Bush* Is A Racist...True Or False?

[arwalden]

Poll question: Bush* Is A Racist...True Or False?

Is there any other explanation for why he's so evasive when it comes to addressing his record and his policies that pertain to people of color? Is his avoidance of--and attempts to marginalize--the NAACP another indication?

[NYC Liberal]

1. Anyone remember his little 'joke' at the MLK Jr portrait ceremony?

[arwalden]

2. Yeah... The One About "Hanging" ---

--- Bush is disgusting.

[NYC Liberal]

10. I knew he was right after I saw that

Despicable...and that's exactly how he meant it, too. I saw the little grin and heard the audience chuckling under their breath.

[area51]

3. racist Bush

Bush also went to Brazil & asked Lula, "Do you have black people in Brazil?"

[Maddy McCall]

4. Will the person who voted NO please explain your vote?

Just curious.

[Spinzonner]

9. I think the case needs to be made that he IS a racist

not defend the opposite.

It seems clear that he is a classist - by ancestry and political convenience and social prejudice - but that does not make him a racist per se.

And he is surely ignorant of things that don't benefit him or conform to his world (in the universal, not just geographical) view. The Blacks/Brazil comment can be attributed to that.

And his many personality defects have been recounted widely and frequently and to be non scientific about it - he's an oaf in many ways that make him ill-suited for even the ceremonial aspects of his job.

But I don't see any of those as manifesting racism in any meaningful sense. And I don't see Rice or Powell as being racial tokens. Powell may have been a political tool and facade for the real policies but I don't think it matters that he is black. And Rice is surely not a token.

So, I think it's up to the Yes voters to make their case on purely racial grounds, not tenuous derived ones.

[ArkDem]

21. I don't think no is a choice....

[Crankie Avalon]

5. He's a token loving racist...

...the kind who loves to take the one or two non-Anglo Republicans he can find and make a show of them to try and make people think he's not really a racist, after all. His use (and I do mean "use") of Rice and Gonzalez, for example.

That's how he "likes" them--servile, non-threatening, and willing to be placed as fig leaves over his fundamental contempt for people from different origins.

[bryant69]

11. In other words he surrounds himself with peopl who agree

with his policies?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Domitan]

6. Don't forget his visit to Bob Jones University

and his tolerance of the McCain smear regarding his black child. He's not outright racist, but he tolerates a lot of racist BS, especially if it benefits him. However, he's clever enough to come across as very accepting of blacks (e.g., Rice, Powell, and other conservative blacks working for him)

[A Simple Game]

13. He's not outright racist.

So true, I like to think of * as an equal opportunity user.

He doesn't care who you are, if you have something he wants, he will use you.

[PurpleChez]

7. Even if * himself is NOT a cross burning racist

he has sold his political soul to the the Good Ol' Boy "Heritage Not Hate" crowd -- folks who will actually swear to you that Secession and Confederacy had NOTHING to do with Slavery. His political fortunes are built on the hatred and fears of these slack-jawed morons.

And...thanks for the pix of Queer Duck and Jessco White. I'd forgotten about The Duck, and I've gotta get my copy of Dancing Outlaw back some day.

[baldguy]

8. Bush LOVES black people!

He can kiss their head for luck:

[GCP]

12. He's also vindictive and that's the main reason he's snubbing the NAACP

They've criticised him in the past and he's never forgiven them. He's a spiteful little prick.

[MsTryska]

14. Bush ain't racist....

he speaks jive!




actually i don't know in honesty that i would call him racist, so much as ignorant and perhaps a little scared of minority folks that don't work for him in some way.


i mean think about he's a moneyed wasp from a long line of moneyed wasps. what would he know about the hood, really?

[lvx35]

15. I don't think he's racist.

And I don't think its really an effective attack against him. He'll just hold up Condi Rice, or put her front and center on the issue and then you'll be out of ammo. These people are just freakin money focused elitists, that's all there is too it.

[MrBenchley]

16. It doesn't bother him much, though...

and I don't think he's fooling any but those trying to pretend they're not racists...

Remember, when Trent Lott delivered his jaw-droppingly awful "we wouldn't have all these problems" speech at Strom's birthday klavern, Whistleass was standing right there next to the dreary old turd, grinning like a jack o'lantern...

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[lvx35]

20. Very little bothers mainstream republicans, including race

The fact with the mainstream repubs is not that their colorblind, its that the only color they see is green. Believe me, if you are a billionaire CEO who is jewish, black, or arabic, the republicans will kiss your ass...But if you are a poor working family that is white, you'd be a fool to think that George Bush cares about you over somebody like the Saud family.

[cascadiance]

27. You speak my feelings exactly...

He is more a sociopathic megalomaniac who is more interested in power than anything else. I think racism in his mind is a "tool", which he can play on either side if it serves his wishes for power. He has no moral compass on racism whatsoever. There's no way he'd give up power or the fruits of power to be racist, nor would he give it up to fight racism either.

[MrBenchley]

28. As somebody noted about Mehlman's apology...

it cost him nothing, because by now all the white racists know the GOP is the party for them....and besides, now they can publicly spout hatred against gays!

[Kraklen]

30. What about Bob Jones?

He gave a company rally at a "school" for latter day Klan members.

[lvx35]

31. KKK conservatives can't be tied to mainstream republican party

can't be properly tied with Bush or the Republican party. The facts are, especially regarding the KKK, that you will find involvment from both parties if you look at the past, especially when southern conservatives were active in the Democratic party. Bush is from old school, rich northeastern yankee blood...he's no cowboy...And those guys love them some money, and that's about it.

Bush doesn't hate you because you are a poor member of a minority...he just hates you because you are poor! ;)

[Terran]

17. I tend to doubt that he's a racist...

Thinking about all I 'know' about Bush, there isn't much there that makes me think he has that mindset. I'm of the school of thought that says Bush is seriously mentally ill; what's the phrase that gets kicked around, "pathological narcissist"? I have said for a long time that he is, at a minimum, a sociopath. If that's true (and I strongly believe it to be), then I think it's likely that he barely sees such distinctions as race, because he already classifies 99.9% of the world as his inferiors. I think that's he is mostly 'above' racism, but not in any good way.

[marions ghost]

24. I agree

with your reasoning. To this predatory narcissist personality, everyone is beneath him and to be used indiscriminantly. Good Point. In an earlier time, Smirky would play the race card if he thought it would benefit him. Nowdays he can get warm fuzzy feelings of paternalism by being such a good 'friend' to blacks, elevating those who go along with him politically, while keeping down those who don't. He won't have anything to do with the NAACP since they endorsed Gore and Kerry.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

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

[arwalden]

36. Did I Miss Something?

:shrug:

[theboss]

22. I don't think he's racist

I just don't think he gives a shit about reaching out to any group that won't give him 100 percent loyalty.

[Karenina]

23. NCLB...

[Catherine Vincent]

25. Imo, I don't think he's anymore racist than anyone else in that position.

I don't see it. But that's just me.

[proud patriot]

26. he's a classist IMHO

[GreenArrow]

34. that's more accurate

I'd think.

[jokerman93]

29. Yeah he's racist but

Yeah he's racist but it's hard to believe Bush would be in the same catagory as the typical slack-jawed, knuckle dragging race hater. I'd say the variety of racism that Bush embodies is much more a small subset of the elite classism of aristocracy that he was raised with. I doubt he even thinks in terms of "hate" or "race supremacy". I'd say, at any rate it's more that people of any lower class, whether white or "colored", are merely chattle at the disposal of the elite.

I use the term "colored" here to emphasise a sense of racism that might be found in the context of a social caste still essentially practicing and promoting the slavery of the underclass.

[Stirk]

32. I don't know, but he's definitely a classist.

Anyone who could make a joke about the "haves and have-mores" has some serious, deep-seated ideas on class divisions.

[trackfan]

33. I think as a Repub. he is institutionally a supporter of racist

policy. He probably doesn't have much personal racial animus, as I think the Bush family picks who it likes or hates based on cooperation, or lack thereof, with their agenda.

[lvx35]

35. Well said. Racist policy, but not inheritly racist.

Racism is a idealogical stance, Bush is very pragmatic in his consolidation of power.

[ConfuZed]

37. I voted no

I can't find any evidence that he is racist I believe the reason why he avoided the NAACP is because he knew if he attended there would be a very unfriendly crowd that might hurt his bid for re-election.

He has many african americans on his staff and he's very friendly & welcoming to hispanic immigrants.