Community Perspective
Accusations of racism are laughable
Ayers association would draw fire in any political race
Originally published Sunday, October 12, 2008 at 12:00 a.m.
Updated Monday, October 13, 2008 at 3:22 p.m.
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Stumble It!The New York Times (“Politics of Attack,” Oct. 7, 2008) and others feel Sarah Palin’s attacks against Obama are racist. Yet, when I looked into their evidence, it made me laugh.
Palin has brought up the connection between Obama and Bill Ayers and said Obama was “palling around with terrorists.” She also noted, “this is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America.”
That’s it. That’s basically the bulk of the Times’ case against Palin.
Now, one way of thinking about how to behave toward a person from a different racial group is to ask how one would treat such a person if he or she were of your own group. This way of determining whether something is racially tinged isn’t perfect, I’ll admit, but it’s a good start.
So it’s worth asking the question: If Obama were white, would we expect a political opponent to bring up his association with Bill Ayers, a man so far on the political left that he actually set off bombs and has rightly been classified as a terrorist? If Obama were white, would we expect a political opponent to communicate to the public that Obama, as a person of the left, carries the attitudes typical of the left — attitudes that are atypical compared to the rest of the country? (Camille Paglia — an Obama supporter — describes leftist attitudes in places such as Ivy League schools in this manner: “The university culture at Columbia and Harvard through which Obama passed has been drenched in reflexive anti-Americanism for several decades. Armchair blame-America-first leftism is the default mode. Disdain for the military is rampant, and conservative voices are rarely heard.”)
Of course, the answer is that we would fully, completely and without hesitation expect McCain to go after a white politician for having associates like Ayers and for holding elitist views (remember Obama’s slip up about how rural voters “cling to guns or religion”?).
Even if one argues that sometimes racial issues are so complicated that they demand more than merely the “how-you-would-treat-him-if-he-were-white” test, there is obviously some sort of distribution curve in how people interpret things.
At the far end of the curve, one will indeed find odd people who interpret even innocent comments and events as racist, or racist comments and events as innocent. An example: Once, years ago, I was watching a track meet with a white co-worker. The mere competition between whites and blacks on the track elicited from him the comment: “Go white person!” Any competition, however tame, beween whites and blacks could conceivably elicit racist and ugly views among some whites (and some blacks — I note how one African-American singer accused McCain of being insensitive toward blacks simply because he picked someone from Alaska to be his vice president).
Should a politician have to take into account how the very fringes of the distribution curve will react when he or she formulates a speech? To do so creates a very limiting racial double standard. Yet, quite conveniently, the left-leaning folks at the New York Times would have this be the case.
Their motives here are transparent and lost on no one — in much the same way that a racial demagogue’s motives are often transparent despite his attempts to veil them behind a code. Clearly, what the Times wishes to do is protect their preferred politician by making effective (very effective) political arguments against him forbidden. It’s all about politics.
Daniel Scot Baer is a lifelong resident of Alaska, a nine-year resident of Fairbanks and is employed at a local motel.
Community Discussion
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Who are these "terrorists" that Palin said Obama "palls around with"?
I didn't know she was psychic, amazing, or did God tell her- "this is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America"
Sarah Palin does not speak for me or the rest of America, when she loses is she going to start harassing Obama the same way she harassed Trooper Wooten?
Lost- Cute post
I think we all know William Aires is a known terrorist that got out of being punished for his crimes on a procedural technicality. He hosted the first meeting for 0bama's run for the Illinois State legislature. Now I think that is palling .....The rest are probably more racists and anarchists like rev. Wright and father Phlagel...
lakloey,
Since you claim that Ayers is a known terrorist, maybe you can answer a question.
The other day, John McCain was proud to announce that Leonore Annenberg was one of the 100 former ambassadors who were endorsing him for president.
Annenberg placed William Ayers in a position of high prominence on her charitable foundation. It was the board he served on with Obama.
I repeat, the Annenbergs placed him in that position of prominence.
So, are you saying, McCain solicits endorsements and accepts substantial donations from people who put terrorists in positions of prominence in their organizations?
If that isn't what you are saying you are a total hypocrite.
lost Alaskan do you live at the top of Gilmore, because you seem to be suffering from oxygen deprivation.
scoot
Are you saying that he isn't a terrorist? Does the Annenberg foundation appointment make Ayers any less of a terrorist?
The group that I have seen most make race an issue in this election are Obama and his supporters. There is a large constituency of voters that are not color blind, and favor race over judging "the content of their character". They want to be part of history, electing the first African-American as president. Regardless of his experience and views.
If these same people were consistent with their feelings, they would have supported Justice Thomas in his confirmation hearings, instead of trying to stereotype his character as the basest of sexual predators. Joe Biden, among others, did that. With no expressed shame afterward. It made me sick.
Where were the Democrats during the civil rights struggle? Many were still advocating segregation. Sen Byrd of WV was a known leader of the KKK. Al Gore Sr, William Fulbright, Lester Maddox, George Wallace were all Democrats. What a shameful recent history that the Democrats can claim.
Republican votes passed the Civil Rights Act.
But all this gets lost in the shuffle. Republicans and conservatives are labeled insensitive, and the Democrats pass out trinkets.
It's all pretty sad.
After a 143 years, the African-American still has resentment toward the Anglo-American and visa verse. The civil rights corrected a long overdue problem. Racism has been around for thousands of years, in all cultures, and peoples, caused by the belief of the I AM, we all think we are better then anyone else, but I only know who I AM, I don't know what everyone else is capable of, we all are good and evil, that is the nature of our being. Martin Luther King said it best, that one day men will not be judged by the color of his skin, but the content of his character.
I only have one comment..
Who did the Democratic Socialist Party finance, endorse and prop up for the seat in Illinois?
Not the Democratic Party folks, the Democratic Socialist Party the largest Socialist Organization in the United States.
Think about it......../
It is simply NOT the same Republican party. It is a party that is tainted in its leadership by the last eight year's direction by neo-con "ideology". McCain owes too much to the existing structure. Rove wrote Palin's acceptance speach. That is who will be pulling the strings. Not the republicans of the Reagan era or even of the Nixon era. Both I would prefer but that party philosophically gone even though some of them remain as individuals. We need a strong two party system and the Repbulicans need to dump the neo-cons so they can represent American interests again.
Most telling Obama quote said during first primary debate: "I would have to say that my humility is my most outstanding characteristic." The guy writes two books about himself before he's 45, but has never written a position piece or formal legal opinion, even as a part-time law prof. This should be meangingful.
All I know is that Old Man McCain and Palin need to keep whipping up the fury and anger amongst the hayseeds in the Flyover States because they are effectively driving normal Americans away from their ticket.
Some of the video at those McCain/Palin rallies have been HILARIOUS. Bumpkins who must have been in a cave for the last eight years of Bush are OUTRAGED! Outraged, I say, at the prospect of that Ayrab Obama heading for the White House (Would it still be the 'white house' if Obama won? said a pin for sale at one state Republican convention). Rrrriiiiiight... Apparently eight years of Patriot Act, telecom immunity, warrantless searches and soaring deficits and overall debt is A-OK because it happened under a Republican. But that community organizer Obama? He's dun gunna ruin the Kountry!!! I loved the jackass who showed up at one Palin rally with a stuffed monkey dressed up as Obama with an Obama bumpersticker wrapped around its forehead. The guy just looked pleased-as-punch with himself until the camera focused on him. When he realized what a moron he looked like, he took the bumpersticker off and gave the monkey to some unrelated kid next to him. Good stuff!
Keep it up, radical righties! You're killing your own cause. But I have to say, it's been fun to watch!
William Ayers - American Terrorist
Raila Odinga - Cousin, Radical Islamist
Raul Reyes - Columbian Terrorist
Antonio Rezko - Slum Lord
Professor Khalidi - Muslim Terrorist Supporter and Got Obama into Harvard
Reverend Wright - Racist Muslim Supporter/Preacher, Anti-American
Reverend James Meeks - Racist
Reverend Louis Farrakhan - Racist Nation of Islam / Faux Preacher
Reverend. Jesse Jackson - Racist - Anti-Semetic
Nadhmi Auchi - Muslim Billionaire
Sohaib Abassi - Muslim Millionaire
Acorn
Tony Resco -Felon
Yup..Obama really IS Change. No doubt about that.
"He who laughs first...."
Pioneer...At least these men are up front about their positions and not standing behind a white cloak!! I think we would see a much longer list of rasist on the McCain ticket who are too blinded by of the color of ones skin to hear the content of ones words! You have failed to CHANGE my opinion! And, I for one do not want more of the same.
You are sooo right on, oh_please....
How about the guy that got up and said to McLame that he and everyone else in the room were infuriated and totally bewildered about how "this" has happened in "their" country..."how did "this" happen?" "what are we supposed to do about "this"?"
I'm not even going to try to interpret his words here...
What I will say is that my fellow Alaskans that have supported the travesty that goes by names of Bush/Cheney/Stevens/Young need to prepare themselves for a brand new game come November 4!
Peace
wow, is this the only negative publicity McPalinbots can come up with? pathetic....
What about the member of McCains staff that is married to a woman who used to work for the terrorist Libyan regime?
The McCain campaign is desperate, obviously, they are not convincing anybody with these wild, outlandish accusations and insinuations except their own flock of brainless sheeple.
These lies are nothing more than a dubya-type tactic of "shock and awe", speaking of dubya- did everybody all of a sudden forget about the Bush families close relationship with the Saudi oil regime? most of the 9/11 hijackers were SAUDI, Bush has covered and protected Saudi Arabia from any investigation of any type, Osama Bin Laden could be hiding there as easily as anywhere else but we'll never know because the Bush's want to protect their business interests.
Scare tactics are not the way to run a government, people need to start getting better educations and learn how to think for themselves.
'You are either 'WITH US' or 'AGAINST US'!!!!
Black man to white man..... with anger.
This is their philosophy, by intimidation.
Since coming out against Obama; I think
he is to young to be President and McCain
to old, blacks have tried to intimidate me.
It's not equality they want, but power over
others and Obama is no different than other
power hungry people. He is the Tiger Woods
of snake charmers and has his own muslim
ambitions. Ask his Pakistani friends.
He has surrounded himself from childhood
with anti-American, muslim fanatics. Do
you think this hasn't rubbed off onto him?
He has been well groomed by the muslims
to take over America and give it to them on
a silver platter. He is for appeasement, not
for our principles of democracy.
As for the shrub take away his passport so he can't enjoy his mansion in Dubai. He also needs to be tried for treason, grand theft, and all his crimes for the last 8 years.
Lets see, McCain and the Annenbergs and the Palins and our own AIP. Seems like some people need to watch out who they call terrorists.
Keep it up, guys! Every wacky, xenophobic post is another nail in the Republican coffin.
It can be tough to be a white man in a white man's world, burke. But buck up, lil' camper! We're pulling for you!
Right on "OhPlease," and "Akblugirl."
I watched the Town Hall rallies for McCain as well recently.
Quite sad.
Folks expressing their FEAR that Candidate Obama has the inside track to the Presidency.
"How can THIS be happening?" "What has OUR country come to?"
That man CAN'T be President.
One woman called him an "Arab."
People booing McCain for actually correcting people about Candidate Obama, whom he called "a decent family man."
John McCain, in 2008, having to TELL Americans that "you don't have to be scared of Barack Obama as President of the United States."
But no John...we ARE scared.
If he gets in the White House, life as "we" know it will be "different."
Hell, the Obama's will be cooking fried chicken, eating collards, candied yams, etc.
Washing it down with some Kool-Aid, and eating watermelon afterwards.
Presidential limos will be sitting on 24-inch "rims", blah, blah, blah. Straight ghetto "G."
Lordy, Lord! There goes the NEIGHBORHOOD if Obama gets in the White House.
Aren't ya just SCARED?????
Seriously folks, how about you just chalk this thing up to the fact that people aren't stupid.
A great many are voting their conscience wanting change.
That's their right to do so.
Nobody is expressing "fear" when the same old, same old even remotely has a shot at the Presidency.
I keep coming back to what people right here in Fairbanks have told me plenty of times.
"Sarah Palin and John McCain represent "real" people."
I never get a response on just what "real is" though.
I guess it might mean people "Just like us."
Now all of a sudden someone NOT LIKE THE STATUS QUO has the so-called upper hand getting into Office, and this country is headed to Hell in a handcart.
Get real!
And get ready!
It's time for the same old, same old to stand down for a spell.
And oh yeah, while they're at it, send Sarah back to Alaska as well.
It amazes me that in 2001 how many bigots there still are in this country! Pioneer AK, you mention 2 people who are muslim billionaires. So what..does being muslim make them terrorists or terrorist supporters? What about if their names were Fred Jones or Peter Smith and members of the KKK or the John Birch society? No one would say a thing. Does anyone remember Timothy McVie, The Oklahoma city bomber? He and his Terry Nichols killed nearly 200 people in the single worst terrorist action in America prior to 9/11. They were white yet no one said afterwards that we need to go after all white males because they are terrorists or terrorist sympathizers!
White males where not put under the scrutney that arabs or muslims had/have to endure after 9/11! And why is that? Maybe 1 reason is that it is easy to hate those who are easily identified as different such as blacks, hispanics or arab!
And the civil rights act might have "corrected" a wrong on paper but in reality, blacks and other minorities
still face racism, maybe not as overt as it once was but it is still there. All you need to do is look and observe! Barak made a couragous stance when he spoke about it because no white politician would have!
Just because no one talks about it doesn't mean it does not exits!
By reading the comments on this web site and others, it is clear that race is going to be a part of this election whether you speak about it or not!!!
Wow, this election has really turned ugly with all the negativity. Burke- where did you get that Obama is a practicing Muslim? From all that I found, he is Christian but born to an absent Muslim Father who did not have any active role in Obama's upbringing. I imagine that there can be individuals in anyone’s history that one may or may not be proud of knowing. Resources show that Obama had long time ago cut ties to this (terrorist) individual. America has may more pressing issues such as our economic troubles and social injustices. Someone convince me that McCain is the better choice-What is HIS plan for fixing these? I have not heard anything. He appears to be an extension of Bush…Don’t want that! and all Palin seems to like to do is scare people with twisted half truths.
“On an altar of prejudice we crucify our own, yet the blood of all children is the color of God.”- Don Williams JR.
It may be laughable to you, but it was'nt for the millions of people who died before us from the Biblical times thru Darfur. It takes just a spark to kindle a fire. Please go back and read Frank Riches article in the NYT once again to see excactly what he meant and to the venemous talk coming from some of these rallies. Death and life are in the power of the tounge my friend.
I believe there are 2 reason's that McCain picked Palin.
1. to appeal to the conservatives.
2. to appeal to women.
However, he should have done a better job of finding out her knowledge of current and past events before picking her as a running mate.
Palin is not stupid but it is clear from listening to her interviews and debate that she does not have any knowledge or understanding at all of subjects that would concern a vice president. Which is why during the debate she nearly always changed the subject instead of answering the questions. Now I know biden didn't answer many either but every one of her answers had to do with energy which by being governor of Alaska she claims to know a lot about. Except she gave many exagerated statements like the one about the natural gas pipeline. She said "we are a building...".
Apparently from what I read, there is no guarantee that the pipeline will ever be built.
But regardless of what politlcal party you belong to or lean towards, If you are happy with the direction that this country is headed in or how this country has been run the past 8 years, then vote for McCain and Palin. If you are not, then you should vote for Obama/Biden.
Obama is not perfect and Biden is not perfect. But they do offer a path that is different than the one we are currently on.
The Obama campaign is the one who raises the racist issue. This distracts voters from some serious problems about Obama. He will not produce his school records, says he lost his state senate records, and there is a law suit about the authenticity of his birth certificate. Has there ever been a candidate for President that has gotten by with so much without being properly vetted by the Press? It is doubtful. It appears that the Main Stream Media deliberately circumvents criticism of Barack Hussein Obama and even will not use his middle name for fear of being labeled racists. Perhaps the only factors that will save us from this Marxist liberal is the Bradley-Wilder effect and the Muslim effect. These two factors could add up to 21 percent on November 4, and many of us are hopeful they do.
1. Theres a reason Senators aren't typically nominated for the Presidency. I'll spell it out for you, Familiarity breeds contempt.
2. Who is Frank Davis and what was his relationship with Obama?
Neither Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin are fit to led this country, if those are your only options then you're destined to cast a detrimental vote.
Things are going to get much more worse before they even start to look better.
It's laughable that you would defend the McCain campaign's behavior. The Ayers association would not be a reasonable topic for any campaign in any context. It's is such a loose, irrelevant link between Ayers and Obama that no sane person could ever think it's a problem. Several dozen prominent Chicago citizens, including lots of Republicans, have served on the board with Ayers. To blame Obama for something a fellow board member did forty years ago is completely insane. Nobody actually cares about Ayers.
What Ayers does is give racists an excuse to pretend they're something better. That's why you don't see the Republicans pressing the Ayers thing in and of itself, but trying to wind it into a "not one of us" and "dangerous" narrative, and repeating his middle name. Sarah Palin may not be a racist, but she is a selfish, power-mongering b*tch who happily stokes the fires of racism in her ignorant hick audiences. It's no surprise people are shouting at McCain rallies "he's a terrorist!" and "kill him!" and "he's an Arab!" She's trying to instigate those feelings.
The Ayers thing isn't about logical connections or conscious thought. Nobody thinks Ayers is a problem on that level. (If you claim that you do, you're kidding yourself, or else you're shockingly misinformed about the petty extent of the relationship.) It's really all about giving racists an excuse to mention Obama with "terrorist" in the same sentence. They want to do that anyway because he's black, and Palin is trying to give those people a fake-politically-correct way to express their racism.
Obama is doing so well in the polls, and Bill and Hillary are campaigning on his behalf, maybe Ayers is the one we shouldn't worry about associating with in the past, but the ones he associates with now. Bill Clinton,s watch had some pretty disturbing governmental terrorist acts, Ruby Ridge, Waco, and all the people who were his friends who died in a short period of time.
Joe Biden, don't go anywhere alone with Bill
Of the four candidates, Gov Palin has had more scorn heaped on her, more abusive language directed at her, more lies told about her, and more inuendo fabricated about her than any other of the other three. While racism is obviously not at the root of this, pure unadulterated hate is. Hate is the same in whatever package it's wrapped in. Self righteous liberals should take a deeper look within. Every last one of you that curses her religion, and repeat the lies about her family and faith are just as ignorant and hateful as the racists you claim to abhore.
I'm totatally lost now.
A)America is a socialist country-deal with it-Unless of course you think programs like social security and the current federal bailout don't exist.
B) Was Joe Vogler anti-american? Ayers, Vogler, all the canidates have had associations that some may question. Who cares. What about their stance on issues?
http://supertopo.com/climbing/thread.htm...
goldstreamer01: Ruby Ridge occurred in 1992, during the administration of the first President Bush. Don't blame Clinton for that one. (It was, however, an inexcusably excessive use of governmental power, regardless of how odious some of Randy Weaver's views may have been.)
That racism still exists on the right can be proven by looking no further than a few of the postings above.
Both parties have nasty histories regarding race. Glacierles notes the Southern Democrats who blocked civil rights legislation for decades. They were aided in this by Northern Republicans who didn't break on the issue until the sixties.
This led Nixon to adopt his despicable Southern Strategy that wooed white Southerners into the Republican Party by appealing to their racial fears. This, in turn, deepened the racial divide between the parties. It wasn't until our current president that we saw a genuine breaking away from this strategy by a leading Republican. With some key appointments, Bush showed that he wasn't about to accept the idea of his party as a safe haven for angry whites. Unfortunately, he probably won't get credit for this for many, many years. Too many people hate him far too much to look at his administration objectively.
As an example of Bush's progressive racial attitudes, I would mention Condi Rice. If a Democrat appointed an African American woman to the position of Secretary of State, we'd never hear the end of it. But because a Republican did so, it wasn't much commented upon. Why? Because lots of white Democrats don't like the idea of black people holding conservative views. (And if I was John McCain, I would have wanted Rice, not Palin, as my running mate. She's far more qualified.)
We'll achieve true racial equality when race is no longer a barrier to any level of American society. We aren't there yet, but we've come an incredible distance in my lifetime alone. I always wanted to see the day when neither race nor gender would keep one out of the White House. Depending on who wins next month, that dream will either be a reality or a near reality. That makes me proud of my country.
All leaders are in bed with terrorists. The Papa Bush Co. were running drugs out of C. America when they were funding the Contra rebels to overthrow legally elected governments. Current Bushy is in bed with the Fahd family of Saudi Arabia (less we forget most of the 911 terrorists were Saudi). Rumsfeld was shaking hands with Hussein the day after the gassing of the Kurds. Don't delusion yourself that Palin/McCain or Obama/Biden won't do the same thing.
You can have freedom or you can have security. On the 4th you choose.
I'm one of those liberals some of you all dislike so much. Plan on voting for Obama although I was willing to give Mr. McCain another chance until recently. I don't see anything 'racist' in the least about the GOP's lame attempt to link Obama and Ayres. The only racist stuff I have seen so far are the screams from the McCain supporters at their rallies. It's a good-cop, bad-cop thing. Sarah whips them up (bad cop). John tells them that 'Obama is a decent family man' (good cop). Sarah knows all about good and bad cops, and how to play games. So does John. My take on McCain is 'meet the new boss... same as the old boss'. And you all know the rest of the refrain... 'We won't get fooled again'. You do know it, right?
Give us all a break - Obama has no qualifications to be president of the local 4H or brownies. How in the heck could anybody think he is qualified to be president of these United States?
Obama is a mere puppet for someone or some group in the background - whomever it happens to be - we, unfortunately, will likely find out next year.
It would be foolish to count out Palin and co. with three weeks left. Polls always tighten at the conclusion of a campaign. If you don't believe me just ask Al Gore.
Good point about Rice for VP but the libs would have had a field day shouting "pandering."
The_Alaska_Curmedgeon. WRONG. The Waco Massacre occured in 1993. Janet Reno was the Attorney General nominated by President Bill Clinton. Again, let's get the facts straight!!!!! It is called "Google"
I do not believe Obama has been truthful with any and all of his associations with radicals. They were convenient for him at a time and place while he planned his political career, but now that he is running for President and his associations are brought to light, he suddenly condemns them and tries to distance himself. Too little, too late, and the majority of Americans have caught onto his game.
He leads in the polls but the mainstream media is reporting those numbers and who is going to believe them, well, besides flock following liberals.
Another question is who is behind the intriguing nuamnces of the last 30 minutes of trading in the stock market every day during this financial crisis????? Seems like a logical question for Americans, is someone trying to tank our economy??????
Glacieries - I have to agree with you on Sarah Palin. She is the only one of the 4 major candidates who has been inundated with smear tactics since she was selected as the VP nominee. For all we don't know about Obama it seems like maybe the mainstream media can do some digging there, but wait, he is in the tank with them so he gets a free pass.
Come November 4th the majority of Americans will elect McCain as the 44th President and the media will cry racism and foul but Americans will have spoken and stood behind the only qualified candidate for the Presidency.
BigDan: WRONG! I said Ruby Ridge, not Waco. Clearly stated in my post. Did you try reading what I wrote before you attacked it? It's not hard to do.
Ruby Ridge: 1992. George H.W. Bush president.
http://www.answers.com/topic/ruby-ridge
Waco: 1993. Bill Clinton president.
http://www.answers.com/topic/branch-davi...
Neither incident was in any way acceptable.
roadtrip: Who cares what the libs would say about Condi Rice. She's far more qualified than either candidate on either ticket. That was one opportunity that shouldn't have been missed.
Actually, what I really wanted to see before this election got going was Condi v. Hillary. The entire South would have voted for a black woman, and the Democrats would have been left sputtering by the side of the road, trying to explain how such a thing could have happened.
Accusations of Sarah Palin being dumb as a brick, an unethical sleezebag and an embarrassment to all Alaskans is dead on, though.
G-les: I'll agree with you that Palin has been hit harder than anyone else in this campaign, but I do think religious beliefs are open for critique. You yourself have criticized Obama's interpretation of Christianity and cited this as a reason not to vote for him. I fully support your right to do this. It's part of what matters to you when you vote. It's also part of what matters to those on the left when they vote. They don't accept the conservative Christian viewpoint, and that is their right.
Religious beliefs get to the core of who a person is. But as someone who wants no religion in his life whatsoever (got enough of it as a young'un, thank you very much), I look less at the candidate's religious beliefs themselves than at how deeply that candidate has inserted them into his or her legislative agenda, where religion doesn't belong. I would sooner shoot myself than ever have voted for either Jesse Jackson or Pat Robertson. My impression of Palin and the other three candidates, however, is that this line has for the most part been respected by all of them.
The job of all office holders is to uphold the Constitution. Neither the Bible nor the Koran nor the Bhagavad Gita nor the Book of Mormon nor any other religious text has anything to do with governance. That's the way our system was designed. We'd all be a lot happier if we could all just agree on this.
I totally agree, most peoples view on politics and government is "whats in it for me." This country was founded on the principle of preserving human freedom, not ensuring human comfort. 230 years from now will we be the ones blamed for flushing the Constitution down the toilet?
"Obama is a closet Muslim who has ties to terrorists and is going to come out of the closet and take over America for radical Islam if he becomes president." So what "smears" against Ms. Palin matches THAT?! There are radical conservatives calling for Obama's death because they believe he's the Antichrist. I just got an email this morning claiming that very thing. I haven't heard any liberals calling for Palin's death, or claiming that she's the Antichrist, a.k.a., "evil incarnate."
I don't believe Palin's remark was racist, just incredibly ignorant, inflammatory, and a desperate attempt to distract conservative voters from her ignorance and inability to run this nation. When desperate people have nothing to offer, it's not uncommon for them to attack their opposition. The best defense is sometimes a good offense, but it appears to be backfiring in this case. It worked for the crowd because she told them what they wanted to hear. They already believed he's a terrorist, hence the ready cheers.
Bush is best buds with the king of the Muslim country from which 15 of the 19 hijacker/murderers came from, but that's not a problem for conservatives. Bush is friends with the bin Laden family and flew them out of the country a couple of days after their close relative murdered 3,000 innocent Americans, but that's not a problem for conservatives.
While I believe it's vital to examine the Bush/Saudi relationship, I am opposed to using the AIP against Palin and think it's just as ridiculous as her using Ayres against Obama.
I do worry about her pastor though, who told his congregation if they voted for Kerry in the '04 election, their salvation was in question. If people were really convinced they'd go to hell for voting for a Democrat, that, to me, is one of the most insidious forms of terrorism - spiritual terrorism.
Her belief that the slaughter of over a million innocent people for their oil is "God's plan," is incredibly disturbing as well. I don't care what she believes in her private religious life, but when she is looking at being the second most powerful person in the world and possibly the most powerful, those beliefs become my number one concern about the decisions she may make in that capacity.
Sure, religion IS important...At least Palin freely admits her religious affiliations and beliefs.
Why can't Obama explain his?
If he has friends and supporters who are extremists and radicals, no harm in that.
As a Country, we are nothing if not diverse, right?
A person is certainly not automatically guilty by association. I mean, if we weren't a diverse Nation, then more than half of Americans who already know these people and think it's great, wouldn't still be voting for him.
It's Obama's inability to explain these associations and refusal to do so.... that's what's getting Americans creeped out. Why won't he spill the beans? It's the hiding & secrecy we find unnerving.
Geez, he has an "army" of what I would assume are fairly intelligent spokesmen he pays alot of money to come up with answers. Why aren't we at least getting a statement?
As for the issues, Obama has not practiced what he preaches. He has never voted the platform he's running with now..This lends to his overall credibility. Am I to believe words over actions?
Hey Setec, OldSkoolNook42...care to respond?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vJcVgJhN...
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obama...
Yet, on the Obama website he denies everything.
Wow.
Man, sorry I'm late to this one. Nice to see that "Lost" chimed in. Amazing that he/she hasn't claimed that Palin is planning the execution of all "Natives" in response to this. Obama has the past ties, no denying them. I'm sure McCain has his past as well. I'd like to know why everything has to be about race. I don't give a %am* if Obama is blacker than midnight in December, or if McCain is whiter than my sheets after a good shot of bleach. I want the best one for the job. Who is it? Probably be the hardest choice I've ever made for President. I don't want more of the same we've had, but I don't want some wet behind the ears politician either. Hope my vote counts when I make it, but you never know. PLEASE stop the race crap! It really doesn't matter anymore. What remnants of it there are, you are NEVER going to erase! Lets get this about policy and what the candidates are going to do to pull this country out of it's financial mire. I'd also like to see a decent policy on Iraq/Afghanistan. One wants to pull out, one wants more troops. Can't we find a medium? Oh, and I don't give a d^&m about their religion. Everyone thinks theirs is better than everyone's! Truth is, they are all the same, whether you want to admit it or not.
Palin is the only one who hasn't been groomed from an early age to be part of the ruling class. People are so conditioned to being lead that without a conventional ruler their anxiety levels spike. Who will take care of us? Pathetic. Freedom is now measured by the Dow Jones industrial average.
WE need someone with some intelligence To lead this country for the next four years , not another four years a Gomer Bush type . If you will check obama's record and be honest about it , you will see that he is a fairly intelligent person . als0 if something happens to Obama , Joe Biden is far more qualified than sarah Palin , to be the president to fill out the term .
People that are raciest are idiots , no denying it . They have hatred in their hearts and brains . As well as being stupid ,
put it this way: if it was Obama who was the functional illiterate, who used terms like "dontcha" and "betcha" and nonsequiters all over the place, and on and on, he wouldn't have a chance. Here we have a black candidate who is all Harvard, and a white one who, despite her intellect and bacground, chooses to talk as if she just came out of a trailer park in order to get the "Joe Sixpack vote. He could never get away with it. Why not?
PioneerAK - What questions about his faith do you need answered? He says he's a Christian and all evidence points to that, so what's the deal? Please don't refer me to Sean Hannity's video of wild speculation about Obama's mysterious past. Been there, seen that, and it's as phony as Sean is.
Obama has explained his association with Ayres, but conservatives don't seem to get it. Obama was eight years old when Ayres was a member of the Weather Underground. The group is known for targeting buildings, but not people. I am in no way excusing his behavior. I'm just making it clear that Ayres never targeted people, which technically excludes him from the literal "terrorist" definition. Anyway, Obama met Ayres when they were professors at the same university. They also worked together on the board of a conservative charity organization. Ayres also had a fund raiser at his house for Obama's campaign a couple of years ago. Period. End of story. Unless you ask Palin. McCain tells his audiences that Obama is a decent man with different ideas about how to fix the country. It appears that he let's Palin do his dirty work, because you can bet she doesn't say a thing without his approval. Kinda cowardly, eh? We haven't heart the "T" word about Obama out of McCain's mouth, have we?
Just remember: Muslim terrorist ties: George Bush best buds with Muslim king of country 15 9-11 hijackers came from, and dear friends with Osama bin Laden's family (flew them out of US right after 9-11). In fact, Bush doesn't even care about finding bin Laden. He said so himself six months after the attack at a press conference. I guess conservatives must have missed it. Why didn't we see this on FOX?! Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PGmnz5Ow... He's not going after the murderer of our 3,000 innocent Americans. Am I the only one that finds it the least bit suspicious that Bush says in this video that "...the idea that you can focus on one person, indicates to me that you don't understand the scope of the mission." Meanwhile, he focuses on the one WRONG man, Saddam?! I don't know why this clip wasn't played over and over on the mainstream media. Oh, could it be because conservatives own the vast majority of it?
road-trip - Since when was Obama "groomed" to be president from the beginning of his life? He was raised by a single mom and his grandparents and worked his way up, unlike the blue-blooded, spoiled-rotten frat boy who's daddy got him into office. If Bush hadn't had the backing of the Bush dynasty, the boy would be flipping burgers at Burger King instead of acting like America's king.
Same for McCain, who came from father and grandfather admirals, and who is still trying to win the Vietnam war in Iraq. I'm really tired of military solutions for every single issue, especially when they're the WRONG military solutions!
A quick look at the comments generated by this post say it all: laughable? Yes. Non-racist? Nonsense. Even died-in-the-wool Republicans acknowledge there is a huge swath of America that simply cannot bring themselves to pull the lever for a black man. The campaign itself is COUNTING ON IT: why else point out Obama's "otherness"--"he's "not like you," "he doesn't see America as --wink, wink--you and I do," "he's palling around with terrorists," "he might be an Arab," "just look at his name, he's muslim"--as if there is something intrinsically suspicious about that even if he was! This is all about fear and smear and I find the article laughable. What's more, what does it say about Alaska that the most rabid and over the top statements come right from our homegrown "pitbull." Am I alone in finding her ignorance and ugliness embarrassing to our state?
OMG is Obama black? I thought he was black and white.
cameotoo,
Were you in favor of confirmation of Justice Thomas to the Supreme Court? Why not, are you a racist?
Or is it possible for one American to disagree politically with another American, regardless of race?
Actually, from what I have heard on the news, and read in the news, it will be blue collar Democrats that might abandon Obama on the race question. Not Republicans. We're voting FOR our ticket.
What comments from Palin do you see as racist? To disagree with the opposing ticket is not a racist attitude. If that were so, then Obama is also a racist.
Finally, Obama is the only one that I've heard say "he's not like you, he has a funny name, and did I tell you, he's black".
dirtysteve wrote-
"What remnants of it (racism) there are, you are NEVER going to erase!"
remnants? racism is PROMINENT in our society, it's just not as "fashionable" to be a scumbag anymore, I see/read it all the time.
and of course it'll never be erased as long as there are people like you around with that kind of logic, you sound like a white supremacist.
Doris, its called Harvard law school. In his many writings about himself he states that Harvard was where he first had thoughts of being President, probably between lines of coke.
cameotoo, no you are not alone, there are LOTS of people that feel the same way we do,
.....for Obama/Biden.
cameotoo, no you're not alone, there are LOTS of people that feel the same way we do that don't care to comment here, but they WILL be voting.....
.....for Obama/Biden.
OHHH, he groomed himself to be president! That's different than "being groomed" by his wealthy family, don't you think? I don't think Obama did nearly as much cocaine as GW did. His use is legendary as is his alcoholism, but hey, he's born again, so all is forgiven. Except when you're a Democrat.
I'm less concerned about race-tinged references by Sarah Palin than I am about the overt racism and ignorance displayed in the comments of every Obama-related story on the News-Miner website. It's hard to believe that many of you are my neighbors.
TomH---
Again I ask, always to no reply, did you support confirmation of Justice Clarence Thomas?
Guess which other party liked to whip up xenophobic fear and rage in the hayseeds...
Are you guys seeing any parallels?
cameo -- no you arent alone.
as for Thomas, it's a stupid question. we didn't get to vote for Thomas. if we did, you can bet plenty of Conservatives would never have voted to confirm him, his politics be damned.
the point is, the level of blatant hatred based upon race that still lies below (and sometimes rises above) the surface of our society, though not unique to the US, suggests that on this score at least, we remain a very backward country. we just have not gotten past racism in our society, and anyone who is honest knows this. Obama's speech on race here in Philadelphia some months back was one of the most brilliant speeches he's ever given. this is a man who literally and figuratively represents American unity. what must it be like to be black AND white? how to negotiate that mine field? I can't imagine it. but then, this is what America is about isn't it? aren't we about welcoming everyone, all colors, faiths, beliefs? I know, easy for me to say given where I live, because my neighborhood is a microcosm of the world.
And Barack Obama is the personal embodiment of my neighborhood.
Pinhead---
It is a relevant question. The relevance is that it is possible to politically disagree with an African-American and not be a racist. And vice versa.
glacierless, you should sign up to work at bread factory, the way you twist up logic and facts to meet your warped view of the world. You could be the twisty guy who puts the tie on the plastic wrap to seal our loaves of bread.
What a tool!
The original premise of the article under discussion is twisted. The Bill Ayers 'connection' (no credible media source has found anything but a casual relationship between Obama and Ayers) on an association that took place a quarter century AFTER the Weather Underground's activities. So linking that association and race is a wrong-headed stretch. Indeed however, both sides have taken that tack and Mr. Daniel Baer is just one of the latest to take the bait.
That said, sadly, race is a significant player in this election, but it's not about Ayers it's about using Obama's middle name as an epithet, spreading unfounded rumors saying that he is a muslim, snickering that 'he's popular in Kenya', or saying that he's actually an Arab, and even questioning his citizenship. Those misguided attacks are based on racism.
You are a joke. Kind of like an an Alaskan Elmer Fudd, scootching around the black spruce and birch, hunting wittle wiberals. shhhh! huhuhuhuhuhuh!
As usual Dr. C's comments are dead on.
Anyway though. I do hope the McCain campaign's people continue stoking the hate fires because it's so far winning us this campaign.
I've been saying it for months now on this website. Look at the bulk of the people who are supporting McCain. Look at the ignorance and lies they try to spread. Look back at any number of posts and tell me that someone saying, "Barack Hussein Obama" is doing it because it's his name or to stir up that xenophobic fear.
glacierles, BigDan, Cruicible, NPJerry, burke, et. al:
Meet your leader, Andy Martin (the man who was so scared he had to release a press release accusing Obama of secret Muslim ties after Obama had the gall to deliver a uniting speech at the 2004 DNC). Martin, a wannabe lawyer (never passed the bar) with a “moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character.”
You truly are the blind sheep of the world.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politi...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/pol...
Wiley---
When you have no facts on your side, and no convincing argument then it's time to resort to name calling and insults. Same tactics from the left every day. If you can find anywhere on any of my posts where I made any racist comment about Obama from a normal person's viewpoint, or even as you described in your ranting post, then I will apologize. Otherwise, I dont live in your imaginary world, with your imaginary rules, and your imaginary friends.
tok---
Both sides have wackos. He is meaningless. Certainly not in any position of leadership. Sort of like me telling you that Rosie O'Donnell represents you. Only she's more famous. Wait, I didn't just insult you, did I? I hope that you're not an O'Donnell supporter.
I fully agree that both sides have wackos. Real life exists somewhere in the middle.
He would be meaningless if he didn't start something that now has a life of its own and is now being used by the mindless masses to create the impression that we should be "afraid" of him, "afraid" of the other, "afraid" of Muslims, "afraid" of African-Americans. Nice spin though, you're good at that.
I didn't know she was running for an office I could vote for, therefore, being in a position where I should or should not support her. That is much like saying I support my neighbor, Joe Smith. Pointless to this discussion.
OhPlease, Calling white farm types "Bumbkins" & "Hayseeds" is the same as calling a black man a "tootsie roll". Is this the Democratic Party? People in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks and shouldn't be allowed to broadcast their ignorance on the web. It's funny how you think it's PC if against a white man or woman. Get help and I'll be embarassed for you. Obviously you aren't educated enough to be embarassed.
Who is B.H.O?
From Dreams of My Father: 'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'
From Dreams of My Father: 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'
From Dreams of My Father: 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'
From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'
From Dreams of My Father: 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'
And FINALLY the Most damning one of ALL of them!!!
From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'
We CANNOT have someone with this type of mentality running our GREAT nation!! I don't care whether you are a Democrat or Republican. We CANNOT turn ourselves over to this type of character in a President.
OMG, GeekSpeaks!!!!! OBAMA IS BLACK??!!
/Why didn't anyone tell me??
//Can I just vote for his white half?