Black man disrespects white woman

Monday leftovers: ignoring the Enquirer and more!

Media malleability, Part II

6 Comments

• JC said:

  You want it to be one way, but it's the other way.

  September 12, 2008 3:18 PM

• Adam Reilly said:

  JC, that sounds good but is incomprehensible. Can you elaborate?

  September 12, 2008 3:42 PM

• gordon marshall said:

  JC, I don't think Mr Reilly wants it to be EITHER way, black dissing woman or vice versa.  I certainly don't.  There is a racial element to this campaign, however.  That's precisely its great justice, its messianic tenor, if you will.  The Republican machine will do everything to strip us of this right, taking the lowest step imaginable, mocking feminism by using a woman as a straw man.

  September 12, 2008 11:56 PM

• aging cynic said:

  As opposed to running a patently unqualified African American so any rebuttal is defacto racism? Talk about projecting one's own motives...

  September 14, 2008 11:52 AM

• Adam said:

  AC, a couple points for you to consider:

  1. Obama wasn't run by others for the nomination. He ran for it himself and got it.

  2. There are any number of criticisms of Obama that *don't* have racial connotations. There's no racist undertone, for example, to saying that his years as a legislator (in Illinois and in Congress) were lacking in distinguishing achievement.

  3. This theme of disrespect is a different matter. As I indicated in a link in my original post, black men were killed in this country not too long ago for allegedly "disrespecting" white women. Surely you can recognize that, even if you're not an Obama fan? And surely you can recognize that, for that reason, playing the "disrespect" card--in an ad whose claims have been called false by FactCheck.org--is incendiary?

  September 14, 2008 3:37 PM

• gordon marshall said:

  Well, in the first few pages of "Dreams from My Father" I have already learned that Obama was responsible for passing laws involving prison reform and healthcare for children.  Anyway, there's too much weight placed on early achievement in this society.  Many of the greatest minds and artists develop slowly.  John Coltrane, the most influential jazz artist of all time, comes to mind.  Obama may well have a mind to rival his.  There is evidence of this, if you pay attention and read and listen to him, especially off the cuff in an interview from anyone to Letterman to Bill O'Reilly (who clearly has great respect for the man, calling him "sincere in his beliefs" and saying he can "talk thirty minutes on a shoestring).  O'Reilly is a smart man, and if Obama came out of that exchange with bills and change, shall we say, there is even more evidence of his acumen and equanimity.

  September 14, 2008 6:08 PM

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