a monkey using one of her own colleagues, Erin Burnett, as an example.Â 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, â€œThe Life of Samuel Johnsonâ€, states that Johnson was referring to false patriotism when he made his often quoted statement; â€œPatriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel!â€ Â Â The Krauthammer twist on that same theme is, â€œThe Racism accusation is the last refuge of a liberal scoundrelâ€.Â And the more people realize the gratuitous way itâ€™s applied in our country, the closer we will come to realizing Dr. Kingâ€™s dream of a colorblind society.Â Letâ€™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.Â 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.Â 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.

Rocketman

Tagged as: Carter, Eric Dyson, False charges of Racism, False racism accusation, Hypocrisy, Kos, Krauthammer, Maria Bartiromo, Morning Joe, Obama, Olbermann, Race Card, Racism, swan song Leave a comment

Comments (40) Trackbacks (4) ( subscribe to comments on this post )

Bob Reed
September 17th, 2009 - 07:09

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…

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Bob Reed
September 17th, 2009 - 07:23

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.

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Peter
September 17th, 2009 - 22:47

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.

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Edgell McHickfistter
September 18th, 2009 - 05:43

Bob Reed :

And as far as my â€œjuvenile vilificationâ€ 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 motivationsâ€¦
If heâ€™s put his ego aside in the 70â€™s, his â€œlong held dreamâ€ 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 Borkâ€¦
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 asâ€¦
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.

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.

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Bob Reed
September 18th, 2009 - 07:53

“You saw other classless wingered-ilk doing it and didnâ€™t have the spine to act with class.

Youâ€™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…

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Celtic Dragon
September 20th, 2009 - 11:21

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…

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visit the homepage
June 20th, 2011 - 15:40

Would you be fascinated about exchanging hyperlinks?

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