Posted on 09/16/2009 9:58:26 AM PDT by Steelfish
September 16, 2009
The 'Racism' Canard Victor Davis Hansen
In the wake of Joe Wilson's crude outburst, many network commentators (and Jimmy Carter, of course) are weighing in on the new racism that supposedly explains 1) rising opposition to Obamacare and 2) the president's sinking polls. I think this is a disastrous political move to save a health-care plan that simply has not appealed to a majority of Americans. I suspect it will result in another 5-point poll slide.
To prove their charge, those who allege racism would have to show empirically that the present angry rhetoric eclipses what was said about and done to Bush. It does not yet.
We don't see the word "hate" used in mainstream publications like The New Republic and the Guardian, as it was during the Bush years. (Even worse, really unspeakable things were done to Bush in novels and films.) "You lie" is about on par with the past statements of a Rep. Pete Stark or a Howard Dean ("I hate Republicans"), or the booing Democrats at the 2005 State of the Union.
The extremists at the demonstrations are in smaller numbers so far than those who turned out against Bush and the Iraq War. A senior figure like John Glenn or Al Gore has not called the current president a Nazi or brownshirt.
A better explanation than right-wing racism for the Left's exasperation is that in the Bush wilderness years, the Left assumed permanent political marginalization, adopted an ends-justify-the-means strategy of street rhetoric against Bush, then found themselves unexpectedly as the establishment, and now are appalled that anyone might emulate their own past emotional outbursts.
(Excerpt) Read more at corner.nationalreview.com ...
Would someone please explain to me what hating the policies of the White House and its minions is racist????? Was it racist when democrats hated George Bush and called him a nazi?
>>> many network commentators (and Jimmy Carter, of course) <<<<
Perhaps, but Jimmy Carter is a noted Jew-hater.
Calling folks “racist” is a clever nuclear option. It detracts from the merits of the underlying arguments about the issue and instead focuses on whether or not the individual is or is not a racist. This is clear from the cascade of arguments that have been compiled to rebut the racism charge. By employing the nuclear option, the socialists win by steering the argument away from their bankrupt policies.
Uhhh??? Was/is Hillary black? Was Hillarycare kicked to the curb because she was black? If it was proven that Obama was given BJ’s in the WH would it be racist of the American people to be OUTRAGED? Oops...I guess Bill proved you can get BJ’s and still be president...sorry.
I’m soooooooooo sick of the Liberals and their “elementary school” name calling.
# of whites who voted for Obama in OREGON: 900,846
# of blacks who voted for McCain in the ENTIRE COUNTRY: 813,968
Long ago being accused of being a Commie would ruin a career, now its being accused of being a racist. The use of the forbidden N-Word can destroy a person (unless you are black). Commies are OK now—but offend a black person and you are pictured as a rabid KKK member. The race card isn’t so much a card as it is a club to beat up Whitey and get what ever they want. Don’t let the leftists get away with such slander.
Yes, what you are saying seems to be the truth.
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