‘Racism’: Jimmy Carter Says Congressman’s Outburst Shows Fear of Black President
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“There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president.”
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- (The New York Times) - Ex-President Sees Racism in Outburst
posted by BP News Bureau | 9:42 AM
5 Comments:
George Bush was reviled in the most blood-curdling terms by large sections of the American population: did anyone ever claim that this was because he was a Texan? The Ali G question, “Is it because I is black?” has a pretty straightforward answer in this case: no. Americans have profound fears about central government taking power away from individual citizens and those fears are legitimised by the Constitution. They have every right to express them without being smeared as “racists”.
From 'National Review Online':
So many on the Right acknowledged and embraced the historic-milestone aspect of the election of Barack Obama as president. I think that was an admirable instinct. But on the Left, there seems to be an opposite instinct: They fan flames. Yes, there is a problem, which will never get better if politicians keep exploiting it as a political bludgeon with which to discredit all opponents in promoting policies that do harm to the people they claim to be speaking on behalf of.
From 'Hot Air':
If Jimmy Carter believes that the “overwhelming” portion of criticism towards Barack Obama is due to racism, does he also believe that the overwhelming portion of criticism towards Israel is anti-Semitic? Wouldn’t that apply to a man who hangs out with people who target Israeli citizens for terrorist attacks? After all, Hamas regularly issues anti-Semitic harangues and smears, and yet Carter has no problem cozying up to them and claiming that their criticism of Israel is legitimate.
From now on, using Carter’s own logic, we should note each of his remarks on the Middle East by saying they come from “Jimmy Carter, known anti-Semite.” Two can play this game.
From 'National Review Online':
Fresh from having his latest book endorsed by renowned civil-rights leader Osama Bin Laden, former president Jimmy Carter sagely pronounces that Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst was based on racism.
It's this type of extraordinary, almost telepathic insight that made Mr. Carter one of the most successful presidents in history. Ordinary mortals, upon hearing someone shout "You lie!" when President Obama claims (contrary to considerable objective evidence) that illegal immigrants won't be covered by the proposed health-care plan, would merely conclude that the outburst, however indecorous, was simply the result of strong disagreement with President Obama's claim.
Not the preternaturally wise Carter. He sees what the rest cannot. If someone disputes Obama's claim that he can provide heath-care coverage to 47,000,000 more individuals without either rationing or "adding a single dime" to the deficit, the disputant must necessarily be a Klansman. If someone doubts that Obama can cut $500,000,000,000 from Medicare with no effect whatsoever on benefits, that skeptic must undoubtedly have a swastika tattooed across his chest. Indeed,were Obama to assert that 2+2= Cleveland, any challenger would rightly be branded a latter-day Bull Connor by our estimable former president.
During last year's presidential campaign, many of us predicted that any opposition to the policies of a President Obama would be cast as racist. With Jimmy Carter's guidance, we should now concede that we are all racists and beg forgiveness. We are blessed that he walks among us.
From 'National Review Online':
I don’t deny that there are SOME racists out there, but I do not believe that it is an appreciable part of the opposition to President Obama’s policies. Also, just because some of the people who oppose President Obama are crazy, doesn’t mean they are racist; just because they are crazy and call him Satan, doesn’t mean they are racist either. When you are President and you address controversial issues, you make enemies, including some crazy enemies; this President may make more than most, since he has a very ambitious and very liberal agenda.
Consider: (1) Bill Clinton was hated by many of the same people, and he was a white male Southerner; he was not cut any slack when he proposed HIS healthcare plan. (2) There are lots of people in opposition who are African American, and lots of African Americans [and members of other racial minority groups] whom the opposition likes: To give just a few examples, Michael Steele, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, is black; a darling of conservatives, Bobby Jindal, is South Asian; my boss, Linda Chavez, another popular conservative and administration critic, is Latina; and so forth. (3) The President himself, in a press conference earlier this year, indicated that he expected he would be judged according to his policies and their success or failure, not on his race; he’s right [and his press secretary affirmed his position yesterday]. (4) The supporters of healthcare reform were complaining that the President over the summer was NOT closely enough identified with the bill; so it’s a little odd for them to say that the opposition to the bill over the summer was a result of the President’s race. (4) I see that the latest person to blame racism for much of the opposition to President Obama is former President Carter; but I suspect that those opposing President Obama hold President Carter—another white male Southerner—in much greater contempt. (5) To the extent that the opposition has been ruder than the opposition to past Democratic presidents, it may be simply because American public life has gotten ruder. President Obama is being called nothing worse than his immediate successor was called; Serena Williams was not rude at the linesman because the linesman was white.
Again, I don’t deny that there are racists out there, but I don’t think it’s helpful to blame the heated opposition to President Obama on racism.
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