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Politics: Tancredo's racist Tea Party

Tom Tancredo, no stranger to controversy or the charge of racism
Tom Tancredo, no stranger to controversy or the charge of racism
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(commons.wikimedia.org)

Politics: Tancredo's racist Tea Party. Tom Tancredo's recent speech at the first National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, has created a media firestorm because of an ugly racist tone.

Tancredo, no stranger to controversy or the charge of racism, met with mixed reviews from fellow Tea Partiers after his disturbing remarks. The episode marks a rift within the Tea Party movement itself: a battle for the very identity of what it means to be a member of the nebulous Tea Party movement.

Former Representative Tom Tancredo, a Republican from Colorado, told about 600 convention goers in the Nashville ballroom that in the 2008 election President Barack Obama was elected because of "people who could not even spell the word 'vote' or say it in English.'"

Expressing his disappointment that America "put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House ... Barack Hussein Obama." Tancredo went on to suggest that a literacy test be implemented to prevent electoral outcomes in the future.

Suggesting a literacy test is nothing short of calling for a return to Jim Crow laws. Under Jim Crow laws literacy tests were used to prevent blacks from voting during segregation. They were banned by the Voting Rights Act in 1964.

Tancredo blamed the election of Obama on "the cult of multiculturalism." Such remarks are code to rally the racists. Calling for a literacy test, complaining about those not speaking English, lamenting our multi-cultural society, are part and parcel of a well established racist code. Tancredo's remarks are like blowing a dog whistle, calling all racists.

Make no mistake, not all Tea Partiers are racist. Nevertheless, the Tea Party movement continues to be saddled with this racist baggage. As long as the Tea Party movement continues to offer a platform for racists like Tancredo, the party will never gain the mainstream acceptance it craves.

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By

Portland Progressive Examiner

Gypsy scholar and freelance writer, Michael is a secular humanist with a passion for politics and protecting the civil liberties of those on the...

Comments

  • Multi-Cult = Brazil 2 years ago
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    How is this bad Mikey? Don't you call people "knuckle draggers", "ignorant Bible thumpers" and such all the time? Don't the delusional libtard elitist intelligentsia always make fun of how stupid middle-America and "tea-baggers" are? ENGLISH IS OUR OFFICIAL LANGUAGE AND IF YOU CAN'T SPEAK IT THEN NO WAY IN HELL SHOULD YOU BE ALLOWED TO VOTE. Many of the groups who push multiculturalism are run by zionist who want open borders for their host countries while at the same time Israel has segregated schools for Jews and Arabs, marriage between a Gentile and Jew is forbidden, immigration is limited to mostly if not all Jews, and American troops fight to protect Israel's borders etc. Do you live in a multicultural neighborhood Mikey? My guess is like most phony white libtards you went to a nearly all-white school, spent your whole life in a all-white neighborhood, and for the most part Oregon is a homogeneous state like New Hampshire, Vermont, etc. Why don't you move to Compton, Ca., East ST.

  • Multi-Cult = Brazil cont. 2 years ago
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    East St.Louis, Detroit, Miami, Atlanta, DC, Newark,NJ etc. that way you would be more credible, otherwise your talking points are just a lot of hypocritical hot air.

  • Tokyo vs Rio de Janeiro 2 years ago
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    Multiculture has destroyed or weakened every society that has ever had the pleasure of experiencing it, most notably the Roman Empire. Look at Japan a homogeneous country and Brazil a multicultural cesspool of crime, filth, decay, poor education etc. Examine these two countries largest cities by comparing Tokyo with Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. Tokyo is the largest city in the world yet it's one of the cleanest and safest, while Rio and Sao Paulo are infested with crime, decay and filth. Japan is a world power while Brazil is just above third world countries in prosperity, technology, military power etc. I rest my case.

  • Say what 2 years ago
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    How was the Roman Empire destroyed by multiculturalism? Because the Romans converted to Christianity (a Syrian religion)?

  • XYZ 2 years ago
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    The Brazil vs Japan comparison is apt but not for reasons suggested, though it is related. The truth is that the more unequal the society, the greater the social problems. Brazil is highly unequal, Japan is much more equal. Elites are more likely to enforce inequality in multicultural societies because they can divide the lower classes. It helps also when upper classes are usually members of one race, and the lower classes have disproportionate numbers as members of another race. Brazil was founded as a slave colony and never completely escaped that legacy - the same is said for the highly unequal U.S. south which is trying to enforce its extremist pro-inequality vision on the rest of the union through today's Republican Party. In monocultural societies like Japan, the lowest of the low and the highest of the high are of the same race, same language, from the same place, it is much more difficult to justify treating them badly... the Republicans are the problem, not the solution.

  • Get Your Head Out Of The Sand Or Your Arse 2 years ago
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    As usual libtards are presented with facts but then go on to make LAME EXCUSES.

  • Child of God 2 years ago
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    Didn't Mike get the memo? Playing the race card is no longer trump. I thought he was 'progressive.' BTW, the Tea Party movement is very diverse, and those involved celebrate freedom of speech. Democrats and 'progressives' can't say the same, can they Mike? It would be an interesting exercise in seeking truth to ask Black Tea Party folks what they thought about Tancredo's remarks. There is diversity of opinion in the Black community too you know, but you would never know that if you listened only to Mike and his pals: out of touch, reactionary, moldy 'progressives.'

  • James 2 years ago
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    Guy just showed what the tea party is and always was about. Racism. Teabaggers/birthers one and the same.

  • Attila 2 years ago
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    Why does Mr. Stone assume Tancredo was referring to racial minorities. Since huge numbers of youth voted for Mr. Obama, and since our education systems turns out drone meatheads, perhaps Tancredo was referring to that vast army of unthinking Obots. Predictably, Leftists only see and hear what they want to see and hear, judging everything by whether or not it promotes the narrative and the agenda. It's called bigotted thinking Mr. Stone, but you know all about that, don't you?

  • Light Skinned Negro Who you calling Retarded 2 years ago
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    GO TEA BAGGERS!! Go all you Christian Facist, tea-bagging, gun-toting redneck, anti-semitic, neo nazi, white supremacist, knuckle dragging Bible thumping Neanderthals, homophobic heteronormative pickup driving, bigoted racist xenophobic right wingnuts keep making this country great like you always have.

  • Tommy Gun 2 years ago
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    James,

    It is idiotic to stereotype millions upon millions of Americans involved in the Tea Party movement the way you do here, and therefore, you are an idiot. Try next time to think beyond the end of your frontal lobes.

  • Connie 2 years ago
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    The teabeggars phenomenon is the last hoorah of the angry old white racism males who blame their failures in life on "the other". Too bad Billy bob doesn't even know that he is on the wrong side of both history and demographics...thank God for that.

  • Light Skinned Negro Who You Calling Retarded 2 years ago
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    Hey Mikey where can I get this vid to add to my "racist porn" collection?

  • Light Skinned Negro Who You Calling Retarded 2 years ago
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    bwah hahahahahahaha, right Connie. That's all minorities and their libtarded boot-lickers do is blame Whitey. What a JOKE!! It's the white man's fault because I can't pass this test, it's the white man's fault because I got fired for sleeping on the job, it's the white man's fault that most crimes are committed by blacks and browns. Get real your comment is a complete brainwashed laughable farce.

  • Pat 2 years ago
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    Tom Tancredo's four grandparents were all immigrants from Italy. Does he have a clue about the extreme discrimination which faced Italians when they came to this country in the 18th and 19th centuries? Does he know that they were the second most likely ethnic group to be lynched?
    For the grandson of immigrants to lead an anti-multicultural movement is hypocrisy of the highest order. His ancestors would be ashamed of him.

  • Walt 2 years ago
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    Tancredo is just expressing the anxiety of some white men who resent having to play fair. It is no secret that some white men long for the good old days of white privilege.

  • Affirmitive Blacktion 2 years ago
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    Yeah right Walt giving unqualified minorities preference over better qualified whites is playing fair. Passing over a white student who has a much higher SAT score for a semi-literate minority for college admission is fair. Not granting white firefighters a promotion because no minority could pass the test is fair. If minorities have been so held down by whitey tell me Walt why are all third world countries non-white? Why do non-whites flood western white countries Walt? Why are places like Mexico, Brazil, El-Salvador so poverty stricken and backwards? Why are Somalia and Haiti nothing more than giant toilets that actually would be classified as a fourth world country if there was such a category?

  • Me For 2012!! 2 years ago
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    I have a solution to this and the Middle East crisis. Since most Jewish people are uber leftist multicultural enthusiasts let's let them move from Israel to Haiti to help Haitians rebuild their country. Other multicults like American Jews or uber white progressives can all help out. Damn I'm good, I just solved the Middle East Crisis, helped rebuild Haiti, and got rid of all the leftist good for nothings in the US.

  • Dark Skinned Anglo 2 years ago
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    OK,

    So it's racist to propose that people who can't read the ballot should not be able to vote? Perhaps we should allow them to teach our children to read also. Barring the illiterate from receiving college degrees is perhaps a poor idea?

    In the interest of equality, let's remove all barriers. Just because I have not studied medicine, there is no good reason why I can't become a surgeon.

    By the way, I think you may have a heart condition. Let me cut it out for you.

  • TWO 2 years ago
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    Tea Party for LIIIIIIIIIFE!!

  • James 2 years ago
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    It's pretty easy to spot a teabagger/birther. Most of them are big fat out of shape tubs of goo who can be seen at your local Wal mart.

  • Snow bound in Maryland 2 years ago
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    All that crap don't matter when I got 38" of snow in my driveway!

  • Brandon Johns 2 years ago
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    Leave it to the left wing to spin something like this and prop up the race card. Do you guys really think there are no white people who can't read?? Please!! I have known many. Illegal aliens should not be voting in the first place.

  • Jim 2 years ago
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    It's pretty easy to spot a Obama voter/health care weaner. Most of them are pencil neck wiggers wearing Che t-shirts draped over their narrow shoulders and puny chests, with jeans hanging down below the crack-line exposing streaked boxers. They usually can be spotted at the local suburban malls with baseball caps askew throwing down some mean gangsta signs they picked up from watching Fitty Cent or some Old school ODB.

  • Jessie 2 years ago
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    These students need a literacy test:

    www.examiner.com/x-/x-3108-Baltimore-Republican-Examiner~y2009m4d16-Students-at-UNC-deny-former-Congressman-Tancredo-free-speech

    It's obvious they're morons!

  • James 2 years ago
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    If you hear a person yell yeee hawww!! They are a teabagger/birther. Very mean hateful nasty parasites these people are.

  • Malibu's Most Wanted 2 years ago
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    If you see a malnourished Eminem-like wigger cruising your local mall with pants hanging off his bony arse and trying to talk hoodrat ebonics loudly so everyone can see how down cuz is, while spending his gubmint dole paycheck, you've spotted the suburban obamamite.

  • B 2 years ago
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    Dark Skinned Anglo- what does voting have to do with skills or work
    Brandon Johns- illegal immigrants cant vote anyway
    Jim-i voted for obama and i could run circles around you intellectually and physically
    Light Skinned Negro Who You Calling Retarded- youre an idiot... youve proven it

    Tea Party or not... individuals make it up... whether they be idiots like the few mentioned above or not

  • B stands for Bulls**t 2 years ago
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    "B" the only thing you've proven is you have a computer down in your furnished basement apartment and your all alone on a Saturday night as usual. So go pump some iron for that spindly 12 year old stamp collectors body of yours and go back to getting in touch with the unemployed while you surf for more internet gay porn.

  • B52RN 2 years ago
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    There must be some explaination for the huge number of people who were dumb enough to vote for Barry. If it takes a literacy test to prevent it from happening again I am all for it.

  • Pathetic barry voters 2 years ago
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    Did anyone ever see that video where Howard Stern sent some guy to Harlem to interview Obama voters before the presidential election. These people were asked if they supported Obama's choice of Palin as his VP and the interviewer took McCains stances on abortion, and other policies and told them they were Obama's. All of these informed voters agreed with McCain's policies and Palin as VP thinking they were Obama's choices.

  • hawkey 2 years ago
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    Your opinionated article makes staements of alleged fact that are not true. "Multiculturalism" is not a racist idea nor racist code. This pablum of yours is simply full of untruth.

  • hkjonus 2 years ago
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    Its the same old easy knee jerk reaction. paint anyone that is proud and conservatory of their culture as "racist". However, literacy or any other type of voting test is completely unconstitutional. They beauty/ugly of democracy is that I have the right to be a stupid uneducated, easily manipulated moron. I mean, my God, the Republicans have been herding me and my redneck, high school edumicated friends into their coral of idiots at fattened for political slaughter for years. Ive been tricked us into voting against my own best interest merely by being feed the racist, anti-gay, flag waving lies they fatten me up with.

  • crissy 2 years ago
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    Playing the race card is what the president and his administration does. The race card is done and you can use it as your method to shut down the opposition, but it isn't going to work. People are fed up with liberals and their crap. Tom Tancredo gave a great speech and illegals have no business whatsoever voting.

  • TheBride 2 years ago
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    It's great that we live in a country where idiots like Tancredo can voice their opinions aloud--and the rest of us can voice our opinions of his racists tones. I'm glad he is unveiling the bones of the Tea Party. Now I have little motivation for examining the platform. Racism? We're navigating the 21st century, not the 20th--we're move on.

  • TheBride 2 years ago
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    And in 1891 R-MA Congressman Henry Cabot Lodge said about Italian immigrants (Tancredo's grandparents--both sides--immigrated from Italy): "...that immigration to this country is increasing and...is making its greatest relative increase from races most alien to the body of the American people and from the lowest and most illiterate classes among those races."

    Again, let's move on.

  • TheBride 2 years ago
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    And in 1891 R-MA Congressman Henry Cabot Lodge said about Italian immigrants (Tancredo's grandparents--both sides--immigrated from Italy): "...that immigration to this country is increasing and...is making its greatest relative increase from races most alien to the body of the American people and from the lowest and most illiterate classes among those races."

    Again, let's move on.

  • hkjonus 2 years ago
    Report Abuse

    Its the same old easy knee jerk reaction. paint anyone that is proud and conservatory of their culture as "racist". However, literacy or any other type of voting test is completely unconstitutional. They beauty/ugly of democracy is that I have the right to be a stupid uneducated, easily manipulated moron. I mean, my God, the Republicans have been herding me and my redneck, high school edumicated friends into their coral of idiots at fattened for political slaughter for years. Ive been tricked us into voting against my own best interest merely by being feed the racist, anti-gay, flag waving lies they fatten me up with.

  • George 2 years ago
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    No. Not a racist. Just ignorant. Contrary to what he says, it is the white southerners who form the majority of the tea party activists who dont speak English and who are not loyal to the US (they wave confederate flags). Children of folks who voted in Obama win more national spelling bees than the children of the tea baggers. Perhaps they should tutor the tea baggers on speaking English.

  • Ignorantly Bliss, Brainwashed , and Delusional bar 2 years ago
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    And "George" just proved how ignorant he and other Obama voters really are. Despite being one of the worst POTUS of all-time the man Obama most often is compared to Jimmy Carter had an IQ above 170. Bill Clinton, whom I didn't vote for or much care for was actually a decent POTUS, also had one of the higher IQs of all presidents. Both of these men hail from the deep south and probably have IQs that are at least a minimum of 70-80 pts. higher than "George" in Carter's case.

  • Graham Lambert 2 years ago
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    what can i say ? it seems ignorance knows no bounds geographically and mentally in my opinion im glad i live were i am which is as far away from you lot as i could posssibly be .

  • fred douglass 2 years ago
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    The Revolution is underway. I think the reverse racists, Americanaphobe liberals and all the other neo-Nazi lefties (better take your sweaty little fingers off your keyboards and look up the definition of "Nazi" before you brand us conservatives as such), socialistas and utter misanthropes of the Left better hold on tight. November will look like 1776, I predict. Lefties are the worst hypocrites in history. Where's AlGore---out shovelling all that white, crystalline "global warming" or just sitting back reaping profits? How 'bout that post-anorexic amoeba Michael Moore, chuckling all the way to the bank as millions of exactly the type of cretins Tancredo describes rush to the box-office to view yet another of his Marxist screeds. Gawd, whatta bunch of imbeciles. George Orwell was right!

  • Exitmusic 2 years ago
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    Hey Pathetic Barry Voters,

    They did the same thing with John McCain voters, and those people turned out to know just as little about McCain's policies.

    The fact is, most Americans (white, black, yellow, orange, purple, whatever) do not pay any attention to politics, and do not know how to think critically about a candidate and the policies for which they stand.

    You are one of them obviously.

  • Exitmusic 2 years ago
    Report Abuse

    Don't mind me I'm just a troll/shill for Odunga and a moron to boot.

  • Jim 2 years ago
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    Tancredo drew lots of cheers from the Tea Partyers when made the literacy tests comment. C'mon, all of you apologists. Tancredo couldn't have spoken any clearer. Half-wits understand what he was talking about throughout his vile rant. This is the same mindset as it was that day in Memphis in 1968 when a similar creep picked up a rifle and proceeded to shoot Martin Luther King to death.

  • Say What? 2 years ago
    Report Abuse

    Damn Jim glad you laid down the race card and splained that for everybody. Paranoid much dude? Relax Jim the world isn't out to get you we all are just as skeered as you is son.

  • BoJangles 2 years ago
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    If 97% of whites voted for a white candidate, most liberals would accuse them of racism. That wasn't the case in this last election. 97% of blacks vote for Obama, and somehow thats "unity". Maybe you should accept the fact that blacks are racists.

  • JD Miller 2 years ago
    Report Abuse

    Jim, Martin Lootin King was scum , He was a marxist, a lier, a theif, a drunk, a drug adic, incitted riots, beat up women etc etc. A skunk of the first order.
    If blacks cant pass the literacy test they should not be allowed to vote

  • Naharam 2 years ago
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    So, Stone - you think culture is race based, and thus any reference to culture is racist? You just outed yourself as a racist. Congrats, as*hole.

  • Norma 2 years ago
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    On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of intelectuals in this country voted for Obama, so it kind of makes up for all of us ignorant ones, who voted for him.
    The word 'vote' is almost the same in Spanish, so we do know how to spell it. The word is Latin in origin, I guess TT didn't know that.

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