Harry Reid Catches Shit for Negro Remark

[derspiess]

Why should he be? Because he said negro?

Are you shitting me?  I mean saying the word negro is pretty bad but the substance of the statement was pretty racist as well.
[/quote]

Actually, I don't think the substance was necessarily racist-- I thought it was generally accepted that Obama was not "too black" to be a successful candidate but that he was sufficiently so to get the black community fully behind him.  It may or may not say something negative about U.S. society as a whole, but IMO that's a fairly objective statement.

It was all in the delivery.  Who says "negro" any more, anyway.  I think my grandma even stopped using the word at some point before she died.

[Faeelin]

Are you shitting me?  I mean saying the word negro is pretty bad but the substance of the statement was pretty racist as well.

You think it's racist to suggest Americans wouldn't elect Obama is he sounded or looked like Al Sharpton?

[The Brain]

Who is the blackest living American anyway? The Gangsta of Golf Tiger Woods?

[derspiess]

Who is the blackest living American anyway? The Gangsta of Golf Tiger Woods?

CdM during the summer months.

[Sheilbh]

Cool, another Dem gets on the "Exempt" list.  Thought it was gonna be one short whenever Byrd kicked the bucket.

He said something offensive, that's all.  Lott seemed to suggest that the continuation of segregation (possibly its intensification) would have been a good thing and have avoided 'those' problems.  Those are two very different things.  It's the difference, say, between making a remark about Hillary only getting where she is because of her husband with a slightly sexist term and suggesting that actually Hillary's indicative of the 'problems' you have once you give women the vote.

[Valmy]

You think it's racist to suggest Americans wouldn't elect Obama is he sounded or looked like Al Sharpton?

I would say it is more what Al Sharpton said that made him not viable rather than what he looked or sounded like.

[Sheilbh]

I would say it is more what Al Sharpton said that made him not viable rather than what he looked or sounded like.

I disagree.  They all matter.

I'd add that I agree with McWhorter that from my exposure to Americans a 'black accent' isn't any longer just a racial thing it's an age thing.  Either younger generations don't care about the racial element or, I think this is more likely, aspects of black culture have become so tied to big bits of youth culture that what an old white man like Reid hears as a 'black accent' is increasingly an accent that all young Americans have or can have.

[garbon]

I'd add that I agree with McWhorter that from my exposure to Americans a 'black accent' isn't any longer just a racial thing it's an age thing.  Either younger generations don't care about the racial element or, I think this is more likely, aspects of black culture have become so tied to big bits of youth culture that what an old white man like Reid hears as a 'black accent' is increasingly an accent that all young Americans have or can have.

Clearly that exposure was limited.

[KRonn]

Cool, another Dem gets on the "Exempt" list.  Thought it was gonna be one short whenever Byrd kicked the bucket.

He said something offensive, that's all.  Lott seemed to suggest that the continuation of segregation (possibly its intensification) would have been a good thing and have avoided 'those' problems.  Those are two very different things.  It's the difference, say, between making a remark about Hillary only getting where she is because of her husband with a slightly sexist term and suggesting that actually Hillary's indicative of the 'problems' you have once you give women the vote.

That's the spin but I'm not sure I buy it. Reid's comments could be spun as well, while Lott's comments could be said to be merely a compliment to an old, retiring Senator. Kind of depends on how someone wants to pursue the issue, or make a political agenda. Also, the Bush admin didn't stand up for Lott, possibly because Lott had a lot of clout and wasn't so easy to work with. Getting rid of Lott took some of Bush's Repub opponents down a notch. That's what was being discussed about that today on one of the news shows. Here, Obama is supporting Reid, certainly part of that is due to needing Reid to push the health care and other bills. And both Reid and Obama called for Lott to resign over his comments. So now I say they need to live up to the same ideals. They and other Dems didn't feel Lott should remain as leader with a tarnished reputation. Same could go for Reid since we're playing that game, and the Repubs are making a lot more out of this.

I'd rather see this hyper sensitivity over Racial issues end. We drive ourselves nuts about hyping up some of these issues, while there are legitimate issues still. But since the hype still rears its ugly head when the "wrong" type person says something, then everyone should pay the same price, I guess. Maybe that way, as we see how insidious and damaging it is, we'll start to come to our senses over this hyper sensitivity.

[Sheilbh]

That's the spin but I'm not sure I buy it. Reid's comments could be spun as well, while Lott's comments could be said to be merely a compliment to an old, retiring Senator. Kind of depends on how someone wants to pursue the issue, or make a political agenda.

I'm sorry but I'm not spinning and I think this is bullshit.  Enoch Powell was a great MP, a great Parliamentarian and a very intelligent man.  I can say all of that and compliment an old politician.  When I say that maybe we should have listened to his 'rivers of blood' speech to avoid a lot of problems over the last 40 years I'm straying into very different territory.  I'm not complimenting the man but seeming to endorse his racist agenda 40 years ago, that's what Lott did.

So now I say they need to live up to the same ideals. They and other Dems didn't feel Lott should remain as leader with a tarnished reputation. Same could go for Reid since we're playing that game, and the Repubs are making a lot more out of this.

When Reid tries to suggest the continuation and possible strengthening of segregation would be a good idea then I think they're on a level playing field.  Reid's statement seems to me to be at 'Obama the magic negro' level of offensiveness.  That is nowhere near what Lott said.

I'd rather see this hyper sensitivity over Racial issues end. We drive ourselves nuts about hyping up some of these issues, while there are legitimate issues still. But since the hype still rears its ugly head when the "wrong" type person says something, then everyone should pay the same price, I guess. Maybe that way, as we see how insidious and damaging it is, we'll start to come to our senses over this hyper sensitivity.

History doesn't end.  After several hundred years of slavery and both legally enforced and sort-of informal segregation being present throughout the US within living memory I think asking for an end to 'hyper sensitivity' is, frankly, insensitive - not to mention impossible.

[Admiral Yi]

Asking for an end to hypersensitivity is almost tautologically a reasonable request.  Whether this story or the Lott story are examples of hypersensitivity is another question.

[KRonn]

Sheilbh, I'm not saying your spinning. You're trying to be reasonable, as are most of us anyway. I'm saying that the groups finding excuses for Reid, his party faithful, NAACP and/or other groups is some spin. They may believe it, or not and just be trying to support someone who they feel is more supportive of their views, same party or what ever. But that gets close to or is a double standard, and is worrisome. As we see them being called on it.

[dps]

It was all in the delivery.  Who says "negro" any more, anyway.  I think my grandma even stopped using the word at some point before she died.

If she kept usining after her death, it might have been newsworthy.

[Razgovory]

Cool, another Dem gets on the "Exempt" list.  Thought it was gonna be one short whenever Byrd kicked the bucket.

He said something offensive, that's all.  Lott seemed to suggest that the continuation of segregation (possibly its intensification) would have been a good thing and have avoided 'those' problems.  Those are two very different things.  It's the difference, say, between making a remark about Hillary only getting where she is because of her husband with a slightly sexist term and suggesting that actually Hillary's indicative of the 'problems' you have once you give women the vote.

That's the spin but I'm not sure I buy it. Reid's comments could be spun as well, while Lott's comments could be said to be merely a compliment to an old, retiring Senator. Kind of depends on how someone wants to pursue the issue, or make a political agenda. Also, the Bush admin didn't stand up for Lott, possibly because Lott had a lot of clout and wasn't so easy to work with. Getting rid of Lott took some of Bush's Repub opponents down a notch. That's what was being discussed about that today on one of the news shows. Here, Obama is supporting Reid, certainly part of that is due to needing Reid to push the health care and other bills. And both Reid and Obama called for Lott to resign over his comments. So now I say they need to live up to the same ideals. They and other Dems didn't feel Lott should remain as leader with a tarnished reputation. Same could go for Reid since we're playing that game, and the Repubs are making a lot more out of this.

I'd rather see this hyper sensitivity over Racial issues end. We drive ourselves nuts about hyping up some of these issues, while there are legitimate issues still. But since the hype still rears its ugly head when the "wrong" type person says something, then everyone should pay the same price, I guess. Maybe that way, as we see how insidious and damaging it is, we'll start to come to our senses over this hyper sensitivity.

The Bush administration didn't stand of for Lot because they were actively pushing for him step down.  They wanted their own guy in that spot (Frisk).  Democrats had nothing to do with it.

[Razgovory]

Cool, another Dem gets on the "Exempt" list.  Thought it was gonna be one short whenever Byrd kicked the bucket.

Oh you poor babies.