Bob Herbert LIGHTS UP the Republicans over race "It’s disgusting, and it’s dangerous."

[wndycty]

Some lines:

These are bits and pieces of an increasingly unrestrained manifestation of racism directed toward Mr. Obama that is being fed by hate-mongers on talk radio and is widely tolerated, if not encouraged, by Republican Party leaders. It’s disgusting, and it’s dangerous. But it’s the same old filthy racism that has been there all along and that has been exploited by the G.O.P. since the 1960s.

-snip-
Republicans have been openly feeding off of race hatred since the days of Dick Nixon. Today’s conservative activists are carrying that banner proudly. What does anybody think is going on when, as Anderson Cooper pointed out on CNN, one of the leaders of the so-called tea party movement, Mark Williams, refers to the president of the United States as an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug, and a racist in chief.

After all these years of race-baiting and stirring the pot of hatred for political gain, it’s too much to ask the leaders of the Republican Party to step forward and denounce this spreading stain of reprehensible conduct. Republicans are trying to ride that dependable steed of bigotry back to power.

But it’s time for other Americans, of whatever persuasion, to take a stand, to say we’re better than this. They should do it because it’s right. But also because we’ve seen so many times what can happen when this garbage gets out of control.
-snip-

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/opinion/19herbert.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=opinion&adxnnlx=1253373702-guZrbtYhAYh89Pcv3sWIdg

[Uzybone]

1. Herbert is spot on, but its sad it takes President Carter speaking out

to give him and other blacks in the M$M the guts to speak out on this crap.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Yep - very sad that when black folks speak out against it, white folks call them...

"oversensitive", "reverse racist", etc.

[mix]

22. Your theory's blown... I guess "black folks" do not have to silently endure the right's racism.

Bravo Mr. Herbert! And fuck you Brit Hume.

[Indigent]

2. Why doesn't Herber quote the controversial part about Carter's words?

Herbert doesn't say that Carter said racism is the "overwhelming portion" of the hatred.

Why do columnists spin quotes in order to make their work easier?

It's easy to show that racism is "one of the" driving forces. But to what extent, is the hard part. Herbert took the lazy route.

[eShirl]

3. The degree to which racism is a part of it might be a matter of opinion,

but that racism IS a part of it is the main point.

[hileeopnyn8d]

5. Is this issue

the sole reason you signed up here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8662007&mesg_id=8662157

[Indigent]

7. if you were Herbert, would you have written the controversial part of Carter's question?

I will politely answer your question once you answer mine.

[hileeopnyn8d]

9. Did you read the article?

His article isn't really about Carter's comment, and if you think what Carter said was controversial, you are going to have a conniption over what Herbert wrote.

And once again, YOU are spinning what Carter said.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8662007&mesg_id=8662157

He said:

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man," Carter said.

[Indigent]

13. That's a spin

He described the animosity as "intensely demonstrated." You made it seem as if Carter separates the "intensely demonstrated" animosity from the "not intensely demonstrated" one. Nobody interpreted Carter's words the way you did.

[hileeopnyn8d]

14. Answer my question now.

Because it appears to me that you only signed up to this message board to call out Jimmy Carter and anyone else who sees racism and calls it racism.

That is when you're not playing the "so I guess Joe Wilson was right game" and calling the President a liar because he said the opposition was not based on racism. Only you insist on ignoring the part where he said some of it is.

BTW - intense animosity is not the same as legitimate opposition to policy, and I think you know that.

I am not the only one who interpreted Carter's words that way. The only people who are interpreting them with a broadbrush are right-wingers. And you.

[Indigent]

17. No

I also posted a comment on a study about people dying because of health insurance. Also one about Chuck Todd/Olympia Snowe.. A post defending ACORDN: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6574599

The topic that attracts me the most by far is the racist card being played unfairly. It is also a topic that's been debated more than the war in Afghanistan. That should give you an idea of how much we all care about the issue. I intend to stay a member once the story subsides. If I all of a sudden disappear once the subject subsides then you will have been proved right.

As for this being my topic of preference, I believe it's a personal decision.

[hileeopnyn8d]

18. I'd love to hear

how you think the "racist card" is being played unfairly.

[Indigent]

19. strawman

I have been disputing the specific claim that the "overwhelming portion" of the animosity (which Carter characterized in general terms as intensely demonstrated) is based on racism.

You would have to show me all the signs carried by the tens of thousands of protesters, and prove that the racist ones are predominant. That's not an easy goal to achieve. Look at these idiotic, yet non-racist signs:

[hileeopnyn8d]

20. Oh how cute!

You found the black guy.

[Indigent]

21. How many of the white people i showed carry racist signs?

I'd like to know.

It's obvious the number of black people there was microscopical. But that doesn't affect my point.

[Jazzgirl]

24. Oooooooo....Two whole black people!!!111!!!!

There are always one or two uninformed in the crowd.

[Indigent]

25. You conveniently ignore the whites who are not carrying racist signs

It's tempting to ignore the white people who are carrying signs that are not-racist, but it's not an effective way to make a point.

[mix]

27. Your point is nonsensical...the entire discourse of the TeaBaggers

is drenched in both literal (play where the monkey throws the ball, voodoo doctor images, etc.) and figurative racism (Obama is a Muslim, Kenyan, etc.)...to engage in these protests against the president and government, with or without a sign, is to engage in a racist act.

[yowzayowzayowza]

28. Problem is ...

your pics don't show "intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama", rather a cacophony of animus, some generic, some right wing, some libertarian, but certainly not what President Carter was talking about atall. Nice try.

[Jazzgirl]

23. Bullshit.

Carter is absolutely right with his statement. If you believe otherwise then you have your head buried very deeply in the sand and you did sign up just to diss these threads.

[jbnow]

10. You misquote Carter a bit. He sais

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man,"

Many are sponning it that he's saying an overwhelming portion of the opposition is race-driven but I don't think that's true.
intensely demonstrated animosity, that would be the Muslim, not born here, nazi crazy crap.

Obama is right that FDR and LBJ were called socialist, communist crap with their new programs...and liberals trnd to get hated by the far right even if they aren't doing big things.

But the fervor and craziness are intensified by race...even in those who might not think they are racist his different color and strange name make him easier to see as "other", not like them, strange, scarier. Also previously apolitical racists are happily joining in and feeding it
Race is used by hate media to fuel this...and it is likely a part of it being more accepted

But they wouldn't not have treated Colin Powell this way if he'd stayed more loyal to party or if he had run for president. It's the combination of everything...race just adds to their delusional frenzy

[Mz Pip]

11. Carter is correct

given the shrieking response to his comments from the Republican spin machine. They are like 6 year olds being caught trying to cover their tracks. The louder the denial the bigger the lie.

As long as they refuse to acknowledge or condemn the outright obvious racism, it's hardly surprising that they will deny all the more subtle parts.

[me b zola]

12. I'll leave that for the racists to cry about

[flpoljunkie]

4. “We’re heading into nut country today.” - JFK on November 22, 1963

On Nov. 22, 1963, as they were preparing to fly to Dallas, a hotbed of political insanity, President Kennedy said to Mrs. Kennedy: “We’re heading into nut country today.”

Very chilling ending to Herbert's column. Is there no Republican with the courage to denounce this spreading hatred?

[Tatiana]

6. Clearly Mr. Herbert, like many of us, has had enough of this $hit. n/t

[spanone]

15. he's right, NOT ONE thug has come out and called for human civility

[keep_it_real]

16. Mark Williams, refers to the president as Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug, racist in chief

Republicans have been openly feeding off of race hatred since the days of Dick Nixon. Today’s conservative activists are carrying that banner proudly. What does anybody think is going on when, as Anderson Cooper pointed out on CNN, one of the leaders of the so-called tea party movement, Mark Williams, refers to the president of the United States as an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug, and a racist in chief.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/opinion/19herbert.html?_r=2&ref=opinion&adxnnlx=1253356241-6ewMFqbSSMqlRROzOYPvWA&pagewanted=print

[thelordofhell]

26. Have you had your head in the sand for almost 40 years?

LBJ turned Democrats to Republicans back in the day, and the racism has NEVER gone away. People have just gotten better at hiding it.