If this shit doesn’t stop, Bill Clinton is going to be the first formerly black President of the United States. The Clintons absolutely have to get control of their surrogates that have been suggesting that Barack Obama was a cocaine dealer, alluded to his non-existent Muslim faith, and now accuse him of shucking and jiving.
“It’s not a TV crazed race. Frankly you can’t buy your way into it,” [Andrew] Cuomo said, according to Albany Times Union reporter Rick Karlin. He then added, “You can’t shuck and jive at a press conference. All those moves you can make with the press don’t work when you’re in someone’s living room.”
The New York Times took Hillary to task yesterday for suggesting that Martin Luther King Jr. was ineffective without the assistance of a white man [LBJ]. Honestly, why on Earth would Hillary want to disparage Barack Obama by comparing his rhetoric to Martin Luther King?
I’m waiting for Terry McAuliffe to refer to the Obama campaign as a minstrel show. Maybe the Clintons want to hire Kelly Tilghman to suggest Barack be ‘lynched in a back alley.’
Do the Clintons really want to destroy their relationship and reputation with the black community? Because if this shit doesn’t stop, people are not going to forgive. Sister Souljah was one thing. This is getting into ‘George W. Bush against John McCain in South Carolina’ territory.
I think the only thing that’s saving them so far is the lack of media coverage. The line’s been crossed, imo, but the vast majority of people haven’t seen it or heard it.
that’s why they call it a dog whistle.
so the next step is that they eventually get called on it and then a whole lot of scoffing occurs. can’t wait…
No man or woman has ever heard a dog whistle. So these people can dog-whistle about blacks to no purpose until the end of time. The activity was formerly called a campaign of innuendo and insinuation or, in this case, just (low-key) racism. Such words are meant to be heard—loud and clear.
BooMan, thanks for front-paging the issue.
I’ve been posting on the Clintons’ racial inuendos (including the …”but JFK was assassinated”) in my comments within for the past few days.
Clintons have already eroded their afro-American support. Can’t wait for them to be dis-invited by the churches. NACP We’ll do our best to get the word out within the Atlanta communities as other urban areas.
They’re more than running scared. America needs to ask, why is Bill Clinton running for a 3rd term?
BTW,
In addition to Ned Lamont’s, Obama has just landed Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano’s endorsement. via Carpet Bagger Report.
Our media know what it’s doing when it releases these statments…this is, anything that’s not on live TV. They know the goal of these statements and they still release it. I’m sure there are some who work at the newsotainment centers and like most liberal bloggers are quick to say, “Well, I’ve never heard that!” or “You’re being sensitive” or “Can’t you take a joke?”
But while the media is so quick to release these racist statements, they mover slower than molassess in the winter for reaction. They know there’s going to be a reaction, or they wouldn’t post these “clarifications”. Yet, there’s no larger reaction that gets media attention and that’s the actual lack of media coverage.
The Clintons are ruthless and Bill at least is a risk taker (probably Hillary too or she wouldn’t have married Bill). I think they think they can walk right up to the line, make sure there is deniability, back off at the last moment and damage him enough. But some day they’ll trip and fall over the line and this may be the time.
That being said …. your sentence about Hillary comparing his rhetoric to MLK is misleading. Anyone learning of this from your post wouldn’t know that it was the reporter asking the question who compared his rhetoric to MLK. The alleged disparagement wasn’t the comparison but the statement that rhetoric wasn’t enough.
while you are technically correct, I was trying to be generous by implying that her main objection was only to his rhetoric.
Personally, as I’ve said before, I think the reaction to that incident was overblown.
But I won’t get into it here anymore. I’ll just link to Sandy Levinson and say I mostly agree with him.
I said the reaction was overblown, too, and took some flack for it. (My job is so much fun). But this is a cumulative effect.
Actually, if I remember this correctly, it was Obama who compared himself, at least implicitly, to MLK, when Obama suggested that both MLK and himself were promoting hope.
About that . . . the really remarkable thing about Clinton’s response is that she didn’t feel able to do the obvious thing: crack up in ridicule at the idea of a Presidential candidate comparing himself to MLK.
That’s a bad spot to be in, for Clinton. To be in a Presidential race, when your opponent is so well positioned that he can compare himself to MLK and you don’t think scorn is the appropriate response.
That’s a testimate to how well Obama is/was doing, and also, perhaps, to Clinton’s lack of imagination, as she accepted the parameters of the comparison and could only respond as she did.
MLK Jr. isn’t Jesus Christ. He’s probably the most important American other than the founders of the country, and probably one of the most significant and courageous people in world history. But he isn’t so exalted that no can be compared to him.
Sure, it’s presumptuous for Barack Obama to imply that he is on the same playing field, but the reality is that he does have that potential. MLK, after all, never got a sniff of the Oval Office, except as a supplicant. Myths can be made in modern times. Look at Camelot.
Like I said: not a good position for Clinton to be in.
Because Obama didn’t do anything so stupid or pointless.
The reporter read a quote from an Obama speech. He mentioned MLK in the speech. He was not comparing himself to MLK. Clinton took it and made it into something else. Lots of people are willing to make her words into something “harmless” or “poorly worded”. As if Clinton with her “35 years of experience” who’s “ready to lead from day 1” would make such garbled word choices.
is anyone surprised?
really, this is RATpub lite here, even the odious dick morris saw this coming.
like cg’s sig: Clinton ’08: Because Bush really needs a third term.
lTMF’sA
Isn’t the next step for the Clintons to run a whisper campaign that Barack fathered not one but two black children?
(as per Rove against McCain in 2000)
Made me almost spew my coffee on my computer keyboard.
AG
Good self control. I have to go out and buy myself a remote keyboard.
Psst. Were you aware that Barack Obama fathered two black babies?
People are justifying Cuomo’s comments every which way. Oh, Andrew didn’t know. Oh, he wasn’t talking about Barack explicitly. Oh, what we can’t say words now…thought police! Dont be hypersensitive.
And that’s on other liberal blogs.
The second I heard this I knew EXACTLY who and what he was referring to.
The Clintons will do anything to win. Even divide our party if they have to.
I heard on a few liberal/progressive talk shows that team Hillary hired 4000 people to comment on blogs, I thought it was crazy, Ummmmmmm not anymore, what has been seen on progressive blogs in the comments sections is uh…NOT PROGRESSIVE!
Always manages to justify “covert” racism. There’s always an excuse all of them stupid and insulting.
what am I? chopped liver?
HAHAHA
Let me clarify once and for all when I say ‘liberal blogopshere’, I’m using a blanket term. Like when I say ‘white people’ I don’t always mean my husband. And a few friends. When I say ‘stupidheaded fucks’, that doesn’t necessarily mean 90% of the planet.
So, if it doesn’t apply to you, then you can go about your business and feel the warm fuzzies that, if for a moment, I don’t think you’re 100% useless. Just keep in mind that only goes as far as your next post.
LOL…
sorry, I thought this song was about me.
“Shuck and Jive”
When was the last time I heard that phrase used? Oh, maybe in the 1970’s on “The Jeffersons” or “Good Times” or “Sanford and Son.”
If that’s not a dog-whistle, I don’t know what is. I am so disappointed that we have Democrats going there…
So do most of the musicians I know.
And a goodly number of black non-musicians as well.
You only heard it on “The Jeffersons” or “Good Times” or “Sanford and Son?”
Hmmmm….
Who YOU been hanging out with? (A question that answers itself.)
And…where has Mr. Cuomo been hanging?
Betcha lots of pols use that phrase, too.
I mean…the art of shucking and jiving IS in their job description, right?
Personally, I think that this particular hue and cry is just more anti-Clinton hysteria.
SAAAAY…”Hue and cry!!!”
When was the last time I heard that phrase used!!!???
Must’ve been in a Mark Twain book.
I guess I am just signifying on those old whiteys.
SAAAAY…”Signifying!!!”
When was the last time I heard that word used!!!???
Must’ve been in an old Oscar Brown Jr. record. His song Signifyin’ Monkey
And HE wrote the words to Watermelon Man as well.
Guess I’m just trying to painjt black folks as lazy, watermelon-eating monkeys, right?
What BULLSHIT!!!
Fucking leftiness clones unite!!!
CLOWN clones.
Assholes, one and all.
Unbelievable.
AG
P.S.
Yup.
The leftiness shmoons to a “T”
THANK YOU, OSCAR!!!
but I’ve heard his father Mario use the phrase “shuck and jive” many times in reference to people of all ethnicities.
Let’s not get over sensitive here.
AG
I’ll remember to learn how to take a joke, too.
I found that “shuck and Jive” crap offensive too. And don’t even get me started on Rove’s “lazy pick-up basketball days at Harvard” meme…My ears and brain are still steaming over that. What a load of racist GOP horseshit.
Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes.
I have to admit, though, my first reaction upon hearing about this was “Oh SHIT that sounds bad!”
The eggshells are paper thin at this point…and people bemoan the fact that we can no longer get our best and brightest to run for public office. (The exposure to public degradation has got to be as big a factor as money.)
I do have to say that Tiger’s response over the faux pas was pure class.
We get so bent out of shape over things that don’t matter that we forget about the stuff that does.
And…where is this black dog they whistlin’ for?
Is this the one that didn’t bark?
Or what?
(Maybe it didn’t bark because it ain’t even there. Sherlock.)
AG
The word swiftboat comes immediately to mind.
A potentially good thing to come from the Clinton and Obama candidacies is a more open discussion of sexism and racism in this country.
I don’t believe that any Democractic candidate who wants to win is going to say anything overtly racist or sexist — from their point of view. However, we all have blind spots – both in what we say and how we react to it.
I’ve had to bite my tongue after reading all the soft bigotry in regard to these two candidates. Hillary must be (militaristic?) because she is a woman. Barak can’t be (aggressive?) because he is black. Hillary can’t be (emotional?) because she is a woman? Barack must be (careful?) because he is black. Fill in the blanks.
Someone holds up an “Iron My Shirt” sign at a Hillary rally and there is practically no reaction. Thankfully we have not seen signs refering to watermelon at an Obama rally.
We have issues in this country. We need to talk about it. We need to take responsibility when we offend someone. We need to take responsibility when we take offense when none was intended.
Language does change. It also does reveal our bigotry.
As an Irish – Romanian Gypsy – bunch of other stuff -American. I think it is ridiculous that the Chicago Police call their Paddy Wagons “squadrols” so as not to offend the Irish population. On the other hand, I get really upset when I hear about some one getting “gypped.” Maybe it is because I don’t see as much discrimination in this day and age against Irish as I do against gypsies.
Let’s keep talking. Let’s keep learning.
And I have a confession to make, I really wish that John Edwards, my candidate of choice, was not a white male. Who wants to elect another one of them? (snark)
The origin of ‘gyp’ never occurred to me. I use it all the time. But because of my antecedents I really find ‘spaghetti-bender’ offensive!
What is the only way for the Democrats to lose in November? The public has to be more thoroughly disgusted with them than with the fresh new Republican faces, like Rudy or John.
That is, you can’t put much of a shine on the Republican candidate no matter how much you polish (i.e., you can’t polish a turd) so you have to have to divide and conquer the Dems.
The whole narrative (meme) put forth in New Hampshire is that of women rising up and doing it for themselves, or guys pick on gals, or women should be allowed to cry. It was the insulting story that Democratic women based their vote in New Hampshire on gender politics. Don’t worry about facts, read that old CIA psyops asset Gloria Steinem in the NY Times at the beginning of the week. Whenever Steinem sticks her beak out there, it’s to help herd women in a certain direction.
Now we have a new meme: Clinton doesn’t like black people, also coming out of the New York Times.
Expect this to continue. We are due for an attack against or by gays any minute. And the gays will be rude to illegal immigrants.
Chop chop.
If you want a minstrel show listen to this video..don’t watch and you will hear Hillary putting on a fake black accent. When you listen to this you realize how stupid a candidate can become..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxTnHx5qVQU
So yesterday I post on my blog, Is it a dog whistle when White people do it? and mention that almost no one in the liberal blogosphere seems to be too upset with the Clinton’s overt racism.
So imagine my surprise, that not only do I find the post, but the title closely matches what I wrote. That’s funny to me.
“A potentially good thing to come from the Clinton and Obama candidacies is a more open discussion of sexism and racism in this country.”
Racism and sexism are important issues but they are not the top issues as shown by the fact that the top candidates have color and a vagina.
What we are seeing is blind ambition by the Clintons and their machine no different than we saw by W in SC in 2000