KRUGMAN: Al Green, Threat to the American Way of Life

[kpete]

July 20, 2012, 1:04 PM
Al Green, Threat to the American Way of Life
Gary Silverman makes a remarkable catch. He asks why the Romney counter-attack on the “America the Beautiful” ad featured Obama singing Al Green, and pretty well too. Well, it turns out that this is how the other .01% think:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b9950090-d18e-11e1-bb82-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fb9950090-d18e-11e1-bb82-00144feabdc0.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fkrugman.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2012%2F07%2F20%2Fal-green-threat-to-the-american-way-of-life%2F%3Fsmid%3Dtw-NytimesKrugman%26seid%3Dauto#axzz21AZ2orZ0

One of the better answers I have found comes from a well-known supporter of Mr Romney – Suzy Welch, former editor in chief of the Harvard Business Review, and wife of Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric. In an appearance on CNN with her husband, Mrs Welch suggested that Mr Obama’s personal style and choice of musical material define him as a member of a “different America”. I would imagine this is why Mr Romney’s campaign included the snippet of Mr Obama singing “Let’s Stay Together” at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. They hoped it would convey his otherness.

“It’s the difference between the songs that they’re singing,” Mrs Welch said. “Mitt Romney didn’t exactly do a beautiful job on that song, but think about what he’s singing, OK? I mean it’s that patriotic song and he goes all the way through it. Then you’ve got the very cool Barack Obama singing Al Green. That is the two different Americas. Isn’t it?”

How “other” is Al Green? So other, so alien, that, well, he’s included on the Muzak they play in Red Lobster restaurants.

Somebody is alien and out of touch with America here, that’s for sure. But I don’t think it’s the president.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/al-green-threat-to-the-american-way-of-life/?smid=tw-NytimesKrugman&seid=auto

[Lint Head]

1. Agreed!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Al Green is black. That's alien enough

for some people.

[Jack Rabbit]

18. Upper class snobs think all black Americans were born in Kenya

Especially if they're uppity enough to want to be president.

They remain born in Kenya until they make money like Herman Cain or suppress other Afro-American votes like Ken Blackwell. Then they become "real" Americans.

[NOLALady]

29. The snobs probably

can't even find Kenya on the map.

[BlueToTheBone]

35. Indeed. What a nasty man, Rmoney is.

He must have a barber, because I can't imagine he can stand to look at himself.

[unblock]

3. see! more evidence that obama is black!

that's how al green is "other".


just another in a long line of attack against obama that are nothing more than pointing out his skin color.

[Patiod]

11. Seriously, though, isn't that the (not-so-)subtext?

He's not "one of us" white folks.

[mopinko]

16. +++

[Jackpine Radical]

4. I loved the irony of Romney singing America the Beautiful (badly)

juxtaposed against the message of the commercial.

I dunno if anyone remembers the movie Brewster McCloud, with the fat lady mangling the Star Spangled Banner, but it flashed immediately to mind for me when I saw that ad.

[bleever]

5. "Let's Stay Together" is clearly a collectivist, socialistic kind of thinking.

Not the way their people do things.

He had four children with his first wife, Carolyn. They divorced amicably in April 1987 after 28 years of marriage. His second wife, Jane Beasley, was a former mergers-and-acquisitions lawyer. She married Welch in April 1989, and they divorced in 2003. While Welch had crafted a prenuptial agreement, Beasley insisted on a ten-year time limit to its applicability, and thus she was able to leave the marriage with an amount believed to be around $180 million.[23]

Welch's third wife, Suzy Wetlaufer, co-authored his 2005 book Winning as Suzy Welch. Wetlaufer served briefly as the editor-in-chief of the Harvard Business Review. Welch's wife at the time, Jane Beasley, found out about an affair between Wetlaufer and Welch. Beasley informed the review and Wetlaufer was forced to resign[24] in early 2002 after admitting to having been involved in an affair with Welch while preparing an interview with him for the magazine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Welch

[freshwest]

27. Jack Welch again? After his 'single mothers on welfare will elect Al Gore and I won't allow it'

Routine, now he's back again. I paraphrased it but that is essentially what he said.

Another Randian sociopath who believes those with less money than himself are nothing but 'parasites' and 'worthless mouths.' No wonder he's for Mittens.

[slampoet]

6. So Alien he preaches in church every Sunday.

Now tell me this isn't about RACE.

[Dawson Leery]

7. Bigotry is alive and well in America.

Suzy's attitude regarding Al Green and R&B music is not uncommon among the .01%.

[HiPointDem]

8. these fuckers are soooo very patriotic, but they spend every waking moment trying to avoid taxes.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. I like classical music, opera and jazz.

So that probably makes me un-American.

[Myrina]

21. You must be one of those FRENCH people!

Freedom Fries!
Freedom Fries!
Freedom Fries!
Freedom Fries!
Freedom Fries!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

31. Native Texan. Lived here all my life.

Oh, and I don't think Spanish is a bad language, nor do I think Hispanics are bad. I took Spanish and Latin in junior high and high school. I love romance languages.

It is amazing how people respond, speaking of Hispanics. If I go to a restaurant or a hotel and say "Buenas dias!" the Hispanic people smile. They are thrilled that someone took the time to learn a few basic phrases. I guess most white people, at least conservatives, are busy ignoring the many other cultures in the United States, and think that the only culture to pay attention to is White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

I remember meeting a black man who was amazed that I knew about Bob Marley. He was really amazed when hubby said, "You know about ska?"

[AlbertCat]

30. Me too.

She'd probably think we were Euro-centric gay communists.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

36. I share your taste in music

What could be more American than jazz?

[wilt the stilt]

10. Miss Welch aka hooker n/t

[DesertDiamond]

12. Other???

[Bgno64]

13. Hell yes

it's the two different America. And I'm proud to be part of the cooler, less jingoistic America

[snappyturtle]

14. K&R Repukes are dense. They really are out of touch. nt

[uponit7771]

15. Al is black, that makes him "other"

[Canuckistanian]

17. Ouch!

She didn't have to blow that dog whistle so loudly.

[marias23]

19. She said it all without having to use the N-word.

And to you white supporters of Romney - you may think you are part of the Romney crew (like an athletic teams fans) - well you're not, and you'll never be- you're white trash - no matter how much money you have.

[KamaAina]

20. He's so alien that he was featured on a Delta flight I had once

Honolulu to Cincinnati. That was a surreal, sleepless night spent listening to the Al Green Channel!

[Deb]

22. Kumbaya, Suzy, Kumbaya

I'll bet Suzy can't sing it.

[arely staircase]

23. and by different they mean n1&&3r

seriously, what could be more american than al green and the apollo? that is unless you are a racist who sees black people as not quite american.

[yardwork]

24. Pure racist b.s.

[progressivebydesign]

25. Yeah.. the "other" America. the 99% you've screwed over on your way to extreme wealth.

The right whines about class warfare, but they're absolutely the ones that created it, and keep it going.

Truly there is no fucking "other" America. We're all Americans. Or perhaps the "other America" is where they hide their money, like Bermuda, the Caymans... or where they send the jobs that they destroyed in towns like Marion, Indiana. Maybe China and India are "the other America" now.

[notadmblnd]

26. oh, please elaborate Mrs. Welch

Just what "different America" would that be? And who the hell is "they"?

[sgtbenobo]

28. Remember these are....

....the same folks who voted for John McCain a man who is so old he can only go pee when when he's peeing. And I'm not being an ageist. It's about security. The office of President ages people prematurely. But that didn't matter to these folks. The clincher for these low information voters "stupid fuckers" was that Mama Grizzly is sooo! hot! Maybe it's time to shut these idiots down. So, vote early and often. Oh yeah, when somebody says to you that it's not polite to talk about politics, politely remind them to go fuck themselves. Not talking got us into this mess in the first place.

[Tikki]

33. HI and welcome to DU..

..It is never impolite to talk about politics here. Talk away.

Tikki

[DCKit]

32. Oh Suzy, you're an embarrassment to your race - and all other Amercians.

Get thee back to the Hamptons, and stay there.

[NashvilleLefty]

34. "Let's Stay Together", isn't that a Family Values issue?

"Whether times are good, or bad, or happy, or sad..."

Isn't that what RW Fundamentalists keep saying? Is that what REALLY is bothering them, that a Liberal (actually, a Centrist) is preempting their "message"?

OK, it's really feeding into their meme that Black People can sing and have rhythm. So it looks racist to me - because a lot of white people don't understand the family ties that black families have.

And I'm white.

[regnaD kciN]

37. Al Green is also a pastor...

...so, is Romney's ad a Mormon attack on Christianity?