Obama the target of dangerous code words

[Sulawesi]

I guess any post on this site, on this subject, is the target of flaming by one side or the other, but I found this article to be in line with mine on the race issue. Intentionally or not, this issue is being used to hurt Obama unfairly, and a lot of talk similar to what is mentioned in this article, is used on this forum.

"Our racial wounds are deep, their impact subliminal. Words have consequences. In these sensitive times, they can activate our most unconscious fears and tap the deepest recesses of our ugly history. Every black man in America knows it. Especially Barack Obama.

Listen to the words."


dangerous words...

[robbedvoter]

1. Good morning. have your heard about THE TRUCE? Your candidate asked you to STOP!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2684687

[Sulawesi]

4. All I did was post an article that I agreed with...did you read it?

[robbedvoter]

7. No more reading about race baiting! You refuse to watch a video that contradicts

a RW fabrication about boing - and want me to read an artocle about race baiting?
fat chance. Your candidate wants you to stop!

[Sulawesi]

9. Did you read my posts on that other thread?

I have nothing to say on that other issue, why is that bad?

[Maribelle]

2. You've quoted that every black man in America knows it.

So, thanks for marginalizing every black woman.


You phreaking talk about code words.

[Sulawesi]

5. The article was written by a woman. The quote is from the article...

[MethuenProgressive]

3. "roll of the dice" is "racist"? I stopped reading right there...

Before "and" "the" and "butter" were listed too...
:eyes:

[Sulawesi]

6. I can see that...

What about the comments by Biden, Cuomo, Shaheen and Kerry. The point is that those overtones are there, like it or not.

[Marrah_G]

8. The candidates have asked their supporters to stop this

You do care about what your candidate wants, right?

[Sulawesi]

11. I was not trying to race bait, I am so confused as to what has happened on DU...

...I post an article that argues that people should be sensitive about the words they use, and get flamed for being aggressive on this. On other threads too, the assumption is that people are on the attack. I suppose I don't really need to be posting if this is all that happens.

[Marrah_G]

13. Perhaps you should just change to another topic

And Yes, this is the reaction you will be getting if you keep trying to restart this fight. We are no longer playing the game.

[Sulawesi]

15. I was not "restarting a fight", or not trying to...

I think people should know that their words have effects of other people, often unintentionally, but hey, you are probably right that this is not the time and place.

I'll just talk with my vote.

[Marrah_G]

18. Whether intentional or not it does that

Just switch to other issues for the time being.

Welcome to DU.

[Arkansas Granny]

16. What happened on DU is that the media started spinning this crap

and a lot of people fell for it. It's all about their ratings and this kind of garbage gives them many more viewers than an honest discussion of the issues.

[Sulawesi]

17. Maybe this country is not ready for an African America president.

I am an idealist and saying that makes me a bit sad, as does the level of discourse here, among supposedly liberal minded people.

[Marrah_G]

20. What about it makes you sad?

Seriously- That we weren't ready to crucify one of our own because of some out of control RW media spin? That we refuse to fall for this tactic that has been used by the RW again and again?

[Sulawesi]

24. I am thinking more broadly than H and O...

People are using Obama's race against him, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not, and both reflect poorly on him and his critics both. The frenzy around the various comments are media driven, but the comments are out there and reflect a real sense that people are not willing to give an African American person a fair shot.

This is the reason that African Americans think Obama is less electable than those of European descent. They live it every day, and see what is happening here. I am an idealist, and don't want it to be this way, and am saddened by the reality...a lot of the hope I see in the Obama campaign is a hope, on my part, to really move beyond some of the racial barriers that exist. It is sad to see entrenched biases dash that prospect...I still have hope, but it saddens me to see the state of the discourse...

[Marrah_G]

32. People also said MA would NEVER elect a Black Governor

I give people far more credit then that. I think Obama can absolutely win both the primaries and the GE if the rest is put to rest for now. The more this is fought over the less likely he is to win.

[Sulawesi]

36. I hope you are right on the first point, and agree on the 2nd...

I do not think Obama is race baiting as I think every mention of the issue hurts him...and I say that as someone who is actively for him, in part because of the race and what it would do for this country to elect an African American president.

[Arkansas Granny]

29. I'm going to give you my honest opinion here and I admit that I

could be way off base. If this country is not ready for Obama for President, I don't believe it is a matter of race. When I saw his speech at the 2004 Democratic convention I was just blown away. I thought to myself that I might be looking at the first black President of the United States and I was really excited about that prospect. I am somewhat surprised, however, that he is making his bid so soon. I expected that he would take more time to establish himself on the national level, as his opponents have done, before he took this step. If he doesn't get the nomination in this cycle, has he hurt his chances in the future?

As I said, this is my personal opinion and YMMV. If Obama is the Democratic nominee for President, I will cast my vote for him with no hesitation.

[Sulawesi]

33. If he does not win, we may never know why, but I would hope you are right...

[robbedvoter]

25. Bingo! 2 candidates with money to be spent on the MSM - they stoke the fire

It;d a win-win - especially as it helps them in the GE, when they want the GOP-er anyway, NO MATTER WHO OUR CANDIDATE IS

[LostinVA]

23. "Supporters" vs. Supporters

[babylonsister]

10. Thanks for this article; words can be hurtful. Despite all the

whining on this thread (perhaps the examples provided in the article touched a nerve), it's true. All candidates would do well to remember that.

[Evergreen Emerald]

12. I think the point of this is that Obama has to be off limits or the race card will be played

HE is allowed to bring up MLK--but Clinton is not. He is allowed to use his race. But any question of his story-line, and it becomes a "code word" about race. If he cannot stand up to attacks without playing race--he is not ready to be president.

[Sulawesi]

14. Clinton can bring up MLK if she actually does it in the right context, for example...

"One day after laying a wreath at the tomb of Martin Luther King Jr., President Bush appoints a federal judge who has built his career around dismantling Dr. King's legacy. " HRC

I agreed with HRC there.

From where I sit, you might have a complaint on the media's treatment of this, but no Obama's...

[Evergreen Emerald]

19. Obama's camp fueled it. Politics as usual.

[Sulawesi]

21. I diagree...Obama is only hurt when the discussion is about race...

[Evergreen Emerald]

22. SC has a huge constituency of black voters. It would not be in Clinton's

best interest to piss them off. She has been in good standing with that community. How would race-baiting help her? It could only hurt her. But, it could help solidify the black votes towards the black candidate if race is played.

Look his whole campaign is about solidifying those voters. "Our time is now" that is not an accidental theme. Michelle talking to the media about blacks voting for Obama because he is black.

This race issue can only help Obama. It is no accident.

[Sulawesi]

27. I can see how you would view this differently if you feel the race issue helps Obama...

...I disagree, but I understand. There is a lot of racism in this country, and many of the people that say they will vote for an African American will not. I think the race issue is still very divisive, especially among traditional democrats in southern states...

[DURHAM D]

42. I agree that Obama is hurt when the discussion becomes about race...

When he won Iowa the heavily white voters in that state were not voting for a black man - they were voting for the man they thought could best do the job. Race was not at issue - it was not part of the consideration.

When he lost N.H. (and not for reasons this article indicates) the media began to make the excuse that it could be about his race. Then the media drove the conversation further by making up shit about the Clintons. Then Obama let (fueled) the race accusations go on and on and on. Clearly Obama's camp thought it was a working political strategy. Finally he realized he needed to put a stop to it but it was too late. Now everyone thinks of him first as a black man and secondly decide if he is the best person for the job. I think the people around Obama were cynical and this whole thing has not served the Democratic Party well and has not served the country well. And, it does not serve Obama well.

The main question it raised in my mind is who are his close advisors. Are they all white?

Note: Hillary won N.H. because of the pile on by the men. Her emotional moment was/would have been nothing if the media and others had left it alone. Instead the men could not resist the opportunity (including Edwards) to make fun of her - to pile on with their juvenile comments to the point that they woke up more and more women to this ugly aspect of our culture. So, women are pissed at the pile on.

Women have almost no voice in the conversation (media/pundits/surrogates) so naturally all of the followup analysis is totally wrong. And Obama's National Co-Chairman Jesse Jackson Jr. gave an interview last Wednesday on MSNBC and says Hillary's tears need to be analyzed and she cried because she had a bad hair day. Where oh where is the news coverage and condemnation for that crap. The media also did not cover the "Iron My Shirt" guys. The reason Jackson and shirt guys were not covered is because the Clinton campaign decided not to push the gender issue - even though 57% of the voters are female. The Clinton campaign no doubt thought it would get her campaign off message so they did nothing.

Please note the difference between Obama pushing or allowing the race debate to continue and Clinton not pushing the gender issue. Then this morning Obama comes out and says the race debate has gotten him off message blah, blah, blah. He took himself off message as a political ploy and now he is blaming others. Maybe his cover up will work - maybe it won't. It is too late to put the race discussion back in the bottle. I think that is why Charlie Rangle made his statement yesterday. He is pissed at Obama's cynical use of race. We have miles to go and this is not helping.

[quickesst]

30. Thanks....

"HE is allowed to bring up MLK--but Clinton is not. He is allowed to use his race. But any question of his story-line, and it becomes a "code word" about race. If he cannot stand up to attacks without playing race--he is not ready to be president"

You hit the nail on the head with that one. It is an advantage that most people, I believe, wish had never been an issue, but it is a clear advantage, nonetheless. His own words in the op drive the point home, and his supporters are using it for all it's worth. Thanks.
quickesst

[indimuse]

26. Here's a "Pretty Code!" From Michelle..."Imagine our family on that inaugural platform,"

Michelle Obama says America will be viewed differently with a black president
Posted: 01:20 PM ET
Sen. Obama and his wife, Michelle, in February 2007 when he announced his White House bid.
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) – Michelle Obama told an audience Tuesday that electing an African-American president will challenge America to "look at itself differently.”

"Imagine our family on that inaugural platform," she said. "America will look at itself differently. The world will look at America differently. There is no other candidate who is going to do that for our country. You know that."

Obama was campaigning on behalf of her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama told the audience at the historically black South Carolina State University that she and her husband realize there are doubts among black Americans about whether an African-American can win a presidential election. But she called those fears "the bitter legacy of racism and discrimination and oppression in this country."

"We would never entered this race if we were not confident that America was ready," she said. "We're not crazy."


The Princeton and Harvard law school graduate paraphrased Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in describing her husband, saying he should be president "not because of the color of his skin, but because of the quality and consistency of his character."

"Imagine a president of the United States who actually has experience working with people on the ground," she said, referring to her husband’s background as a community organizer in Chicago. Obama said this background gives her husband the experience to confront racial disparities in income, health care and education.

"Inequality is not a burden we have to accept, it is a challenge we must overcome," she said, explaining that she herself overcame "voices of doubt and fear" about her race to now accept the challenge of possibly becoming first lady.

"I'm asking you to stop settling for the world as it is, and to help us make the world as it should be," she said.

– CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/20/michelle-obama-says-america-will-be-viewed-differently-with-a-black-president/

[indimuse]

28. Oh...and ..

let's LQQK at "when" she said this...Race Card anyway you LQQK at it! Enough with Hillary.

[Sulawesi]

31. I agree with Michelle on this...

it is not baiting to see how his election would lift up the voices of minorities in this country just as HRCs would help the cause of equal opportunities for women. I am all for lifting up people that have been historically down..I object to keeping them down.

Look, I am not trying to score points one way or the other. I just do not think it is hatred, or paranoia, or partisan hackery to see that people are trying to focus attention on Obama's race in a negative way.

If HRC were to say that her election would help women, I would agree and oppose anybody that made veiled reference to her gender being something to fear.

[Benhurst]

34. The article has some merit;

but we hardly need to have it pointed out that the remarks made about Tiger Woods are racist, or that noose-carrying white teenagers are engaging in racist behavior. And who needs it to be told that calling African Women "nappy-headed whores" is a racist remark?

And some of its examples of "racism" are a bit of a stretch, including "Bill Shaheen, a national co-chairman of Clinton's campaign, warned that Republicans would go after Obama for his admission of youthful drug use. 'It'll be, "When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?" '"

The Republicans WILL go after Obama for his admission of youthful drug use.

I hope and believe that Obama has given a full account of his drug use; but it is only human to rationalize and minimize bad behavior. While most Americans in 2008 are comfortable with pot, cocaine use is another matter, so it is a political liability. Has Obama given a full disclosure or has he given a limited self-protective one? We don't know. And if Obama were the Republican candidate and not one of our own, we would be demanding answers.

The press seems to be holding back on doing an investigation. Will it continue to do so if Obama is nominated? We can't count on the corporate press to give our candidate the sort of pass it gave George Walker Bush. Simply stating that we are relying on Obama's own admissions, which could be a limited hang-out and spin, and that the cocaine issue may still haunt Obama is hardly racist. To maintain that is, looks suspiciously like damage control.

[Sulawesi]

35. I am a bit divided on the Shaheen comments

...remember, it was not just drug use, it was being a dealer that was raised...to my recollection, that is what brought up stereotypes...

[Benhurst]

37. I agree. That was a low blow. But "racist"? It has been rumored on

the Internet for years that Laura Bush not only used drugs in college, but was also a small-time dealer. True or not, are such rumors "racist" or even misogynistic?

The question remains, has Obama been candid about his past drug use? I hope so. And whether he has been or not, it will be an issue in the Fall if he gets our nomination. Look what the Republicans did to Kerry on his war record -- and he was a WAR HERO!

[Sulawesi]

38. laura bush

"the Internet for years that Laura Bush not only used drugs in college, but was also a small-time dealer. True or not, are such rumors "racist" or even misogynistic?"

No, because they do not play to the stereotypes associated with her ethnicity...it does play to those of Obama's ethnicity...

[Benhurst]

39. Well, I would find it hard to believe Obama was ever a dealer.

But if he did sell anything to his friends, as many young people experimenting with drugs do, he will be blown out of the water in the Fall. I wish instead of ducking for cover, he would address the issue directly, categorically denying there is anything beyond what he has already addressed. His revelations in his book are not sufficient. And the longer this drags out, and it will undoubtedly will reappear in the Fall campaign, the worse it is, even taking what he wrote in his book at face value. If there is anything else out there, he and we are in trouble.

[Big Blue Marble]

40. Sulawest, the Obama bashers have their sledgehammers out today as usual.

This is a very thoughtful article. Thank you for posting it. Code words are how
elections are won and lost. If you do not believe it, ask W. He can tell you how
to signal with subliminal meaning. Normal politics today is marketing. Marketing is
about reaching the recesses of our unconscious and stirring our fears. The Clintons are
masters at this game. Of course, you deny it if caught. That is why you got the sledgehammer
up thread. LOL

I, too, am an idealist. That is why the Obama message touchs me so deeply. He is
choosing to speak to our hopes not our fears.

[Beacool]

41. Well, two can play that game.

What do you think that women thought when Obama linked his experience having a grandmother in "a hut in a tiny village in Kenya" to Hillary having "teas" with ambassadors? He didn't even have to mention her by name when some of us women recognized the implied sexist put-down. How about the smirking "you're likable enough"? Let's not forget the one that made a friend of mine decide to vote Republican if Obama were to be nominated, Jesse Jr. saying that her tears had to be analyzed and questioning why she didn't cry for Katrina while also mentioning the African American vote in SC. All of this said in the same sentence. BTW, Hillary was the one who invited Obama to go with her and Bill when they all went to New Orleans after Katrina.

So, sexism is acceptable and Hillary had to bear the brunt of it all year. Hillary had to put up with comments about her voice (shrill), laughter (cackle), age, hair and even cleavage. But God forbid that Bill say something about Obama's voting record on Iraq or Hillary state factually that it took a president to enact the laws that put into practice the ideals that Dr. King had fought so hard to achieve. The vultures started picking apart both Clintons, forgetting that for more than 30 years they supported civil rights, human rights and women's rights.

I find it appalling to see how many African Americans threw the Clintons overboard for statements that were, maybe not artfully thought out, but were never intended to be racist. This whole fiasco has me sick to my stomach!!

[Sulawesi]

43. Good Post!

As I have repeatedly said on this board, I will not defend the sexist smears of Hillary. That, however, is not germane to the article, which is about racist language.

You see, I am not playing a game (the one that you say two can play) where sexism is acceptable. I see a lot of people on this board simply denying that many of these comments are racially charged, and I don't think that is the case.