Maureen Dowd
Joe Wilson, Maureen Dowd, and the politics of race. Maureen Dowd implied Joe Wilson is a racist in a recent column. Dowd's implication is justified. Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech reveals something still rotten in America. The election of a black President did not remove the ugly specter of racism from American politics and culture.
Wilson, a Republican congressman from South Carolina, called President Obama a liar during Obama's health care address. Wilson's outburst became a moment frozen in time, a moment where the politics of race take a place front and center in the cultural discourse.
The outburst was without precedent. It was a shocking moment that cut through the politics of health care. It was an outburst disrespectful and malevolent in tone, an outburst that dishonored the office of the President. With such an outburst, a racial interpretation is simply hard to avoid.
Surrounded by middle-aged white guys — a sepia snapshot of the days when such pols ran Washington like their own men’s club — Joe Wilson yelled “You lie!” at a president who didn’t.
But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!
Wilson, and a vocal minority of conservative extremists, have behaved in a way that can rightfully be construed as racist. Their hysterical over reaction is hard to justify without factoring in race. Is concern with regards to major changes in health care, or massive financial bail outs, justified? Of course concern is justified. But the level of hysterics, of hyperbole and vitriol, is simply off the charts.
Dowd goes on, describing Wilson:
The congressman, we learned, belonged to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, led a 2000 campaign to keep the Confederate flag waving above South Carolina’s state Capitol and denounced as a “smear” the true claim of a black woman that she was the daughter of Strom Thurmond, the ’48 segregationist candidate for president. Wilson clearly did not like being lectured and even rebuked by the brainy black president presiding over the majestic chamber.
Good manners, good will, and the spirit of charity asks us to assume the best of our fellows. But sometimes the right thing to do is risk rudeness, and make public the elephant in the room. The fact that there is an orchestrated and vocal minority dedicated to de-legitimizing the presidency of Barack Obama is indisputable. The pathology of the attack: the anger, the hysterics, the rhetoric; all point to a wound that has yet to heal, a racism that still permeates our nation, a racism concentrated in the South.
I’ve been loath to admit that the shrieking lunacy of the summer — the frantic efforts to paint our first black president as the Other, a foreigner, socialist, fascist, Marxist, racist, Commie, Nazi; a cad who would snuff old people; a snake who would indoctrinate kids — had much to do with race.
Admit it we must. Certainly not all the irrational hate of Obama is directly attributed to race. Yet it is equally certain that a sizable percentage of that irrational hatred has everything to do with race. As soon as we can agree that some of this right wing outrage and paranoia is the result of racism, or displaced racism, the sooner we can begin an honest dialog around the politics of race.
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Comments
MD is a joke. Anyone who cries racism when the public doesn't like what the administration is doing is extremely immature...and dare I say, has racist tendencies because they don't see Obama as a man first.
Are you kidding me? This kind of facile and phony charge of racism no longer plays. Find a new way to dismiss your critics.
Dowd is just another HOEIN THE GARDEN like Michelle Obama.
michael stone is an anti-white, anti-America, anti-Christian, anti-western culture RACIST BIGOT.
So let me get this straight. Joe Wilson calls "a spade a spade" by telling the truth calling obama a liar, and that makes Joe Wilson a racist. According to whom? Michael Stone & that hateful looking self-hating witch in the photo, Bwah-hahahahahahahahaha, YEAH RIGHT.
'Pimp & hooker' catch B'klyn staff"
Obamunism's greatest ally is CAUGHT again.
www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/pimp_hooker_catch_staff_Js4YPEcsCcxLZhAEehLhmL
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue_2_dhh1zo&feature=player_embedded
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrpRGZq7Z-U&feature=player_embedded
The Pimp and his Ho are taking down the Prostitutes at ACORN.
THANX WWGBD,
BWAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE, THIS IS BECOMING TOO EASY.
A A
C CRIMINAL
O ORGANIZTION OF
R REGISTERED
N NITWITS
lots of people pf color are watching. we will do our talking at the polls. not all are racist but lots of them are.
"walt" accuses people of being racist, and just by his comments he just let everyone know that he is a racist, good one "walt."
iam from south carolina so i know first hand of the racism & arrogance of lots of whites there. by the way , where are all the non whites in the so called tea party rallies?
republican party is in for a rude awakening if you ask me. this seems to be the party of white men who feel that they are losing power in america. very little diversity.highjacked by the far right finatics like racist rush & beck & fox news. good luck with a white only majority, watch out for hispanics, blacks & fair thinking whites and all other normal americans. the line is drawn in the sand...lets go to war in the polls!
Here is Pat Jessamy bowing to the King of Obamunism.
www.wcbm.com/seanandfrank.shtml
No wonder she want to investigate the investigators.
YES, the citizen journalists have more in the can.
They both deserve a Pulitzer Prize.
By "fair thinking whites" "walt" means those spineless guilt-ridden whites who kiss his arse like Mikey. "walt" just wants whitey to be his sugar daddy and wouldn't know fair if it bit him on his arse.
Well written and thoughtful commentary.
Republicans already operate under the perception that they are the party of frightened, ignorant, white people.
Joe Wilson only reinforces this perception.
Critic says: Well written and thoughtful commentary.
???????????
There are other RACISTS haters out there like Mikey?
ACORN in NY tells Pimp and his prostitute, ""Honesty is not going to get you the house, you can't say what you do for a living."
I know of another racist. The dems should look next to them and say "hi" to ROBERT "KKK" BIRD. I think when you get the title "Exalted Cyclops" in the Klan, you're a pretty solid racist. I would have to check my history books, but I'm fairly certain that Abe Lincoln wasn't a democrat and KKK Bird wasn't the guy voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Maureen,
You really need to look into some plastic surgery. I'm in the "party of hate" and we also hate ugly white women that are waaaaaay past middle aged.
-Rico
We're not fooled by this nor are we silenced. Obama DID lie, read the bill, and I applause Wilson for being vocal to it. Opposition to Tyrany will not be obfuscated as racism. Sorry, you lose.
Me, Michael Stone, Obama, and Maureen Dowd hate white people.
Interesting stories not covered by the State Run Media.
"NH SECRETARY OF STATE AGREES TO INVESTIGATE"
thepostnemail.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/nh-rep-rappaport-requests-investigation-of-obamas-eligibility/
"I interviewed Mr. Rappaport by email, and asked him, on what basis did he make his complaint; he responded, “The basis for all of this is possible fraud. I don’t know what penalties will be assessed if fraud is proven.”
Rappaport’s action follows stunning revelations that Nancy Pelosi deliberately signed two different forms certifying Barack Hussein Obama was the Democratic National Party candidate for the presidency. While these forms have been known to exist for some time, it was J.B. Williams, writing for the Canadian Free Press who brought them national notoriety, earlier this week."
naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com/
www.canadafreepress.com/images/uploads/2008_DNC_Certification_Doc_1.jpg
www.canadafreepress.com/images/uploads/2008_DNC_Certification_Doc_2.jpg
Obama is half white. Why does everyone insist on calling him "black"?
Only the people who are informed intelligently and have values can discern how this President is a fraud. And the opposite is true. Where do you belong?
What I find shocking is not the accusation of racism. That label gets tossed around liberally. The shocking bit is that she freely states that her accusation is based entirely on her own imagination. In fact, earlier she was was hesitant to suggest racism was involved at all. Then she imagined she heard the word “boy” only in her head, and took that as proof not only that Wilson is racist, but that any opposition to Obama’s policies is racist. And 800+ readers not only agreed with her, but several said it was the best article she’s ever written. When the left shows they are so blatantly and enthusiastically out of touch with reality, is it any wonder the rest of us treat everything they say with suspicion?
It would be nice if the Rethuglicans could offer an intelligent response to the writer's blog. The replies are for the most part immature and childish.
Stone and Dowd are right, Wilson and his supporters do come off as racist.
Mr.Left is one of Mikey's WOW and Dungeons and Dragons partners.
And when did two words qualify a person as a racist???? Be more intelligent than that!
I've dealt with racism for most of my life. Sorry, walt and Mikey, but this ain't it.
Racism has become the 'go to word' for those who can't justify their argument.
Dowd is an old hag.
Wilson "belonged to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, led a 2000 campaign to keep the Confederate flag waving above South Carolina’s state Capitol".
Sounds like Wilson has been a racist for quite some time. If you don't see the confederate flag as racist you are in denial.
What does that have to do with saying "You Lie?" Wilson didn't say "boy"- Dowd did.
Dem's talking points:
1. Proclaim anything that goes wrong is caused by global warming or George Bush, in that order.
2. Proclaim anyone that doesn't agree with you is racist, in that order.
It's a very tired and intellectually dishonest routine, which suggests that they firmly believe the American public doesn't have the brains god gave lettuce (iceberg). Ho Hum . . .
Well written and thoughtful commentary, but probably wrong.
Maureen and her followers must be very insecure, so insecure they have to resort to fiction to try to harm those they don't like. Racism is growing more rampant than ever but this time driven by blacks and others that want to blame the color of the skin of Caucasians for all the 'sins of the earth'.
Maureen Dowd and others calling people racist because they do not agree with the Pres are showing their ture prejudices. Most of us do not like O's policies; it has nothing to do with his skin. If Hil or Mc had won and was trying to sell us this bill of goods the same American people would be mightily protesting as well. Only people who are racist themselves would call another racist without any proof or reason. I guess Maureen determines people's motives with her crystal ball. And didn't she at one time call O' "boy". Oh, and M, Dems called G Bush some horrible names and U never once called any of them out!!!! M has lost all credibility.
Dem's talking points:
1. Proclaim anything that goes wrong is caused by global warming or George Bush, in that order.
2. Proclaim anyone that doesn't agree with you is racist, in that order.
It's a very tired and intellectually dishonest routine, which suggests that they firmly believe the American public doesn't have the brains god gave lettuce (iceberg). Yawn . . .
Dem's talking points:
1. Proclaim anything that goes wrong is caused by global warming or George Bush, in that order.
2. Proclaim anyone that doesn't agree with you is racist, in that order.
It's a very tired and intellectually dishonest routine, which suggests that they firmly believe the American public doesn't have the brains god gave lettuce (iceberg). Yawn . . .
Funny thing about these so-called anti-racists like Dowd or Mikey, they never say a peep when whites are beat, raped, or murdered by minorities.
Yep, it could be just like that. You never know what is in a man's heart. But that rings true.
Anybody who has spent some time in the south knows certain good old boys, who may appear nice and respectable, but once they let their guard down, they are racist scum.
Same type in the North as well. That is just the way the world is.
Hmmm, let's see the Rasmussen Poll comes out today and says that 52% oppose the current Health Care Reform and all the dem's surrogates (including Jimmy Carter) hit the media today and execute talking point #2 (Proclaim anyone that doesn't agree with you is racist)in unison.
double yawn . . . . zZzzZZZzzZzZzzzz
how is calling a politician a liar racist.
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