Palin needs a history lesson (Richard Cohen flips out)

Washington Post ^ | 11/23/10 | RICHARD COHEN

[Libloather]

Palin needs a history lesson
RICHARD COHEN
Tuesday, November 23, 2010

When I was 11, my father thought it was time to show my sister and me the nation's capital.

**SNIP**

It's appalling that Palin and too many others fail to understand that fact - indeed so many facts of American history. They don't offer the slightest hint that they can appreciate the history of the Obama family and that in Michelle's case, her ancestors were slaves - Jim Robinson of South Carolina, her paternal great-great grandfather, being one. Even after they were freed they were consigned to peonage, second-class citizens, forbidden to vote in much of the South, dissuaded from doing so in some of the North, relegated to separate schools, restaurants, churches, hotels, waiting rooms of train stations, the back of the bus, the other side of the tracks, the mortuary, the cemetery and, if whites could manage it, heaven itself.

It was the government that oppressed blacks, enforcing the laws that imprisoned them and hanged them for crimes grave and trivial, whipped them if they bolted for freedom and, in the Civil War, massacred them if they were captured fighting for the North. And yet if African Americans hesitate in embracing the mythical wonderfulness of America, they are accused of racism - of having the gall to know more about their own experience and history than Palin and others think they should.

Why do politicians such as Palin and commentators such as Glenn Beck insist that African Americans go blank on their own history - as blank as apparently Palin and Beck are themselves?

[Libloather]

It was the government that oppressed blacks

History shows that it was mostly RATS doing the oppressin'.

Sarah Palin teases that she might run for president. But she is unqualified - not just in the (let me count the) usual ways, but because she does not know the country.

Does she know more about the country than the rookie Kenyan? I do believe so.

[VRWCmember]

... and that in Michelle's case, her ancestors were slaves - Jim Robinson of South Carolina, her paternal great-great grandfather, being one.

And if we knew more about Barak's actual ancestry we might know if one of his paternal ancestors was the one who sold Jim Robinson or his parents to the slave traders that eventually brought them to America.

[RINOS ARE RADICALS]

She loves America so yes she is more qualified than him.

[C210N]

the Obama family and that in Michelle's case, her ancestors were slaves...

and in 0bama's case, his ancestors were slave traders.

[TexasPatriot1]

",her ancestors were slaves.

My ancestors were slave owners, now I have a black boss.

It helps to know the past, but it has no bearing on the status of the current population.

And as I see it, they are the ones obsessing about race.

[bvw]

In Michelle's case, her ancestors were slaves - Jim Robinson of South Carolina, her paternal great-great grandfather

Jim, you old man!

[Doc Savage]

It takes not only herculean mental gymnastics to spin the Obongs like this. It takes supreme gall, unbridled arrogance, and a ability to lie and deceive your fellow citizen. Cohen takes prevarication and spin to new levels. No matter what room either of these two anti-American marxist assholes enter, they are the LEAST competent in the room. A manufactured racist candidate who is an utter failure now has to be protected from all sides lest the morons and libturds who elected this POS are cast as stupid and gullible in promoting such an incompetent candidate.

What must it be like to be a Cohen and get up every morning hating your life, hating America, hating everyone and everything sacred and honorable? What must it be like to have your very first thought of the day how you can lie and deceive the American people again? What a waste of protoplasm this mutant is.

[Psycho_Bunny]

"They don't offer the slightest hint that they can appreciate the history of the Obama family and that in Michelle's case, her ancestors were slaves "

Probably because, beyond family table-talk, it's completely irrelevant to anything.

[anniegetyourgun]

So, according to libs, all blacks have a free I-hate-America pass?

[End Times Sentinel]

if African Americans hesitate in embracing the mythical wonderfulness of America, they are accused of racism

Uh, no. When 95% of blacks vote for the black candidate over the white candidate, and when they support the black candidate in numbers nearly three times the rest of the country, THEN the specter of racism raises its head.

[AndyJackson]

Did she ask about her background? What it was like at Princeton?

O come on! Michelle is whining about her experience getting a free ride at Princeton, while Palin worked her way through college.

Before we can start comparing scholastic resumes with Palin, I suggest folks try to pass the common sense test first. So far, none of the fruitbats who hang out in their gloomy DC caves have a clue that the sun actually shines on this fair land of ours from time to time.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Even after they were freed they were consigned to peonage, second-class citizens, forbidden to vote in much of the South, dissuaded from doing so in some of the North, relegated to separate schools, restaurants, churches, hotels, waiting rooms of train stations, the back of the bus, the other side of the tracks, the mortuary, the cemetery and, if whites could manage it, heaven"

And lets look at "The One's" own history. Because of his skin color he's been given every opportunity and moved ahead of more qualified individuals. From Harvard Law to the Presidency. Meanwhile, Michelle was hired as a figurehead at a hospital, making 300,000 per year to do nothing. So I guess the Obamas are about even now, huh?

[DwFry]

“hate America” pass, “hate White people” pass, “Hate Asians” pass, “take your property” pass, etc...

[Texas Eagle]

Damn. Just how old IS Michelle Obama?

[23 Everest]

Come on folks, of course Zero knows more about the country than Sarah Palin. Because he knows about 57 states and she only knows about 50. /s

[jennings2004]

You get an A+ for such an enjoyable essay...thanks!

[WayneS]

Jim Robinson was once a slave?

Who knew?

[Texas Eagle]

That's about as concise as one can be to illustrate the difference between Libs and Conservatives.

Libs live in the past, Conservatives live for the future.

[WayneS]

Mishelle is an ‘Obama’ by marriage.

The ‘Obama family’ does not HAVE a history in America.