There. I said it. Now I feel free to say anything I want. As a white Democrat voting for Hillary how else can I defend my non-reverence to Obama?
I need to come clean, especially as the word is being tossed around so much right now
I have been called racist so many times in the past few months that I may have to accept it – and proceed from the assumption that I have nothing to lose at this point so, I might just speak freely.
No, I don’t have anything against people of other races – in fact I will very likely vote for Cynthia McKinney this November.
Still, 2 days ago, I was called racist for carrying a sign that said ” SELECTED NOT ELECTED – PUMA” and “ROE, FISA, ANTI-WAR – UNDER THE BUS- PUMA”
How racist am I?
Let me count the ways:
Before I didn’t even know of it, Obama called me racist in his book, talking about “White Folks Greed”
(he gives it a dramatic reading at the link)
During the primaries, Michelle Obama called me racist in this speech when she said:
“We don’t like being pushed outside of our comfort zones. You know it right here on this campus. You know people sitting at different tables- you all living in different dorms. I was there. You’re not talking to each other, taking advantage that you’re in this diverse community. Because sometimes it’s easier to hold on to your own stereotypes and misconceptions. It makes you feel justified in your own ignorance… That’s America. So the challenge for us is are we ready for change?”
She may have used “we” but I know she didn’t mean herself but just me. But she gave me also the key to the euphemism the Obamas use for racists these days “afraid of those not like them“. Useful, because later, B0 will use it in two very publicized unguarded statements- where Obama calls me racist – and the media will go out of their way to ignore this fact:
1. First – the event remembered as throw grandma under the bus – but everyone – opponents included – glossed over the premise the “typical” white person is a reflexive racist.
In the “bestest speech on race ever” he tells us of his grandmother’s fear of black men on the street (again that fear Michelle instructed us about). In the clarification to the bestest speech on race ever he calls us all white people racist
again, using the same euphemism.
The other time Obama called me racist was
in the much publicized “bitter statement” -
also public – made to a friendly audience in an effort to make them feel superior to those not voting for B0. I call it bitter statement because everyone latched on that word, the guns and bibles too, but gingerly stepped over the worst:
And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
Now – since we know what “fear of those different” means – it’s easy to understand that “antipathy to people who are not like them” is a step further – he is calling white democrats voting for Hillary rabid racists.
I know Obama presumes everyone has to worship him – and any deviation from this rule implies something sinister – “fear or antipathy” of those who don’t look like them.
Presumption noted. I will not defend myself.
Is McCain’s ad going to rally the racists to vote against Obama? Yes.
It’s going to be the real, died in the wool racists. And then there’s going to be me. Because much as I said at the start that I will relax about it, I am seething angry at the insult. Maybe even angry enough to pay back by voting with the other racists. Because McCain ad – however maligned it may became – legitimized me too, along with the Clintons, Biden, McCain, Apalachians, new Hampshire and Pennsylvania voters and Obama’s grandmother.
Because if racism is fear of those different than you, I do fear you, Barack Obama. I even have antipathy for you. You don’t look like me.
From where I sit you look very much like George Bush.
Update
I thought this belonged here: Bill Clinton: I am not a racist
“There are things I wish I’d urged her to do, things I wish I had said, things I wish I hadn’t said. But I am not a racist, I never made a racist comment, and I didn’t attack him personally,” a clear allusion to Sen. Barack Obama.
Why? because when B0 called HIM a racist, he called me a racist, yet again




30 comments
August 1, 2008 at 8:36 am
SophieL
Excellent post. I love that line, “From where I sit you look like George Bush.”
I’m not bitter and I’m not clinging. I’m antipathetic. And if I’m antipathetic, Bo must be pathetic.
August 1, 2008 at 8:40 am
myiq2xu
You sound bitter
August 1, 2008 at 8:41 am
bmc
Yeah, me too. I’m a racist too. Besides Barack and Michelle Obama’s arguments about me being a racist, I’ve also learned from Digby that I’m a racist. I use racist “dogwhistle” politics because I think Barack Obama is extremely “presumptuous.” That’s how I secretly call him “uppity.” So…there it is: I have been diagnosed. I’m a racist. I feel a little bad about that, but I can’t help myself. You see, I think character counts for something. And, I see a man–yes, I’ll say it, a black man–who has the clear signs of being a NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER. And, I am not willing to ignore that just because he’s black. So, I’m a racist. And, since I am, I won’t vote for Barack Obama. You can bet on it.
August 1, 2008 at 8:45 am
madamab
Love it!
You know, how bad must Obama be to turn off people who are DYING to vote for a Democrat, like me? I can tell you that anyone who got the nomination this year (except maybe Mike Gravel) would have gotten my vote, EXCEPT Obama.
How bad must he be?
And by the way, I have voted for black people before. So no, I’m not a racist like you. Ha!
August 1, 2008 at 9:06 am
edgeoforever
Mike Gravel? he was my candidate! But I see your point – I too was ready to vote for the nominee eventually – and the funny thing is – at debate time – I didn’t care much whether than would be Hillary OR Obama. In fact, i remember about 5 minutes after Iowa when I was almost supporting him. Until I tried to listen to the speech, ironically.
August 1, 2008 at 9:15 am
edgeoforever
“And if I’m antipathetic, Bo must be pathetic.”
SophieL, that’s an instant classic!
August 1, 2008 at 10:25 am
silver fox
great post!
no longer shall we of sound mind and heart be cowed by the false accusations of racism attempting to squash freedom of speech and critical thinking… obama himself has said that if he were a white man he would never be even close to where he is in this political race to POTUS
.
such false and hurtful epithets of racism(however nicely coined) only engender us “bitter” folks to dig in and” pray” very diligently that the oblahblah and the obamacrat crooks and liars be soundly trounced in the GE.
obama by any color is just not up to the job of POTUS; it is quite apparent that even many of the people who have been in the can for him may be having second and third thoughts. now that Hillary has stepped back, there is no one left to misogynize and bash, thus every democrat’s focus is on the weakest, most corrupt candidate the demobamacrats have ever put forward.
what the hell are they thinking???is george soros and the chicago machine really that powerful? are lives and careers being covertly threatened here? is there no line anymore defining democrats from republicans? is it all just one big obamacrat party now?
Sen McCain has quite a battle on his hands with this obamacoup gang;they will stop at nothing to take him down. i think McCain is well up to the fight though, and will not go quietly into that good night. he will speak his piece, and many will be carefully listening to him(and tuning out the corrupted MSM).
and many will be voting for a” republican” this year for the first time in their voting history.
NoBama
Hillary or McCain in 08.
keep freedom ringing
i want Democracy back.
Hillary or McCain. no other option.
oblah has cried wolf way too many times.
John McCain has finally spoken out about the race baiting bull shit and for that i applaud him.
August 1, 2008 at 10:28 am
silver fox
oops…sorry folks. please omit the string of ????? in my post after ‘keep freedom ringing’.
August 1, 2008 at 10:59 am
Phala in NC
“from where I sit you look like George Bush”
and I have the same adverse visceral reaction to both. No, I can’t stand four more years of the same so I will do everything in my power to make sure O is not selected/elected. Thank you for the post!!! I have been so upset about being referred to as a racist but now it seems to be redefined as a clear, objective thinking voter.
August 1, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Jude
Yesterday, I posted a comment to an article in The Atlantic that questioned if Dana Milbank a racist because he used the words presumptuous and arrogant to describe Obama. I can’t believe that the Left is now telling us that we can’t use terms like arrogant for a black man as that is code for some racial slur. Because I used the term victim-hood in my comment, 2 comments later, someone replied saying ‘speaking of hoods, is yours white and pointy?’
I am appalled and find this Presidential race incredibly damaging to the progress of race relations in this country. Obama is playing the race card, and anyone who challenges him on any issue is being called a racist.
God help us all if he loses. Donna Brazile said if he lost the primary ‘there will be blood.’ I’m not sure what I fear more – an Obama presidency or the aftermath of an Obama loss.
August 1, 2008 at 12:48 pm
edgeoforever
Silver Fox – I edited your post to take out the ???
August 1, 2008 at 12:49 pm
edgeoforever
Jude
easiest rebuttal to that: was John Kerry black too?
August 1, 2008 at 5:08 pm
kat in your hat
Well, if Bill Clinton is a racist, I guess everyone is, so to hell with it.
August 1, 2008 at 10:52 pm
edgeoforever
@Jude
Actually, Brazile was threatening “blood in the streets” if Bo would be denied the nomination (i.e – if the SDs decide this election)
August 4, 2008 at 8:39 am
I am a racist too
While I am a typical white person, I will vote for Barack Obama. The country needs universal health care more than our fear of the big black man on the street corner. Our country needs an end to this war more than our fear that Obama will paint as other when we are the majority in this country. We need stronger labor unions more than our fear that Obama will help racist black and hispanics become our bosses and treat us like crap. We need to put country before self and vote in the interest of the nation not our personal interest. A country with a strong constitution, valuing everyones humanity, the right to organize, the right to health care, the ending of energy dependence are just a few of the values I place over mine and your petty display at being insulted. Do not be childish like Bill Clinton. Grow up!
August 4, 2008 at 9:50 am
Ben
How pathetic! Off course you are racist!!! Aren’t we all too some degree? But the point is, are you racist enough to through away all the issues you cared about just so to vote for someone who looks like you?
To all of you Hillraisers (Puma) what ever they call you these days
Before all of you guys started supporting Hillary, way back when she was contemplating to run for the senate, I always admired Hillary and wanted her to run for the white house. I still like Hillary and I still think she would be a great commander in chief and I still hope Obama would pick her as his VP. But come November I will vote for Obama.
Why you may ask? As a white European decent, I find it very ironic when white Americans try to justify their dislike for obama based on comments like he and his wife are racists, sexists, elites, Muslim etc..? Come on! Do you really believe McCain is not sexist when he voted against equal pay or not elites when he jets coast to coast in private jet, or not racist when he voted again and again for not dedicating one day out of 365 days for MLK?
For all of you democratic and independent woman voters, Don’t you care about equal pay because McCain killed a legislation that would have made it easier to sue sexist companies to who pay women. You’re right to choose or right to get birth control medicine.
For all of you democratic and independent anti war voters, we will be staying in Iraq and Iran isn’t far behind, you think 5000 us troops killed in Iraq is to much wait and see.
So let me ask you a question then if all the issues you cared about points to Obama and not McCain, why exactly are you voting for McCain??
August 4, 2008 at 12:40 pm
F Pulpbugle
You are not a racist. You are a sexist.
August 4, 2008 at 2:53 pm
edgeoforever
@Ben
What you fail to grasp is – I do not try to justify anything. it’s you and your cult leader that think people need justification not to join your little club. The world is a little larger than you think. No, I wasn’t explaining myself. It was the very point of my essay:
I DO NOT NEED TO DEFEND MYSELF.
August 4, 2008 at 2:55 pm
edgeoforever
@F Pulpbugle
If this was addressed to me, it’s a bit confusing. But then again, i don’t expect any accusations from your side to make any sense – as I was paying attention to the primaries.
August 4, 2008 at 2:59 pm
edgeoforever
@I am a racist too
Gratuitous insult of Bill Clinton aside,
all those things you say the country needs are real, important and true.
Unfortunately, Obama is the last person to help with any of it. In case you didn’t notice – he’s not so much into any of those things anymore. How do I know that? he told me so:
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/the-flip-flop-list/
August 5, 2008 at 6:07 am
“The Clintons are racist” - chicken come home to roost « Not Your Sweetie
[...] lot of PUMAs (some of them African Americans) became PUMAs because of this. Me, I made my confession of being a racist now [...]
August 5, 2008 at 6:51 am
JB in VA
I must be racist, too, since The One says I am.
And it seems I’m in very good company: Hillary and Bill and Chelsea, dozens of prominent politicians and leaders and writers and poets and musicians and thinkers and doers of all colors all across this country and around the world, including a whole mess of African-American greats who I’ll bet never knew they were racists, too.
But never let it be said that The One and his wife and his campaign and his supporters and all the well-heeled media people who schilled for him are even the teeniest, tiniest bit misogynistic.
Oh no, we must understand that despite their constant stream of hateful, unambiguously offensive statements, they all just love women — as long as the women stay in their place.
Really, it is unforgivable that this awful candidate has smeared Bill and Hillary — not to mention the rest of us — as racists.
As I’ve commented elsewhere, it is not racist to prefer experience, competence, vision, and leadership over empty rhetoric.
Hey Jude — they’ve already appropriated American history to their exclusive use (remember how Hillary and Bill were forbidden to mention Bobby Kennedy, or his being assassinated, or MLKJr, or his being assassinated, or Jesse Jackson, or his losing SC twice, or Congress and presidential leadership in connection to laws advancing and protecting civil rights; etc., etc.) and the media aided and abetted them in doing so.
So of course, they feel entitled to own and control all language, too. Get used to it. If the One and his accolytes have their way, the First Amendment will soon be a thing of the past.
August 5, 2008 at 7:31 am
Perry Logan
Just think–it took Bill and Hillary Clinton years of hard work to win the respect and love of African Americans.
Now, the Obama gang have destroyed all that with just a few weeks of smears.
The Democratic Party is dead.
August 5, 2008 at 5:10 pm
artemis
I have to admit I was expecting that the race card would be pulled during this election but I really expected that BO would hold off until the general. What really got me bent out of shape was when Brian Willims, palpably disappointed about the results in Ohio, called the swing voters there, “not very smart” and “politically naive”. As if being swept up in the hysteria was a measure of ones IQ. I literally have not been able to watch him since. I guess that knowing that BO would betray the party on progressive issues was a sign of my “stupidity”, not just my bitter racism.
August 11, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Michael
I guess I’m a racist as well! Fuck em if they don’t like it. And if they really don’t like it, SUE ME!!!
August 13, 2008 at 10:18 am
The Democratic party called me!(they must be desperate) « Not Your Sweetie
[...] shiny base – the young and the democrats for a Day – go ask them for money. I am one of the white, racist working class ‘old base” that you you don’t need anymore. So, raise your money [...]
August 23, 2008 at 11:29 am
Q:When is Clinton not blamed? A: When racism is « Not Your Sweetie
[...] I AM A RACIST [...]
May 24, 2009 at 6:30 am
Jr.jr’s army of straw men- now it can be told « Not Your Sweetie
[...] who can forget about the other racism accusations in the “bitter” statement about the only reasons people wouldn’t vote for him: And it’s not surprising then they get [...]
May 24, 2009 at 6:39 am
All the president’s straw men « Not Your Sweetie
[...] who can forget about the other racism accusations in the “bitter” statement about the only reasons people wouldn’t vote for him: And it’s not surprising then they get [...]
October 15, 2009 at 7:51 am
Jr.jr blows into town – but what of the first amendment zones? « Not Your Sweetie
[...] same generous donating crowd that got to hear first hand during the campaign what came to be called “the bitter remarks” (which were really accusations of racism for those not voting for h…. The irony works on many levels, beyond the fear of anti-war protests. Here are a few: Everyone [...]