Last night on BIll Maher an excellent point was made. Wright was trashed by the media

[still_one]

reagrding part of a speech which contained anti-American verbage taken out of context.

However, when you have racist and anti-Jewish statements made by pat buchanan, NOTHING is said to condemn that. glen beck has also made some vile anti-Muslim statements, and instead of those individuals being fired, they are elevated by the respective networks they are on

The double standard demonstrates the trouble we are really in

Wright served his country as a Marine, and his life and actions have mostly been service to his community, yet the media took apart one of his speecha, and tried to destroy the man.

They have no problem allowing THEIR agents of hate, to blast constant racial and eithnic slurs through their mainstream outlets, and never a criticism against them

[FyurFly]

1. Nice attempt

To justify the words of a raving bigot. FAIL

[still_one]

4. No, you have missed the point. The point made was that the media

allows their "raving bigots" to continue without any condemnation

Why don't they tear apart buchanan as the raving bigot HE IS

Forget about Wright, that wasn't my point, why do they still allow buchanan to PREACH his bigoted slurs?

[jgraz]

6. *plonk*

[spanone]

7. you mean pat buchanan, right?

[still_one]

15. Yes, thanks for the correction /nt

[babylonsister]

10. Go educate yourself. nt

[BulletproofLandshark]

11. Obviously that isn't what Still_one was trying to do

All I see is that he/she was pointing out the blatant bias in the way Wright's words were condemned in the media, and the hypocrisy of allowing RW commentators to do the same without the same scrutiny.

[still_one]

14. Thank-you, I didn't even really want to debate Wright, but wanted to

discuss the double standard that exists.

That they allow these agents of hate air time, is an acceptance of that type of speech, and is also a form of racism by those media outlets that allow it

[Cooley Hurd]

17. Nice attempt

...to denigrate a man of the cloth AND a veteran, brainiac.:eyes:

[Bandit]

24. So in your opinion Wright had no legitimate point.

He is just a raving bigot because he is unhappy at how America has treated black people. You my friend are either very young or very misinformed.

[Buzz Clik]

25. *ignore*

[BlueEyedSon]

35. Go read the entire speech before you ingnorantly comment.

[Kajsa]

48. Completely dismissing every point made in the OP,

with one tunnel vision, never change even in the face of logic
opinion.

[alarimer]

53. He is not a bigot. You are.

For falling for the right wing bullshit. Did you actually listen to the sermon? There was plenty to disagree with perhaps but he was essentially right.

[roguevalley]

61. justify? No. Examine a double standard, yes. You didn't get it and

you never will. Its more comfortable to be closed than open.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Perhaps if Wright molests a few children, people will forget that

he is dissatisfied with the way things have been in this country for far too long.

[still_one]

9. My point really isn't to debate Wright, but to debate the terrible double standard

Why should buchanan still be allowed air time for HIS HATE SPEECH?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. Or Robertson and the rest. These people preach to MILLIONS of

people each week and they are truly mentally ill imho.

[still_one]

18. Absolutely. His CBN network blaming 9/11 and Katrinia on the "sins"

of people is outrageous

Of course mccain has no problem embracing those "reverends"

[midnight]

20. You are right about a double standard. If my memory serves

me, I do recall t.v. preacher calling for the murder of someone? Do you recall this?

[still_one]

22. pat robertson called for the destruction of a town in Pennselvania I believe /nt

[soleft]

3. Pat Buchannan said slavery was great for black people

Yet I still have to see his shrivelled face on MSNBC.

[still_one]

21. It irks me big time. That he worked for Nixon should be no surprise

It was nixon who exploited the so-called southern strategy

[proud2BlibKansan]

Tavis Smiley made some great points

He is right. It is a double standard. And as closely as I have paid attention to Pat Buchanan, I was shocked when they read that list of his quotes. Yes, he is a racist bigot and gets away with it. It's time for MSNBC to shelve Pat.

[still_one]

23. He was great. That is the first time I heard Travis, and he was right on target

you articulated it much better than I did

[EFerrari]

54. I really like Tavis Smiley. He's a great interviewer who deserves

a much bigger audience.

[jgraz]

5. Excellent point

Don't listen to the trolls. This primary season is making all the creepy crawlies come out.

[billybob537]

19. It's pretty clear the skunks in the Repuke party

are starting to figure out that "Republican" is code for exploit the rubes. Now disatisfied with thier own party, they wonder in here to stir up discontent. And just so you know who I'm talking about I'll frame it for you.(Black Republicans, Gay Republicans, Poor Republicans, Small business Republicans. If your not filthy rich Republicans aren't doing a thing for you. They'll take your vote and that's it.

[babylonsister]

8. I was so happy to hear people finally call Buchanan out. I hope

M$NBC was listening.

[still_one]

26. Tavis Smiley was so articulate and right on regarding the double standard.

He didn't back down on buchanan. I don't remember the exact words he used, but it was something to the effect that buchanan was a "racial arsonist"

[babylonsister]

28. Repeat on right now if you're interested... nt

[still_one]

30. Thanks, I need to record it /nt

[Ravy]

12. I thought it missed the point.

If McCain had said that he watched the "Pat Buchanan Show" for an hour every week for the last 17 years, and had contributed tens of thousands of dollars to keep him on the air, you can bet that Buchanan's comments would have gotten a lot more scrutiny.

That is what makes Obama teflon. The camp switches the argument around to where it is really off the point, then knocks it down and his supporters drown everything else out with their high-fives and back-slapping praise. It will work great for the Obama camp and for Democratic Party's chances as long as they can keep it up.

[still_one]

29. I am not making this a political discussion, but mccain effectively is and has

been embraced by ministers who preach racist and anti-Catholic sentiments

mccain voted against allocating a day honoring Martin Luther King

Just look at the SOBs voting record, and it pretty much speaks for itself in regard to his feeling on race, which are bigioted

[Ravy]

34. But that is the exactly the difference I am talking about.

"embraced by ministers" is not the same as "embracing a minister".

I think Obama and his supporters have been very effective at this sleight of hand. I don't support Obama or Clinton over the other one at this point. I think Clinton has more meat to her positions, and Obama has much more sizzle. Extraordinary sizzle is winning out at the moment.

I am not discounting meat or sizzle. It takes both to become president and govern effectively. I don't think either has the best combination that we could have chosen from, but either of them is better than a dried up, old hotdog like McCain.

Now I am hungry.

[still_one]

38. This is about the MSM and double standards. Obama made clear his position

you either take him at his word or you don't.

I put this in the General forum to discuss it on the basis of the double standard of who the media decides to demonize, as brought up by Travis Smilely on the Bill Maher show, nothing more

Now you can go eat

[EFerrari]

56. It's the wrong point to make although it's true.

The whore media has taken the Rev. Wright's comments out of context and spun them. He didn't say god damn America, he was quoting someone else's words. He didn't make anti Italian comments, he was talking about ancient Romans. He's not anti-Semitic, he's against the policy of the Israeli government. But, it's easier to tar him than to find that out.

[SteinbachMB]

16. Maher

has always gone out of his why to curry favor with black people, IMO. Nothing wrong with that, but in this case, he's dead wrong. Wright's comments, and I suspect there will be more, are way out of line and deserve the scrutiny they've received. Just because he was a Marine does not give him carte blanche. In fact, he should know better than to slander any group of people of another race.

[still_one]

32. What about the point Travis Smilely made about the bigots who are on the networks

and given their own show?

Aren't the networks themseleves propagating racism by allowing buchanan, and people like him to have their own shows, in fact endorsing racism?

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. You sure aren't watching the same Bill Maher I watch

I have been a fan for years and I cannot once recall him ever going out of his way to curry favor with "black people". Maybe you could provide a link to support this statement?

[still_one]

40. In fact a few weeks ago Maher made quite a racist statement regarding OJ

and why only African Americans would support Obama.

In fact there are more statements from Maher which do just the opposite than "curry favor" with African Americans

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. Link? Quote?

[still_one]

45. I know they have it on utube somewhere. Here is the DU discussion of it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4206439

[devilgrrl]

52. "Maher has always gone out of his why to curry favor with black people"

Talk about racial arsonists!

Yeah, those niggras need get over it and move on right?

:sarcasm:

[EFerrari]

57. Wtf?

[spanone]

58. bwahahahahaaaa

[babylonsister]

27. Repeat On Now, 9:30amCT on HBO. nt

[City Lights]

31. The double-standard is disturbing and I was glad it was discussed

last night. It wasn't enough, but it was a start.

I find it sickening that the media and many of their mindless sheep have allowed their opinion of Rev. Wright to be formed based on a few sound bytes. They've got him figured out, by golly. They don't need to look no further. Never mind that people who've known him for years have a completely opposite opinion of the one peddled by the media.

And they peddle Pat Buchanan in the opposite manner. He really is a racist, bigoted asshole, and MSNBC overlooks all of it pretending Pat's a harmless bloke who just gets worked up from time to time.

[still_one]

33. I was glad Travis Smiley brought it up. It also demonstrates the implicit racism

that networks push

[stray cat]

37. It was really an excellent statement - its amazing the free pass some get

[enid602]

39. Wright

Well, it least Wright is being rewarded, as he's currently having a 10,000 square-foot custom home built for himself. Goddamn America all the way to the bank.

nb: It'll be interesting to see how he treats the help in his new mansion.

[still_one]

42. So obviously you have no problem with the biggoted messages from buchanan

beck, and robertson that are given implicit endorsement from the networks that broadcast them?

You don't see the double standard?

There used to be a code of ethics in broadcasting

[enid602]

44. VERY good point.

Buchanon (sp?) especially. It's incredible to think that someone could make a living by saying the things that he does. And on national TV! And he's on PBS!

[still_one]

46. It is pretty incredulous to me that the obvious is not recognized

and even though I was aware of it, Travis Smilely really hit it home for me

because I sure didn't think about it in those terms

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. And yet another who doesn't seem to understand Wright is NOT running for POTUS

and many churches build houses for their ministers.

[enid602]

47. you're right

You're right; he's not running for President. I'd have a little problem with that. Personally, I think the whole Wright thing is overblown; the only thing that comes of it is that the Obama family has attended services over the last 20 years. That will play well with middle America, though it's not a prerequisite for me.

I just don't see Wright as being too much different than other evangelical leaders who mix hatred with their sermons and profit from it.

[misanthrope]

59. Maybe it's time for tax exempt status for religions to end**nm

**

[Kajsa]

49. Tavis Smiley also pointed out that MLK

gave a speech, denouncing the war in Vietnam.

In it, he states that the US is one of the most violent countries in the world.

I believe this was in 1967.

As a result King was DISINVITED to the White House.

A year later, he was assassinated.

This still gives me chills.

[AX10]

50. Bill Maher spends to much time...

in the elite circles of Hollywood to know what is right and what is wrong.

[moondust]

51. The U.S. has done a lot of damnable things in its history.

Both individually and as a collective. It deserves its fair share of damnation for all that.

For dwelling on Wright's apparently minimal contributions to that damnation, the U.S. media are again showing the world how damnable the U.S. media can be.

[alarimer]

55. This IS an excellent point

Falwell, Robertson and Buchanan can say whatever the hell the want, no matter how outrageous. But if someone perceived to be on the left does it, like Maher himself actually (remember how he got canceled from ABC for some comment he made about 9/11), they are unpatriotic, unAmerican, etc.

[devilgrrl]

60. I'm still trying to figure out what Wright said that was racist.

eom