BOY is this getting out of hand!
By Fleaflicker on April 15, 2008 at 9:06 AM in Barack Obama
I’ve had it. I really have heard enough. Absolutely enough in fact. This latest flap about the “boy” comment has taken me over the edge. And I hate to even say this because it means coming to the defense of a Republican I don’t like at all. But some things transcend party lines. Perhaps the Obama Cult will understand that I am being post partisan here. Sure “hope” they appreciate it.
Kentucky Representative Geoff Davis made a remark that I am sure you have all heard by now. He used the “boy” word in an English sentence referring to his holiness Saint Barack the Bitter. And if you read the news reports he might as well have just used the N word on national television.
Here is just a sampling of what the Obamedia has been saying. Let’s start with Mark Ambinder.
Davis Apologizes; But, Boy, What Excuse Is There?
Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) is 49 years old. Barack Obama is 46 years old. When was the last time you called someone three years younger than you a boy?
~snip~
Davis’s comments offend not because they demeaned Obama’s integrity; they’re offensive because, well, in 2008, for a white person to call a black person “boy,” is generally seen as racist no matter where you are.
So the comment was meant to be racist because like, you know, this is 2008. But what of the substance of what he said prior to this pile on to classify the remark and thus the messenger as racist? Exactly what was Davis referring to?
Republicans talk about Iraq, Obama at N. Ky. dinner
He said in his remarks at the GOP dinner that he also recently participated in a “highly classified, national security simulation” with Obama.
“I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button,” Davis said. “He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”
Oh… so it had something to do with a national security simulation and Davis was referring to Obama’s inability to take a position, to make that decision at 3am. That makes much more sense. No wonder the Obamedia is piling on and spinning this into something it’s not. Someone actually criticized their guy and exposed him for the waffler he is.
Maybe his holiness SnObama asked where the “present” button was and that’s why Davis referred to him as a “snake oil salesman.” Because that phrase means the same thing to everyone regardless of their race. It always has. It simply means that Obama is a hack liar and he is trying to peddle his particular brand of hope bullshit to hoodwink America into giving him the keys to the kingdom so he can let all his terrorist, slumlord, homophobe, racist, bigoted, elitist, snob friends into the White House.
Not to be outdone, the New York Times ups the ante and accuses the entire Republican party of using a “racially insensitive” word in describing Barack the Bitter: G.O.P. Rep. Refers to Obama as ‘That Boy’
Then Oliver Willis slightly overreacted claiming that this was a GOP Bigot Eruption.
GOP Bigot Eruption: Rep. Geoff Davis Calls Sen. Obama A “Boy”
They won’t contain themselves. No matter how much John McCain asks his party and fellow conservatives to tone down the racial rhetoric, they will not be able to stop themselves. The idea of a black man beating their Republican candidate for the presidency will be too much to bear for the party of the Southern Strategy.
This summer the GOP Bigot Eruptions are going to go nuclear.
Cue the knuckle-dragging Geoff Davis
But fortunately not everyone joined into the Cultist mid numbing mantra. Alex Knapp offered a brief pause of sanity.
The context of the remarks that Davis made, while not particularly dignified, weren’t racially directed. Indeed, the primary complaint that Rep. Davis made about Obama was his naivete–race wasn’t mentioned at all. Additionally, as far as I can tell from a quick Google search of Rep. Geoff Davis, he doesn’t appear to have been associated with any type of derogatory racial remarks in the past.
And please pay particular attention to the last sentence. It is incredibly important.
Now I am going to straighten this whole mess out for you. Call it an insider’s glimpse of reality right here at No Quarter. What this particular incident exposes is that SnObama and the Elitist Obamedia are completely out of touch with small town America. ANYONE that has spent ANY real time in Kentucky would know that people there OFTEN refer to men as boys. It is considered a term of familiarity. There is nothing racial about saying it. It is the common vernacular. I spent a good deal of my formative years in Kentucky. And I have relatives that use the term “boy” all the time to refer to their best friends. Men that are older than me. And I ain’t no youngin.
So please, can we please all start acting like grownups? Can we move onto the substance of what was said rather than attack the person that said it with a distorted allegation? I am no friend of Geoff Davis. And I can’t stand Bunning or that ass McConnell. But I won’t have the Obamedia mischaracterizing something that many of my relatives say as a derogatory racial comment when clearly it isn’t.
You know, I realize that this is 2008. And apparently according to the SnObama Cult and the Obamedia it is just fine in 2008 to use phases like “typical white person” because that couldn’t possibly be considered prejudiced or racist. No, couldn’t possibly be. And the guy using it just so happening to belong to a church that considers white people the root of all evil, that’s just a coincidence. And all that chatter from his spiritual mentor making noise about the garlic noses, that was another happy accident. Surely you can’t connect the dots and draw anything other than a random concurrence of totally unrelated events.
Barack the Bitter SnObama has one thing that Geoff Davis doesn’t have. And that is a HISTORY of making racially derogatory remarks and hanging out with and getting advice from racists and bigots. But don’t expect the Obamedia to point that out to you.
(Release: November 13)
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Give me a freakin’ break Flea – you KNOW that it was a poor (possibly innocent) choice of words. You KNOW it’s as loaded as someone calling Hillary the “B” word.
Now you want to compare the context and import of Obama’s “typical white person” w/ “that boy doesn’t need to have his finger on the trigger” and then say that they’re not equally offensive?
Make up your mind – you can’t have it both ways.
Kevin… if you read what I wrote you would understand that this is personal to me. Unless you have actually spent any time in Kentucky you wouldn’t get it. Just like Obama doesn’t get small town people. Because you are apparently as elitist as he.
Davis, I hate to say, meant nothing offensive by his comment. I won’t have you frickin elitists trying to make us rubes and hicks out to be racists.
I’ve spent time in the south and other areas where phrases like “boy” are part of common speech – but even there it’s understood to be poor taste at the least to specifically call someone boy the way that Davis did.
So fine, I’ll give him benefit of the doubt, despite my instincts and say he didn’t mean anything by it. It doesn’t change the fact that people were offended and he should apologize. Isn’t that what you’ve been screaming for the rooftops for days over the PA comment? LOL
Difference is I’m not automatically presuming that Davis is a stereotypical bigot because he made that comment. I’m not automatically presuming that he feels that way about all black men.
You personally on the other hand have done just that w/ Obama’s comments… turing them into a blanket attack and dismissal of all people in all small towns.
Earth to Kevin: Typical White Person IS a blanket attack.
History Kevin. History
Earth to Fleaflicker: Two wrongs don’t make a right.
“Boy” is clearly meant to be a racial perjorative when it’s used by a 49-year-old white male in reference to a 47-year-old black man. Congressman Davis was wrong, and was right to apologize publicly. Period.
History aside, if southern whites don’t want to be thought of as “rubes and a hicks,” then they should make a doubly-conscious effort to not play the part like they’re from central casting. Otherwise, their regional history being what it is (and not as you might wish it to be), they will continue to be judged rather harshly by most of us in the rest of the country, particularly when it comes to these sorts of incidents.
That is baloney. In the south and west, it is not at all uncommon for grown men to refer to one another as boy. I frequently heard my Dad in his sixties, talk about a friend of his by saying “That boy could ride any horse that we could get into a chute.” His friend was in his seventies at the time.
If you have lived in this part of the country or have read any Larry McMurtry books you probably already know that and are just blowing smoke.
You personally on the other hand have done just that w/ Obama’s comments… turing them into a blanket attack and dismissal of all people in all small towns
Ok, so he just feels that way about the people of small towns in PA, and that makes it ok?
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Ok ,so you at least admit Obama was wrong to say it. Maybe someday he’ll actually apologize for it.
“Boy” is clearly meant to be a racial perjorative when it’s used by a 49-year-old white male in reference to a 47-year-old black man
So you are a mind-reader now? You know, the illusionist Criss Angel has made an offer one million dollars of his own money to anyone who can do that – you should take him up on it.
History aside, if southern whites don’t want to be thought of as “rubes and a hicks,” then they should make a doubly-conscious effort to not play the part like they’re from central casting.
As ahould big-city folk make an effort not to be condescending and elitist, when they talk about religious and/or gun-owning people in small towns (in PA or otherwise).
SR
and now I’m “an elitist” trying to make “rubes and hicks” out to be racists? Stop projecting your own inner issues on me.
For someone who’s not an elitist you’re sure quick to jump to conclusions, label, categorize and dismiss people.
Keep up the good work.
Flea, please change the title of this post…it’s racist and inflammatory.
How about “MAN, this is getting out of hand!” Or, I prefer, WOMAN, this is getting out of hand!” (See that way Obamacans can find a way to blame HRC for this flap, too!)
Shainzona, I understand your concern, but the using of “boy” in the title, is deliberate and necessary, because it refers to the word used in the underlying kerfuffle.
I don’t concede that it is racist, although I have no doubt is was intended to be derogatory, but I think it was went to derogate his lack of knowledge or experience, not to derogate his color.
The Obacans will blame HRC for this, even if we used the most sterilized words possible. Although we need to think of the political impact of things we say and do on behalf of the campaign, I think that only goes so far.
Boy as it is used in this case is not racist. The only time “boy” is considered racist is when “Boy” is used instead of directly addressing someone by his name. All of these people know that; they are just trying to find a way out of the “cling” quagmire.
Only once have I heard “boy” used as a racist comment.
It was in Miami and a white middle aged customer said to a black man working at the store, “Hey, boy, come here!”
Now THAT was a racist comment — in the way the word was delivered.
Hillary tells us: “I’m your girl.” — meaning that SHE can get the job done. However, if snobama said to Hillary, “Hey girl, come here.” NOW that would be wrong.
The way the trolls are jumping on this — I guess this is how to keep the f****** trolls busy so that we can go off and talk about grown up, important issues of the fate of the world.
Flea,
People know exactly what that fool meant!
You have an image problem and that ISN’T our problem. Seek help!
My husband has been ribbing his brother for the actions of his “boy” Bush for years. (”Your boy Bush has really screwed things up.”) Now his brother is giving him a hard time about his “girl” Hillary.
I understand why this is a very sensitive issue when it comes to black men so to its historical use to demean black men. I have been really careful when talking to people I know who support Obama because I frequently refer to men as “boy”, but I am afraid I’ll slip up eventually. It is just a common way to talk where I come from (southern Ohio).
Funny how this is different for women. Women – black or white – are not offended to be called girl (as in “you go girl!”) Maybe this is not a good thing if women are just used to being considered less than adult??
Flea,
I get IT!
Way up here in Northern New England, we refer to obnxious out of staters as “Outlanders”, among ourselves.
To their faces, when they comment on our local culture, or complain that there are too many small twisty roads, we call them “Flatlanders”. We will say something like “Well, we know you Flatlanders are not used to it, but we kinda like it this way”
So does this make us all racists too?
Oh my god — you racist New Englanders! I am so shocked — excuse me while I faint!
/snark off.
Yes we do have regional differences.
This is called HUMOR!
One thing I’ve noticed — snobama and his cult do NOT have a sense of humor.
My puppy has been trained to poop outside when I say “obama”. So there is a use for obama, after all.
Here in the mountains of WNC, we usually call the Flatlanders “Flatheads.” I can explain that. Woops. Sorry I’m sure I offended bad drivers who have never seen a curve.
I think they call that a freudian slip.
Now the B word is not a poor choice of words. It is a deliberate choice of words with intent.
But I won’t pick on you too much today Kevin. I happen to think you are salvagable. I think you have doubts about Obama, and nothing you can say can convince me otherwise.
Uppity, I’ve said from the beginning that I have my doubts about both of the dem candidates – no doubts about McCain; I’d never vote GOP regardless of who the dem candidate is.
I poke at weak/non-existent arguments here just as much as I do on “Pro-Obama” sites.
I’ve seen the same devolution occur in both camps – more mindless parroting and demonization of the opposition, less actual discussion of and analysis of policy differences and strengths. I still say there’s little policy difference between O and Hill – it’s all personality and ego. They both have huge ones.
They’ve both said, and will continue to say stupid things. That’s just the way it goes. Unless they were robots playing an endless tape loop – they’re gonna slip up… be inarticulate, clumsy, mispeak, whatever – it’s what makes them human.
As a southerner by birth and having recently spent six years in Mississippi (and baby, it gets no further or deeper southern than that), all Good ole Boys refer to other men, especially those they’re on equal terms with, as “boy.”
“Let me tell you, that Boy could shoot!”
And all southerners are so trained to walk on eggshells around any and all accusations of racism that they would NEVER publicly call a black man “boy” in a derogatory way.
This is just news spam to try and distract from Obama’s prejudice against those “working-class lunch-pail folks,” you know, the bitter ones, clinging to their guns and religions. And I’m sure those folks aren’t swallowing this Obama “boy” sound bite.
agreed, and I live and grew up in the south. Calling me Boy isn’t going to get your ass whipped by me or my peers. But call me Son and I’ll knock your ass to the ground.
I know when white men call black men ‘boy’ it has a connotation, but I also know that isn’t a universal. in many cases its more ageism than it is racism.
When Bill Clinton called him a kid, that wasn’t racist but it got spun that way.
“Son” is bad in the south? How come?
I’m a yankee so I need help.
Son is not bad in the south unless it is follwed by …I’m goin tuwup ya upside the head…..LOL common threat I heard in childhood
Only part I know od calling someone in the South “son” is a reference to your mother being….
I have been called boy in the south many times, even by people I am boss of. It is a normal thing for someone elder ever a year elder to say, and someone who is about 20+ yrs older likely will call you a kid, that is normal life there!
Obama is just trying to grasp anything to use to deflect his bigotted statements, and it isn’t going to work, simply because those words were from his mouth! It was the bomb most were waiting to see explode and knew it might, thanks to the introductions of it by his wife and Wright! If it is in your home and your church, then it is in you to say!
But the major point made here in the statement made:
I’m going to tell you something: That
boy’sfinger does not need to be on the button,” Davis said. “He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”the statement of Obama’s ability is what is important here, NO JUDGEMENT
That is evident by the exposure he made in SF a week ago!
Thus Obama’s campaign promotion of having good judgement, well even that has colapsed, so what is left of Obama to promote himself as, nothing!
No Kevin, that would have been like calling Hillary “that girl” not the “B” word.
This is just a GOP smoke screen. They want Obama in the GE. This is a perfect way to draw attention away from him calling everyone in America that won’t vote for him a racist.
Very astute…
You get the brass ring. Obama may have paid for this to get everyone back on the guilt trip track.
But for the record, any white person from any part of the country who refers to an AA man as ‘boy’ should know it will be perceived in racist terms. PERIOD! Doesn’t matter if you all use that with each other all the time. History trumps southern culture!
And calling a woman ‘girl’ is just as offensive and a white person calling an AA woman will be seen in the same context as the male ‘boy’ slur.
A slip like this from this GOP asshole simply gives credence to everything Obama is contending.
Being an AA supporter of Hillary doesn’t make me oblivious to the fact that racism, racists and institutional racism stills exists. But nothing about an Obama presidency is going to change these things because we are at a point in time when it is the individual responsibility of us all to change what’s in our hearts and government can’t legislate that.
What government and community leaders can do is to make sure that discrimination doesn’t take place and that blacks have equal opportunity. After that it’s up to us as individuals to take advantage of that and let the chips fall where they may.
Personally, this is not worth defending. And it takes off the table what is important: that many don’t feel BO has the credentials and readiness to be POTUS.
If I were you I’d delete this post.
mimi, you rock. thank you.
So, Mimi, you find it personally offensive for a white woman says “you go, girl” to a black woman?
You can try to tell people that “girl” is “just as offensive”, but the fact remains that it’s not.
I posted a reply on Taylor Marsh’s site regarding this whole absurd thing, and the Obama camp is just trying to blow this all out of proportion. Yes, Davis could have used a better turn of phrase (but we’ve all been riding Obama for HIS recent failures to say what he means “the first time”) but I don’t see that Davis deliberately was intending any racist usage.
Think about it. Why do we call baseball players (of ALL races) the “boys” of summer? Why were political reporters normally known as the “boys” on the bus? Why does Sean Combs run a record company called Bad “Boy” Records? Why did Will Smith and Martin Lawrence agree to appear in not one, but TWO, films called “Bad Boys” (both directed by a white man)? Did you take offense at the African-American quartet called BoyzIIMen but feel the white quintet Backstreet Boys to be acceptable (to say nothing of the whole phrase, “boy band”) based just on their names? Is it somehow more acceptable to talk about Southern white men as good ol’ “boys”?
IF we are supposed to be “post racial”, why then should we decide that “boy” can only be used intra-racially? I know more than a few African-American males who talk about their “boys” even when that guy isn’t related–I hear it a whole lot in terms of sports and music stars (”did ya see my boy the other night–nothin’ but net all night”). Heck, I’ve even heard them talk about their own sons (”my boy and his wife came over last night”). If you’re going to decide that the word is off-limits when a white guy is talking about an African-American, then it’s completely off-limits the other way around.
I sure don’t need some girl telling me how and when I can use a word. And if you’re upset about my use of “girl”, I don’t care. “Girl” has been around for centuries and even many grown women use it (you might recall it was featured in the title of a very popular sitcom from the late 1980s/early 1990s about a group of women in their 50s+ who occasionally used the word to describe themselves).
You are speaking about the casual vernacular conversations between peer groups on a personal basis. Nothing about that kind of communication nullifies the historical inference of that word.
The examples you’ve mentioned that have slipped into popular culture among the younger generation, people born after the Civil Rights Act, are reflective of how the vernacular of the black community went mainstream. Personally, I objected to this precisely for the reason we are having this conversation here. It’s caused misunderstanding after misunderstanding: “nappy headed ho’s”, “Chelsea Clinton being pimped”, just two very prominent examples fresh on people’s minds. The legitimizing of ‘ebonics’ has been a disaster for the whole of America, especially for AAs.
Do you think I’m the only AA right now who feels this way? I challenge you to take the same argument that you just put forth to me to any AA Obama supporter and see what they say. They won’t even dignify you with a conversation. They will call you a racist and proceed to tell you that this is the very reason you are not supporting Obama. I haven’t called anybody a racist here. I’m merely pointing out the pointlessness of defending the remark of a GOP Congressman who was born in 1958, in Canada, btw, when the HISTORICAL FACTS regarding the connotation of the word ‘boy’ are indisputable.
Newsflash:
There has been nothing “post racial” about Barack Obama’s campaign. That’s why everybody on this blog is furious because of the way he has deftly played the race card at each and every turn within his own Party. (He knows he won’t be able to this in the GE. He’s playing the race card to win the nomination.)
And once again, Obama has prevailed.
A unique opportunity was missed here today. A chance to ‘transcend’ a picayune point in order to make a larger one: nothing about what some racist Republican asshole said has anything to do with the hatred and racism of Rev Wright’s sermons. They are not connected. Got that BO?
But hey, I get it! Obama’s getting away with murder on the racial tip and it’s pissing people off. So you stood up for southern culture. And you thought that pointing out the contradictions in the black community’s language would bolster your argument. The problem is that there are so many contradictions in the AA community it would make your head spin. I know it does mine. The cause of this is steeped in such profound sociological distress coupled with missteps such as the mainstreaming of black vernacular which still offends AAs when it comes forth out of Caucasian mouths because no one took the time to realize the possibilities nor accept that a different mindset would have to be in place once our dialect entered everyday speak. My advice to white people: “Step away from the ebonics, please!”
BTW, if you call me ‘girl’ face-to-face in the manner in which Davis referred to Obama, I’m gonna slap the shit out of you.
Just sayin…….
I’m merely pointing out the pointlessness of defending the remark of a GOP Congressman who was born in 1958, in Canada, btw, when the HISTORICAL FACTS regarding the connotation of the word ‘boy’ are indisputable.
Hmm, with all due respect, since Canada doesn’t have a history of racism against blacks, didn’t you just nullify your own argument?
SR
kevin, neither if us know if the term boy was racially motivated. It was a stupid word to use just because of how it would be taken. But it was not racist unless it was intended that way.
On the other hand there is NO context in which “typical white person” is not a racial stereotype and racially divisive. So me they are not equal. One was clearly a race based insult… and he said it about his own grandmother.
Now I have never believed that reverse racism is of any particular import. However the game has changed. Obama is not a victim and he cries race way too much.
“On the other hand there is NO context in which “typical white person” is not a racial stereotype and racially divisive”
Really, so how’s that different from saying that everyone who ever heard Wright preach or went to that church is as “radical” or “racist” or “typically extremist” as he is?
how is it any different from saying addressing anyone who disagrees w/ the thread an “Obamabot”?
Can I make this my home page????
You get the goods on Snobama so fast!
What we have been saying for months- that idiot CAN NOT MAKE A DECISION!
What will he (not) do if it comes down to him actually having to make a real time crisis decision?
Please do!
I have to tell you that I had a really negative experience at another pro Hillary blog yesterday. They all took the position that we should distance and condemn the use of the “boy” word. I find that projecting racism on others is no different from Obama’s schtick, but I was clearly in the minority. I was told by several very vocal people there that it was my RESPONSIBILITY to speak out against racism. When I said I was not going to let Barack Obama decide how we were going to discuss race, and could we please get back to a discussion of ISSUES, the subject was elevated to the MODERATOR of the board and I am now BANNED from a pro-Hillary board because I am not going to take on the task of moderating the PCness of Republicans.
I am floored and disgusted. He has removed the issues that separate traditional Democratic politics from traditional Republican politics and trsnformed this into a social discussion.
I am wondering if we need to wait until the party really messes this up to register as Independents.
beebop,
This slur by a GOP politician takes everything off track that is way more important. I have no problem with people wanting to challenge any of the statements that BO and MO and Rev Wright have made with regard to race. If you want to control the discussion in those areas, by all means do.
But the racial history in this country with regard to certain words and contexts is indisputable and not worth defending. The cultural context of southern usage, notwithstanding. If people persist, I guarantee you will lose ground and this point is not worth it if it labels the Clinton campaign as racist. Not over this.
Stand up for your right not to be guilted into voting for him. Or about his relationship with Wright. Challenge him about his privileged background because he is not the sociological standard bearer of the black experience in this country. Of course racism exists, but that doesn’t mean the country has to vote for a candidate we believe is not qualified just to prove we’re not racist. Defend that, especially if you are not racist.
But please don’t go down over the use of ‘boy’ by a white southerner who I know in my heart of hearts meant it exactly in the old line racist context revealing his racism. And the only way you could convince this AA otherwise is if he said the same exact thing about John Edwards. But since he’s no longer in the race, there’s no way to prove it.
Sorry you got banned, but it’s being discussed here so that should be enough.
Although I believe that this post should be pushed to the archives as well if not deleted.
Let’s not lose ground.
beebop,
I truly understand your fustrations. That’s because Mr. “UNITY” has made racsim a central tactic of his campaign. Not only him, look at one of his spriitual advisers, James Meeks. He is listed as one of the 10 most radical black preachers in the country by the SPLC.
Susan did a post on Meeks last month. Meeks is also an Illinois State Senator in additon to being pastor at Salem Baptist Church in Chicago.
Seems like Meeks now wants a “political promotion” and will be running for Governor. Meeks told a local Chicago TV station, that If every white Christian in Illinois DOES NOT vote for him, he will personally go to the top of the Sears tower, and shout out that they are all Racists.
Seems to be a common tactic in Chicago.
Hopefully once Obama’s campign folds its tent, we can go back to where words are not parsed to the nth degree, and actions will be the thing that speaks out.
oh geez,
Well I do not think anyone with a brain would call a black man “boy” and objecting to it is not PC. However to be kicked off for saying what you seems a bit outrageous.
I am never a fan of pretending race is not an issue or name calling is not an issue, however they carried it too far it looks like.
beebob – If I followed that thread correctly yesterday (I know which site you are talking about) it was something that started before you entered the discussion. If I am remembering correctly, some other commentors said some things that some other commentors found offensive. They were trying to diffuse any racist statements. period.
I totally get your not defending the guy, and being pissed at Obama. But I don’t think this situation started, or was initially directed at you.
If you got banned, then I think it was perhaps because you just kept bringing it up, and everyone was trying to let it go, and move on.
I think the point others were trying to make to you, was that we are all on the same side and we shouldn’t fight between each other. I think some people made some racially charged counter charges (directed at obama), and it upset some people.
I think the intent of the scoldings were to try to calm everyone down, and stop the in-fighting. Obviously, some people are more racially sensitive, than others. I do not agree with banning “boy” either, but I decided to let it go.
I stayed away from that whole thread yesterday, I did not comment. But, I did read the whole thing. After seeing your comment here, I wanted to give you my 2 cents.
“Can we move onto the substance of what was said rather than attack the person that said it with a distorted allegation?”
Too funny – that’s exactly what you haven’t done w/ the “Bitter” remark or better still “Annie Oakley”.
You are the funny one Kevin. Obama really believes that small town people that work hard are bitter. He can’t splain his way out of that one. Though I appreciate your WORM input.
Are you still trying to push that one? We both know that not only did Bill make similar comments, but that gist of what Obama said is true… there were people who did not “rise w/ the tide” during either the bush or clinton administrations… that those people have been exploited through isolation and “fear of the other”.
Was it a stupid and impolitic thing to say… sure, could the same thing have been said in a way that wouldn’t offend those exposed only to sound bites, of course.
But for you and others to turn this into deliberate attack on small town America is not only disingenuous, but desperate.
Same way rather than even address my comment concerning your handwringing over Davis being slammed for using the term boy… and trying to downplay it, you try to deflect and change the subject.
Try not to be so transparent… put some backbone into it will ya?
The president is not responsible for EVERY outcome.
Obama is making irresponsible promises to his bitter constituency while he disparages clingy folk who successfully fend for themselves.
Clinton did an amazing job with the economy. All economic indices were excellent.
Correct….This is why when he left office he still had one of the highest approval ratings on record….Despite Monica…..
I have a question. Why does this Kevin person bother coming to this site? He seems repeatedly
(nay I say, unfailingly) to be unable to catch the gist of what anyone is saying. I would think that such mental torture would be very uncomfortable for him. I must say that for those of us who come here to read the latest news and see others take on it, Kevin seems to just not be firing on all cylinders. Why doesn’t he go back to where he came? Sink back into the ooze and not bother trying to think.
After all, mindless oblivion is the Obama way.
As for everyone else (besides any other trolls, that is— I tend to like my trolls in middle-earth fiction and not up here on Earth soil)
–as for everyone else– I enjoy reading your insights. Thanks for “clinging” to intelligence.
that is going to turn out to be the MOST famous acronym on the planet pretty soon!! LOL
w.o.r.m.
I’ve never seen any other politician need such a translator as BHO.
ROFLOL I’m sorry BO fans but it’s really
hysterical when you consider how well he is at giving speeches. He’s just not clever enough to THINK before he speaks (when off the cuff)
dee,dee,dee
If Obama’s judgement is so good, why is he unable to say what he really meant? Or maybe he is saying what he really means and the W.O.R.M.s are trying to disguise it?
The working class tends to get a little bitter when some elitist punk tries to shove a WHEELBARROW OF SHIT up their collective ass…Snark..
that small town people that work hard (AND SEE NO REWARD) are bitter.
Flea,
Hillary and Bill have said the same thing. They were right as well!!
The FL/MI people that took the day off and VOTED (AND SEE NO REWARD) are bitter.
Ces,
They should blame the DNC. Not Obama.
The substance of what Obama said in San Francisco was what we have been talking about. Obama is the one running from his own words.
This “boy” comment has nothing to do with race. The more Obamabots cry racism the less anyone is going to listen for real acts of racism. Did anyone’s mother read “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” to them?
Honestly, I DO feel that “Boy” is a racist word in that context. I just don’t care. I care about Obama the way he cares about women. I respect him just the way he respects me. Not at all.
Great comment Mawm.
But isn’t it really, really racist to call Obama on the subject of racism “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”?
Toby,
You have a point, but what I think the poster means, and I know I feel that way is that Obama’s campaign is trivializing racial issues in a way that people won’t take them seriously anymore. And it’s being done simply to get hm elected. After that, then what?
As an AA I take this personally because racism does exist and it desrves to be challenged especially institutional racism. I’m more concerned with that than name-calling. Because you can’t control what a person calls you. They may not say it in public, but if they feel this way in their heart they are saying it in the privacy of their own home. And I don’t care about that. Maybe I’m calling them names in the privacy of my home too. I don’t care as long as there is an end to institutional racism and people understand civil behavior because I do.
Mimi,
I do understand you concerns about “institutionalized racism”.
However, after working for true equality for 40 years, and even serving on the state NAACP Board, I KNOW from experience two things:
1. No child is born with hate or any type of bigotry in their minds or hearts. That is taught!
2. There is no way you are ever going to change the minds and hearts of rock solid bigots. But over time they are the ones who have become the minority.
What is so very different the last two decades, is that kids in public school environments, for the most part, have racially diverse friends and they all act as if they are happy and at ease with their groups. This is a fantastic change for the better.
For me, what Obama has done, is allow the rock solid bigots to come out of whatever woodwork they were in, and every little thing is now being parsed to the nth degree.
This absolutely does not HELP equality for all, but puts up barriers, and creates distance, where there was none even 6 months ago. This is what breaks my heart.
You are so on the mark, Nellie! Thank you for such a clear description of it all.
My grandkids could care less what color someones skin happens to be. They see the person because they’ve been a part of their everyday ordinary lives on the same level from day one. Interestingly, one of my 11 yr old grandsons asked me the other day, “Why can’t they just quit arguing and be nice. What’s there to argue about?”
At the same time to some degree I am seeing my kids (parents of the kids) beginning to be at odds with some of their acquaintances (white and AA) because of the division this has created thus far already. They’re stepping back and saying, “Wait, this isn’t the way I thought this was supposed to turn out.”
You get no disagreement from me. That is why I believe he is trivializing racism just to get elected.
“she’s nice enough”
“typical white person”
“being punished with a pregnancy”
this common theme seems to be Obama’s hang up of being illegitimate and/or abandoned or not really WANTED as a child and he’s apparently never grown out of it or OVER it! Maybe some kids never do? HE has my sympathies but not my vote and I don’t OWE it to him either.
just my 5 cent psyc evaluation
It does appear he’s speaking of his mother, doesn’t it?
After reading the article in time, you know, I think he loved his Mom, a lot, but these issues are so complex, bi racial and abandoned, and Obama never seemed to mature, or come to terms with his heritage, the pain of his past.
I suppose most of us never do, but then most of us never become corrupt politicians, dealing with the worst of the worst, traitors, IMO, while taking a stab at the Presidency.
Someone on Taylor Marsh made the point IL and Cook County have the highest state taxes in the nation, and IL appears to be the most corrupt state in the country.
Guess who is paying for that corruption, for Rezko’s mansion, and Auchi’s yacht?
Those embittered, gun toting, jesus loving middle class tax payers.
My disgust for this clueless, stupid man knows no bounds.
He truly is a freudian study, especially with regard to his grandmother.
Agreed, and I suppose she’s next.
In the spirit of internet confession……I’m OBAMA’S cracker side and I’m of two minds on this issue…….
In terms of corruption, and Auchi with a possible conneciton to Chabali, remember when Chabali told the Iranians the NSA had their codes?
See why corruption is a bad bad thing?
And Chabali may be connected to Auchi, who IS connected to Obama?
Yikes!
Chalabi Reportedly Told Iran That U.S. Had Code
By JAMES RISEN and DAVID JOHNSTON
Published: June 2, 2004
WASHINGTON, June 1 — Ahmad Chalabi, the Iraqi leader and former ally of the Bush administration, disclosed to an Iranian official that the United States had broken the secret communications code of Iran’s intelligence service, betraying one of Washington’s most valuable sources of information about Iran, according to United States intelligence officials.
The general charge that Mr. Chalabi provided Iran with critical American intelligence secrets was widely reported last month after the Bush administration cut off financial aid to Mr. Chalabi’s organization, the Iraqi National Congress, and American and Iraqi security forces raided his Baghdad headquarters.
The Bush administration, citing national security concerns, asked The New York Times and other news organizations not to publish details of the case. The Times agreed to hold off publication of some specific information that top intelligence officials said would compromise a vital, continuing intelligence operation. The administration withdrew its request on Tuesday, saying information about the code-breaking was starting to appear in news accounts.
More at the New York Times
On balance it’s interesting to see how hard the Republicans will have to keep their traps shut around Obama–but will folk want to subject themselves to that level of PC surveilance?
Will voters eventually resent every slip of the tongue being used to bolster Obama’s political position?
On one Hand I enjoy watching GOP pols get hoisted and twitch as they swing….on the other it looks likes an elementary school gone wild.
The republicans aren’t going to be threatened by the race card either, you can bet on that. He might meet his race-baiting match.
I have to agree with you on that one…..The republicans will be completely bullet proof….They don’t care what comes out of their mouths as they are’nt playing to liberal sensitivities…..The more outrageous they are the more fired up the GOP base is.
Obama’s camp is only using it against democrats to get the nomination. They know it won’t mean zilch in the general.
You never…NEVER…call a black man “boy”. That’s not the racist offense of 2008. It’s been a widely acknowledged racist offense since at least 1960. It’s stupid. It’s offensive. Davis needs to apologize, regardless of the context. I don’t care What Davis Really Meant.
However, all men and women of every race and ethnicity need to stand up and take offense at “bitch”, “cunt”, “slut”, “whore”, “ho” and…yes…”girl” and make these words unacceptable references to women.
good luck with that.
Obama supporters not only do not stand up to this, but they are doing it. And I do not respect Barack Obama for ignoring it. I will never forgive him. If I am on my own being called this things, he’s on his own when he’s called “boy”. SInce when does he have all the nibs on respect for who he is?
That’s the way I feel uppity. If Obamans don’t care that they are helping to make misogyny mainstream then I don’t care what anyone, anywhere, calls their…candidate. I don’t recognize many of them as liberals anyway. Fauxgressives is more like it.
What goes around comes around.
And Karma is a …
Unless, of course, you’re a black man talking about your favorite athlete or entertainer. Then, “boy” is perfectly fine.
Sounds to me like a certain OTHER word. “As long as ‘whitey’ doesn’t use it about me, cool.”
George Carlin is blushing.
“Silly season”
“Sipping tea”
“You’re likeable enough”
But the worse ones are the ones that he can’t see on TV. they are the ones his followers say on the internet. In short, fifty percent of our hatred of Obama comes from Obamazoids on the net. You are who you hang out with.
Damn straight. I was taught that you would be judged by the company you keep. And Obamans aren’t the kind of company I want to be associated with. Nor for that matter is their candidate.
So, by this same token, Hillary is a racist since so many of y’all are rushing to defend a racist remark, and Hillary has yet to denounce any of you!
For the love of god, this is getting so ridiculous. Somebody somewhere who voted for Obama said something sexist against Hillary, therefore all Obama supporters are terrible people, and of course that means Obama would make a terrible president, too.
I am perfectly content to vote for either of these 2 candidates, but if I based my support on comments I read on the internet, I would probably think all Democrats are a bunch of self-absorbed, petulant cry babies who think their poo smells like lilacs.
Oh, and I’d probably vote for my dog over any of the current choices.
For the record: I’m not supporting Obama because I don’t think he has the experience nor is he qualified to be POTUS.
Bubbleboy, your reasoning is simply put rediculous!
You condem people who come to speak on one statement, of which the entire statement in this instance is of importance, of Obama’s judgement or lack thereof!
The vile speakings continually by Obamabots is on a level of its own, and when it came from the mouth of the person himself in his bigot remarks, the man himself condoned the actions by his campaign in SC.
Compare and judge based on the whole and not the parts of all actions, not one selective choices only, but to do that doesn’t create controversy that you seem to enjoy seeking, which is constant by Obamabots anyhow!
But, if you noticed, the “boy” comment about Obama, with it’s hint of racism, is the MSM headline and the sexist misogynist “Hooters” insult toward Hillary at that same GOP dinner hasn’t merited any attention.
It’s the old double-standard at play.
It surely is. He’s on his own, far as I’m concerned. I will stick up for him just like he sticks up for me and mine. Screw him.
what comment are you referring to? I’ve only heard the clip where Davis refers to Obama. If you have a larger clip with the other comment please share.
Nevermind – presume you’re referring to Mitch McConnells statement:
“U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York seems to be “teetering on the brink.”
“I hear she hasn’t been this worried since a new Hooters opened” near her home with former President Bill Clinton, McConnell said, prompting laughs from the 400 Northern Kentucky Republicans.”
Honestly, I don’t know if that ranks up there – maybe I’m just burned out by the jokes about Bill at Hillary’s expense. Don’t think it’s the same as Davis calling Obama boy though.
Of course, I’ll be accused of sexism or misogyny now.
Gee.. I don’t know. A filthy comment about a presidential candidate’s personal life, or a word to denote the inexperience of another.
It’s the same, actually the slam on Hillary and Bill is worse. In Obama’s case, at least that could be easily interpreted either way. In the slam on Hillary, there is no mistaking. Direct hit.
See?
Interesting that all he had was ol’ shit out of the Arkansas Project Playbook isn’t it ?
Good one flea…I grew up in the south and I agree, the term is common down here especially when addressing a younger man. It’s often used by women towards younger men. This is a YANKEE FLAP THAT MEANS NOTHIN. I’m not judgin’…I’m just sayin’…
You’re right about that, it means nothing.
Some have a really hard time understanding though, the complexities.
Working,
LOL! I lived in Birmingham and if a white man said that to a black man, the white man got his ass kicked!!
If a couple of white guys approached a couple of black guys that they worked with and said they were playing poker and asked ” You boys wanna come on and play ” the black guys would kick their ass ? This is a stupid yankee ( msm deversionary tactic ) flap over nothin.
This hyper-vigilance about racism starts to wear on you after a while. And you get resentful because every little thing is analyzed for racism while sexism is completely ignored. The news reported three dead women last night and I’ve got Rev Wright’s voice running thru my head, So, those women ain’t never been called a boy!
It’s insane, we have a man running for the highest office in the land, flying over in a private jet, living in a mansion, and he’s the one this country perceives as the most oppressed victim. Everybody wants to rally for this poor guy.
The Hillary nutcracker, not worth mentioning. Calling Clinton and Ferraro whores? Not worth mentioning. Yet another candlight vigil for yet another domestic violence victim? So what, you ain’t never been called boy!
You know I would feel really bad about the calling of Obama a “boy” except that I am watching that pig CEE HUSSEIN call Hillary “Your girl,” in which case I regard Obama as his boy. Does that count?
A southern male politician referring to Obama (a grown black man) as boy does not equal a fellow commentor calling Hillary “your girl”, just as you calling Obama “your boy” in response to her is not the same.
You know that Uppity.
Not to YOU Kevin. You are not a woman and never will be. It’s really easy for you to decide what offends me and what doesn’t isn’t it?
If she’s My Girl
He’s your Boy.
Like I said, I don’t give a shit anymore what anybody calls him. I have seen Hillary called names I haven’t heard since the 70s. So screw barack obama. Small case deliberate.
that’s my point – when you refer to someone as your girl, or someone else as their boy – you’re not trucking in the baggage laden language that
“that boy” carries.
besides, someone referring to Hillary as “your girl” is probably being snarky and poking at you to get a response.
besides, someone referring to Barack as “boy” is probably being snarky and poking at you to get a response
no – snark is snark, as the person I was talking to understood.
This is as stupid, offensive and predictably inflammatory as someone calling Hillary the “b*tch” would be…
There are a lot of words I don’t use… and I certainly don’t use “boy” when not referring to a child. And don’t accept being addressed as such… just don’t “cotton” to it.
John Lennon wrote “Woman is the nigger of the world.” I happened to quote him on another site: I thought it was quite an appropriate thing to point out as women are consistently on the last rung of the human rights ladder, and the demure Rev. Wright had just come out with his tirade on Clinton. The word nigger turned into ****** on that site. And another person posted the full lyrics to the song. Each and every nigger turned into ******. Kind of took the meaning out of the political commentary. Reverend Wright said Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger. Well, Hillary has been treated like one quite a bit. And I believe that probably is the important point here. I suppose John Lennon was just a racist too, huh? And although nigger is a term commonly used at Mr. Wright’s hate emporium, no one else may use it even in political analysis.
Well, that’s certainly going to move the country forward… Instead of dealing with the issue of social inequality and social injustice, let’s all concentrate on the suppression of offensive language. You diffuse things by bringing them to the light (and no, I will not change the word “light” because of any connotations of light and dark being racist terms). Keep suppressing things, and they grow numerous ugly heads.
As for the ludicrous Hillary bashing and women hating: these offensive terms are not used to make any point.. they are only used to denigrate and put fear into the hearts of women. They are not part of an “active discussion” nor political commentary. Simply hate speech, pure and simple.
I know any troll reading this will salivate and jump up and down. I pray thee, give it a rest.
I don’t like hate speech at all. Nope, not a bit.
I don’t like unwarranted and misguided suppression of dialogue either.
Uppity,
Why do I have to be a pig for calling Hillary a girl? LOL!
She refers to herself as a GIRL!
Don’t we women refer to other women as girls?
You’re taking this election loss harder than you should.
don’t be an ass cee. Obama has not won yet and your purposeful obtuseness is not impressing anyone.
Teresa,
I’m not an ass and Obama IS winning.
cee, obama may or may not be winning in the democratic nomination race.
he will not be winning a general election.
in august or november, whichever one it is, hope you’re not taking your election loss too hard.
just thought i’d return the concern in the same spirit it was offered.
WOW! Sure is fun watching the DESPERATE grasping at ANYTHING to take the focus off Obama’s Macaca moment ain’t it?! ANYONE who listened to the tape KNOWS EXACTLY what the great hopeychangey said and EXACTLY what he ment by it. Frankly I don’t give a rat’s patooty what some repugnantklaner says about much of anything. I DO care when someone ostensibly seeking my vote calls me a racist, bitter, bible thumpin, xenophobe. I care quite a bit actually. And judging by the polls, so do more then a FEW Penn. voters. It was NEVER a question of Senator Clinton winning Penn. It was only a question of by how much. THANKS Obama for padding that % of a win for her!
Fleaflicker, I think your points are valid, but I also think it’s a lost cause.
I, too, am familiar with the ubiquity of ‘boy’ in Southern speech, and I do know that it is often not meant in a derogatory way. However, I don’t think a White GOP rep from Kentucky (named Geoff Davis!) is going to get away with using it to refer to a Black man in any context, and esp. not at a dinner of GOP politicos. There’s just too much baggage and history. At best, Davis was careless and impolitic.
However, like you, I was also dismayed that Davis ruined the point he was trying to make. No one’s going to look into the larger story now because it’s been tainted.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of folks shift away from Obama due to this, though, simply because they may now be becoming more and more leary of every remark, comment, etc. being analyzed to make sure it’s PC.
Their thoughts may very well be something to the order of, “Do I really want a president with whom I feel I have to be so selective with every single one of my words?”
People are getting tired of PCness being taken to the extreme.
Does it make a difference that he didn’t call Obama a boy. He referred to him as a boy. I’m from CA and my people are from Tenneesee and we always refer to our men, young and old, as boys without meaning offence.
Well that’s another word you will have to remove from your vocabulary. The list is getting really long isn’t it?
Yuppity, Uppity!
That is true…If he’d been speaking to OBAMESSIAH directly he might have said….Son….These terms are common in the south and used in the seniority vernacular. It is common and used interacially. AA men use it with each other, women use it…..Please…As a southerner would say…POINTLESS YANKEE FLAP….oner nothin….
My relatives in KY and TN often refer to other adult males as “them boys”.
Just as African-American women often refer to other adult women as “girl” as in “girl you should have seen….”
Seems like one needs to look at the speakers history, context and tone to determine meaning.
I hope we hear more details about the substance of Davis’s remarks – that Obama could not make a decision in a nuclear crisis simulation.
“I hope we hear more details about the substance of Davis’s remarks – that Obama could not make a decision in a nuclear crisis simulation.”
That’s the part that may have merited discussion… but Davis dropped the ball. The point will come back up later after the dust has settled.
Obama IS a nuclear crises.
All of this cultural stuff may be true. But to me there’s a larger point:
Public discourse is way too casual now and that’s why everyone’s getting into trouble. Politicians first and foremost should be careful when speaking publicly.
Speaking in a public venue as if you were chatting across the fence at your neighbor, or in the hood on the street is different.
People keep forgetting this and keep getting into trouble for it.
I am not a big fan of politically correct speech. Especially when there are different standards for different races. If Obama can get away with saying “typical white person” then any of the rest can say whatever they like about him and that is fine by me. I personally find Obama’s “typical” comment to be divisive and offensive.
Hell, I call my brothers boys sometimes, especially when they aren’t acting like men. And my sisters call all of us boys and no one takes any offense. And sometimes we refer to our sisters as girls.
I wonder how many times Obama refers to himself in his fictional autobiographies as a boy? Or to other youngins as boys. Shouldn’t he be held to the same standard?
But but but…the worst part of this whole stupidity is that Obama couldn’t make a decision in a national security simulation.
Who cares if someone called him a toad, a boy, a rat or a man….he COULDN’T MAKE A DECISION.
Where have we heard that before?
Oh that’s right throughout his entire short career. An empty suit, no doubt!
And some people actually want this MAN to be POTUS? Yikes!
(Disclaimer: That was not a sexist remark!)
thank you for pointing this out. i know i fell into the distraction trap, just as obama wanted. you are absolutely correct that the real issue is that he is totally unprepared to handle a real crisis and would be dangerous in such a position.
Responding to Obamabots on this board is a waste of time. They come out when the damage is severe like the bitter and cling comments. Who are they trying to convince? Let them go talk to those people who are offended by those comments. They and their leader never take any responsibility for their words. Their defense is laughable — it is always “they did it too.” What a joke? The beauty of a democracy is real people get offended and they will show it with their votes — but then again, these idiots don’t know democracy because they don’t want to count the votes if they are going to lose. They may win the battle but lose the war. These bozos screaming on these boards look like fools.
We use lever machines with a paper trail. We are huge resisters to DIEBOLD. That having been said, I hope I don’t break the lever when I snap it down to vote against Barack Obama if he’s the nominee. I will be the first one at the polls that morning, that’s how much I won’t be able to wait to vote against him.
I am the emotional one in my family — you know what with being a woman and all. My husband the quiet one, has recently made up his mind — he said he will never vote for this guy if he is the nominee. So for every strong woman who sees the injustice in all of this, count another supportive man. It is going to be a disaster in November if Obama is the nominee.
The Obamapologists are out in full force- first, on today’s Lionel show on Air America, Lionel talks about how we dont WANT a “down to Earth” guy for President, “we’d LIKE to have a University President” (did you know that Obama was a University President? Me neither.) He then goes on to diss Hillary for drinking with the guys in a bar, which has become pretty standard fair on that rag station.
This week, Air America has gone from being Obama’s best friend to being his worst enemy. Every time one of their stuck-up elitist hosts defends Obama by attacking “down to Earth” guys and telling me I didn’t hear Obama say what I HEARD HIM SAY, it has to cost him votes.
My definition of an Elitist: Someone who tells me that A) I didn’t really hear what I know I heard, and/or B) I’m too stupid to understand that what I heard made perfect sense and was absolutely correct.
Flipping over to “nonpartisan” POTUS ‘08, Scott Walterman has a guy on who is “not connected to any campaign,” but who mentions to Walterman “I dont believe there is any audio of Obama actually saying what the Hillary camp is claiming he said…”
Walterman: “Um, yes there is..there was a guy there with a camcorder..”
Guest: “Oh..” and is sheepish for the rest of the interview, but goes into full Obamapoligist mode, saying of Rezko “you know, this is just not something that can sink Obama, there doesnt seem to be anything there. Actually reminds people of Whitewater…Now some people are trying to connect him with Auchi..”
Walterman, picking up the Obamapoligist cue- “Hey, when you are involved in Chicago politics, you run into guys like this…”
Guest: “Obama says that he didn’t meet Auchi while at a party in Chicago, there were a lot of people there…”
Walterman: “Hey, I went to a party a few years ago, I couldnt tell you who was there and who wasn’t, there were a lot of people there…”
And the beat goes on. Always give Obama the benefit of the doubt. Trash Hillary at every possible juncture. Twist facts around if it serves your purpose. And keep your nose firmly planted in the air.
Does anyone with a MIND actually believe that Mr. Opportunist wouldn’t MAKE the time to meet up with Auchi? I mean, give me a frickin break. He has home grown terrorist friends, a campaign office in the Gaza Strip and he wouldn’t take the time to meet up with Saddam Hussein’s bag man? LOL, it is really almost too much to take. It is just another coincidence that his buddy Rezko borrowed money from Auchi that paid for Obama’s mansion. Yep, nothing sinister or unethical going on there.
Auchi is Chalabi’s business partner.
Yikes. Really? Obama has some really questionable associations, doesn’t he?
Check Rezko Watch. HAMAS has endorsed Obama. The leader says he understands why Obama has to reject him. That’s Politics.
http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/2008/04/one-degree-of-separation-klein.html
Lovely. Simply lovely. I cannot understand how anybody who doesn’t have a death wish would want to support Barack Obama.
At least they acknowledge Auchi.
Now expect the usual shit storm in the effort to bury the issue, and obfuscate, as Auchi, and “curve ball”, get around both democratic, republican and Iranian circles.
Those ops just can’t seem to catch a clue, can they?
Auchi is the businss partner of 1/2 of the middle east.
Please check this out, Auchi/Chalabi! Most of what I have read is that Auchi was a “bagman”—money runner—for Saddam Hussein. I don’t think that would put him into a close relationship with Chalabi.
Have you noticed that Obama always manages to have a race-flap just before a primary in states with a high AA population? I think this is about creating a new controversy to distract attention from snobgate. The Obama camp knows the damage done in PA can’t be undone. Now they need to make sure NC AAs get out and vote for him. His private polls in NC must show he is losing ground with white voters there. Obama’s strategy has conistently been to play the race card whenever he gets into trouble. He always has to reframe himself as the victim, the underdog. The MSM goes right along with it– because he is their chosen one. The irony of it is that playing the race so often may hurt him even more with white voters. This is why Hillary doesn’t complain too loudly about the misogyny. She know doing so can cause a backlash. The Obama camp is getting desperate and the race card is always their desperation play.
Obama will go down in history as a horrible footnote. The dick head who set back race and gender relations by 30 years.
it’ll be old boring hat by the time he starts using it on McCain.
That’s if he dares to use these tactics on the GOP.
They don’t care! They say they have been already called that and more.
Fleaflicker,
Thank you for this awesome post! I could not believe when that “boy” comment was elaborated into something racist. And of course, it is all to deflect from the substance of the comments made, that Obama is, in effect, incompetent and should not be commander in chief. I read an Orwell quote last night, something to the effect of, in times of universal deceit, to speak the truth is a revolutionary act. So, thanks for speaking the truth!
Thank you so very much Margaret.
After listening to the audio on the Lexington Herald-Leader blog that broke the story yesterday, it really seems to me like he was calling him a boy as in young and inexperienced, as opposed to a MAN who can make decisions. AND WHAT ABOUT THE FACT HE SAID OBAMA CAN’T MAKE DECISIONS? Does anyone care about that? That under nuclear simulation, Obama can’t make decisions?
Just to be clear; if someone from Kentucky uses the phrase ‘that boy’ to criticize, it’s an expression used across the region to characterize the immaturity of who they’re talking about. While it’s possible to combine the phrase with racial slurring, it’s by no means the main definition.
But I thought Obama was winning over all those republicans from all those redstates he won. Hmmmm.
I don’t agree with the author I think any politician has to be aware of the words he said and understand the consequences of that language. That being said a candidate running for president of the United States must be doubly aware of his speech which makes Obama’s language even worse. He is intimating that all people who live in small towns, rural areas, or who don’t vote for him are racists aka Archie Bunker democrats. However Obama’s George Jefferson approach to white people or people who are not of the same social station as him are in his opinion of less value to society. Our resident Obama employee Kevin fails to understands this .
I have called them worse but I like this.
A relative of my husband, who is from North Carolina, refers to anyone under 50 as “boy”. It’s a Southern thing, and it’s not racial. It’s a figure of speech. That’s how the ‘good ol boys’ talk. He doesn’t say.. “take out the trash, boy”, but he uses it the way that Rep. did, in referring to someone.
What is going to happen here is that every time the Obama fans and the media cry foul over every perceived racial slight (whether unintentional or imagined) they are creating a bigger divide in the Country. They are making things worse for racial relations, and actually hurting Obama’s chances further. The last thing in the world the Dems need to do, especially the Obamacrats who are losing middle American voters daily, is push this PC thing to the point of ridiculousness. Once they get the voters feeling as though they’re walking on eggshells, they’ve lost it. As of yet we haven’t heard one person say anything that is worthy of this type of media and campaign hysteria. People will simply walk away from Obama because they will resent this hysterical scrutiny of every word they say.
As far as someone here (Kevin?) mentioned that “boy” was offensive like “bitch”, well… then tell me why no one in the media, no one in any other campaigns, have complained so vociferously when Hillary has been attacked continually? Why is it only perceived racial slights that get coverage??? It’s one thing is a random person out there says something, but we have the actual paid media calling Hillary names.
But I go back to my original thought… the Obamacrats are making a HUGE mistake pushing these things. The PC thing is going to backfire on them, once again, with the swing voters. The Obamacrats seem to have a tin ear when it comes to politics.
No one will want to subject theior own words and thoughts to this sort of PC scrutiny. Thus Obama will not get those swing votes.
Cat… please cite the multiple and ongoing instances of Hillary being called the b word during political events – I can only think of the questioner during one of McCain’s appearances.
was offensive like “bitch
I remember being quite surprised to come here to see that people were celebrating the Saturday Night Live skit “Bitch is the New Black”
Make up your minds.
Anotehr point– the Obama campaign fell for the bait. In drawing attention to the “boy” comment the Obama camp is also drawing attention to the substance of the comment–that Obama is too inexperienced to be CiC. While the media give all this play to the “boy” aspect, they will also keep repeating the substance of the criticism. The media can spin all they want but the average voter will get the underlying message– Obama is too inexperienced. This is a classic GOP– and often effective– move. They say something egregious that gets MSM attention and in the same breath say something more substantive that resonates with voters. It’s like a sacrifice fly or squeeze play. And it often works.
I disagree. If someone from Minnesota or other areas said it, it could well have been meant innocently.
But for a white male southern politician, who is no doubt MORE than familiar with Southern racial politics to call a black man “boy” was inexcusable. I am from the deep south, and there is no way in hell that Davis did not damn well know that it’s offensive. It is one of the worst things to say to a black man in the South – in many ways worse than the N word. There is a LONG history of 20-year old white men calling 60-year-old black men “boy”, as a means to remind them that they were beneath them, no matter their age.
Davis knew what he was saying. I’m a dyed in the wool southerner, and there is no question.
Again, if Davis were from Duluth or LA? I’d give him a pass. But he’s from Kentucky. He knew better.
I’m sad that he chose to do that, primarily because it obscured his (very real and pertinent) point that Obama is in no way ready to be CIC.
Then how can it be that my Southern relative refers to all men under 50 as “boy”.. usually in the same type of sentence “that boy… ” He’s said that to my husband many times. “boy, you better get that wife of yours a new car”, etc.
No one wants their every word to be scrutinized by the PC police. Even Democrats.
As someone pointed out so accurately here, every time Obama has a primary come up he finds something to latch onto to make himself seem like a sympathetic and downtrodden character. Hell.. his staff has had multi page memos on how to push the “racist” slights in the media.
I think you are conflating two issues here. There is absolutely no doubt that the Obama campaign has pushed the race card, and has cried “racism” at any and every mention of race, and has cried “racism” over ridiculous things that are in no way racist.
But crying false racism does not negate the fact that real racism and real offensive language DOES exist. It would be a mistake for us to now automatically pooh-pooh any charge of racism just because we are all sick and tired of the FALSE charges. It’s easy to just be so fed up with it that we fall into that trap. I could care less at this point if Obama gets his personal feelings hurt, no matter what is said to him or about him. But I DO care about the other African Americans all over this country, many of whom are taking flak and hatred from their own community that would blow your mind, because of their support of Hillary.
I don’t owe Obama a damn thing, not even fairness at this point, but I owe the rest of my AA friends and neighbors fairness and concern for words that are hurtful to them and wrong.
I’m well aware of southern men’s propensity to call other men “boy”, and the fact that 99% of the time it is merely a figure of speech. But it is NOT perceived as the same when a white man publicly refers to a black man as “boy” in the South. Not by a long shot.
Let’s not confuse our justifiable disgust with every little thing being falsely labeled racist with taking an honest look at and calling out GENUINELY offensive language when it does occur. They are two different things. We do ourselves and Hillary a disservice if we do that.
You told me to let this go earlier today. Please note that the people here allow discussion in a give and take format. There is a reason that you and I don’t see each other on the “other” site. You might want to ask the moderator. I don’t question her rights to decide her standards, but when Grey, you, and others climb up my rectum for not wanting to prostelitize to Republicans, you guys are way out of line. But I guess that’s your right, too.
WMCB,
WOW! Am I glad you have come here. I know on the internet, any Hillary supporter is being vilified to the extreme.
I absolutely had no idea, that blacks outside of the internet, were being so harsh on AA Hillary supports.
The Thugishness, against Geraldine Ferraro, then against Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia, and now this – I am stupified. And I have been a voting activist for 44 years, and have never seen ANYTHING lke this.
Oh, the Obama Bots also shut down this site a few days ago, and the heroics of some here had us back up and running asap. Not that this too wasn’t an act of Thugishness.
Sorry Larry et al, I honestly feel you are more able to balance that behavior in you own inimitable way, than others can.
Welcome WMCB! Please come often and leave us some of your common sense and wisdom. Thank you for your time and words.
Are you also aware of African-American men who use the word “boy” to refer to OTHER African-American men?
I’m white but work with a whole lot of AAs, and I hear “boy” coming from them about AAs.
Or maybe THAT too is just a “Southern thing”?
Davis would’ve used the same term if OBAMESSIAH was white… Wait OBAMESSIAH IS 1/2 WHITE….It was said in regards to his youth and inexperience.
I’ve read some great rationalizations, but that’s hilarious… think you win the prize.
Actually, I think you have it backwards. If a Northerner or Midwesterner had said it, the comment would definitley have been racist because calling men boys is not a gerneral part of the culture in those regions. Whether is was meant as racist or not, two things are clear:
1. White men have called black men “boy” to demean and esmaculate.
2. Men, black and white, call each other boy in the South in various and sundry contexts, some of which are racial and some of which are not.
I don’t think we can definitively say that the boy comment was intended to be racist, but the fact that it is perceived as racists is something the guy should apologize for just out of decency.
The larger issue, however, is that the Obama campaign is indeed on a hair trigger regarding anything racial (as Bob Johnson said) and that will end up biting him in the end.
I was trying to reply to WMBC above with the above comment. Sorry.
Sadly, this is in part a backlash that Obama himself has caused.
I started warning months ago that it’s a “cry wolf” situation, and would be BAD for the black community as a whole if it continued, and hamper the fight against genuine racism.
If you cry “wolf” repeatedly when there is no wolf, by the time a real wolf comes around people are so sick of it they they will refuse to listen. It’s human nature.
That is being demonstrated right now with this Davis situation. I believe there is ample reason to think that yes, it was a very offensive comment.
But the Obama campaign’s hair-tirgger race strategy has rendered many unwilling to even consider that it might be offensive.
People are so sick to death of being blamed that they don’t want to hear it, even if in this case there might be a legitimate beef. It is playing out exactly as many of us warned that it would, if Obama continued this strategy.
very true
I completely agree. Race and the resulting economic injustice is a serious matter. Obama in this campaign has reduced race relations to political expediency. In fact, Clinton clearly recognizes the path to better race relations is by way of economic justice and has said as much. But much of it is getting lost in the cacophony from Obama’s side. Cry wolf indeed and nothing substantive gets accomplished.
Bigotry is alive and living in America, and in the black community, too. And there is no greater bigot than Barack Obama, which I address in my piece “Black-eyed Peas.” It is sad that the dialog that Obama asked for in his over-lauded speech on race will never be had because the last person that wants a discussion on the issue of race in America is Barack Obama. Whenever anyone other than Barack obama has anything to say about race they are silenced in a hurry.
Halli Casser-Jayne
http://www.thecjpoliticalreport.com
Absolutely right. He and his supporters don’t want a “conversation” about race– because a conversation includes listening. They really want to lecture white people — poor and working-class white people–those benighted souls who cling to guns and religion–about race.
“He and his supporters… want to lecture white people — poor and working-class white people–those benighted souls who cling to guns and religion–about race.”
Wow…
Halli,
Nice blog and very well done Op-Ed.
Succinct and great overview of the topic.
Welcome to NQ!
Your bio is fascinating – seems like you have a tad more foreign experience than Mr. Obama to put it lightly.
Check it out guys – well worth the trip.
well, i am glad he said it because obama is a “boy”, an inexperianced boy with bad judgment and character that has no business getting this far in a presidential race with his qualifications. enough is enough. that boy expects everyone in this country to bow down to him and every other black person because they have it in their minds that they are somehow owed something. well, they are not owed jack shit..when someone tells the faintest truth about obama, it always gets blown completely out of porportion….its sickening. when are we going to rise up and take our country back from being hijacked by the obama campaign ? i’m ready, are you ?
I apologize if someone has already commented on this, but I find it disturbing that the media is so focused on the remarks about Obama that no one has a problem with what Mitch McConnell said about Hillary Clinton:
As for Obama’s Democratic rival, McConnell said U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York seems to be “teetering on the brink.”
“I hear she hasn’t been this worried since a new Hooters opened” near her home with former President Bill Clinton, McConnell said, prompting laughs from the 400 Northern Kentucky Republicans.
So that’s an acceptable thing to say is it?
Because it’s okay to directly assualt Hillary in language that cannot be construed as anything but offfensive, but it’s never okay to say anything about Obama that so vague that it takes the MSM days to argue and dissect it to see if it was offensive.
I mean.. that’s what we’re getting out of the media and the Democratic Party. I would not be shocked if the DNC came out with a statement condemning Davis for saying that word about Obama, and continuing to ignore the attacks on Hillary.
Yeah….and it will come from Pelosi.
Isn’t he the guy who needs a chin?
I’m planning to vote for Hillary, but “boy” was definitely racist and I denounce Davis for using it.
The use of “boy” is certainly racist and was so intended. That is the kind of racist insult that the Geoff Davis’ of this world try to get away with, openly disrespecting someone and trying to pretend it was just joshing around.
The term “good ol’ boys” is only used among white men referring to one another. Everyone knows that, especially in the rural south. Ever heard Clinton, Gore, Edwards, Carter, or any other southern Democrat refer to a black as a boy? No, and you never will. It is a calculated insult.
I don’t care what you think of Obama, you should know that what Davis did was out of line.
Sad, we the african Americans are very unforgiven and hang on everthing that is said and turn it into code that we only “understood’, it plays out in South Carolina, Sen Obama took advantage of it and ran with it. It makes me wonder, where all the so called african American leaders?
Thank you for that. America has reached a better place in racial relations, for the most part, in that we all live and work together pretty comfortably. I fear the danger of the Obama campaign being hyperactive on these things is only going to strain what we’ve achieved so far in bringing everyone together.
I just don’t think that speeches and press conferences do anything to promote racial healing. It’s the day to day stuff… working alongside people of other races and genders, going to school together, meeting your neighbors, and adding to your family. My life is very integrated, and that’s something that would not have been possible in the 60s. That’s what promotes healing and understanding.
As a native Texan, I grew up calling grown (white) men “boys.” Especially when they acted like children.
“That boy’s got a lot of explaining to do” or “That boy’s just not right” were common in conversations. Sometimes “Ol’ boy” was tossed out during a tongue lashing, too.
What people seem to be ignoring about Obama’s “bitter” comment is that he was answering the question, “Why don’t those people support you?”
Of course, our corporate media won’t report that part.
Heavy sigh.
Sad, we the african Americans are very unforgiven and hang on everthing that is said and turn it into code that we only “understood’, it plays out in South Carolina, Sen Obama took advantage of it and ran with it, and stil playing the race card anytime he can. There is nothing to be afriad of, there is nothing wrong calling someone “boy”. Plese fight back for Our GIRL. It makes me wonder, where are all the so called african American leaders?
I’m not sure the Hooters comment qualifies as particularly sexist. The joke is that Bill will be over there making passes at the waitreses- not anything instrinsically against Hillary. Given Bill’s history, I don’t think the joke is terribly out of line.
I think it was crude and offensive, but not necessarily in a purely sexist way.
No that wasn’t sexist. Bad taste, but not sexist.
This “boy” issue and the amount of Media attention it has received exemplifies what an Obama presidency would be like. Anytime anyone dare stand up to PO, the “you’re a racist” finger-pointing will begin. It will be McCarthyism in earnest.
At some point, the thought of that, has got to scare people.
This is what I fear, as well.
BINGO…..Duck and Cover…..
Okay.. I’d wandered away from the computer to get my day started, and of course was thinking about this thread.
The thing is.. it’s IMPOSSIBLE to know what Rep. Davis had in mind when he said that. Just as it was impossible to know in most of these incidents being hyped by Obamacrats and the media. Unless someone says something very direct, how can you base an entire segment of your campaign strategy upon interpreting things to make your candidate look victimized? (the memos of how to spin the racism to their favor are out there for all to see)
The comments about Hillary and Hooters were direct. There was no hand-wringing and pontificating over whether that was offensive.
And how can it be that the media has not uttered a word about Obamacrats calling AA supporters of Hillary “House Ni**ers”? That is something that is NOT open to interpretation.
Why is that okay?
Reading people’s minds is part and parcel of the Obamania McCarthyism. This is where they get all Stalinist on everyone. They “Know” that Hillary supporters are “racist.” They “Know” that working-class white people believe in God and enjoy hunting because they are “bitter.” They know everything!!!! And they will smoke out the opposition and the benighted and re-educate us into the glory that is Kim Jong Obama whether we like it or not.
not that it will be attended to in these tendentious times, but
1. when the english word “boy” is used racially in the u.s., it has usually been used as a nominative of direct address:
“boy, bring me my mint julep.”
2. the use of “boy” as davis used it,
“that boy’s hand does not need to be on the nuclear trigger”
is usually either a familiar style of speaking about someone (who is an adult), e.g.,
“that boy’s a natural teacher”
or
“that gal’s buried two rich husbands”
or
it is an intended slight emphasizing the speaker’s view that the subject is lacking some needed quality, e.g., experience.
these days, the skin color of the person who gets referred to a “boy” seems to be the factor determining that malice is intended:
- saying “that boy needs to get his head on straight” of sam israel III would not be viewed as racist.
saying “that boy needs to get his head on straight” of barrack obama would be viewed as racist.
to look differently at this classic exercise in political correctness and public censorship of language,
answer this question:
under what circumstances would any american be permitted to publicly use the word “boy” in a sentence which included barack obama as its subject?
clearly none,
unless you KNEW that the speaker’s state of mind was free of racial malice.
finally, suppose davis WAS using the term racially. so what? ugly language is a part of politics.
wm kristol, writing in monday’s nytimes, essentially called obama a marxist, or at least tried to tie obama to marxism.
did anyone get upset about that silly derogation?
this campaign season, the public discourse has been way too full of pious shouts of “racist”,
but those shouts have gone in one direction only,
repeatedly directed against anyone who presents a threat to obama’s political ascendance.
that, more than anything else, suggests there is a large quantity of both opportunism and of hypocrisy in these cries of “racism”, rather than any concern for decency and equality.
keep this in mind,
what rep davis said, minus the “boy” word, was that he had questions about obama’s ability to make decisions critical to the nation’s survival.
now that is a criticism of obama that could really sting.
but,
if all the attention is focused on the word “boy’ that davis used,
then the heart of his criticism of obama as being immature for the job is overwhelmed by cries of “racist”.
pretty neat, huh.
i’d like to know what path this story took, passing thru whose hands, in order to become a public issue?
OrionAtl…I salute you….Banjo Up….Well said.
My mother’s family is from Louisianna and Mississippi. I grew up in and lived in Texas until I was 24. I can say that from my experience that most of the Southerners I know — white, black and hispanic — frequently use the term “boy” with no racial context and regardless of age. “He’s a good ole boy,” “bring our boys home from Iraq,” “that boy is gonna treat her right,” “Belly up to the bar, my boy,” “that boy can shoot,” “wash your hands, boy, and come to the table,” and these are just off the top of my head from my last visit home. May I add that “s’om bitch” is another term for men that I have found hard to explain. It’s the affectionate term Southern men use among each other like, “that s’om bitch gave a helluva closing argument.”
Can boy and s’om bitch be derogatory? You bet. But they can be casual, supportive, affectionate, and any number of other things because they are so ubiquitous.
I think the statement in question can certainly be construed as a thinly veiled racist remark — if you stretch — but it reminds me more of Texas Democrats like Lloyd Benson and Ann Richards who frequently dropped the term boy into conversation — like all the Texans I grew up with — with absolutely NO racial context. I am all for ferreting out racism but I honestly believe this was not racially motivated. In context it seems that he was commenting on Obama’s immaturity — like when my father’s African American friend told me “that boy ain’t ready to settle down” about my former boyfriend. (He was right.)
My two cents.
Oh, and I thought of another thing. I live in Los Angeles in a neighborhood about as diverse as you can imagine. A wonderful gay couple lives down the street — two men in their 50s who have been together for over 20 years. THey are a beloved part of this neighborhood — and referred to as “the boys” by virtually everyone living here including Asians, African Americans and the old white Presbytarian minister who lives next door. I never stopped to think of the term as derogatory.
I had to laugh at “s’om bitch”, my uncle from Iowa uses that term… you wrote it perfectly phonetically.
I wondered how to spell it!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen it written!
Compare “good old boy”, “old boy network”, “those old boys in the Senate”.
“Hometown boy”, “boys in the band”, “those boys over in the next town”, “that boy is going to be a real winner”.
I suppose Obama shouldn’t be called the Junior Senator from Illinois. Tenure-challenged?
I was WARNED at MyDD (YES, a red banner warning) because I had the audacity to point out that everyone is outraged about the racism, but not the sexism that is ridiculously awful in the same article.
If my statement was reason enough for warning, well, guess what, MyDD doesn’t need my business and the Obama most certainly doesn’t need my vote.
I have been banned at another pro-Hillary site for not only saying the same thing but defending it. Welcome to Barack’s World. Koolaid is served in several flavors.
Well, wait a minute. What if this were reversed?
What if it were a female in that room, participating in whatever test that really was?
“I’m going to tell you something: That girl’s finger does not need to be on the button,” Davis said. “She could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”
Would anyone be jumping up and down? Calling it sexist, for instance? No. After all, we have heard Hillary say, “I’m your girl,” and we didn’t get upset.
I think fleaflicker is right. This was talk. Just talk. Yes, in retrospect, it would have been better if he had used, for instance, “young man.” That’s what I figure he really meant.
And by once again making this into a racist remark, deflection occurred. We were distracted from what he really meant to say… that Obama can’t make decisions, and isn’t the one that needs to have authority over “the button.”
Yeah, well good luck with taking an adult discussion any where but here, much less Uppity’s argument that he started this discussion and he’s got to live with the consequences of what has happened. Did you EVER in your ENTIRE LIFE believe that Democrats would call ban you from expressing an opinion because you won’t denounce a freaking REPUBLICAN? When did this policy start?
I don’t think it’s that. I just think he’s not all that bright. Put a script in front of him, riddled with chants and he does just fine. Extemporaneously, he’s a moron. That’s why he keeps putting his foot in his mouth. Basically, he needs one of those boxes, the outline of which was spotted on the back of Bush’s jacket. The man needs somebody to feed him words before his own head blows off. Thus, bearing this in mind, it might be just a wee tad scary to imagine him in charge of a nuclear threat. This is particularly so considering his affiliations and apparent smoldering anger problem.
OK. Let me get this straight.
We can’t refer to 49 year old Barack Obama as “boy” because it is offensive, but it is OK to refer to 60 year old Hillary Clinton as “girl” as in Gossip Girl, The Big Girl, and You Go AWAY Girl!????
Wait a minute. I get it. Its Hillary Rules vs. Barack Rules. Makes perfect sense.
This is the first opportunity (and it could be the last) to have an AA running for the presidency.
Just because Obama is the first, doesn’t make him the right choice, I can think of others that are far more qualified that I would vote for in a heartbeat. and if he were to get elected, I believe that in the long run, he will do such a terrible job of it, that any other AA vying for the job will be considered to be the same and instantly rejected.
Deelee,
My instincts say watch Mayor Michael Nutter of Philedelphia – he is one smart, savy, classy and articulate AA, I think most of us would vote him for in a heartbeat.
Remeber Obamam is just a person – his color is only relevant to those that are as inversely bigoted as he is.
I know one thng if Nutter can sucessfully run Philly…..He’s a legitimate SUPER HERO. I’d vote for him.
Sorry but the late Shirley Chisholm (a TRUE leader) ran for the Democratic nomination back in 1972. If only we had some AA leaders like her or the very esteemed Barbara Jordan around now. Gods, why we praise Obama for his “rhetoric” and “oratory skills” when Barbara Jordan could speak off-the-cuff on ANY topic and earn the respect of even her most diehard opponents for not only her intelligence and ease at speaking but also her ability to talk TO the “common” people without talking DOWN to them on the most complex of subjects just utterly astonishes me. Chisholm and Jordan would both be taking Obama to the woodshed over the way he’s been handling his campaign. (A part of me even fantasizes that both women would be firmly in Hillary’s camp but would also be there actually trying to serve the Democratic Party’s best interests.)
I don’t think we should forget that Jesse Jackson made a good run for the Democratic nomination as well.
Obama is merely the first to be this successful (although we shouldn’t forget that Jackson refused to concede to Dukakis until the Convention itself; he earned over 1200 delegates through the primary season and stayed in only to ensure African-Americans would be remembered in the Democratic platform).
He is not the first AA to run….He is the first to get this far. Personally there are other AA contenders who would have been a better choice. Many will be in the future. He is just not very impressive, his glow doesn’t reach me.
Does anyone remember this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/us/politics/13clinton.html
“President Bill Clinton … had this to say yesterday about his wife’s (all-male) presidential rivals: ‘Those boys have been getting tough on her lately.’”
Or how about this?
Then there’s US News’ “official” blurb:
http://www.usnews.com/features/news/politics/candidates-edwards.html
And the icing on the cake:
Heh.. I never thought I’d see the day where I was somewhat defending a White GOP politician’s use of the word ‘boy’… wow. O Irony!
That’s it! It’s really over for you! LOLOL.
I find it hard to believe that anybody who truly believes “We despise prejudice towards any group; there is no historical context which makes any form of racism acceptable” would excuse a white man referring to a black man as “boy,” in any context.
Either you really don’t believe this, or you will sacrifice anything — your party, your beliefs, anything — if you think it will help the Clintons. PATHETIC.
Dude, you live under an elite rock or something. The comments were not meant to be derogatory, at least not racially. So take a chill pill Jill. Since when is it acceptable for ANYONE to use the phrase “typical white person”? Or is that acceptable among you PATHETIC elitists?
So Obama said “Typical White Person,” ergo any racist remarks against him are acceptable? Is that how it works for the non-elitists? Well, that seems to be in complete contrast to what has been stated elsewhere on this blog. Or is Bud White an elitist, too?
And WTF do you know about me that gives you the right to call me an elitist? I find racist remarks reprehensible, so that makes me a snob? Wow, just wow.
Your nic is well chosen.
The Davis comments were not meant to be derogatory in a racial manner. Geoff Davis said that SnObama couldn’t make his mind up what to do during a classified nuclear incident run through. So the SnObama campaign claims racism to cover the incident up. Obama tried to vote present and someone called him on it.
Bubble BOY.
Funny name.
Ironic as hell don’t ya think?
I guess the “two wrongs don’t make a right” argument is useless here, too?
Bubbleboy…The Reconstruction is over and you sound like an elitist yankee snob. LOL
I think this is just a small indication of the General election to come if O-Hopeychangey is our nominee. Hillary will never stoop to name-calling, even if O-Hopeychangey does…but the Republicans don’t have to. And of course, it’s the old magician’s trick, “Pay attention to the horrible word BOY, and maybe you won’t see the heart of the comment, that O-Hopeychangey isn’t ready for the White House, isn’t ready to have his finger poised over that button.”
I’m astounded that he just can’t keep his mouth shut!
Fleaflicker, Thanks for taking it “personal” boy. You did a great job boy.
your artical points out what only a couple folks sideswiped was that BO FAILED the simulation. I get that the boy, Representative Geoff Davis, making the percieved derogatory comments is no ones sunshine…but I have NEVER heard any elected official make comments on this subject other than the context of Continuity of Government.
Why won’t BO “shoot the hostage” ?
OT related…I have heard Paula Deen (sp?) on the food network among others, black and white, speech in the same venacular. What next?
“The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly in the Plan”
I grew up in the south.
Calling an African-American man “boy” is racist. Period. And any 40-something southerner knows it.
It’s not exclusive to the south.
I’m sorry, feaaflicker, darlin’, but you are completely mistaken about the “boy” thing. That is the same as saying the N-word. Definitely an ugly racial slur, demeaning as hell. B.O. is 46 years old. He is not a boy in the eyes of anyone but racists. Let’s not lose our humanity here. What’s wrong is wrong.
Exactly.
I’m absolutely baffled how a blog that claims to be against racism in all forms would even bother to take the time to try and excuse this slur away. You don’t have to comment on it at all, why not just leave it alone?
You guys are so completely blinded by your hatred of Obama, you’ve lost sight of yourselves. Excusing a racist remark made by a Republican against a Democrat, simply because you think it helps Hillary somehow. Sad.
I’d actually like to point out that this could hurt Hillary. If she is somehow able to pull out the nomination what are you going to say to AAs?
I was hoping that as Hillary supporters we would keep the high ground.
Believe me, I was on your side about the ‘typical white person’ remark. It was stupid and revealing.
But so is the determination to elevate southern culture over historical fact. White men have called each other boys all during the Jim Crow era but as terms of endearment and familial. When they used it to refer to an AA male, it was meant to establish white superiority. What you are trying to make me believe is that somehow, someway, white males all acros the south now adore the concept of referring to AA males in terms of endearment.
Nice try.
The same way the ‘typical’ remark spilled out of BO is the exact same way Davis meant it. With everything else we could be talking about, why oh why are we talking about this.? Especially since it’s not helping Hillary.
I draw the line at making it about us!
I get your objection to the word “boy” – but your assertion of “man” truly made me laugh.
Obama’s actions the last few months, make me believe that he is what we up here call an “aging adolescent”. Body ages – mind still stuck in the teens.
Andrew Sullivan posted a column extrapolating Bill Kristol’s column …
I am not a fan of either of them ….
So, I guess the pot sneering at the kettle is anyone’s game …
Andrew, however, is the cow jumping over the moon. His “fake christian” question is a poll now on AOL.com with MORE THAN 155,000 VOTES … so, if Obama wants to stop Silly Season, he needs to get the word out to the people spinning for him!
‘ Bill Kristol, trained in the same politics as Hillary Clinton, now argues that Obama’s remarks in a fundraiser q and a are the “real Obama” – and that his voluminous writing and speaking about the sincerity of his own religious faith, and of others, are presumably “masks.” The reason for inferring Obama’s Marxism is the following point Obama artlessly made about the way in which economic distress can alter people’s tolerance for others:
“It’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
Is this indistinguishable from saying, along with Marx, that all religion is an obviously false consciousness caused by the alienation of the world-historical class struggle? No, it obviously isn’t. It’s saying that economic distress does often in human history express itself in more rigid forms of religion, more reactionary cultural identification, less tolerance of “the other.” Since large swathes of human history have shown this to be true – and perfectly arguable without any materialist understanding of religion – Kristol is deliberately distorting to paint Obama as a cynical manipulator of religious faith for political ends, rather than as a genuine Christian. He’s calling him a lying, Godless communist.
You could argue, as Kristol and others hilariously will, that Lou Dobbs has no base,
that fundamentalist Christianism has no problem with “the other” in a globalized world, that dozens of state constitutional amendments banning civil marriages that had never and would never have taken place were just spirited forms of civic engagement, rather than scapegoating or politicking on resentment. You could also argue, as others legitimately will, that spasms of economic distress and social discontent are unconnected. Hey: Weimar had nothing to do with Hitler. But Kristol is doing something much more pernicious: he is saying that Obama is faking faith, that his very profession of faith is a “mask” that is slipping, and that Kristol is the person to determine whose faith is genuine and who is a fraud.
A non-Christian manipulator of Christianity is calling a Christian a liar about his own faith. That’s where they’ve gone to already. And it’s only the middle of April. What are they so scared of? ‘
What has become increasingly clear in this campaign is that Obama can indeed use racial slurs against whites with impugnity, and the press, the ‘bots, and the elites will see nothing wrong with it. In fact, they’ll agree – that working class whites are racists, not they themselves, of course!
But let anyone say anything derogatory at all about Obama, and it will be reinterpreted into a racist attack. If you don’t like Obama, you’re a racist. If you don’t agree with Obama, you’re a racist. Can you imagine having to live in a country with him as president? You would have to walk around with duct tape on your mouth to survive! Why, why, why would anyone want a country like that?
What is also increasingly clear about Obama is that he is the exact opposite of what he says, and that he projects his own faults on everyone else. He is not a uniter. When have we had in recent history more of a racial divide than we do today? Guess who brought this condition to us? Guess what it’s going to be like to live in a racially polarized America with working class whites as the scapegoat for everything?
What, we’re more racist now because of Obama? Really?
So then by that same token we’re now more sexist because of Hillary. Because you know, if you say anything derogatory against her, guess what you are? Maybe we should just push them both off a cliff and pray a white guy comes to save us all.
Except the Obama-lovin’ media have given a pass on even the most outrageous anti-woman comments when used against Hillary. BUT, let Gerry Ferraro make the VERY SAME COMMENT about Obama that Obama himself made, it’s “racist” and she’s forced to resign and apologize.
Where was the MASS MEDIA outrage when Hillary’s voice was termed “shrieking”? Oh, it wasn’t there because they were too busy repeating ad nauseum. When Hillary is called a “shrew” or a “ballbreaker”, I suppose those are just terms of endearment from adoring fans.
“When have we had in recent history more of a racial divide than we do today “
You ain’t just whistlin Dixie!
Wonder what BO did during that simulation that made Davis go straight to the descriptor that, to me, signifies he thinks BO is immature? Dear God, please let that info come out, and soon!
I cannot believe this argument is actually occurring. I am a staunch Hillary supporter who has been adamant about decrying the evident sexism in the Obama campaign, the blogs, and in the media this season. This sexism has been, and will continue to be beyond the pale. And yes, I contribute to Hillary’s campaign and have phone banked on her behalf, and will continue to do so.
Calling a grown black man “boy” is a racist comment. The usage has a long history of ignominy in this country. Barack Obama is not, nor will ever be my idea of a good presidential candidate. However, racism is as offensive as sexism. If I am to back up ideals that surrounds a fair and just society, I can’t call out one and let the other pass. They are perceived and expressed differently in our culture, but that does not make one less pernicious than the other.
I can’t believe this is happening either.
I’ve made several comments above and have nothing new to add to them, but I just feel compelled to re-iterate that I simply cannot get over the fact that people who claim to be “true Democrats,” and who say there is “no historical context” where racism is acceptable, would stoop to defend racist remarks from a Republican against a Democrat.
Pure, unadulterated disbelief. This comment could have been left alone, and this blog chooses to latch onto it and defend it. I simply cannot grasp the rationale behind this. Oh, and did I mention I’m horrified?
I agree that there have been sexist attacks against Hillary. But just as there is no excuse for that, there is no excuse for racism either. You cannot right one wrong with another. No “true Democrat” should find anything defensible about this remark.
The world isn’t PC. Folks will say things that will offend another. I remember Black racists trying to beat me up as a kid because they saw an Asian. But if I became like them, I couldn’t call myself any better — but I will never forget it.
Everyone has their own background and will come to the table with it. Denying their own experiences to be PC, is equally horrifying. It’s like telling a woman to shut up and know her place for the good of “society”.
There’s a lot not said, that needs to be said — no special protected groups — everyone has suffered some racial/ethnic injustice. What’s wrong is one group gets it so amplified that it drowns out the same issues from everyone else.
I had a post calling Obama Obaba (Japanese for “granny”) which my mom calls Obama. It was removed because so-called “progressives” called it racist. At another blog I called Obama that, and that blog owner got on my case calling it racist it too (why I don’t post there anymore due to it’s PCness). Meanwhile on the first site, I watched “Jap” being said without an afterthought.
Please don’t tell folks with equal experiences what is “horrifying” when it’s so one sided. Racism/ethnic inequality still exists, and yes, right smack in these so-called “progressive” and PC sites.
If you want fairness, it really needs to be fair.
I totally agree about the fairness. And for people to refer to you with the J-word was wrong and I, for one, would stand up against it.
We’re teetering close to ‘winning a pointless battle, but losing the war.’
Nothing is going to change the historical context of ‘boy’ directed at AAs.
I’m more interested in winning the war. In November, should BO be the nominee, he should expect the Republicans to call him a lot of things including the N-word and the Repugs and those voting Republican won’t give a shit. We are letting him successfully play the race card, yet again, in his quest for the nomination. We are losing the war!
Yet another problem with the Dems of late: the over reaching PC factor.
Yeah, “boy” can be racially offensive, as calling a black person “colored” (I don’t know why, as the elderly Blacks — and yes even my mom — still use the term as that’s how it has been in the South). But you know Blacks aren’t the only race in this country???? That’s a very unPC thing to say, but it’s the God’s honest truth. There’s more than Black and White in this country, and they have to deal with these same type of remarks WITHOUT the media attention.
The media darling McCain called Asians “dinks” not so long ago. That’s as offensive as the N word to Blacks, but because McCain is protected by the media, he gets a free pass — just like Obama.
I don’t want a free ride president. I want one who EARNED it by RESPECTING the diversity of this country, not aping it. No better respect in the world than you paid your dues and got to the top by your own abilities. Hillary is EARNING every stripe.
Obama can scream racial dividing politics. McCain can be protected by it with the media. Both don’t deserve to be in the White House because neither EARNED the respect of MOST of the races and ethnic groups in this country. How can you vote for a guy who never had to work a day in his life but after college, who now proclaims he understands racism first hand — and marries a wife that I’m more scared of than Nancy Reagan? Or a guy who insults your race because he so happened to be a POW of a country who was killing THEIR family members? Are those North Vietnamese calling him a “cracker” or “honky”, today?
Nooooooo, none of that is discussed as Obama and McCain are protected guys who get free passes on the backs of others they insult.
Just look at the articles even here. We ran the religion to race divide gambit from Jews to Gentiles, white and black, all while smiling like there’s not a single problem among everyone — we just living in a damn partisan PC Utopia.
It’s a big fat lie. The race, ethnic | Jew and Gentile divide is very real and doesn’t go away with a few choice PC words.
We’re a diverse country, but we all have our identities. Presidents who discount and insult those identities have no business representing this country — domestically or abroad.
Right on, Flea. Someone has to call these people out on their hypocrisy!!! And you did it very well!!! I’d be more concerned about the assessment of BO’s decision making skills…
I agree PURITANISM is just another form of McCarthyism which is another form of Fascism.
Interesting discussion Flea; the real message here is the whiffs of what the Republican attack is going to look like. For Obama it is going to be the national security card, big time (the nuclear 3am call). Inexperience/unable to make tough decisions—big time. And Republicans just signaled that they will take it right to the edge of racial rudeness and dare Obama to come back at them at which time they will play innocent and play the—that’s just our Southern (or western, eastern, yada, yada way. That does not even touch the patriotism card (flag pin, KKKAmerica etc.) They won’t care about the flak because as someone pointed out, all the time the media are playing the tape and replaying it, the real message being sent is that BO is incompetent to be CIC. On Hillary, the big play is to remind everyone of “what Bill Did with Monica in the WH” and omg he might do something like that again! Take your choice of what animus is likely to be the most virulent and deadly strain for Dems to fight off in Nov.