Now a couple of days ago, I gave a scathing commentary that in essence pretty much stated that a good sizable chunk of the GOP’s “base” that are anti-Obama everything have ulterior motives outside of what they say in public, chief among them the racial 800 pound gorilla in the room. I truly do not believe that the majority of the “birthers”, the anti-go back to school speech crowd, the “tea party” crowd, and especially the anti-health care reform crowd are actually against these things because of policy.
So now you have a bunch of the same crowd in DC right now protesting….Look at this picture:
What do you see?
Majority White Crowd…. check
Republican….obviously..check
Now read some of the signs: “Hands off my Body” “Save Freedom” etc..
To me, this looks more like a lynch mob than a protest. Who stole their country? When was democracy abolished and freedom taken away? When did Obama say someone’s body was going to be touched? Why all the “USA” chants, flags, etc.? Is this not the USA? Are we not in America? C’mon we know what the code is: Obama isn’t “real America” where you have to be a white Evangelical and/or part of the GOP “base”. He and all who look and think like him wreak of otherness…
Call it a gut feeling but I believe a good majority in this crowd has one issue with Obama and one issue only: His skin color. They may try to hide it behind the “issues”, but one has to ask, why weren’t they protesting about freedom when the Patriot Act was passed or when illegal wiretapping was found out to be occurring during the Bush Administration. Where were the protests when the fiscally nightmarish decisions to go to war in Iraq, deregulate the banks,Wall Street, and tax cuts were made that caused this financial mess in the first place?
Now I know some will continually deny that race is not a factor in the minds of “base” of the GOP, but it just seems amazing to me that these so-called Conservatives all of a sudden started caring about the deficit when Obama was sworn in and couldn’t add during 8 years of uber spending by the Bush Administration.
An American Muslim 
Spot on. Republicans (rather Conservatives, as there are more Conservatives in national offices than Republicans) have been framing their positions around emotional issues to their base. When Progressives have not grasped is that, in general, Emotions trump Intellect. So whilst the progressives spout off fact after fact, Conservatives don’t have to counter with facts, they need only to counter with responses that cause knee-jerk reactions: Emotions on; thinking off.
Like Bill Clinton before him, Barack Obama is a Conservative. His weak-willed rhetoric is just mumbo-jumbo. The fix is already in. Corporatists have already one. We lost our Democracy—I know we have never technically been a democracy, but we love to throw the word around as if it really means something—in 1886 with Santa Clara County vs. Southern Pacific Railroad, when corporation usurped one person, one vote with one dollar, one vote, creating instead a Plutocracy. This usurpation continues to be legitimated as legal precedence by the Conservative activist judicial branch, but don’t get me started down that path.
Most amazing to me when reviewing the photo related to this article, is the woman holding the “Hands Off My Body” sign. Who’d like to wager that on another day you might find that woman with an “Overturn Roe v. Wade” placard insisting that the government restrict another woman’s right to control her own body. Hypocrites, indeed.
What y’all DON’T realize is that this is not a protest focusing on Obama. I’m one of those white people from the flyover country. This goes far deeper than Obama. To put it in a nutshell, it’s about big government and their pursuit of ultimate control. It started back with Bush, but hadn’t gotten organized enough at that point. There were rumblings even back then. Obama is merely the “straw that broke the camel’s back” and his and his party’s policies even deepened the will of the people to start speaking out. This is the silent majority that has finally awakened. To cast aspersions that their protests are racially motivated is simply inane and helps perpetuate racism.
Robert, you know me, somewhat and I love you like a brother. There is only ONE color in my world and that is Navy Blue. For you, it’s Marine Green. (there’s a joke I could insert here, but I’ll decline at this point).
Thor, Your my brother and I love you too….(insert jokes readers) I’m not stating that what you are saying isn’t true. I believe true Conservatives have been pissed for lack of a better word for years. However, I believe that what’s going on in the GOP is a battle between three groups: Religious radicals, true Conservatives, and racial elements. Sometimes the lines are blurred, but I truly believe that the remnants of the NeoCons and others in power of the party play the various elements like a fiddle at different times for different reasons and agendas. Some of these debates are part of the silly season that has taken over in Washington, and some are legitimate, like I support better protections for doctors against fraudulent cases. The polls and statistics are fairly accurate. Many people polled who didn’t vote for Obama stated that his skin color/race was a factor. White Supremacist recruitment is up, and all involved identify themselves as Republican. This is a huge GOP problem as McCain began to find out at his rallies as it got uglier and uglier.
What’s a true Conservative to do? That’s the question, however, there is the issue of the facts on the paper and right now what Obama is proposing costs less than anything that was voted upon in the previous administration when Republicans had the keys to the kingdom. The difference is the healthcare reform can actually help us down the road, the money we spent in tax cuts, wars, etc. is gone never to return.
If this was a pure policy issue, Conservatives should produce something point by point that challenges what they would change and where they see savings, but this is not what is going on within the Party on in the Republican media. We hear more about Obama’s religion, citizenship, “real America”, Nazism, Socialism, etc. etc. etc. nothing about point by point policy. I work in Governance and Policy as you may well know. No policy is flawless (except the ones I write 🙂 ) but when debating a policy or looking for improvement you normally point out what is good, what should be added, and what can be thrown out.
What America is seeing right now, real or imagined is that a Democratic Government who holds all the keys right now, is wrangling over points by points, and Republicans are just wanting to tank the whole thing. At any of the rallies, has anyone offered a solution other than oppose Obama because he’s a socialist, Muslim, freak, who wasn’t even born in America?
“Code words” is a code word for “LA-LA-LA-LA I’m Not Listening!” Seriously, no one cares if President Obama is half African, half Austrian, pink, purple or green.
We didn’t like having to spend money on wars to protect our country…but wars END. In a few years, the expense is done. Pres. Obama has increased the deficit IN LESS THAN A YEAR far beyond what we had to spend to rebuild the military Clinton destoyed and to run two wars…and many of Pres Obama’s projects will be forever. Just like the “war on poverty,” no amount of money will ever win the “war on healthcare expenses,” so it will run until our country bankrupts over it.
We didn’t complain about the “loss of freedoms” under Bush because we DIDN’T LOOSE ANY. After decades of liberal freedom reduction (gun control, no smoking, seat belts, free speech, Christian speech, abortion protests reductions, Clinton’s protest fences) why would we get upset because talking to terrorists was suddenly curtailed?
We know that both Bush and McCain tried for years to fix the bank and housing mess that the Democratic Community Reinvestment Act had caused, but the reforms were blocked by Democratic threats that they would scream “racism”… and be believed. “Deregulation” had nothing to do with the Democratically caused financial crash.
I’m sure an intelligent guy like you is able to read financial figures, so you know that the tax cuts did NOT decrease revenue. Revenue went UP, which normally happens when business owners are allowed to use THEIR OWN MONEY to invest in their company rather than handing it over to the government to be wasted. When the tax cuts expire, not only will our economy tank again, but revenue will fall.
Your problem, and that of so many on your side, is that the cause of the country’s financial problems, terrorist problems, and poverty problems almost always come to rest at the feet of the Democrats. No matter how hard you scream “racism,” or point fingers at Republicans, every person that takes the time to study the root causes will find them based in Democratic failures.
I suppose this FEATURED speaker is just another “Astroturf” white boy from the flyover country ??
At least this man is on the right track in my opinion.
Ohh, and Robert, et al, this didn’t start with Obama. The socialistic leanings in this country started with FDR. Johnson made it more prevalent, then Reagan even furthered a Socialist agenda. Since Reagan, it’s just became progressively worse, little by little. (OHH, did I just dis the Bush regimes ?!?!?!? ) :-O
It may be argued that the so-called “Socialistic leanings” started with Thomas Jefferson unless we consider this to be John Locke or the Iroquois nation. The United States has been called a Democracy, and if the demos want a socialistic society, it is their right to get it. If not, then that is also their right. The problem is that with a population of some 300 million demos, it is not statistically likely that you aren’t going to at all times have tens of millions opposed to any given initiative. How could anyone achieve any real consensus facing these numbers? Because of this, Democracy will always produce marginal results. As has been attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “A democracy will vote itself away.”
The word, “Racist” is applied to any criticism of the President. Presidents get criticized, its part of life, deal with it.
“Racist” has been used so much, for so many political things in these past months that the word is now meaningless. And in part, its thanks to guys like you for labeling simple dissent as “racism.”
The point is: you KNOW this movement isn’t about “racism,”
but you use the word anyways. It must be easier than to address the core roots and causes that created this movement in the first place.
If you were an honest liberal, you would recognize that something profound is happening here. Something that could destroy the two party system as we know it. This movement, building for years, is a pivotal point in history. Dismissing it as “racist” is missing one of the cornerstones of the future.
I urge you to rise above the rhetoric and see a movement for what it is.
Robert’s not a liberal, but he is honest. I am a liberal, and I’ll tell it like it is, too.
Some of the folk who oppose the current administrations’ moves are doing so out of principled disagreement. We hear from those folk, but not nearly enough. Some oppose the current administration because it threatens their ill-gotten gains or to score another touchdown in the never-ending game of political football. And some oppose the current administration for little else but the color of the current president’s skin. They may or may not be able to say it, even to themselves, but there it is. It’s the only way to explain why actions by previous (white) presidents, when repeated by our current one, are suddenly seen as unforgivable crimes. When Regan spoke to kids, it was fine. Now it’s a crime for Obama to do so?
And for those who are worried about the “socialist slide” our country’s taken: I agree with you. We ought to privatize our roads, schools, military, postal service, and the government itself. We’ve had corporate-sponsored politicians for years- may as well make it official.
Mrs Smith, your comments infuriated me. I tried to be an adult and just leave it alone but I cannot. How can anyone be in such denial as to state without laughing that we lost no rights under King George W the Ignorant? I ask that you find the following website and read the article written by a Baptist preacher who has no love for Obama, hear what he has to say about rights and George W. Bush. (I wish I was young enough to know how to hyperlink it for you. Sorry.)
http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin57.htm
What blindness has inflicted you as to hold deregulation innocent of the havoc played upon our economy? The Democrats are not blameless, it seemed to me that they rubber stamped anything George the Ignorant wanted for 8 painfully long years. But the party that plagued us the with deregulation and with the myth of trickle-down economics must bear most of the responsibility of bringing us to the brink of economic collapse. For a very long time no political party has had our interests as a primary concern, yet it doesn’t take a genius to observe that it is the Democrats who will occasionally throw us a bone and make us feel less than invisible.
One more point. Not every protester or tea party attendee is a racist, but too many are. What President Obama is subject to with each turn is much more than ordinary criticism, it’s hatred. We’ve had progressive presidents before, the obvious difference here is President Obama’s skin color. Many simply cannot deal with a black man in the Oval Office.
I think though my words will not make any difference, I believe you when you said………..”LA-LA-LA-LA I’m Not Listening!”
Salaam…
I used to hold a modicum of respect for you. A fellow service member who was also a muslim trying to educate a lot of those who where prejudiced against Islam.
You’ve totally destroyed that with this crap though. Racism? Honestly? Since when has it become a racist action to disagree with someone with a differant skin color? The only act of racism that I’m seeing here is coming from yourself. Your automatically assuming someone is thinking and acting someway because of the color of their skin (white). Never mind the fact that there are plenty of black people taking part in these protests. If you honestly tried to look around you’d be able to find pictures of them. Glenn Beck interviewed a black friend of his attending the DC rally, who was specificly out there looking for signs of racism and couldn’t find a thing.
In all honesty, I’d report you to your MEO office, if you where still serving. You are helping to spread divisive hate. Not these protesters against government spending and high taxes.
Poor, poor Glenda. Could you please explain how you KNOW that “Not every protester or tea party attendee is a racist, but too many are.”?
Back it up with proof. I’ll bet you can’t, which will prove the reverse racism of the left.
As far as Obama’s skin color, I could care less. It’s his agenda that I oppose, and want to defeat. Period.
Just to recap, The “race card” is being played to much. All criticism, tea parties, and dissent is now “racist.” No facts exist to support the claim, but liberals just sorta know: all opposition to their agenda is “racist…”
To quote a movie, “You keep using that word. I do not think you know what it means.”
In the 80’s we were all supposed to feel guilty about the homeless. The media saturation was over played and people started to laugh and make homeless jokes. The campaign died.
–When people start laughing at your oft repeated claims, YOU LOSE THEM.
Bottom line: the race card has been overplayed. Its not true. Its not shutting up dissent. And people are starting to laugh.
You are gonna have to find some other way to stifle dissent, cause the race card isn’t working.
wineslob, if you would like me to offer up someone using the “n” word as proof of racism, I cannot. People today are more sophisticated with their hatred than they were in the past. But if you trust your instincts about people in body language and vocal pitch then try using youtube to watch a few interviews at tea party protests. The vitriol against this president is more than I have ever witnessed against any other president in 50 years of watching.
And if you don’t mind, one more thing……again about proving there are “too many” racists…….could you and I agree just one be too many?
Just a couple of points for anyone interested. I am conservative by nature, both fiscally and in my faith. Was raised to respect all people and have lived my life that way. I can fit in both the democrat and republican parties just depends on what year it is. You see my core values dont change, the parties move back and forth.
The word “racism” in our society means nothing to me, it is used so often that it is meaningless. I see it as a shield to hide behind.
Health care reform is something that has merit. I understand concerns about government control but the feds already take on the risk of the elderly, the insurance companies get the best people to insure. As a working man my insurance company already rations care, the government doing it is no different. The Obama administration has done a poor job of explaining their proposals. We need details. I can just see something like social security, where more money has gone in then has been paid out, and the greedy bastards in washington spend the rest. I belive George Bush said there was a filing cabinet in washington full of IOUs for social security.
Finally, I have a problem with hateful comments about people assembling to protest their government. I dont care what you are protesting about, its an american right to speak out against your government. As for debating facts, neither party has done this. They all speak to the 10 second attention span of the vast majority of Americans.
As a middle age white male what party can I really fall behind. The democrats have no love for me, everytime you see one of these liberals speak its always full of anger and hate. They have no core values and they treat people differently based on skin color, sex. etc.
Finally, Barack Obama is the president of the United States and because he is president I show him all the respect he deserves. May not always agree with him but that mom and apple pie upbringing kicks in. This applies to all presidents, a liberal is incapable of such thoughts and actions.
Wow, interesting blog. But the part that really got me was how true this piece is. Furthermore the image, I can understand the older folks having a problem with his color (and yes I know that they hate Obama not only because he’s black but “other” reasons as well) but some of those protesters are so young. I thought MLK had a pretty convincing speech, it’s too bad not everyone feels the same way.