Vox

Musings, rants, rambling, general nonsense

On Hope, Change & “Uppity Negroes”

Posted on | January 25, 2010 | No Comments

One of my Facebook friends (who I won’t name, he can choose to out himself if he is so inclined) posted a link earlier today to an article that suggests that Obama’s performance is paving the way for a Palin presidency, the subhead of which says “Be afraid. Be very afraid”*

If you read the article you will see it very clearly makes the claim that if Obama is voted out of office (and if Palin is on the ascendancy) it is because of racism. So, I commented. And he commented. And I commented. And I wanted to get more people involved, so here is the exchange:

Vox: How can you seriously reference an article that makes it’s point with a line like “who’ve emerged to redeem, or reclaim, the land from Northern carpetbaggers and uppity Negroes.”

Come ON!

Him: Sometimes hyperbole can get to a point. It is exactly what seems to be happening, and the expression accurately describes southern Dems at that time. And have you ever heard the terms “northern liberal” or “liberal elite”…they are just less noxious terms for the same impulse being cultivated by those mentioned in the same article.

They are once again suggesting that anyone who disagrees with Obama or any of his policies is inherently racist. As far as “at that time” they reference Reagan & Palin, both fairly recent Pols. – neither one of which has ever displayed a penchant for keeping down “uppity Negroes” It is ridiculous and ineffective to distill every argument down to something so base – especially when it is not in evidence.

As someone else said, and I wholeheartedly agree, I have a lot of problems with Obama – the only thing I DON’T have a problem with is the color of his skin

What is the “color of his skin”? The article never mentioned Obama’s ethnicity; but I think he is half-black AND half-white. The article only draws a parallel to a group of people who felt disenfranchised after years of perogative (Southern whites) with those who also feel disenfranchised today (both white and black, Dems and the GOP). They are looking for a leader, and Palin is wisely cultivating that frustration. Without making any policy speeches, holding any elective and accountable office (she quit), she is perfectly invulnerable right now. It is working.

The article clearly (and repeatedly) referenced his ethnicity, and claimed that Palin was in the running due to her being one of a long line of politicians – sorry, “demagogues” – who are trying to save the country from “uppity Negroes”.

It also claims that “There’s an anger out there, and I have not seen it since my very first campaign which was George Wallace” – yet another jab at racism (Wallace actually was racist, and a Democrat, who luckily learned the error of his ways)

“And for black America, that’s the good news.” Why would the author think that especially good, or bad, for black America if he is not fixated on & alluding to the color of Obama’s skin.

“Consider the post-Reconstruction era, or the post-civil rights era, or even South Africa’s Afrikaners who responded to a fiscal crisis by electing the National Party which introduced apartheid in 1948.” Really, does he think Obama’s abysmal performance is going to usher segregation back in the US?

The Obama presidency is a slap in the face to MLK’s dream, wherein people would be judged not on the color of their skin, but on the content of their character. Every time any resistance to Obama’s agenda (which is also a resistance to a lot of old white men..and women) is written off as the product of racism, the color of his skin becomes paramount to his character. Interestingly, and tellingly, the only people I hear mentioning “uppity Negroes” are on the Left – and trying to put it off on those that lean Right is projection. It reeks of desperation and an inability to argue the issues on THEIR face, not his.

He’s referring to the black constituency (consider this source). Lots of anger and feelings of unrequited love among these people. I don’t blame them; Obama has so far let down a lot of people.

Anyone want to continue the discussion?

 
* To be clear, I do think Obama’s performance, and that of his cronies like Pelosi, Reid, Frank, et al is paving the way for a GOP presidency, but not Palin. However, I see nothing to “be very afraid” about if she were to hold a higher office.



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Category: politics, Reagan, Sarah Palin

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