SectionsObama backlash a result of racism
J.D. Garretson
Issue date: 9/22/09 Section: Opinion
Jimmy Carter recently spoke out about his suspicion of anti-Obama movements, voicing a belief shared by countless liberals that a large part of the opposition to Barack Obama's agenda, and a good bit of the energy making that opposition so fervent, is race-based.
"When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler," he told students at Emory University, "or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy … I think people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African American."
Conservatives rallied against the statement, calling Carter "out of touch," accusing him of trying to change the focus of the debate. But I've seen racism. I've heard the drunken good-ol'-boys fantasize about killing Obama. I have family members, who I otherwise respect, that call our President almost exclusively by racial epithets. Conservatives may try to play race as some minor undercurrent in the national dialogue, but it isn't. It's been a major factor in all debates since at least the Democratic primaries.
Obama himself denied racism's impact. He said to David Gregory, on Meet The Press, "Are there some people who still think through the prism of race when it comes to evaluating me and my candidacy? Absolutely. Sometimes they vote for me for that reason, sometimes they vote against me for that reason." Fox News, as if vindicated, made that their lead story for the day on their Web site.
Obama does have a point - of course there are other motivations driving the populist backlash. But the President's pooh-poohing the race card because he has to, or else he'd be forced to take on the debate himself. It seems he learned to focus on health care after the Henry Louis Gates distraction a few months ago.
"When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler," he told students at Emory University, "or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy … I think people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African American."
Conservatives rallied against the statement, calling Carter "out of touch," accusing him of trying to change the focus of the debate. But I've seen racism. I've heard the drunken good-ol'-boys fantasize about killing Obama. I have family members, who I otherwise respect, that call our President almost exclusively by racial epithets. Conservatives may try to play race as some minor undercurrent in the national dialogue, but it isn't. It's been a major factor in all debates since at least the Democratic primaries.
Obama himself denied racism's impact. He said to David Gregory, on Meet The Press, "Are there some people who still think through the prism of race when it comes to evaluating me and my candidacy? Absolutely. Sometimes they vote for me for that reason, sometimes they vote against me for that reason." Fox News, as if vindicated, made that their lead story for the day on their Web site.
Obama does have a point - of course there are other motivations driving the populist backlash. But the President's pooh-poohing the race card because he has to, or else he'd be forced to take on the debate himself. It seems he learned to focus on health care after the Henry Louis Gates distraction a few months ago.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
frank zappa
posted 9/22/09 @ 1:37 AM CST
jd why don't you just have people read a tim wise article on the subject? i'm not knocking your efforts, your execution is just terrible though
clay
posted 9/22/09 @ 4:46 PM CST
I completely disagree with frank zappa. I read the headline and thought 'here we go' but you pulled it together and made your points well.
Andrew Nelson
posted 9/22/09 @ 10:42 PM CST
Jd,
You say "I don't think there can be any doubt that opposition to the President on every issue has been stoked in a major way by racial fears and tensions"
From what I gather, you are suggesting that all opposition, criticism, or rejection of the president's policies regarding spending, war, and so forth is somehow "stoked" by racism?
If you mean that it is fueled, in part by racism, I would say perhaps, but it cannot be a huge amount. (Continued…)
Mr. R
posted 9/24/09 @ 6:51 AM CST
If you don't like Obama it means you want to hang black folk from a tree and or beat them to death with baseball bats.
"Not Exactly a PhD"
posted 9/29/09 @ 1:38 AM CST
I thought Republicans were suppose to be the ignorant ones...blaming everything on racism is just as bad (if not worse) as blaming everything on black people. (Continued…)
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