Posted on 10/04/2011 10:44:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
Someone told me recently she liked reading my blog but it seemed like everything I wrote about was race. I guess I’m going to live up to that person’s perception today. Admittedly, I write from the perspective of a black woman, so I can’t help notice these type of stories. For the record, the purpose of my blog is to educate people on politics, awaken black liberals to a new way of thinking and encourage people to vote based on issues not party.
I don’t intentionally sit down at the key board each week itching to write about the intersection of politics and race, but it seems there is always a politically racial story staring and at times smacking me in the face. Like today, when the only black Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said it was "insulting" for Governor Rick Perry and his family to lease a hunting camp in Texas known as “Niggerhead.”
This racist word used to describe blacks is emblazoned on a rock prominently situated at a gated entrance to the camp. The Washington Post broke the story, detailing how the rock has been painted over, turned over but not removed since Perry’s father and later the governor himself began leasing the spot in 1983.
Cain condemned Perry for being associated with such a word, saying on This Week:
"Since Gov. Perry has been going there for years to hunt, I think that it shows a lack of sensitivity for a long time of not taking that word off of that rock and renaming the place. . . .Yes, it was painted over. But how long ago was it painted over? So I'm still saying that it is a sign of insensitivity."
One would think conservatives, including those who call themselves Republicans like me and Tea Party Patriots, would be applauding Cain’s response. After all, many of these same conservatives have said they whole hearted support of Cain as a candidate has nothing to do with the color of his skin but his positions on ALL issues, one would assume they would be supportive of Cain’s position on racial equality and inclusion.
So, you can surmise I was surprised when people on my tweeter stream turned on Cain, blasting him for “using the race card.” Yes, these good PATRIOTS who supported Cain were now defending Perry’s complicit endorsement of the use of the N-word by not removing the ugly rock form the camp site.
One true patriot tweeted: "Turns out Cain is no different than members of Congressional Black Caucus. He should apologize to Governor Perry #tcot #teaparty #Perry2012"
But the tweets below are worse and demonstrate conservative voters need to come to grips with the reality that we live in the 21st century where there is no place for the word nigger in the American discourse nor should it be associated with any presidential candidate who actually wants to win in 2012.
"Herman Cain playing the race card on Rick Perry will end the Cain campaign. And it was totally unnecessary, too. WaPo carrying that water" said one tweet.
"@TheHermanCain Sorry you have turned out to be just another race baiter. Thought we were trying to get rid of that stuff. Thks, but no thks" said another tweet.
"@impoTex @TheHermanCain The GOP cand. should renounce this kind of slanderous reporting. Mr Cain I have lost respect for you, fueling this" another tweet reads.
It truly boggles the mind how some conservatives can support Cain in one breath because he’s got winning solutions then dump their support for him and unfollow him in seconds because he stands up against racial hate. Apparently, talking about race as a conservative candidate is taboo. You can’t mention it PERIOD, even when it’s slapping you in your face.
Does the GOP want to win in 2012 or become known as party of hate? Ask yourself and change that tune, please! This is exactly what the GOP doesn't need right now. It won't endear voters to us in 2012. Excelsior Herman Cain!
I long for the day when I log on FR and see 10 threads about Romney being slammed for ______
A person can dream can’t they?
Or ten threads bashing Obama. I swear there are more threads bashing our friends lately than our enemies.
I’ve said all I’m gonna say about the Cain/Perry/Rock story.
And then in steps Sarah, whose manufactured "gotchas" are in the distant past.
State-controlled media will have brought to pass that which they fear most.
Good to see the Republicans sniping at each other and shooting themselves in the foot rather than forcefully attacking Obama as he destroys this nation.
And the same thing with Romney...It's not what Cain said...it's how he said it.
I'd give Cain a nickname..."The Trasher".
Love your choices in your tagline :)
Its not what Cain said...its that he said it without having all the facts. Now that he has them, he has quickly backed off-proving that the people who were upset with him jumping the gun were correct.
The N word is not cool in the modern world.
That being said, Gov. Perry did not use it, did not paint it on the rock, and in fact appears to have taken steps to remove it from being visible.
I am still not a Perry supporter but there are some really, really cheap shots being taken at him now. I can understand how Cain would be offended by the N word but he did not know enough about this situation to comment when he did.
I am so offended by people being offended.
“Ten Threads”? You mean ten threads a day? With thousands of replies?
I’m beginning to think this N-head “controversy” was devised by Perry himself to divert attention from his real problems into some phoney-baloney non story devised to confuse the liberals.
Unfortunately - it has confused thousands of silly FReepers too. Either that - or they already hate Perry and are gladly glomming on to this liberal hit piece.
Wow. These read as if they were taken directly from Perry supporters down in Texas. Sad.
This is just insanity. The rock was painted and turned over 30 years ago and people are still screaming. That Cain would attempt to capitalize on this tells me all I need to know about his character.
Traditionally the MSM gives black politicians more leeway on religious issues--no one objected to Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton running for president on the basis of their being ministers, but I can't imagine a white preacher being given the same respect. Herman Cain may not be a preacher but since he's a conservative they won't treat him with kid gloves--instead they'll probably try to make him into a modern Cotton Mather trying to impose a theocracy on the US.
That's such overblown hyperbole that I almost stopped reading right there. I didn't and found this gem of logic:
But the tweets below are worse and demonstrate conservative voters need to come to grips with the reality that we live in the 21st century where there is no place for the word nigger in the American discourse nor should it be associated with any presidential candidate who actually wants to win in 2012.
Um, this article is political discourse, and the author used the n word. Probably didn't even realize she was contradicting herself in that sentence.
Yes.
This has happened several times before.
Cain is a good man but he is a political babe-in-the-woods.
The media takes advantage of his political naïveté and know how to get a reaction out of him before all the facts have a chance to sink in.
When asked a few months back about Palestinian “right of return” he was totally clueless as to what the questioner was talking about. That’s when I began changing my opinion of him.
He’s has more deer in the headlights moments since.
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