Are references to Obama's drug use racist?

[ruggerson]

That is what I heard when Shaheen was forced to quit.

Now Bob Johnson, head of BET, presumably references what Obama wrote in his own book about drug use (Johnson won't come out and say it, and the Clinton camp denies it - but it's pretty clear that's what it is), and that's seen as somehow off limits, too.

But Bob Johnson, an ardent Clinton supporter, is an African American.

So, maybe the whole "racism" meme regarding Barack's drug use is just more partisan game playing.

Unless you think Bob Johnson is a racist, too.

[Occam Bandage]

1. No. Did anyone in Obama's camp claim it was?

Now, insinuating without cause that he was a drug dealer...yes, that's racially-tinged. But mentioning his drug use? When did the Obama campaign call that racist?

[2rth2pwr]

29. How is insinuating that he was a drug dealer racist?

People claimed that Bill Clinton facilitated cocaine running in Mena, AK.

[Occam Bandage]

44. .

:eyes:

[Cha]

49. The OP is being disingenous as

usual ..trying to get word out that Obama used drugs in the coy little way the hillbots favor.

[matcom]

2. i did coke in the 80's

LOTS of it.

i'm white. you draw your OWN conclusions :shrug:

[killbotfactory]

3. No, implying he sold drugs is

[ruggerson]

10. All drug dealers are black?

Not my experience at all.

[killbotfactory]

12. No one said Clinton or Bush sold drugs

Why not?

[ruggerson]

18. Actually I remember people wondering if Bush sold coke

I don't know if a surrogate for Gore or Kerry ever floated it - they should have.

[surfermaw]

26. I beg you pardon, didn't little Bush state Clinton sold drugs

[MethuenProgressive]

17. Who implied that? Not Billy Shaheen.

Don't buy the hype and ignore the facts, killbot.

[ruggerson]

21. If I remember correctly

Shaheen said "Republicans" will more than likely bring it up.

[killbotfactory]

25. Shaheen said the republicans would use it

Among his concerns about Obama as the nominee, he said in an interview here today, is that his background is so relatively unknown and that the Republicans would do their best to unearth negative aspects of it, or concoct mistruths about it. Shaheen, a lawyer and influential state power broker, mentioned as an example Obama's use of cocaine and marijuana as a young man, which Obama has been open about in his memoir and on the trail.

"The Republicans are not going to give up without a fight ... and one of the things they're certainly going to jump on is his drug use," said Shaheen, the husband of former N.H. governor Jeanne Shaheen, who is planning to run for the Senate next year. Billy Shaheen contrasted Obama's openness about his past drug use -- which Obama mentioned again at a recent campaign appearance in New Hampshire -- with the approach taken by George W. Bush in 1999 and 2000, when he ruled out questions about his behavior when he was "young and irresponsible."

Shaheen said Obama's candor on the subject would "open the door" to further questions. "It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/12/post_235.html

AKA concern trolling.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=concern+troll

[Zynx]

The vast bulk of drug dealers are white.

Also, who accused him of that?

[ruggerson]

33. That's my experience

albeit anecdotal

[killbotfactory]

42. And yet the bulk of drug dealers in jail are black

I wonder why that is?

[2rth2pwr]

40. The real racists are the ones who think that all drug dealers are Black.nt

[OzarkDem]

It was used against Bill Clinton in 92

was it considered racist then?

[gateley]

4. I think it would have been ammo regardless of whether O was black or not.

But the fact that he IS black tied in nicely with the crack-selling, ghetto boyz meme. Bonus!

[Avalux]

5. ?

Taking a pot-shot at Obama because he admitted to using drugs is nasty. Has nothing to do with race.

[2rth2pwr]

6. Yes. Any criticism of Obama is inherently racist. nt

[cali]

14. Only a HIll

support would say that and try to unfairly mischaracterize Obama supporters. Like Hillary, like supporter.

[MethuenProgressive]

19. "Don't you have some crosses to burn?" unfairly mischaracterizes Obama non-supporters, cali.

I feel very sorry for you.

[Windy]

20. Cali, I don't knw about you, but I'm getting so frustrated with HRC tactics in this race

I only hope the electorate sees her for what she is. An opportunist who must distort instead of focusing only on the issues.
I think we've had enough of that for the last going on 8 years.

[2rth2pwr]

22. see post #13 nt

[frogcycle]

7. interesting way to introduce a previously obscure-to nonexistent topic nt

[cali]

8. no. and nothing ohnson said is racist

passing strange the shit about Poitier, but not racist.

Implying that Obama was a drug dealer? Yeah, that has racist overtones.

[Bonobo]

9. If you wanted to start a thread sliming Obama, why disguise it as concern for racism?

[zanne]

11. Not racist; just sleezy. nt

[dkf]

13. Shaheen was racist by throwing in the drug dealer thing from left field

That was beyond decency.

I don't know what this Bob Johnson thing is.

[ruggerson]

16. All drug dealers are black?

When I was a kid, I had Obama beat on drug use, probably by a mile.

I don't ever once remember encountering a black person selling drugs.

[MethuenProgressive]

23. dfk, do you have the Shaheen quote handy to share?

[dkf]

36. Here it is.

Shaheen said Obama's candor on the subject would "open the door" to further questions. "It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/12/post_235.html

This was at the same time there was a rumor floating around from Novak saying that the Clinton Campaign had something on Obama.

[MethuenProgressive]

41. That's how I remembered it. Thoughtful insight by an experienced campaigner.

I'm postive members of Obama campaign are aware of the trouble ahead rooted in Obama's writhings. I'm sure they are preparing for the GOP attacks.
At least, I Hope they are.

[dkf]

43. Well that is also another tactic: Oh I wouldn't say that but HE would.

Yeah sure.

People do this when they want to make the accusation but not be blamed for it because it is offensive or in this case, racist.

[MethuenProgressive]

47. "racist"? You think all coke users/dealers are Black and so any mention of them is racist, dkf?

You don't really think that, stop pretending you do.

[dkf]

50. Not all but it does run into a stereotype.

To pretend it does not is disingenuous.

To be honest in the beginning I was just offended that they made this leap against a person I admired...but then I thought to how young black men are portrayed in the media and realized the larger implications.

Frankly in Hawaii there aren't many black people so Obama's life here was probably not that of the typical young black youth.

[jasmine621]

15. Were they "racist" comments when he wrote them in his book?

Didn't we all refer to Clinton's "I didn't inhale" comment? Didn't we all allude to Bush's cocaine use? Were those comments "racist.?"

Having said that, I don't much like Mr. Johnson.

[Windy]

24. You clinton supporters need to quit spamming the site. I'm so damn tired of

having to read snipes regarding the drug/muslim smears.

Stick to the issues at hand. If your candidate can win on her own merit then she shouldn't be running!!!

[ruggerson]

30. This OP was in response to:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4053403

An OP not written by a Hillary supporter.

So, it was your side "spamming the site" with this garbage. But nice try!

[avrdream]

45. Thanks.

I didn't quite understand where this OP was coming from.

Off to read the other one.

I'm getting a bit tired of being blamed for the crap going around DU these days. Search for most of us loyal Clinton supporters and you will see that it isn't us perpetuating this crap.

Cheers.

[ruggerson]

48. Back atcha

:hi:

[Barack_America]

27. Racist? No. Dirty politics beneath the Democratic party? Yes. n/t

[vee]

28. Cut to the chase "Obama's Supporters Are Crying RACISM!!!!!"

[The Traveler]

31. Pointless nonsense

It is not racist. It is, however, stupid and does the people and the process ill service.

[Warren Stupidity]

32. Are references to Clinton's naked lesbian pagan rituals sexist?

Not that there have been any, but I just thought I'd float that out there. As a followup, if the issue is raised by a naked pagan lesbian does that change things?

[2rth2pwr]

34. No. Homophobic, not sexist. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

38. Good point. But probably sexist too. nt.

[ruggerson]

35. The OP was in response to this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4053403

This subject was brought to you courtesy of Obama supporters.

[Warren Stupidity]

37. Don't care what thread it was in response to, it is still crap. nt.

[ruggerson]

39. What's crap is your charge of who "floated" it n/t

[zulchzulu]

46. Obama must be a racist since he wrote about it in his first book

http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-My-Father-Story-Inheritance/dp/1400082773

[VotesForWomen]

51. well, DUers have sure gone after Dubya's drug use. seems legit to me. nt