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Sometimes The Mask Slips

Rich Lowry on the racial nature of conservatism.

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26 Responses to “Sometimes The Mask Slips”

  1. Jay says:

    Yes, another in a long line of bogus attempts to make a pretty innocuous statement into something racist.

    “I see racists….”

  2. PD100 says:

    Heh. From the T.P. comments:

    “McCain/Palin:

    “Country First… Then Maybe Some Classic Rock”

  3. Dave in SoCal says:

    From the link:

    it was funny that the National Review offices were for a long time located directly above . . . what would it be? Revolution Books? NOW NYC? No . . . a hip-hop record label. Everyone laughed!

    The joke being, I guess, that conservatives and black people don’t mix. Which I suppose is true enough, but usually put so nakedly.

    Or that you don’t see a lot of conservative hip hop artists, fans or listeners out there. But no, its plainly obvious that he’s just gotta be putting’ down the black man.

    For the supporters of the supposedly “post-racial” candidate, the ‘racism’ drumbeat never misses a beat, does it?

    Even when they have to make it up, as in this case.

  4. Dave in SoCal says:

    “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,”
    – Joe Biden

    Hmmm… no racism there. At least none that the patented Willis ‘Racist-Detector’* can spot.

    Splinter in our eye, plank in yours, and all that.

    * hint: it bother to look at a person’s race, comments or intent, it just checks whether there is a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ after their name

  5. Dave in SoCal says:

    doesn’t bother

  6. Nimrod Gently says:

    Actually, Oliver and everyone else on Earth criticised him for it, and rightly. That Obama picked him as his running mate despite that stupid statement, and after the toughest vetting process in recent memory, suggests that a) Obama isn’t a petty manchild like the present incumbent, b) Biden’s a very good candidate, and c) your mother.

  7. JWG says:

    the toughest vetting process in recent memory

    Oh, good grief. That is just straight out of your ass. You don’t know how tough it was in comparison to any other process.

  8. Nimrod Gently says:

    Reportedly, the toughest vetting process in recent memory.

  9. juhar says:

    Sick of this. Sick of these issues when people slip. We all slip we are have biases. We are better than the worst thing that we have done.

    I want to look at people’s record, where they put the money and support, their policies and conduct.

    I can’t run for dog catcher. I know I have made many inappropriate comments and sexist and racist jokes. And another reason I can’t run for dog catcher is that I am honest and my answer to strict scrutiny of me is “So what, don’t you have a life to live? Go live it.”

    These posts are beginning to be petty, petty, petty.

  10. Dave in SoCal says:

    Reportedly, the toughest vetting process in recent memory.

    From the link at Oliver’s recent post on the “fully vetted Biden”:

    Biden’s stock rose through one of the most rigorous vice-presidential vetting processes that Democrats could recall.

    Well Republicans say that Palin was vetted through a rigorous process too, so I guess we just have to take their word for it as well.

    Let’s look closer at the actual Biden vetting process:

    It was a process in which Obama applied intense secrecy, careful pragmatism and political input from a team of internal and external advisers that have guided his campaign from the start. And it ended Thursday with a phone call from Obama

    Sounds excruciating. Now let’s look at the Palin vetting process:

    Palin was one of six finalists for running mate who filled out a 70-question form that included detailed personal, professional and financial probing.

    The campaign says the form included such detailed questions as: Have you been faithful in your marriage? Have you ever paid for sex? Have you ever downloaded pornography? Have you ever used or purchased drugs?

    Palin had been researched thoroughly even earlier than the questionnaire stage, as part of a group of 21 semifinalists who were not informed of their status but who were researched from public records.

    “The fact of the matter is she was vetted over the course of about four to five months,” the McCain official said, “in a vetting process that was read by a former Reagan White House counsel,” Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr.

    “It included a comprehensive group of researchers and investigators prepared background memos that included information in regards to all media coverage pertaining to her, her political positions, her issues, a review of finance documents, a credit check, a personal interview with the candidate, and a questionnaire,” the official said.

    Yeah, sounds like they just pencil-whipped the whole thing. Going through the motions. Unlike the Biden process, where at the end of it he got an actual phone call from Obama himself. Palin got cheated out of that part.

    and c) your mother.

    Oh I’m sorry, Nimrod, did I hurt your feelings?

  11. Dave in SoCal says:

    That Obama picked him as his running mate despite that stupid statement, and after the toughest vetting process in recent memory, suggests that a) Obama isn’t a petty manchild like the present incumbent, b) Biden’s a very good candidate, and c) your mother.

    …or d) it’s really only racism when a person has an ‘R’ after their name. Otherwise, it’s merely a “stupid” statement.

  12. Dave in SoCal says:

    These posts are beginning to be petty, petty, petty.

    I suggest you direct your disgust to the proprietor. He’s the one pushing these bogus talking points.

  13. Parthenon says:

    I’m with Dave’s first point, partially. That could have been a racial comment, or it could have been referring to the sharp contrast between conservative ideology and that espoused by hip-hop artists. (Public Enemy and Mos Def come to mind.)

    No way to tell either way.

  14. Nimrod Gently says:

    Well, of course it was a racist statement, duh, but I doubt he is a natually racist person, because Barack Obama picked him as running-mate. QED.

    Obviously I’m not a party insider for either party, but the fact that McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP more or less demonstrates that he took it far less seriously than Obama did.

  15. Dave in SoCal says:

    but I doubt he is a natually racist person, because Barack Obama picked him as running-mate. QED.

    So regardless of what Biden actually says, he can’t be a racist person because Obama picked him. With the obvious inference that Obama wouldn’t pick a racist as running mate. That’s some interesting circular logic there. The same logic Obama is using to say that running for president gives him all the experience he needs to actually be president.

    the fact that McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP more or less demonstrates that he took it far less seriously than Obama did.

    Based on what criteria? Palin is actually a better fit for McCain than Biden is for Obama. Palin ran for governor on a somewhat “maverick/outsider” platform herself and has a history of opposing those in her own party, just like McCain (despite Oliver’s attempts to falsely brand her as Ted Steven’s right hand woman and fellow conspirator).

    On the other hand, Obama’s #1 message is that he represents change. “Change We Can Believe In” to be exact. He is claiming to be a post-racial, new kind of candidate. A fresh face. Not the same old politics. So who does he pick for his running mate? A 36 year professional politician. A genuine Washington insider (and in fact, someone who’s been in politics longer than Old Man McCain). Why? Because Biden is an attempt to add some gravitas and foreign policy experience to the platform that Obama is sorely lacking. So the new, young game-changing guy is paired up with the old, experienced politician and insider. And people want Obama to win so badly they are ignoring this obvious disconnect in the campaign. I have to hand it to Obama, he does inspire his followers like no one we’ve seen in a very long time.

  16. Dave in SoCal says:

    That could have been a racial comment, or it could have been referring to the sharp contrast between conservative ideology and that espoused by hip-hop artists. (Public Enemy and Mos Def come to mind.)

    No way to tell either way.

    Thank you, Parthenon, for continuing to be an island of reason in a rough sea of hyper-partisanship.

  17. Nimrod Gently says:

    So regardless of what Biden actually says, he can’t be a racist person because Obama picked him. With the obvious inference that Obama wouldn’t pick a racist as running mate. That’s some interesting circular logic there.

    What part of that doesn’t make sense to you?

    Never mind, your brain is probably working nineteen to the dozen on convincing itself that Sarah Palin is remotely presidential.

  18. Dave in SoCal says:

    Actually, Oliver and everyone else on Earth criticised him for it, and rightly.

    Yes, Biden was awful… until he was selected by Obama to be his running mate.

    Oliver’s first post on Biden (”Joe?”) following the selection:

    While I’ve had problems with Biden’s past gaffes, I also think he’s hard edged in the way a veep candidate needs to be. And far, far better than the bland Evan Bayh.

    Oh, well, water under the bridge and all that. Biden’s as right as rain, he is.

  19. Nimrod Gently says:

    There there, no-one likes a bad loser.

  20. Dave in SoCal says:

    What part of that doesn’t make sense to you?

    Your proof that Biden is not a “naturally racist person” is based on the fact that “Barack Obama picked him as running-mate”.

    It goes like this: Biden can’t be racist because Obama picked him and we know that Obama wouldn’t pick him if he was racist. So because Obama did in fact pick him that proves he’s not racist. And on it goes, around and around, faster and faster until it’s spinning so rapidly it creates an artificial singularity right there in the server hosting Oliver’s blog.

    Never mind, your brain is probably working nineteen to the dozen on convincing itself that Sarah Palin is remotely presidential.

    Big hug for you too, Nimrod.

  21. Dave in SoCal says:

    There there, no-one likes a bad loser.

    That’s not true, Nimrod. I’m sure that many people like you. Somewhere.

  22. Nimrod Gently says:

    Obama wouldn’t pick him if he was racist./blockquote>Yeah, but, what part of that statement doesn’t make sense to you?

  23. Dave in SoCal says:

    Yeah, but, what part of that statement doesn’t make sense to you?

    The fact that your sole proof that Biden isn’t racist is simply that “Obama picked him”. How does this constitute proof? It’s your opinion, but hardly counts as proof of anything other than your belief that Obama would never pick a racist for a running mate. Can you prove that Obama wouldn’t hold his nose and pick a racist person (based on their racist statements) for the sake of political expediency?

    It would be just as ridiculous for me to say that the “proof” that Palin is a true maverick/outsider is solely because McCain picked her. McCain wouldn’t have picked her if she wasn’t a maverick, and since he did pick her that proves she is a maverick. You see the missing element in there? Where is the proof that McCain picked her because she’s a maverick and not just out of political expediency?

    I don’t know how much clearer I can make it.

  24. Nimrod Gently says:

    Can you prove that Obama wouldn’t hold his nose and pick a racist person (based on their racist statements) for the sake of political expediency?

    I can’t prove monkeys won’t shoot out of my arse and start singing “Jeepers Creepers” any second now. But it ain’t likely.

    But sure, I guess Obama could have picked someone like George fricking Allen for VP, I mean he’d only be running alongside someone who genuninely hates him. No, can’t see any reason at all why merely being a racist would be enough to put him off. Obama/Rockwell 08!

  25. Jay says:

    Reportedly, the toughest vetting process in recent memory.

    Huh? It was a process that went like this:

    “Holy shit! I don’t know a goddamned thing about national security and foreign policy! Get me Ted Ke…er…no. Get me Hilla….uh…no. Get me John McCai…..uh….no. Get me Biden. Yeah. Joe Biden. If I have to.”

  26. Nimrod Gently says:

    Only in your head. That’s not the same as reality. It’s like the “big/far away” thing.