Today is the big event billed as “Taxpayer March on D. C.” In actuality, it is the “I Hate Obama Rally.” The GOP seems to be latching on to these conservative protests. A few top Republicans will speak to the crowd tomorrow; Republicans like Mike Pence, Eric Cantor, John Boehner, and Jim DeMint. However, top Republican strategists are concerned, according to the Washington Post:
But top Republican strategists and many party observers also worry about the impact that the most extreme protesters might have on the party’s image, including those who carry swastika signs or obsess over the veracity of Obama’s Hawaiian birth.
Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and other Republicans, said there is an “opportunity for Republicans” to tap into legitimate fears about an overreaching federal government. But he said that “right-wing nutballs are aligning themselves with these movements” and are dominating media coverage.
“It’s bad for Republicans because in the absence of any real leadership, the freaks fill the void and define the party,” McKinnon said.
Who are the real Republican leaders? McCain seems to be the Senior Stateman of his party with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee turned TV entertainer following up. Who knows what Sarah Palin is or where she fits in. Eric Cantor certain has a following as does Bobby Jindal. Are these people involved with these “I Hate Obama” shenanigans?
The groups behind these ‘tea party rallies’ are rather undefined and loose-knit. Saturday’s march is sponsored by the same loose-knit coalition of groups that helped to organize health-care protests over the summer and anti-tax rallies in the spring. They include the Tea Party Patriots, ResistNet and Freedomworks, a Washington-based organization headed by former House majority leader Richard Armey (R-Tex.). The march has also been heavily publicized by Fox News host Glenn Beck as part of his “9-12 Project.”
The groups behind the protests include a broad array of self-described libertarians, independents and other factions, who have emerged as a force largely independent of GOP leaders in Washington. Some of that is by design: Leading activists among the conservative groups say they remain suspicious of a party that endorsed runaway deficits, a Wall Street bailout and other Bush-era policies they found objectionable.
Mainstream Republicans need to be very careful about who they align themselves with. The gun toters and the mustache drawers will be called out if they try to run for office.
The appearances underscore the increasing efforts by conservative Republicans to embrace the anti-Obama protests, even as others remain uncomfortable with the more extreme elements that frequent such gatherings. Some protesters this year have loudly disrupted community meetings, brought guns to Obama events and likened the president to Adolf Hitler
Perhaps those with the tinfoil hats will leave the GOP. Once that happens the rest of us can discuss real politics rather than erasing fake mustaches off pictures of the President.
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Diversity Gal, how embarrassing to have to witness that one. I hope everyone ganged up on the dude and told him no more happy hours for him until he learned to control his booze.
I hope he apologized to everyone he worked with who was present.
Diversity Gal,
This is not our problem, as I said. It’s the GOP’s problem. They could be participating with logical, reasonable arguments. Everyone agrees there are arguments to be made. Useful ones that add something to our democracy.
But if you are going to sink low enough to encourage prejudice as a way of rallying a base for political organization, then YES, you are going to attract racists.
It’s not a coincidence that people of color, and people who actually KNOW some people of color, will not be caught dead at these rallies. In order to go to these rallies you have to very comfortable being around racists and hearing racists things said. Very few people are comfortable in such settings. I’m beginning to think that this is what they want. They want to make people uncomfortable and expressing open bigotry is a good way to do that.
But it’s like a process of elimination. You set up this subculture where racism and blatant disrespect are acceptable. Then see who turns up. Well of course it will be mostly white people. And it will be mostly white people from communities where they are only around white people.
No matter what your race is, if you are accustomed to being in a diverse community, then you are NOT accustomed and NOT comfortable being around racism.
This is just an intuition that most Americans have. That is why when we see the Glenn Beck special and realize that 60,000 people showed up and 59,994 of them were white people, it just makes us wonder.
Then we see the signs they make up with their swastikas and demands for birth certificates and it we cringe with disgust.
I’m thankful that Mark McKinnon is brave enough to say this so that I cannot be accused of being partisan here. I’m siding with moderate Republicans against racists and extremists. That’s where 90 percent of the public is too.
Why is it that white people are more comfortable being in groups where prejudice is openly expressed? Because we have less often been the victims of prejudice. It is harder to empathize with people of color, although the majority of white people can and do empathize. The majority of white people recoil when they see the Teabaggers, Deathers, and Birthers screaming their heads off. For all the reasons I mentioned above.
But if you are looking for a subset of people who don’t mind prejudice toward a Black President is being used for political gain, it will be white people who live in predominately white communities.
M-H. I see that you are right. You talked about hatred for Obama in your headline. But you didn’t say it was racism. Some of our resident right wingers starting “protesting too much” immediately.
@Moon-howler
Yea I rather reject the notion I started it unless they want to tell me that those on the mall are out there chanting their support for President Obama. I doubt that will happen.
Actually, Moon Howler, what did I say? You asked about people insulting each other. Please don’t invent as I said nothing about racism.
Must be something around your circle of friends if you jump teeth first.
And I can’t recall myself ever saying I disrespected the President. So offend away if you must.
And I wasn’t on any mall today.
Oh by the way, people can be conservative in economics and still not hate or be racist as some people want to demonize others. It doesn’t mean that they have any racist feelings as much as some on here want to say. It just means that they disagree–which at one time was an admirable trait among Americans. How do you feel about people who disagree with you?
Sorry, I forgot–mirrors are not used by people who hate and use hate speech (like continually calling people “racist”) for their opposing views.
Ordinary, I have no idea what you are talking about.
You have no idea who my circle of friends are. I haven’t accused you of anything.
Perhaps this is just not the blog for you if one of the moderators (me) makes you this uncomfortable. My comments were general and not directed at anyone. I never insinuated or stated anything about racism.
In fact, I was trying to nudge the conversation away from that topic. And no, I didn’t start it.
Well, fun thread today, MH, let’s see what tomorrow brings 🙂 I’ll leave you for tonight with a line from ACORN: Pimpin’ ain’t Easy!!!
Joe, I wasn’t trying to make you mad. I wasn’t even aware of whatever comment you think we’re talking about. I didn’t even know you had an idea to get mad at anyone.
But as far as the right to disagree. Of course. But how do we know if we agree OR disagree with a group of people who spend all their time focusing on fantasy propaganda stories that are just designed to generate anger and fear?
What sort of policy positions do these people have? God knows. We know they are against socialism, communism, fascism, death panels, Presidents from Kenya, and whatever Glenn Beck tells them to be against. But none of those things have corresponding check points in reality. We simply have nothing to check these ridiculous notions against because there is no overlap between their thought bubble and the real world.
All we know about them is that they are against spending. But they didn’t come up with that until Obama was sworn in. No rallies when Bush was spending us from surplus into deficit in one fiscal year. No rallies when the debt exploded under Bush to 10 times what it was under Clinton. So it’s hard to take them seriously when they say that spending is what they are against.
Slow, it is going to be a silly day tomorrow. Lightening up even more. Tina Fey and Sabre the UVA horse….I feel certain that will piss someone off. But I am glad you are here.
Not touching ACORN. Steered clear of that one all along. It has always seemed like…oh…gasoline, meet match.
Some folks see a sea of screaming white people and think “There’s something wrong with this picture.” Some folks see a sea screaming white people and think “This is how America was meant to be.”
Those two worlds are colliding right about now. As a white dude, I can admit to feeling a little intimidated by large groups of people who ain’t white. By the same token, probably most minority people are a little intimidated by the mob scenes being orchestrated. It’s only natural. So really what’s happening is a widening divide between Americans who see an all white mob and feel intimidated and Americans who see that mob and say “that’s the way America was meant to be.”
Luckily, the two political parties give us a stark choice in that matter. We can decide at the polls instead of with guns or fists.
Shelley B, too many people hear the word “racist” or “racism” and they just switch into deny mode. It’s easier to call it something else, to justify it by using an issue. Taxes, immigration and healthcare have all been used as pitiful excuses to justify racism.
Racism is one of those trigger words that immediately sets people off, at the very least getting them to say, “I’M not racist!”
The word has been overused, yes, and that is why people are sick of hearing “racism” and believe it’s a “card.” They believe it has no meaning. And I understand that. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t racism in this country or that there are not indeed racist people. The word “killer” is also overused. Does that mean we have no killers in this country?
I understand your point, Madam Pinko. Conservative pundits in America have devoted 20 years of their lives toward convincing their listeners and viewers that the most victimized people in America are white males. In particular, we are implored to feel victimized when others talk about racism. It matters not whether the case is founded or unfounded. We feel as if we are the ones under the microscope for reasons I need not enumerate. Too often people assume that only whites are capable of racism. Nothing could be further from the truth. But that is a prejudice that many people hold because in this country, our legal, penal, and Constitutional history would suggest as much.
I think you are with me here when I point out that in many cases, the claim of racism is unfounded. Upon these incidents our pundit therapists compel us to focus obsessively, to feel the sting of indignation and wrongful accusation. This feeds our victimization complex, and allows us to turn our backs and close our minds to the fact that racism truly is a problem in our society.
I believe that many of us are coping with feelings that we are ashamed of having: insecurity, resentment toward women and the gains they have made, resentment toward minorities and the gains they have made. We don’t know how to process those emotions. Our pundit therapists want us to blame our uncertainty and discontent on others. Minorities and those who defend their rights provide a much needed scapegoat. Twenty years ago, I used to refer to liberals as “do-gooders.” I’ve stopped doing that now that I am older. I’ve seen too much evil to position myself against do-gooders.
At the end of the day, this white victimization mantle is just another construct, and at the root of it, we should not be surprised to find politics. Conservatives are compelled to criticize labor unions, in large part because labor unions tend to support the political party that supports them: Democrats. The same could be said for trial lawyers, environmentalists, reproductive rights advocates, etc.
Liberals, meanwhile, tend to criticize (among other things) white separatists, racists, white supremacists or what have you. This is in no small part because this subclass of our society, however you want to define them, tends to support Republicans.
No one would pay these Tea Party rallies any mind if it wasn’t true that they form a voting block who is more likely to turn up on election day that probably any other voting block in America. They were out in force on Nov. 4, 2008. There just weren’t enough of them, and for this reason they are angry. That makes them dangerous for liberals, and enticing for conservatives. My judgment is that both sides have cause to worry: liberals in the short term, conservatives in the long term.
And some people see ‘racism’ and their eyes glaze over because it has become overused and meaningless.
That is not to say racism doesn’t exist. It does. However the term is way over-used to the point most people just don’t react.
I think what we are looking at might be ethnocentrism rather than racism. There is a very significant difference although I can’t quite put my finger on it.
“I believe that many of us are coping with feelings that we are ashamed of having: insecurity, resentment toward women and the gains they have made, resentment toward minorities and the gains they have made. We don’t know how to process those emotions.” Agreed. However, when we allow our own discomfort to produce anger and hatred, what we have is indeed racism.
MH, I agree the word is overused and LBH, I also believe some people cry racism when there isn’t any. And…every culture has its share of racists.
Ethnocentrism
–noun
1. Sociology. the belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own ethnic group or culture.
Racism
–noun
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
Not much difference in definition.
Racism is used by the left to describe concepts such as the respiratory process, withdrawing money from an ATM, any attempt to engage in the communication process, the skeletal structure of the horse, and modern methods of clear-coat painting on automobiles. It is the preferred method of describing any person who disagrees with the Democratic Party. No wonder people don’t allow it into their ear-holes anymore.
Ah Pinko…there is a difference. I will have to think on it. Racism is more specific. For example: I don’t like you because you are black. Ethnocentrism is more all encompassing. ex. I am better than you are because I am European and you are a hybrid American.
This has been a great conversation everyone. Even Racist Moniker Man has added something (too bad for the right wing extremist lobby it is only to serve as an inadvertant example of how racism dulls the mind).
LBH thank you for your candor. It is hard for me to imagine a moral stance that accepts racists as a major constituency in a political party. But it’s true they will never vote for Democrats and you did as good a job of explaining as any I have seen.
@Moon-howler
MH you might have made the distinction there with your example.
My question is this. If Obama were white, but still the same president, would any of these be issues? Would people be acting the same? I think not.
Pinko, not sure I am right.
Apparently some folks were upset by the aka I Hate Obama Rally. I wonder how pissed off those some people would be if I scratched out hate and wrote LOVE?
President Obama as an African Witch doctor is about as racist as it gets!