Desperado's post this morning about Rush Limbaugh's blatant race-baiting leads us here - to former President Jimmy Carter coming out and saying, in a way perhaps only he can, that some of the opposition to President Barack Obama is rooted in the dark southern roots of white superiority. In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, he remarked, ". . . I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of a 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 grieves me and concerns me very deeply."
Anyone who wants to be truly honest with themselves knows that in some cases this is true. In more cases than we probably want to believe. Note to conservatives: If you do or say something racist, you can't excuse it away because you decide those that call you on it are "reverse-racists", ok? Two wrongs don't make a right. You can't distribute photographs of watermelons growing outside the White House and then get upset when someone says you were racially motivated in doing so. You can't distribute photographs like this one, below, and then get upset when someone says you're racially motivated in doing so. 
You can't carry signs at Tea Parties like the ones below and get upset when someone calls you out as being racially motivated.
You can't distribute cartoons that depict Obama on a Food Stamp dollar with Kool-Aid and a bucket of fried chicken and cry when someone calls you a racist for doing so!
Now, Michael Steele, Chairman of the RNC responded to President Carter by saying, "This is a pathetic distraction by Democrats to shift attention away from the president's wildly unpopular government-run health care plan that the American people simply oppose. Injecting race into the debate over critical issues facing American families doesn't create jobs, reform our health care system or reduce the growing deficit. It only divides Americans rather than uniting us to find solutions to challenges facing our nation."
Fine, Mr. Steele. If injecting race into the debate "divides Americans" and prevents us from finding solutions, then the far right needs to STOP DOING IT.
Amen, Scott.
I think the simple answer is yes. Are their bigots in the GOP? Yes. Are there religious zealots in the GOP? Yes. Are there low information voters in the GOP? Yes. And then there are the rich that aren't any of those things but are afraid of anyone that will ask them to give their fair share. It's a lot like Bob's series on hate speech awhile back. Not every republican fits in those categories, but almost everyone in those categories is a republican.
elowe, Macys is having a white sale. You can get a great deal on wrinkle resistant white sheets. Right out of the dryer to your head. A youth bed size would be just the right size for you.
Forget the racism. Religion is the real issue. That Jeremiah Wright thing got it going (especially since most southern white conservatives have never set foot in a black evangelical church and would be scared shitless once they were there).
Religious conservatives - remember them? - they were the original crazy Republicans, before Texas Sparkle and the birthers and the teabaggers and the tenthers and the Town Hall screamers. Religious conservatives were nice respectable people, even if a little off, but wearing nice suits, people like Jerry Falwell (god rest his ignorant bigoted soul), Pat Robertson, Gary Bauer and Tony Perkins - they were the leaders of the GOP. For a while there, they were sucking hind tit, as we said on the farm.
So the news today is that they are back. Fully 1/3 of religious conservatives believe Barack Obama to be the Anti-Christ. Whatever that is. I stopped reading the bible way before I got to the Book of Revelations. I hear it has a bad ending.
But wasn't it just a few years ago that Bill Clinton was the Anti-Christ? Seriously, who knew that Jesus was a Republican?
Ripper,
You didn't look very hard. Of course Kool Aid is used as a racial slur. When I was a kid, people always referred to red Kool Aid as a favorite of n*****rs. Don't believe it?
Here's the reference: http://www.rsdb.org/
Look it up.
Half of American against health care reform? Which half you referring to? S. Palin's "real" half?
Funny how the right-wingers throw themselves on the ground screaming whenever they get a taste of their own medicine.
Explosive growth? HAHA the deficit increase during EVERY conservative president. Republican are notorious about over spending. Usually on the military.
I'll concede that KoolAid could mean something different..you know.. "drinking the Kool-Aid", but when used in context with a black man, a watermelon, a bucket of chicken, and food stamps, I think it's safe to assume it's probably got some racial tone to it.
Well, I used the google machine to do a little research. I'm not convinced 'Kool-Aid' has anything to do with racism, but I could be wrong.
Yes, it's a widely used racial stereotype. You're fortunate to have never been exposed to it.
So now Kool-Aid is racist? When did that happen? Where do you get these things? If you've got 'friends' sending you these e-mails, you may want to consider getting new friends.
Oh, *YOU* work for a living, elowe. How interesting.
Do you think the rest of us DON'T?
Oh yeah. We're liberals, so you think the rest of us must be all welfare queens and only YOU are a hard-working American.
Yeah, right.
Must be nice on your planet, huh?
Elowe, I don't see a valid response from you on this. Just more "blame the messenger" shit.
WHAT is YOUR opinion of the disgusting racist signs/emails/crap that AstrosgirlKel mentioned? Do you denounce these examples of racism? Do you find them funny?
Please tell us what you think, without insults. If you can.
I applaud former President Carter for standing up and telling it like it is.
And where do you figure he is anti-Semite?
Prove it.
No kidding. I liked that nice backward slap he threw at half of America. I guess since we're not against HC reform we don't count as part of the American people.
Elowe,
So let me make sure I'm crystal clear on this - Jimmy Carter is an anti-Semite because he concedes that Palestine has some rights in any territory settlement between Israel and Palestine? Meaning what, exactly, that they don't? I know in conservative circles, it's considered acceptable - even commendable - to hold prejudices against all Islamic people because of the actions of a few nut jobs. But in all honesty, how can anyone who is being reasonable about the situation not feel as though Palestine should at least be heard on any settlement?
What gets forgotten in all of this is that while the Israelis have every right to a peaceful nation and to not being bombed and attacked every other day, that the people of Palestine are human beings, too. Having lived for a decade in conservative Orange County, California, I remember the outrage of the people of Anaheim when Disney claimed their homes through eminent domain in the late 1990's to build a second theme park adjacent to Disneyland. There were protests, marches, threats of lawsuits...and keep in mind, these displaced property owners were compensated for their land and allowed to move wherever they wanted - including a mile away. And you wonder why Palestinians get pissed off when settlements involve them giving up even more land for absolutely nothing except for to appease the rest of the world and to stop conflict with Israel?
Israel is a very strong ally of ours, but it does not mean that the HUMAN BEINGS that don't share our personal faith or view of the world are worthless in the conversation and should not have rights in the settlement. Just because Al-Qaeda has attacked on U.S. soil does not mean that the entire estimated 1.5 billion population of Muslims in the world are terrorists or people who wish death to our country - no more than Timothy McVeigh means that I, as an American-born caucasian, am one as well.
So, now that we've established that (like most of Rush Limbaugh's comments) the concept that Jimmy Carter is an anti-Semite for accepting that both sides of this conflict have a point is an asinine view, let's look at Carter's comment. I don't believe that conservatives as a whole are racist - just as I don't believe that liberals are all extremely tolerant (I have seen otherwise during union pickets, for example.) However, the white supremacist/Southern racist element votes overwhelmingly Republican. Furthermore, Republican leaders seldom speak out against these covert but thinly veiled displays of racism. Similar to John McCain in 2000 with the Confederate flag, this most likely is not because most Republican leaders agree, but because it is good for gathering votes. This makes them complicit. If you don't support the President because you don't appreciate his political views - fine - that's a right of any American. But, justifying away the behavior of those who commit racist acts because they share a common displeasure with the President means that you, Rush Limbaugh, and anyone else who does it cannot get offended when anyone makes a blanket statement about racism in the Republican party, either.
We can't say it's racism, because that conflicts with the right wing view of themselves as the victims.
Despo: I can't listen to Rush. I cannot stream him in my office, and my little radio won't receive the station inside the bldg. I do work for a living!
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I am able to listen to Jim Rome, however. He is currently discussing Lane Kiffin and Florida, and UFC fighting. But thanks for letting me know what the topic is on Rush...
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BTW mind reader, my satellite package doesn't include Fox News either....
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Anyone here ever read, "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid?" Just curious what anyone here might have thought about it premise.
Im my opinion, calling Carter an anti-Semite is an attack on him, and is not the truth. His foreign policy views are more moderate than most, but he's not anti-Israel by any means. Considering both sides of a foreign policy issue has no grounds in racism.
I watched the video you provided, and I don't think the gentleman was trying to hide anything. Chanting "I pay taxes, it's for a good cause" or whatever he said made that pretty apparant he wasn't a teabagger.
I've heard the argument that whenever someone on the right does something atrocious it must be someone on the left pretending to be someone on the right..right? Dizzying.
Nice - Limbaugh's "I know you are but what am I" logic.
Scott, elowe got the anti-Semite remark from Limbaugh. It was his show opener today.
Be nice, like using profanity? Did I say anything offensive? Did I attack someone? did I say anything that was not based in fact?
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I think the cartoon is insipid and shallow. It really is not creative or funny. I am curious who would author such trash, and why. Fuzzy Zoeller covered this material about 13 yrs ago.
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I think there are many destructive people out there who will do anything to attempt to demean or discredit people who have legitimate concerns about the explosive government spending, growth, and largess into personal lives.
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www.youtube.com/?v=0Du8ugod5vk
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I wouldn't put it past the far left nut-roots to try to mix in and stir up nonsense for news cameras.
When did Carter become an anti-semite. Wow, that's news to me. Very well said Kelly. Racism is the elephant in the room (don't pardon the pun)
Elowe,
Keep it nice and you can play.
What do you think of the above cartoons?
Superb...America's best known anti semite calling out conservatives as racists.
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Now that is credibility. I couldn't have picked a better spokesman to illustrate the hypocrisy of those who cry racist, when every other argument is defeated.
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Go ahead! Let Carter carry the water...he is awesome!
Fuck Mr. Steele. Who the hell is that bastard to say what I oppose. To hell with the corporate whores in the GOP. The health care reform is only unpopular among racist backwards thinking morons on the right...