It is starting. David Neiwert has the details
So far, we have been regaled with the oft-repeated “Hussein” note, the Fox smear of Obama’s Muslim background, followed by Limbaugh’s astonishing riff on “Barack the Magic Negro”. That these reflect a barely concealed racial animus mixed with general white xenophobia should be obvious, and notably, these are all occurring on a national scale, within ostensibly mainstream media sources.
For right-wing audiences, cues like this signal just how far they can take things themselves. So on the public level, the result of this kind of talk is a regular outpouring of old-fashioned racist bile, permission having been granted by leading right-wing voices.
One could say this is the end product of conservative mainstreaming of these bizarre perspectives on the world.
Maybe Obama has to win next year.
You have to love how this shit works. David Ehrenstein writes a piece in the LA Times critiquing a ridiculous carcicature of blackness — “The Magic Negro” — that has dominated American culture, particularly Hollywood, since the Civil Rights movement.
What does Limbaugh do with this explicit critique of a problematic representation born of white liberal guilt?
He uses it as an excuse to wallow in his own overt racism. Then when he’s called on it he blames liberals.
Is it any wonder that when his listeners would do the same?
I sure hope Obama and the Secret Service are on top of things.
“The Magic Negro” is a spoof of a LA Times article — you oaf!
Did you read the LA Times article, Ian? Did you understand it? Could you paraphrase Ehrenstein’s thesis for us all? For bonus points, do you understand what a “spoof” is?
Ehrenstein wrote a piece criticizing the cultural caricature of “The Magic Negro” and he criticized how that caricature had been mapped onto Obama by a white media and white liberals.
So how did Limbaugh “spoof” this? He once more dusted off his racist caricature of Al Sharpton to lampoon a media created image of Obama that Ehrenstein was , in fact, being critical of.
The only way you could consider Limbaugh’s bullshit a spoof is if you believe Ehrenstein really thinks Obama is a “Magic Negro.” He doesn’t.
“The Magic Negro” is a spoof of a LA Times article — you oaf
-Ian
There’s that “plausible deniability” Neiwert was talking about. I call it cowardice.
I am a white guy and would vote for Barack in a heartbeat. I am also afraid that other white guys in this country are going to make things really ugly for both Barack and Hillary. Too bad - we need something else beside stupid white guys running the show, right into the ground.
I frankly think they should allow the comments, as it would help Obama. And nothing is more damaging to racist idiocy than the light of day.
Perhaps the comments on the CBS site were made be Dem. Senator Robert “Exalted Cyclops of the KKK” Byrd. I mean, he did filibuster the 1964 civil rights act, so no need for a “new racism” with a wink-wink, nudge nudge. He was on the floor of the Senate, filibustering to keep African-Americans from equal rights under the Constitution.
But, yeah… only right wingers are racists. No difference between a nazi skinhead (who hates international trade, hates our aggressive foreign policy to free non-whites abroad, thinks “The Jews” are behind 9/11 - as do many “progressives”) and George W., who has minorities in the highest positions in the land.
I think there’s obviously a consensus among blacks in this country that as a practical matter, there is no difference between the Nazi skinhead and the mainstream conservative. It’s a consensus opinion informed by day to day experience. And it makes no difference that a Bush appointee is black if he/she is as much an enemy of black America as the Nazi skinhead. Obviously, it just adds insult to injury, and that pleases conservatives to no end, doesn’t it?
How do you explain HuffPo shutting down comments whenever a conservative has a health issue to prevent the lefties from wishing death on them?
Racist?
What?
Look! Over there!
Seriously, go play with the defibrillator, Pedro
There is NO excuse for applying racist slurs to Obama, but maybe Obama is a racist and an anti-Semite himself, given the company he keeps. He has appeared arm in arm with a prominent racist and anti-Semite (Al Sharpton) at a meeting of what is arguably a violent hate organization, Sharpton’s National Action Network. He has also appeared at the anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic hate group MoveOn.org. (Google on “MoveOn.org” and “Pope Benedict” for an example, and “Jew Lieberman” for another.)
Prior to the fatal arson of Freddy’s Fashion Mart in Harlem, the National Action Network marched around the store (often with Sharpton) screaming racial and anti-Semitic epithets while threatening to burn the building down. One of Sharpton’s followers then did burn the building down, and killed seven people in the process. Hence the National Action Network is not only a hate group, but arguably a violent hate group.
Another of Sharpton’s mobs rampaged through Crown Heights while screaming “Kill the Jews,” and did in fact murder Yankel Rosenbaum. This is the individual with whom a grinning Barack Obama appears arm in arm at the National Action Network. Bigots of a feather…
Again, this does not excuse the application of racial epithets to Obama or even Sharpton. While Sharpton might be a two-bit lying and hatemongering piece of anti-Semitic and racist gutter trash (terms that describe his BEHAVIORAL CHOICES, as well as those of white supremacists), use of racial pejoratives to describe him are still not appropriate. Even if Barack Obama stands arm in arm with the Black counterpart of David DuKKKe and the White Aryan Resistance’s Tom Metzger, condemnation should focus on Obama’s behavioral choices. Duke and Metzger are the dregs of society because of their racist behavior, not their skin color, and the same goes for Sharpton.
Move on is anti-semitic? I thought they were Soros puppets!
Settle down,skippy.
And Reagan kicked off his campaign In Philadelphia, Mississippi, which made him the dregs of society, as well.
Since you’re making such a show of applying all that righteous outrage so equally, slather a lil’ bit on Saint Ronnie. If you don’t, you’re just fronting.
jerry - obviously you didn’t get the memo. As bleached blonde wingnut piewagon extraordinare Debbie Schlussel informs us, Soros is actually a NAZI. Yes, a Nazi using his rich jewy jew money to buy influence over all media and probably set up some orbital mind control lasers while he’s at it.
Where do I know the name “Bill Levinson” from?
I know it’s not the movie director because that’s Barry.
And it makes no difference that a Bush appointee is black if he/she is as much an enemy of black America as the Nazi skinhead.
sorry, but that’s just ridiculous. You’re saying that if a black isn’t liberal, they’re a Nazi.
Keep in mind that much of the damage to the African-American community is the direct result of liberal policies.
Education - Bush looked to eliminate the soft bigotry of low expectations which is rampant within the educational system today (and we all know that they’re a bunch of right wingers, right?). Federal spending on education has seen the largest increase in history under W - not something that free-market conservatives would cheer, but for some reason he still gets derision because in the mind of a progressive, Bush = evil.
Click here to see historical data re federal spending, then click on the subcategory Human Resources, Education, and finally Elementary, Secondary Education.
Damn facts… get in the way of people’s self-created and self-reinforced realities.
“Keep in mind that much of the damage to the African-American community is the direct result of liberal policies.”
Oh really?:
“Tim Griffin, according to BBC Television, was the hidden hand behind a scheme to wipe out the voting rights of 70,000 citizens prior to the 2004 election.
Key voters on Griffin’s hit list: Black soldiers and homeless men and women”
Well, at least you guys support most of the troops, huh?
“Keep in mind that much of the damage to the African-American community is the direct result of liberal policies”
LOL. I know your sense of entitlement tells you that I will just accept that lie as gospel. Nice try.
And yes, a black who aligns him or herself with conservatives/Republicans csn do at least as much damage to black America as Nazi skinheads.
In order for America to finally remove itself from the grip of the elitist, racist, homophobic theocrats that are trying to drag us down, we simply MUST elect Obama.
He may become a martyr that will once a for all shine the light of justice on the evil White Male that wants to take this country back to the “Good Ol’ Days”, but it must be done.
Does America want to move towards the future, or give in to evil. The evil is become more and more desperate and bold and outright violence is their next step.
The question we all have to ask ourselves: Are we willing to die to save our country? It seems Obama is. What about you?
Hey ollie when are you going to ban outright racists like Starky here
“How do you explain HuffPo shutting down comments whenever a conservative has a health issue to prevent the lefties from wishing death on them?” Pedro
It’s one thing to wish someone dead; it’s another to actually make the threat.
I bet that if you added up all the death threats liberals and liberal organizations have received and conservatives and their organizations have recieved, the liberals would be the outright winner. No recount needed.
“Hey ollie when are you going to ban outright racists like Starky here”
How is Starky racist?
Because shut up, that’s why.
“…..that will once a for all shine the light of justice on the evil White Male …..”
res ispo loquitor
Res idiot loquitor, more like it.
Your characterization of the quoted comment makes no sense whatsoever.
yea, probably not to you Paul…but to the rest of the sentient human race it is pretty clear.
How many death threats do you think McCain or Romney have gotten thus far?
Compared to Clinton and Obama, I mean?
pedro, it’s clear from the context of the sentence that Starky was referring to a specific kind of White Male, that is, the evil kind “…that wants to take this country back to the “Good Ol’ Days”" You’ll recognize the quote. It’s from the part of the sentence you left off.
actually no, “evil” is an adjective describing “white male” with the assumption being they all want to take the country back to the “good ol’days”
So damn racist it makes my teeth hurt…
“actually no, “evil” is an adjective describing “white male” with the assumption being they all want to take the country back to the “good ol’days”
So damn racist it makes my teeth hurt…”
I remember reading a study showing that conservatives couldn’t comprehend subtleties and nuances in language.
Thank you for adding more evidence to that claim.
Reading Starky’s post it is clear he was attacking white people who are intolerant and not saying all white people were intolerant. The fact that you interpreted the latter way is probably the result of a guilty conscience.