Republicans worried about being labeled bigots
By Steve Benen Sunday Feb 24, 2008 7:31pmIt never struck me as especially complicated. Once there was a clear Democratic presidential nominee, the Republican National Committee would label him or her weak on terror, liberal (on everything), and desperate to raise your taxes. Throw in some references to 9/11, a few pictures of menacing-looking Middle Easterners, and a dash of immigrant bashing, and voila!
But it appears the RNC is hesitating, not because they’re unsure how to attack, but rather, because they want to prefer to avoid being labeled bigots.
Top Republican strategists are working on plans to protect the GOP from charges of racism or sexism in the general election, as they prepare for a presidential campaign against the first ever African-American or female Democratic nominee.
The Republican National Committee has commissioned polling and focus groups to determine the boundaries of attacking a minority or female candidate, according to people involved. The secretive effort underscores the enormous risk senior GOP operatives see for a party often criticized for its insensitivity to minorities in campaigns dating back to the 1960s.
Look, RNC officials know the difference between a clean attack and a dirty one. They recognize when an attack is driven by race-based politics, and when one is substantive and above-board. The only reason they would need a focus group to help them out on this is if they planned to walk right up to the decency line, and wanted to know how far they could go without crossing it.
Update from Blue Gal: this quote from David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, on NPR's Morning Edition, is right on topic:
I happen to think that the American people's real problem, isn't about jobs. I don't know very many people who think that some illegal immigrant from Mexico is going to come in and take their job. That's not what's happening. It's not about the crime, and all those things, although that exists. I think what the concern is, is that we've had waves of immigrants, that have not been able to be absorbed, they haven't been assimilated, and as a result, people are concerned about what they see as the Balkanization of American culture, and the American nation, and I think, neither side really talks about it in those terms.
Mr. Keene? The reason my particular "side" doesn't talk about it in those terms is, to believe that white Anglo-Americanism is the way into which immigrants must be "absorbed" and "assimilated" is, well, racist.
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So basically, they're worried will realize the truth about them?
In news just in, it is reported that shit is concerned at being labeled "stinky".
too late
What's the matter with the old common sense approach. Oh, I forgot. They don't know what common sense is.
aw c'mon, they're the neanderthals and the bigots and we are the intellectuals and the flower children living in never-never-land-- it always worked before, now what's the problem???
As usual. They need a focus group to be told how they always campaign? Maybe they have too much corporate cash kicking around and need to blow some.
Republicans ARE bigots and most people recognize that fact.
HAHA Oh really??? Cause they ARE bigots. God what morons.
Little late in the game to flip-flop on that issue.
please...all they have to do is record the clinton campaign's attacks and they have it made
just as they did back in 88
the dumbest thing i heard said today came out of the mouth of air america's leading progressive, tom hartman.
he said that the clinton attacks on obama were good for both candidates and good for the party....just as long as they dont continue up until the convention
and then he compared this campaign to what occured to dukakis in 88.
hey tom, the wingnuts didnt control the radio airwaves back in 88....there was no faux news...there was no echo chamber
now everytime an attack is made it gets repeated umpteen times, and even is proven to be false, the lies continue unabated
just like the lies that obama is unpatriotic, is a muslim and hates jews.
the left wing of this party is stuck in some friggin time warp
It seems that the techniques perfected by Rove over the last eight years are finally looking bad even to the rank and file Republican. I'm still waiting to see what happens with the Alabama governor story - could really reflect on the Justice Department - or the lack of justice that has been part of everything since Bush stole the election.
McCain will simply be the lightning rod for all of it. I'm wondering if Romney is behind any of the current mess. he's sure willing to jump back in. And Huckabee - thank God he has said so many stupid things - those kinds of sound bites live forever.
I've argued this against those who think the right is going just go batshit crazy on Obama if he's the nominee. I think the RNC knows a large percentage of their supporters are soft-racists, in that they ARE racists but don't like to think of themselves as racist. The last thing the RNC can afford is for these people to sit home or even worse vote for Obama if faced with an overt (or even just *wink wink* obvious) republican racist campaign against Obama. However I do think when it gets close to the wire, if the polls show Obama with a lead, watch out!
Note: Obviously small and independent right-wing media outlets will be hammering the osama/muslim/terrorist/black thing the whole time
If the shoe fits...
They are already projecting their asinine fears and beliefs on the Dems. Well-known drug addict and racist Rush said today, "I have some inside information on the Dems. They are fractured. The Hispanics won't vote for a black guy. The Miami Jews have a problem with the black guy."
Of course, the fact that he's completely making that shit up is not lost on an ever growing portion of his audience.
Andotech @ 7:
I think its worse than that. I think they just realized it was BETTER to be bigoted for business/political reasons.
uncle joe mccarthy @ 10:
Both parties seem to be living on the fringe, testing things as they go. Are they all that dense and out of touch with reality that they have no clue what the electorate wants? I can understand the media hacks not being in reality, but Jeebus, you would think that the people running for the leadership of the country, would have some kind of idea that the electorate is sick to death of mudslinging campaigns. Yet, here it is again. They just can't help themselves. If your system of government was like mine, your next Prez would have very little power because he would win with a minority of support. My gov't doesn't get it either, even after being locked for support for years now. People are fed up with crap politics. If a really good candidate ever honestly comes along, it will be a landslide.
They crossed that line a long time ago. Now their confonted with having to run a campaign against a black man.And they don't know what to do.
Oh this is gonna be rich.
Next they'll try to figure out how to steal money from little kids piggy banks, and call it "forced investments" for No child left behind.
It would be easier to genetically change the stripes on a zebra than to admit the dark heart of the republican political process of exclusion.
mudshark @ 17:
Hiya Mudshark. How are we today? So do you think the prospect of the fallout from smearing a black candidate might be more than the ReThugs can deal with? I mean there are one heckuva lot of non-white voters.
A relative in rural Texas - close relative - smart relative - called to tell me about the emails she has received - dozens about Obama being Muslim, not putting his hand over his heart etc etc. She was almost in tears as she told me about all her crazy friends who are registering as Dems and voting for Hilary. She told me the only argument most of them have is - "I don't like his name - it proves he's not American." This relative lives in "stupid world" and really doesn't get that there is something happening outside of west Texas.
Exactly.
Well, not exactly. They want to know where the line is before they start offending more people than they convince.
The present-day Republican establishment is no more worried about "decency" than it is "racism"
They know they are bigots and they know they can't help themselves.
Pathetic!
Republicans are bigots and have been running race based campaigns since the 1960's. This southern strategy has delivered national majorities on a fairly consistent basis.
I think they need to be more open about this and state very clearly...
"We think it the height of irresponsibility that the Democrats would nominate a n*gger to run for the office of the President."
They will lock in the bigot vote for the rest of the century and seal their fate as a regional party unable to secure a majority in any of the federal branches of government.
repugs bozoes don't understand that their foundation is racist. I don't care what shameful tactics they use. They are a lost cause. Are we suppose to forget about chimpy's illegal war, katrina and more illegals wars?
Worried about being labeled bigots?
I guess they aren't worried about being labeled:
- warmongers
- fearmongers
- corrupt
- secretive
- perverts
- adulterers
- mudslingers
- lapel pin patriots
- torturers
I guess all those labels are acceptable.
ConcernedCanuck @ 19:
I'm doing OK Concerned,How are you? First off,I don't think all republicans are racist.But without a doubt , theres enough of them.And I suppose the same could be said about Dems as well. As for the fallout...........yeah, this will turn on them and bite them in the ass.
They've made their bed, and now they're gonna have to lie in it. You can't be a country club racist *except* during the election.
Andotech @ 7:
I think it is important to draw a distinction between the present day republican establishment and the White Christian Fascists that created it, and "Republicans" in general. I used to be a Republican. (I thought they had cleaned up after the resignation of Richard Nixon.) The party started making me uncomfortable when they nominated Ronald Reagan, and I left the party midway through GHWB's term. But there are still some hold-overs from back when being Republican meant holding a different view from Democrats on the solutions to the uniformly recognized problems.
Thinker @ 20:
You need to go to Barack Obama's website and let them know how bad it's getting in West Texas.
This really needs to be addressed.
Im curious about something if hillary did win the nomination and got elected would the republicans sue and push the matter to the supreme court because of what the constitution says in Article 2 Section 1: "The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same term, be elected, as follows"
I know this is all semantics but has this been addressed?
Someone needs to register something like barackobamaisnotmuslim.com before March 4th.
Keep in mind that trapped rats are extremely resourceful. Still, it'll be awfully tough to top their "welfare queens driving big, fine, fancy cadillacs to pick up welfare checks". But I'm sure they'll think of something.
mudshark @ 25:
I was kind of thinking that the Repub talking heads and leadership can't reflect all Republicans, but man, I sure would be ticked if I was a Repub and this was the crap that was my leadership. Ouch. As for Obama, I am sure they will not play with the fire as much as people may think. It would destroy them and not him in my opinion.
Isn't it a bit too late for them to be worrying about this? Bigoted, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic.... the list goes on and on.
If I may paraphrase Marge Simpson (or rather, her underpaid writers), ever since the dixiecrats bolted for the GOP, the GOP didn't just cross the racism line, they threw up all over it!
There's a first time for everything.
According to the new GOP talking points meme:
Until the end of the 2008 election, all GOP members are only allowed to hate homos and Mexicans.
Why the hell should they worry about it now, when they have worn it like a badge of honor for so long now, it almost seems acceptable to many of them.
The right wing bigotry is now so wide spread and known, it is also effecting them not just here in the US, but all over the world.
These are the very same people who don't feel it's necessary to meet and communicate with our international friends across the globe, they know everything and everyone else is stupid, or that is the impression they give and they just could not be more wrong.
How the hell do you get anything solved if you don't talk to people?. Does any of these people ever wounder why they can't get anything resolved? Their policies are as insane as they are, which is why this country needs a man like Senator Obama, who understands this very important device that has not been used by the right wing powers that have ruled this country for far too long and made a huge mess of everything.
This disgusting ill managed, illegal invasion into Iraq is just one major example of how these idiots think.
Bob Ross @ 29:
You raise a very interesting technicality.This will surely be fixed in the near future.But don't be surprised if the repub's use this as a technicality to stop HRC from getting in office(if she's the nominee)
Bob Ross @ 29:
Never thought of that one! Good point! Constitutional crisis? Perhaps an Amendment? Or a hostile takeover/coup?
Hey Repubs.Take it from this "black" who understands YOUR sorry history. It'll probably take you pathetic freaks an entire generation to cleanse yourselves of that nasty "black mark" you fuckers have tattooed on your wretched souls. In the meantime just be yourself and fuck off.
ConcernedCanuck @ 32:
the end result can only be,it costing them members of their party
and that's votes.And rightfully so.
ConcernedCanuck @ 39:
ConcernedCanuck @ 39:
I think it means that we are supposed to address Hillary as Mr. President.
mudshark @ 38:
Yeah that's what I'm wondering with the way the supreme court is stacked right now can't they say its a technicality and she's not eligible to be elected and if she's not eligible to be elected as president wouldn't that preclude her from being VP in accordance with Article 12 of the constitution?
ConcernedCanuck @ 19:
The GOP has already figured out they have lost the minority vote long time ago, however they want to throw enough meat to their white knuckle dragging base to keep on getting elected. Since all those fly by states seem to still have a disproportionate representation on the electoral college, I think that the GOP is banking on keeping that strategy 'til kingdom come.
The secret is in the sauce I guess... make the racist/classist slant too obvious and they may have to apologize, which makes them look weak. A no, no in republic world.
Ooops: that horse dun already left the barn, pardner.
Left&Left @ 40:
you're black? Wow.....you sure don't look black.
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.that's a joke.....I hope you didn't take it wrong.
Since when were Republicans worried about being labeled bigots? Bigots and religious zealots are who they are and who they speak to http://youtube.com/watch?v=0-oUai7WLo4
Bob Ross @ 43:
I'm just worried they'd do an end run over what the populace wants again. But what would happen if the supreme court sided with the republicans would her running mate be president and speaker pelosi get pushed up.. but she couldn't be either as she would be ineligible as well under this scenario
But it appears the RNC is hesitating, not because they’re unsure how to attack, but rather, because they want to prefer to avoid being labeled bigots.
**************************************************
If the shoe fits...
Gee...maybe the best way to avoid being labeled bigots is to start choosing one's words with more care, start accepting personal responsibility for one's own words and actions (something which the Republican Party is always telling everyone else to do), and stop acting and talking like bigots.
Of course, this advice will never be followed because it makes far too much sense...
mudshark @ 46:
If the shoe fits!
Spoiler alert...
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McCain wins the War to the White House! LINK
Left&Left @ 50:
They could go a long way towards shedding the mantle of racism by voting for Obama. After all, in addition to being brown, he's the best candidate, by far, in the race.
If someone shows you who they are, BELIEVE THEM!
mudshark @ 53:
I think i would recognize me if i passed me on the street.
Our society is more open to being sexist towards females than racist towards a black man I think.
They won't get away with dirty tactics towards Barack.
They can attack Hillary all they want unfortunately.
That just seems to be the way it is.
Hope society keeps evolving.
xoites defends Constitution @ 51:
As the Fool Shits! :<[)
xoites defends Constitution @ 56:
are you sure?
Marcus Aurelius @ 54:
Please let's be more precise.
mudshark @ 59:
Not really. If i passed me on the street i would be halucinating.
xoites defends Constitution @ 61:
save me some.
ChrisM70 @ 24:
I'd add fascists.
mudshark @ 62:
don't forget to pass it. sharing IS good and a Progressive Ideal as well.
Top 5 reasons they are too late to worry....
1) Southern Strategy (GOP) - ....oh how this has evolved to make even Nazi SS/KGB Pravda 'green with envy'....from Jim Crow tactics....to caging lists, to overtly racist smear campaigns (McCain 2000 'black baby' - Harold Ford Jr, etc), to broken e-voting machines in 'minority precincts' (yeah...can't blame that on county/state boards of election) and not having enough available for expected levels of turnout (see Cleveland 2004, etc), etc..... Its institutionalized racism, a staple of the GOP.
2) Right wingnut noise machine - Oh....good lord. There aren't enough terabytes in all of the server farms in the world to contain the amount of racist rhetoric, racist soundbytes, racist op-eds, racist statements, racist articles/postings. Check out Bill O'Reilly's latest from harlem restaraunts, to lynching... Just google right wing & racism and I'll see you next year....
3) Right wing/White Power/KKK seals of approval - take a field trip down south, to an anti-immigration rally and you'll find the last of the disgusting vestiges of 20th century hate groups...proudly displaying their 'bush/cheney 04 stickers, W04 stickers, etc, etc.
The right wing loves to bring up Senator Byrd....but it would take me 3 hours to list every racist Republican rep/senator/political adviser that has blatantly pimped their racist streaks for the racism vote (not just in the South, but in 'con-servative' areas of the country. Hey...when those groups endorse the GOP year after year...its hard to walk away from....
4) Katrina - really explains itself. Now...before the trolls trot out their 'Nagin & Blanco are democrats & didn't do anything (which has been debunked so many times & in so many ways...its kind of comical they even try to go back to that). Putting an Arabian horse 'lawyer' in charge of one of the most powerful agencies ever created (oh yeah....they're the government that takes over in crisis time)....is a testament to how much Republicans hate government and want to destroy it (not just drown it like pedophile financier Norquist wants to in a bath tub)
5) Party of Exclusion - Sans Alan Keyes & a few other self-haters, how many minority candidates have the GOP actually promoted/run in elections? You can't count Condi "Chevron" Rice, Colin "artist rendition" Powell, Clarence "Anita Hill" Thomas....those are nothing but 'throwing bones'....PR specialities of the right wing
Oh....if you aren't convinced....take a look at the presidential race....circa September 2007....there's just something odd about the groups.....hmm....bunch of old white guys....yep...they're ready for the 21st century....they're ready to leave the 1950s...err...15th century behind
GOP & Racism....unbreakable....
(picture of Abraham Lincoln) "Can someone tell me what happened to my party?"
Trent Lott, Strom Thurmond, Lindsey Graham, Tom Delay....why don't you guys answer that...
They won't have any problem crossing the decency line. They have proven themselves capable of crossing the line including everything from influence peddling to treason. There backs are to the wall and they will stop at nothing to maintain their stranglehold on the country. This is when they are the most dangerous.
CoIntelPro @ 55:
OK, I plagiarized that from "medea goes to jail"
Washington Post: Friday, April 11, 2003; Page A26
It was less than four months ago that Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott lost his job as majority leader, and deservedly so, after praising the segregationist presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond. Now another lawmaker, Republican Rep. Barbara Cubin of Wyoming, has out-Lotted Mr. Lott. Mrs. Cubin’s remarks came not in a birthday tribute to a centenarian but on the floor of the House of Representatives, in the midst of a serious debate on a gun measure. No historical memory is needed to adequately appreciate their bald racism. And unlike in the case of Mr. Lott, Mrs. Cubin’s remarks seem to have provoked barely a word of protest from her Republican colleagues. For fear that some may think they are taken out of context, we reprint the offending part here in its entirety: “My sons are 25 and 30. They are blond-haired and blue-eyed. One amendment today said we could not sell guns to anybody under drug treatment. So does that mean if you go into a black community, you cannot sell a gun to any black person, or does that mean because my — “
CoIntelPro @ 63:
B.S. If the were worried about "labels" they wouldn't have been in power for the last 25+ years.
Teammates: Allen used "N-word" in collegeThree members of Sen. George Allen's college football team remember a man with racist attitudes at ease using racial slurs.
By Michael Scherer
I think the bigotry aspect can be best addressed by the views on illegal immigration. There are those, including me, who believe that illegal immigration is undercutting wages, particularly in construction. To me, the issue is the cousin of laissez-faire (free) trade, which is bringing in cheap foreign labor to undercut wages when moving the work off-shore isn't possible. Under this view, one can not oppose illegal immigration and simultaneously support laissez-faire (free) trade. An accompanying issue is the drain on health and public assistance programs at a time when 50 million Americans don't have health insurance. Again, the issues are entirely economic.
On the other hand, the Republicans have introduced this "English as a primary language" initiative. They don't like illegal immigration, but love free trade. Their attack include an attack on the immigrant's culture and language. The point of the initiative is to turn out the white vote, which they then will vote for the GOP. In my state, they conceded (on local PBS) that the initiative is meaningless since all state proceedings are in English anyhow. I hope it turns out the anti-bigots as well.
They might as well just relax because as far as most Republicans are concerned, that ship has already sailed.
Orangutan. @ 57:
Negative. Only a non-black person would make such a comment. A white woman can at least dangle her pussy over a white man's head. Us brothers can sing ,dance ,and play sports(very humblely) for only so long. I've heard this argument before and in a racist society it's always better to be white.
Joke leaves 'em gasping
Obama quip stuns Citizen of the West banquet crowd
John C. Ensslin
Originally published 12:30 a.m., January 17, 2008
Updated 01:50 p.m., January 17, 2008
A Greeley businessman apologized Wednesday after a joke about Illinois Sen. Barack Obama fell flat during the National Western Stock Show's annual Citizen of the West banquet.
William R. Farr was pretending to read telegrams congratulating this year's award recipient, University of Colorado President Hank Brown, when he pulled out a piece of paper and said, "I have a telegram from the White House."
Then he added, "They're going to have to change the name of that building if Obama's elected."
Left&Left @ 73:
you can't rule out the sexism.while I understand what you're saying,this election is a living conundrum for the repub's.we'll see what thier all about in the very near future.
The title to this thread is laughable.
THEY ARE BIGOTS!!
What is the "fear" all about? The majority of the party are bigots and class war assholes. If there is anything that is to the point in all of this, it's that they are afraid America will start to realize the TRUTH!!
The acknowledgment here is glaring.
If you're NOT a bigot, then you'd treat Obama like any other young Democratic candidate. But since they ARE bigots, they're worried that something perceived as racist might slip beneath their radar undetected because they can't tell when a remark is racist or not.
Left&Left @ 73:
There's a few things I haven't heard about happening to white women:
lynched? no
dragged behind pickup trucks until their heads pop off? no
dragged out of their cars and then get beaten by a dozen cops? no
have 41 shots taken at them as they arrive home from work? no
have 50 bullets fired at them? no
mudshark @ 75:
No, I didn't rule out sexism. I know it is live and well. Compare the history of the two in this nation and you'll see that their is no comparison. Also your sexism argument applies to minority women too.
How come the republicans sound like the Borg?