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Posted on 10/10/2011 1:56:03 PM PDT by Kaslin
THE DAY AFTER Herman Cain's dazzling victory in the Florida straw poll, I commented to a Republican neighbor -- and where I live, there aren't many of those -- that with Cain as a GOP rock star, liberals who have been so ready to smear President Obama's critics as racist would have to come up with a new shtick.
What was I thinking?
Racial McCarthyism has been a staple of left-wing political rhetoric for years, but it went into overdrive with the rise of Barack Obama. Former president Jimmy Carter, for example, claimed that much of the backlash to the president's policies was explained by "the fact that he is a black man." Janeane Garofalo, the movie actress and liberal activist, called Tea Party protesters "racist rednecks" with one motivation: "This is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up." Obama himself has sometimes played the race card; as a candidate in 2008 he predicted that Republicans would "try to make you afraid of me" by focusing on his color: "He's young and inexperienced and he's got a funny name. And did I mention he's black?"
Of course such accusations are grotesque canards. But cynics and partisan ideologues have never been terribly squeamish about trafficking in ugly innuendoes to win votes, especially when a complacent media lets them get away with it. Still, you might have thought that surging Republican support for a proud black entrepreneur -- an up-from-segregation business star who summarizes his identity as "ABC: American first, black second, and conservative third" -- would make it tough even for cynics and ideologues to keep singing from the same racial hymnal.
Not a chance.
"Herman Cain is probably well-liked by some of the Republicans because it hides the racist elements of the Republican Party, conservative movement, and tea party movement," Garofalo theorized in a recent a TV appearance. "Cain provides this great opportunity so [Republicans] can say, 'Look, this is not a racist, anti-immigrant, anti-female, anti-gay movement. Look, we have a black man.'"
In other words, if Republicans or conservatives oppose a public figure who happens to be black, it's because they're racists. And if they support a public figure who happens to be black? That's also because they're racists.
Needless to say, there is no point arguing with such "logic." If Garofalo discovered that Tea Partiers are inordinately fond of applesauce, she would presumably attribute that to racism as well. It would almost be funny, except that there is nothing funny about racial calumny.
Four years ago, the emergence of the Democratic Party's first charismatic, credible black presidential candidate was regarded across the political spectrum as something to celebrate. Even Republicans who strongly opposed Obama because of his positions and outlook -- even John McCain! -- rejoiced in what Obama's success said about America's capacity for self-redemption. Shouldn't the emergence of Herman Cain -- potentially the GOP's first charismatic, credible black presidential candidate -- evoke similar feelings? Especially if you think the Republican Party has a poor racial record, shouldn't you be encouraged that so many Republicans are excited about Cain? (As a matter of brute historical fact, it was the Democratic Party, not the GOP, that used to be the racist stronghold of American politics. But that's a separate column.)
Whatever his political prospects, Cain's story is exhilarating. Born into poverty in the Jim Crow South, where his mother was a maid and his father a janitor and chauffeur, Cain rose to become a mathematician in the US Navy, a successful business executive, the chairman of a federal reserve bank, and now a Republican star. Liberals should rejoice in his success, even if they disagree with his politics.
Yet on AlterNet, a prominent left-wing website, Cain is jeered as a "black garbage pail kid," a "monkey in the window," and a minstrel performer playing to "white conservative masters." Cornell Belcher, a Democratic strategist who polled for the Obama campaign, blasts Cain as "racist and bigoted" for saying that many black voters have been "brainwashed" into rejecting conservatism. In a new memoir, Cain writes of being slurred as an "Oreo" and an "Uncle Tom" because he is an unabashed Republican conservative.
Love Cain or loathe him, it should be possible to talk about his candidacy without resorting to racial pejoratives. Like Lester Maddox's axe handle, the political race card ought to be by now nothing but an ugly memory -- something no decent voter, activist, or candidate would dream of brandishing.
Poor racial records? As opposed to the democrats who formed the KKK and to this day focus on keeping the african american community in their plantation via hand outs and social programs??? Um, ok.
You can never win with the left - if Cain gets the nomination, it’s because we’re in deniail of our racism. If he doesn’t, it’s because we are demonstrating our racism. They are a bunch of babies.
You can never win with the left - if Cain gets the nomination, it’s because we’re in denial of our racism. If he doesn’t, it’s because we are demonstrating our racism. They are a bunch of babies.
The author’s clearly shows who the racists are, and it’s not the Conservatives or Republicans
The “monkey in the window” will make monkeys out of the Democrats.
Herman Cain should run on the “Elect the first black President” platform. The current guy couldn’t compete with that.
Yep, if anything, Obama is “less” Black.
This is probably immature of me,
but whenever I’ve encountered someone that I figured out that I couldn’t please,
I tend to intentionally provoke them.
As far as “African American” goes,
0bama is “African”, Cain is “American”.
The Democrats figure that by rights they still own all the Black people in America, they just don’t call them slaves anymore.
I just thought of a kick butt politcal cartoon...
Have a liberal standing and holding a burning Draft Card, then next to him is Herman Cain burning the race card....
Or something to that effect...
Unfortunately we as a society have become historically ignorant of some highly pertinent facts:
When black school children were threatened in Little Rock Arkansas by DEMOCRATIC RACISTS, led by racist ‘Rat Governor Orval Faubus in 1957, WHO sent federal troops to protect the rights of those students to attend Little Rock Central High School?
It was REPUBLICAN President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
When civil rights marchers were set upon by dogs and fire hoses in Birmingham Alabama in 1963, it was DEMOCRAT ‘Bull’ Connor who carried out the racist policies of the City, and desegregation finally began, but not without the arrest of literally thousands, including children by the Birmingham Police Department. The DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED BPD.
WHO stood in the schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama in 1967, blocking a deputy U.S. Attorney from entering two black students for enrollment? It was DEMOCRAT Governor George Wallace. (however in fairness to Wallace, he later disavowed his earlier racist behavior and was elected to his final term as Governor with major support from black voters).
WHO, prior to being elected as the DEMOCRAT Governor of Georgia, handed out axe handles to the patrons of his fried chicken restaurant, and refused to serve blacks in that establishment? It was in fact Lester Maddox, who unlike Wallace remained a staunch segregationist to the day he died, saying that he had “no regrets”, and neither did the Democratic Party of Georgia, who even today despises Herman Cain for what he represents, i.e. in his own words “American first, Black second, Conservative third, ‘ABC’”
WHO was responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act after DEMOCRAT Senators filibustered the legislation? It was the REPUBLICAN Party who sided with Lyndon Johnson in seeing that legislation passed. And it was DEMOCRAT Senator Al Gore Senior who led the charge, and voted AGAINST the Civil Rights Act.
The fact is, DEMOCRATS have been the institutional racists and plantation operators in this Nation for time immemorial, and when any of their property (i.e. ‘slaves’) get uppity, they smack them down with the equivalent of a bamboo cane or a club, ask Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas about that.
You’re right. I’ve long maintained that the Democrat attitude is along the line of the old plantation owners who didn’t see any reason for freeing his slaves: “We treat our darkies good!”
If Cain remains within a few points of Romney, he could well win this, as his votes are REAL, and committed, and Romney’s are very soft.
I actually still like Perry. But if he does the same or worse (worse? Probably not possible...) tomorrow night, then he’s history.
And Cain should pick up 60% of Perry’s votes, the rest going to Romney I would think.
And if THAT happens, well, Cain is going to be the nominee.
And the President.
And THAT is going to just be amazing! Steve Forbes, one of my heroes (but one of the worst possible candidates of all time!) will probably end up with a cabinet spot! AWESOME!
(Tomorrow is thus for me a win win. If Perry does well, I’m good with that....but if he gives himself the final self-inflicted wound, then Cain might well be unstoppable!).
Garrofalo proves that any dummy can be an actor. Of course, I already knew this. I used to be an actor.
I have no problem with Herman Cain but don’t agree that he is our first “credible” black candidate. I felt Alan Keyes would have been a better candidate than John “Let’s reach out to our friends across the aisle” McCain. Had we been able to get past letting the GOP establishment and the press pick our candidate in 2008 we would all be better off today.
Looks good to me
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