Is the following statement racist?

[TwilightZone]

"Barack Obama is just a black version of Bush."

Please feel free to explain why or why not.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Racist, anti-semitic, and transphobic, Sir.

No serious argument can be made otherwise.

[Bicoastal]

2. Not unless "racist" means WRONG.

[El Supremo]

3. Who, pray tell, said that? Karl Rove?

[THUNDER HANDS]

4. both sexism and racism are subjective

so, again, it's impossible to say. It really depends on whether it offends anyone or not.

[Captain Hilts]

5. No, it's just stupid. As is the same expression used with Clinton's name. nt

[TwilightZone]

7. I'd certainly agree that they're both stupid. n/t

[Buzz Clik]

6. It's retarded, but not racist.

[David Zephyr]

8. Is this statement by Andrew Cuomo racist? "“You can’t shuck and jive at a press conference."

It was racist.

[TwilightZone]

11. It would appear to depend on intent

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4024264

From that thread:

"Today, the expression has expanded somewhat from earlier usage, and is now sometimes used to mean "talking pure baloney," "goofing off," or "goofing around." The original meaning of deceit often remains, however."

So, it would seem to depend on which meaning Cuomo intended. I don't know enough about him to render an opinion, but the original meaning is probably more common than the later one. There could also be a generational component at play.

[madrchsod]

12. yes the generation thing does apply

there are code words that i have noticed in some sites that use words or descriptions that i have`t heard in 45 years.

this is from my generation (61 years old) http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Shuck+and+Jive
Shuck and Jive - encyclopedia article about Shuck and Jive.

racist? i know a few words i could say about italians

[TwilightZone]

13. It does seem like a curious choice of words.

But then, as I noted, I don't know the guy and won't pretend to understand his motivation. If it was intended in a racist sense, it sure seems rather overt.

[Ytzak]

9. It is an insult not racism.

If racism is define as:

rac·ism (rszm)
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

It doesn't say that being black makes Obama inferior or superior to a white Bush. It implies he has Bush's mental, physical, ethical, and moral attributes.


It is not prejudice based on race.

It is an insult to Obama.

[dmallind]

10. No. Idiotic. Wrong. Insulting. But not racist. NT

hkh

[damntexdem]

14. Simply idiotic.

Even HRC isn't as bad as Bush. Even John McCain isn't.

[Catherine Vincent]

15. That just doesn't compute. nt