Is Black The New Teflon?

[2rth2pwr]

(this is not me writing this something I ran across in blogosphere)
January 13th, 2008 Mad Kane
http://www.madkane.com/madness/2008/01/13/is-black-the-new-teflon/

The impression I’ve been getting lately is that every barb and criticism aimed at Obama is almost bound to be characterized as racist by Obama surrogates.

Isn’t there something wrong when a candidate (or commentator) has to fear the racism card each time he/she says something negative about a black candidate? Something that would be just fine to say about a white one?

And shouldn’t Obama be required to meet criticisms on the merits? Everyone else is … or certainly should be. Not only does this better serve the voters, but it also helps candidates prepare for the general election.

By cloaking himself in a coat of black Teflon, Obama belittles genuine racial grievances and stifles real debate. He even demeans himself.

And now, a limerick:

Is Black The New Teflon?
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Obama’s campaign has an ace:
It’s a joker, that card they call race.
Every Hill-team critique
Draws their racism-pique.
Can’t attack him: He’s black! That’s their case.

[dkf]

1. That is ridiculous.

It doesn't stick because the stuff against Obama isn't very compelling.

If he got attacked because he was disenfranchising voters believe me it wouldn't matter if he were black or not. Or if he were lying about his past or if he did slimy push polls against his competitors.

I can see where GLBTs have legit complaints over that stupid McClurkin thing. But that is about it.

[Bishop Rook]

2. Let's hear some examples

Of where criticisms were falsely accused of being racist, aside from the "fairy tale" thing--which I honestly agree wasn't racist, but that's a lone incident.

If you can't identify a pattern, then you can't honestly make this accusation.

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. More of the same...trying to make it ugly

Don't fall for it.

Talk policy. Talk policy. Talk Policy.

[ecstatic]

4. I figured racism would rear its ugly head, but who would have guessed the attacks would come from

our side?

[Anouka]

8. They'd make cute babies.

There's my inner Baby Phat/Gap hoodrat for the night.
or Bullworth.

But they would make cute babies.

Oh, to hell with it.

[Beacool]

34. Yep, together they look HOT!!!

No disrespect to Bill & Michelle!

[Anouka]

5. Black is the old 'Tar Baby'

Offensive imagery, but true.

Race has to be used with caution... which is why Hillary can run as 'The Woman', but Obama cannot run as 'The Black'.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. Okay, I am now convinced you are simply trying to hurt Clinton

This post is vile.

[niceypoo]

15. It may be vile, but it is what is happening...

...expect a lot of Sharpton news conferences in the next six months.

[LittleClarkie]

7. Can't attack her. You're ganging up on her. Oh look, she can cry. Give her a cookie.

Anything can be the new teflon if we allow it to be.

[mrdemocrat78]

9. Um.. Shuck & Jive... Go Play Basketball...

calling him sidney portiea ( i know i mispelled it) in Guess who's coming to dinner.

Those are blatanly racist. You can spin them however you want, and no, they aren't all from camp clinton, but some of them are.

And the ONLY person I haven't seen comment on them IS obama.

[2rth2pwr]

11. Michelle Obama Enters the Race Fray

I don't think either race or gender should be an issue in the presidential campaign. It should be about individuals and who is the best qualified and equipped for the job. http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/1/14/0414/94676

Obama denies he's injecting race into the campaign. With his wife's comments today, I have to say they are both not just reacting to the Clintons' comments, but playing the card themselves.- Jeralyn E. Merritt

[moriah]

28. The Sidney Poitier Comment ..

... was made by an African-American.

Do we have self-hating Blacks now?

The only reason I am not coming down on Cuomo for the "Shuck and Jive" comment is that I've seen so many white politicians accused of "shuck and jive" that I can't truly believe it was racist in the context it was used. Oh, and because it wasn't directed specifically at Obama -- his name was never mentioned in the question OR the answer. But I'm willing to bet that we're going to see a lot more phrases that are in common usage critiqued for their possible racial overtones.

For example, if anyone talks of comments from the "peanut gallery" I'm willing to bet someone will mention the vaudeville origins of the phrase. Or if someone says "To call a spade a spade" (which has origins far older than the racial term "spade") or the British derivative "To call a spade a (bloody) shovel", meaning to speak *too* bluntly. Which I'm probably doing right now.

Who said Obama should go play basketball? The only reference I remember to "basketball" in anything about Obama was from Karl Rove. And we all know Karl is Hillary's mouthpiece. :sarcasm: Seriously, where did you see that?

What I don't understand is people thinking that "race-baiting" is some kind of master strategy in a Democratic primary. Especially in the South, which Super-Duper Tuesday will highly depend on. Why alienate a large percentage of registered Democrats to attract bigots?? It might work in a Republican primary or in a general election for a Republican because they aren't counting on African-American voters to vote for them -- in those cases the bigots "race-baiting" attracts will outweigh the voters they alienate with those tactics. It's a *stupid* strategy for a Democrat in a primary election. And Hillary may be a lot of things, but I didn't find "stupid" in the list.

[cali]

10. you've lost it.

it's that simple. Or this is simply the kind of person you are. It's good to have a thick skin in GDP, but yours isn't doing you any favors.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

14. Speaking generally, this is the first time I know of that

disruptors could actually cause real harm. There are a handful of really race-obsessed clinton 'supporters' and it's odd they are all mass-posters.

[tammywammy]

16. Agreed

It's a strange coincidence.

[cloudythescribbler]

25. bingo!

[niceypoo]

17. Theres a name for this...

Person A makes claim X
Person B attacks person A
Therefore X is false

[cali]

20. There's a word for this alright-

WRONG. It's just fucking wrong, and I said the same thing in a stupid post just now about Clinton being a Goldwater Girl.

It's a shame you can't see how awful this is. And that's not snark.

[niceypoo]

27. Debating the race card is necessary...

...as awful as it may be, because that is the direction that this campaign has turned. Burying your head in the sand won't make it go away. Only Obama can stop it, but he chooses not to, which says everything to me. It seems that any criticism, or percieved slight, of Obama is racist or over the line, but the 24/7 brutalization of Hillary on DU, air America, Daily KOS, the cable media, etc, and from the GOP is mere sport.

[Occam Bandage]

12. Obama has not played the race card, nor has the Obama campaign.

[2rth2pwr]

18. see post #11, I don't feel like copy/pasting. nt

[Occam Bandage]

19. So Michelle Obama said that Obama won a white-dominant state. Shocking and offensive.

That sounds to me like she's deflating the talking point claiming that Obama can't appeal to rural whites. Is that what passes for "playing the race card" now? How desperate to find a "race card" can one get?

[jackson_dem]

21. OB ignores things that conflict with his "hopes"

[Occam Bandage]

22. So, which "things" have I failed to reply to?

[niceypoo]

13. This is exactly what is happening and Obamas supporters are in a tizzy trying to deny it

It will be interesting to see where this leads, and how Obamas supporters react once it is too blatant to deny. They are already calling it a Hillary conspiracy, as if that wasn't a predictable reaction.

[cloudythescribbler]

23. not sure where the OPer stands on this, but it's some of the MOST offensive material I've seen on DU

and that is saying A LOT!

[2rth2pwr]

26. Is it offensive because she made a limerick?

She makes humorous political haikus and limericks, that's her gig.

Dear Editor: Enough With the Polls, Already!
By Madeleine Begun Kane

My int’rest in polling is waning:
Who’s winning, who’s losing, who’s gaining.
Tell me where these guys stand—
Who’s a liar? What’s canned?
Give me substance — not horse race-campaigning.

======
Why Are These Journalists Smiling?
By Madeleine Begun Kane

“Clinton’s stumbled,” they breathlessly say.
Yes, she’s made many journalists’ day.
It’s a horse race again,
So these women and men
Can avoid talking issues — hurray!
=====

Ode To Our Petulant Prez
By Madeleine Begun Kane

“Dems are mean to Mukasey, who’s great,”
Bitches Dub, sounding rather irate.
“Don’t they know we’re at war?
Dems are making me sore!
They must do what I want. No debate!”

[Barack_America]

24. Clinton supporters, please stop starting threads about race...

...Remember, you're *supposed* to be on the defensive regarding race.

If you're having a hard time imaging a united country, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmUUYo9o9eg

[meow2u3]

29. If you think black is the NEW teflon...

...you haven't grown up white in New York during the 1960's and 70's!

Back in those days, New York politicians took affirmative action to such an extreme that racism and race discrimination were turned on their heads. I repeatedly heard on the news black militants bashing and intimidating whites with impunity, assuming that all whites were racists just because of the color of their skin. White politicians and ordinary white citizens who took offense to that and called the militants out on it were punished for their "racist" views. Racism was interpreted as white hates black, but not the other way around.

I personally was discriminated against because of race (denied admission to camp as a kid because I was white, denied police protection when i had been attacked by black gangs) and run out of New York because of hate crimes before the term was even coined. I don't mean to sound bitter or prejudiced, but this was the God-awful truth about my experiences growing up. Nevertheless, I still don't hate any one group of people because of their external feature; I hate the behavior of those who attacked me and the teflon coating those bigots had because I would have been thrown in the can if I had fought back instead of leaving town.

[fightindonkey]

30. BEST POST EVER! SUMS UP THE OBAMA CROWD PERFECTLY! WE'RE ALL "RACISTS" YAY!

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dmallind]

32. No. That's idiotic

I'm certain some people can be overly sensitive, looking for racism where none exists, when anyone of color is criticized. I have not seen, and do not expect to see, anything approaching that from Obama or any responsible member of his team. Actually his whole approach to race has been impeccably tuned and delivered in this campaign.

[psychmommy]

33. i am an african american female

i have not chosen a candidate yet. if i am offended by some of the racial crap flying around here-i am offended. that doesn't mean obama is offended. i am listening to c-span in the background-this guy called in and said that obama is for reparations and a middle eaat slur that i can't remember. i don't believe that hillary's people are behind this. nor do i believe that if al sharpton is offended by something that he speaks for obama or me. people ignore the flamebaiters. look at the bigger picture. if we as dems can't get beyond this crap then neither of these candidates will make it through the general election. we have to change the tone here and everywhere we go, or call in or write in. i am so discouraged right now. this is not the best of du. although i haven't posted much, i have lurked for awhile. there a are some destructive voices here that i never heard and i hope to never hear again.