Yes They DO Hate Him Because He Is Black.

[KamaAina]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/3/22/1504828/-Yes-They-DO-Hate-Him-Because-He-Is-Black

As a black American, I feel compelled to rebut this diary by Crashing Vor. While I believe the diarist is well-intentioned and makes a solid argument, I strongly disagree with his/her thesis that racism doesn’t underpin the unprecedented Republican hate against President Obama....

It’s a given that Republicans will hate a Democratic president. It’s what Republicans do — hate is essentially a virtue on the right. We all saw how they went after Bill Clinton relentlessly, how they trash former President Jimmy Carter and so on. But, there is something significantly different about Republican animus towards Obama — it goes way beyond the regular partisan antagonism....

The unconscionable stance of the Republicans in the debt ceiling fights showed the extent of their contempt towards our first African-American President. They were literally willing to destroy the United States just to spite Obama....

I know it’s nice to imagine that Republicans are really not the racists that we think they are; that their resentment of Obama is primarily rooted in their ideological differences with him, and the fact that Obama is a political genius who manages to get things done despite their obstruction. However, any fair observation of what has transpired over Obama’s two terms would reveal an undeniable racial component in the way Republicans have approached his presidency.

[thereismore]

1. Yes, they really do. nt

[Hortensis]

64. No, only SOME of "they" do. Social/religious conservatives

range from merely disapproving to intensely hostile toward people who are different from them -- liberals, blacks, people who eat raw fish or tear up their lawn to plant natives. You name the difference, these are the world's first-class troublemakers.

But traditional and economic conservatives, though definitely preferring conforming society made up of people like them, mostly stay in the low range of suspicion and disapproval of people who are different and their problem is usually overcome by merely becoming better acquainted.

These days most conservatives reportedly feel more negatively toward liberals -- and feel freer to discriminate against liberals -- than they do blacks.

That still leaves the bigoted social and/or religious conservatives, but don't go blaming them all unless the goal is to empower the nasties from a minority to a majority.

[heaven05]

80. I can't believe

Last edited Wed Apr 6, 2016, 10:45 AM - Edit history (1)

this attempt at diminishing the numbers of white republican that hate people based on the color of their skin ....only....exclusively. Your explantion of "some" hating ALL blacks can be confirmed by one out of a hundred hating JUST liberals and 99 hating all people with different skin color. Hell Trumpchump has shown the extent of racial HATE toward black people carried by a HUGE number of RW supporters of him. If 100 out of the 8000 at a rally of his hate just liberals, then the rest are the true marker of the republican party....leaders and base. Yes they overwhelmingly hate the POTUS, both repug leaders and base, because of his skin color. It's ingrained in the cultural, social, racial and political DNA of this society. Period.

[Hortensis]

86. This is researched extremely extensively, with REAL #s,

no need to just pull some out of the air.

To fix this nation, we need to once again join with good conservatives to become a solid majority that can overpower the bad conservatives farther right. Extremism in any kind of conservative tends to cause trouble for Democracy, but moderate traditional and economic conservatives are as capable of being progressive as any liberal when they decide the problem calls for progressive solutions.

People who spout hate talk and division about "conservatives" are just as much of a problem as those who do the same about any other group of people. They need to be controlled if they will not control themselves by being sidelined by disapproving majorities.

[heaven05]

93. per your last paragraph

ddddddamn!!!! We've been "controlled" for generations. Go "control" your trumpchumps. THEY need controlling and corraling. Control???? Yeah, right. In your dreams.

[Hortensis]

96. Controlled? Not really. That's part of how we got in this

mess. Conservatives on the right led, of course, but this election we seem to be following a bad lead.

More moderate and sensible conservatives didn't frown down their neighbors enough when criticism of another group was taken as permission to ramp up the hostility level. They didn't like the hard-core candidates the uncontrolled ones helped choose in the primaries but voted for them anyway -- in spite of typically bad character and almost always bad judgement -- in a partisan spiral downward that took over 30 years brought the GOP, and the nation, to this point.

Nope. What we need to do is make sure those who are too hostile and dismissive toward other groups to work with them -- both right and left -- lose this election. Then they can go back to being sidelined, complaining about corrupt everyone else is and how government doesn't represent them, while those capable of forming alliances large enough to fix big problems get to work doing just that.

That kind of control. You know, like Bernie's finger:

[ffr]

2. For any of us who see it first hand, it's more than obvious

Their judgement these past 7+ years has been clouded at best, but dangerous most likely. The crap they've pulled simply because they have massive amounts of money and can turn their media machine on to rebut logic cannot hide their spite.

There's no doubt they've kicked it up a notch for PBO.

[Kalidurga]

3. It was obvious when they started slamming Obama for continuing Bush policies...

It was hilarious when they became doves and said that Iraq is Obama's war. They hate the Republican "think tank" Affordable Health Care Act. And the fact that they are besties with Putin a communist is just beyond bizarre, but they think Putin is a dreamy strong man and Obama is effeminate or something something so now the communist is cool.

[lastone]

20. ^^^ I've argued this to my right leaning friends for years ^^^

How, at the exact second he was sworn started screaming about policy that had been in place for most of 8 years, how the only (main)thing that changed was the man calling the shots, not the shots themselves... I believe they live in a world where they buy the fox new spin hook, line and sinker without question even to the point of not understanding who bailed out who BEFORE Obama took office while blaming Obama. Perception is reality on the right (and sadly some here) and until there is a fairness in media act reinstated the "news" is free to say anything they want w/out blowback. Put a pretty face on it and spew the lies and 49% of america thinks they are informed voters.

[AlbertCat]

36. at the exact second he was sworn

Hell, It started BEFORE the inauguration! It started the instant he won.

[zeemike]

33. I have not seen that.

I see them call for more war all the time and criticize Obama because is not starting enough things all over the world.
And they passed the ACA and the conservative SCOUTS upheld it...and just because they said don't throw us in that brier patch don't mean shit.
And it is them that think we need to get tough with Putin.

I don't think most people understand how triangulation works...and so it does.

[Nevernose]

71. Oh, so you've noticed the cognitive dissonance, have you?

A conservative SCOTUS didn't uphold ACA, it was passed by Democrats and held legal by four Dems and John Roberts, and now they think the Chief Justice is the devil.

They love Putin and everything about him. They don't think WE should get tough on Putin, they think Obama should and that he is wimpy for not getting tough on Putin. They love it when Trump wants to buddy up to Putin.

They DO criticize Obama for not starting more wars, and then criticize him for starting or participating in the wars they wanted.

The Republicans haven't triangulated anything, because that would require them to have actual goals and objectives other than "Obama Bad!"

It's seriously uncharted territory they're in now, except instead of Magellan, they've got a clown car and a couple of drunken rodeo clowns at the wheel.

[zeemike]

75. It's a serious mistake to underestimate the enemy.

And when you say they have no goals you are doing that.

And the next mistake you make is in believing that the kabuki theater they create for you is what is really happening.
They don't give a shit that Obama is president...they only care that their goals are advanced. And so far they have been at every turn because they triangulate us with bullshit and we eat it up...like fans of a WWF wrestling match.

[gordianot]

4. I even heard it said out loud recently.

"If Obama were white he would not have been so bad." I could not reply the back of my throat constricted rendering me temporarily speechless in a choking gurgle. Fortunately someone had the presence to point out immediately the rancid racial hypocrisy of that utterance.

[redstatebluegirl]

5. When they had "the meeting" the day he was sworn in, that said it all.

Never before had they planned to obstruct. Some of the hatred is because he is a Democrat and he won, twice, but most of it is his color. You can put a suit on em, clean em up but they are still racists.

[Person 2713]

9. +1 all good points

[blm]

10. That should have been seen as a horrific event to any sane citizen.

.

[HuckleB]

6. Without a doubt.

[leftyladyfrommo]

7. And he's smarter than all of them combined.

And he has the confidence to ignore them and just go ahead and do what needs to be done.

[Solly Mack]

8. They do indeed.

With every "anti-colonialism, Kenyan Muslim" and "Take Back Our Country", they have striven to set President Obama apart as not a true American - to make him the "other". And it has all been based on the hue of his skin.

[Rex]

11. What other POTUS has had key legislation blocked 50 plus times?

Had a letter sent to Iran to undermine the POTUSes visit? Even when he gives them free money, like the last citibank omnibus bill they still hate his guts.

It has ALWAYS been about his skin color.

[cannabis_flower]

12. I don't believe they are all racists but

I do believe that the racists considerably outnumber the non-racists.

[bettyellen]

24. I think they know a healthy portion of their constituency is racist and approves of their distain

Whether they share the personal feeling or not matters not at all.

[hfojvt]

13. "I know it is nice to imagine that Republicans are really not ..."

Actually, I think for some people, it is more fun to imagine that they ARE "the racists that we think they are."

The alternative would be having to admit "I was wrong". Who looks forward to that? "Can I get a side order of fries with my serving of crow?"

This OP does not make much of a case. The debt ceiling fights? So he/she has forgotten the Government shutdown when Clinton was President.

and this "Obama is a political genius who manages to get things done despite their obstruction."

Yeah, that's a nice little story to believe. Obama got things done. He made the Bush tax cuts permanent. Only a "democrat" could have done that.

I think the partisan hatred is partly kabuki. Republicans can pretend to be upset when Obama signs in to law permanent tax cuts for the rich. That does two things, it convinces us gullible liberals to rush to defend "our guy" and ignore how odious the policy was that "our guy" just signed in to law. And also it allows them to push for even MORE poilcies that benefit the rich. Keep pulling the debate to the right.

Hillary will sign even more laws that favor the rich and Republicans will gnash their teeth in hatred - even in the midst of their victory. They have been doing it for years.

Anybody remember the Clinton tax cuts for the rich?

Some do, but not very many.

[Rex]

14. You a liberal?

[hfojvt]

19. I try to avoid

being one of the gullible ones.

But I am apparently more liberal than Obama when it comes to tax cuts for the rich, and also more liberal than Warren or Sanders, since the first was silent and the second actually voted for it.

[LanternWaste]

22. I allege the same thing when the experience of others doesn't parallel my own

" I try to avoid being one of the gullible ones..."

I allege the same thing when the experience of others doesn't parallel my own. Let's us feel much more clever about ourselves than might actually be the case.

[Loki]

21. Why do you hate Democrats?

I feel I have to ask that question also. Just posting anti-Clinton diatribes isn't really an answer. I know a lot of Republicans that really are racist and that's the one reason they vote Republican. Everything AA, hispanic or any other culture except "white", is taking "their" country away from them. Can you even imagine what this country would look like if we had more Sam Brownbacks, Scott Walkers, Paul LePage's and all the other republican governors and state legislatures in power? Kentucky just voted for a republican tea party crazy for governor who ran on dismantling ACA. Guess what, now those 400,000 Kentuckians who will lose their insurance coverage are crying because he called it "Obama Care" and they didn't know that's what they had. This is what happens when hatred supercedes reason.

[Rex]

45. Seriously, I don't understand why some here pretend to be liberals when their every word

betrays them. I guess they know there are gullible people out there that will believe their hook. I wish they would just post their true convictions...but that is too much like truth so it no doubt hurts when they do so.

The only people I know of that deny GOPers are generally racists are GOPers...everyone else already acknowledges them as such.

The OP must have rubbed him the wrong way. Gee I wonder why?

[hfojvt]

48. because I can imagine

what it would be like if Democrats actually fought for the bottom 80% instead of just pretending.

And because for so many years, mostly the Clinton years that I have lived through, Democrats like Clinton keep trying to out-Republican the Republicans.

Because I am here on the ground trying to inform the public that the Bush tax cuts are bad policy and I have Democrats like Moore and Carnahan running TV ads bragging about how they voted FOR the Bush tax cuts, and I also have Democrats like Obama making the Bush tax cuts permanent and then declaring victory in doing so.

I don't know that many Republicans, but I am pretty sure the ones I do know are NOT racists.

[Loki]

49. Pretending??

Sorry, I prefer the "pretend" Democrats to any Republican out there. I've lived in Republican held states, and they suck.

[7962]

63. I DO have to laugh when I see the "theres no difference between HRC & GOP"

Funny thing is, I see many comments on the right saying the same thing about anyone OTHER than Trump.
"Kasich is no different than Hillary" etc.
Its really ridiculous. And I'm not even a HIllary backer, but its still silly to say shes the same as the GOP

[hfojvt]

91. I didn't say she was the same.

I said she is gonna sign legislation, like Bill Clinton did, like Obama did, that benefits mostly the rich.

Sure there is a clear difference, between

Obama

13% to the top 1%
54% to the top 20%
14% to the bottom 40%

and

Republicans

26% to the top 1%
65% to the top 20%
7% to the bottom 40%

but BOTH of them, pretty clearly favor the top over the bottom.

Is that really the best we can do? Then, when they "compromise" (and notice how the compromise is a LOT closer to the Republican side than it is to Obama) instead of saying "this sucks, but it was the best we could do." they declare victory.

Making 85% of the Bush tax cuts permanent - permanent tax cuts that heavily favor the rich is not any sort of victory, but Obama claimed it was.

http://www.ctj.org/pdf/taxcompromise2010.pdf

[7962]

92. I was agreeing with you. I think.

You said you'd prefer a "pretend" democrat over a real GOP. The "they're the same" crowd stays home and doesnt vote

[Locrian]

26. good points

There's also this

http://www.stirjournal.com/2016/04/01/i-know-why-poor-whites-chant-trump-trump-trump/


Whether the powerful R's are racist - they definitely USE race to their advantage. And the poor are divided thru the same tactics.

The end result *is* racism - brought on by a calculated move for what is always the driving force: M.O.N.E.Y

[zeemike]

37. Yep.

And like I have said, some people don't understand how triangulation works...and so on them it does every time.

And with the first woman president it will change from racism to misogyny...and work just the same.
We will support more right wing bullshit because they are misogynist.

[noiretextatique]

47. I can't believe it, but I mostly agree with you

However, some of them are racists. But more importantly, they know how to manipulate and use the racists. And Democrats have been conditioned to accept rightist policies because of the myth that the country is conservative. Our politicians, in both parties, are more conservative than the people, and we know the people will never benefit from that skewed reality.

[Doctor_J]

53. Agreed. It would have been just as bad if Hillary had won in 2008

It will be just as bad during the next four years. Hate radio has taught them to hate anyone who calls themselves democrats. That's part of the scam to make sleepy democrats fall for TPP and heritage care, and actual liberals completely out of the discussion.

[byronius]

79. So much bullshit in 9 little paragraphs.

You're just so much better than everyone. Shine that light on yourself. You're the good one. All of us Gullibles don't know nuffin.

Yeah, that Obama guy really sucks. You'd be better. You should run. Then we'd see who you really are. For real.

[hfojvt]

89. I did run

spent $3,600 of my own money and lost in the primary. Got to keep 9 t-shirts anyway.

I was gonna get printing on the back that said "I ran for Congress and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" but since I already paid $400 per t-shirt, I didn't really want to add to the cost.

Am I better than "everyone". I don't believe I ever claimed that, but unlike Obama and Hillary I can say, in truth, "If there is a lower class, I am in it."

They send me letters asking for money and say "we are fighting for you all the time". I can see that they are clearly full of excrement.

I wish they weren't, but I can unfortunately see that they are, and yeah, the people who can not see it, well they seem gullible to me. Either that, or they are above the median income and don't care all that much about people below the median income.

[heaven05]

82. you seriously believe

What you just wrote. Truly? Oh my???!!!!

[madamesilverspurs]

15. ...

[Ned_Devine]

16. It's been so blatant since his first campaign for pre. back in '08

[secondwind]

17. They don't hide it, either.

[NoMoreRepugs]

18. if you don't agree then you really don't know Republicans IMO

spot on KamaAina

[scottie55]

23. Agreed - If They Are Not Racists They Tolerate Racists

Just about the same thing.

[OldRedneck]

25. Well, no, not a "racial component"

I disagree with your characterization of Republican policy as having a "racial component."

99.5% OF WHAT THEY DO IS RACIALLY-MOTIVATED -- racism is not a component, it's a BUILT-IN FEATURE.

Nixon's Southern Strategy was developed to bring into the GOP white southerners who were disaffected by LBJ's signing the Civil Rights and Voting Rights act.

Ronald Reagan opened his campaign with a speech at Philadelphia, Mississippi, to send a message to white Southerners that he had no intention of enforcing civil rights legislation.

GOP attacks on voting rights, LGBT rights, women's health, Muslims -- all stem from the same racist motivation.

I know. I'm a white Southerner.

[mountain grammy]

30. +1

[Dan]

38. Kind of funny

When I was a kid in a unnamed small town in Oklahoma - and the Civil Rights Acts were passed. I remember the conversations that took place about how these acts would impact things, and make it better for our folks. I remember the elders saying, that the hate is so deep that a lot of them would prefer to go out of business than do what was 'now legal', let alone right. They were right...

[bigbrother05]

69. Grew up in an unnamed city in Okla, completely agree.

It was not a pleasant time. Still not particularly nice when there on visits to relatives.

[jonks2746]

27. It's been obvious since January 2009

Too many people in this country are racist against black Americans. Sad really.

[SDJay]

28. I Used To Think

that most of them were not themselves necessarily racists, but instead they culled the racists to score cheap political points and, most importantly, to keep their fat jobs.

At this point, I don't know if such a line exists nor if it really matters. After this many years of flat-out refusing to do anything that would help the country because a black man is trying to do so, you own the racist label whether you as a repuke are actually racist or not.

I've been telling the repukes in my life that bigotry is an inherent part of their brand now, and that this will be the Obama legacy for them. They hate that and scream and yell and whine, but fuck them - they own it and they deserve to own it.

[MisterP]

29. that's the biggest danger in this year's campaign: the utter race-baiting of Trump and Clinton

and their endless, endless proxies: it's now a legitimate way to earn votes, everyday people enthusiastically embracing identitarian division

[KamaAina]

31. "the utter race-baiting of... Clinton"?

You'll have to do better than "superpredators". And I'm a Bernie guy.

[MisterP]

32. even in their casual dismissal of WI her campaign says outright that

they can dump it because there's no Blacks and Latinos so of course Sanders' Cracker McWhiteWhite campaign will win it; it's as casual as mentioning the time and weather for them--it's practically a bodily function by now!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511644695

plus of course DU and DKos literally wallpapered with "Sanders/his followers are racist"

[AlbertCat]

34. As a white American....

...... even I can clearly see that Obama's race (half race?) is THE "problem" from which all attacks germinate. The huge surge in bigotry from all points, North, West, East, as well as South, and all social strata, is obvious and mind boggling.

[RiverNoord]

35. Fascinating that this is even a question.

It's been perfectly obvious from the beginning.

The code language is 'politically correct.' I've only heard it spoken or seen it written during the past 10 years or so by racists trying to make their racism somehow less offensive-sounding.

'It's not politically correct to say this these days, but,' and then - everything bad is the fault of black people and the damn liberals who coddle them.

I heard a very, very slight variation on this statement about 2 years ago as I was leaving a Minnesota restaurant. It was very interesting to see the pricks who were nodding their acceptance suddenly and very clearly disassociating themselves from the comment when faced by a rather... displeased liberal...

[captainarizona]

39. no kidding!

But they always say they don't hate president obama because he is black.

[jtuck004]

40. "...his/her thesis that racism doesn’t underpin the unprecedented Republican hate..." ROFL. n/t

[pressbox69]

41. LOL

When was the last time any person of color ran for president in their party? I mean one that they didn't dunk during the primaries.

[KamaAina]

42. Well, there were rumors about Warren G. Harding

[Rex]

43. K&R for pissing off the right person!

Repukes are scum and evidently very cowardly people.

[treestar]

44. Yes, very true. That's a good summary of the

things the Rs never would have done before, even to a D president.

[happyslug]

46. But the real hatred is Obama is a Democrat.

You see are many of the same charges made against Obama, made against Lyndon Johnson, JFK, Truman, FDR,bWilson and they all start in 1896 against William Jennings Bryan.

The attacks all on the policies supported by these Presidents and the Democratic Party. This was true even when the Democratic party was the party of segregation (which was the case under Wilson and Byran, FDR and Truman had to deal with that wing carefully for they could not win election without the support of many if not most segregationists).

African-Americans started to shift to the Democratic party only in the 1940s, prior to that date African Americans were strong GOP voters. The shift started in the 1920s, among African-Americans outside the South (as much as 1/3 of African-Americans voted for Eisenhower in 1952, 1956 and for Nixon in 1960) but quickly took off after WWII.

Today over 90% of African-Americans vote Democratic. The GOP has long abandon them for white Southerners. White Southerners are in many ways both the base of the Modern GOP anf its weakest link. White Southerners want a strong defense, a police force to keep African-Americans in "their place," but also Social Security and public schools.

The GOP keeps these white Southerners voting GOP by emphasising Defense spending and crime prevention, the latter is a code word for keeping African-Americans in "their place". Among these White Southerners to reduce crime is to suppress African-Americans. On the other hand White Southerns want to preserve Social Security at all costs, thus any attack on Social Security quickly died for White Southerners, if anf when they accept Social Security is under threat, abandon the GOP.

Thus in the last elections the GOP have dropped cutting Social Security as a main goal but concentrate on issues the GOP belives it can get White Southerners to vote GOP over, I.e. Abortion and Defense Spending along with support for the Police.

Any way back to my main theme. The above shows the GOP weak points and it is White Southerns. The GOP see using the Race of Obama as a weapon to keep these Southerners voting GOP and it is working as long as the GOP do not Touch Social Security. If the GOP touch Social Security, Southerners will abandon the GOP in droves. You can see this on the Massive support for Trump. Trump is the only candidate, except Sanders, who said that Social Security must be perserved at all costs. The big question of Social Security does not exists for white Southerners when it comes to Trump. Thus has been a shock to the GOP elite.

Racism has been part of the opposition to Obama, but the same level of opposition was seen against every Democratic Candidate since Truman. That Obama is African-American did not increase the level of opposition for the issue is NOT who is on top of the ticket, but how does it affect people locally, and since Truman the Democratic party has lead Civil Rights battles (even when the opposition to Civil rights was also Democratic party in origin).

The main reason you see more racial based opposition is first is Obama is African-American and thus an attack on him can be seen as an attack on him do to his race not that he is Obama. Previous Democratic candidates, being white, such personal were not seen as racial, even when the reason for the opposition was race.

The second reason is the GOP has cease to grow even in the South. The religious right felt betrayed by George W. Bush when no new laws on abortion was passed, nor anything else the religious right wanted when Bush was President and both houses of Congress were GOP controlled. In the 1990s the lack of such laws could be blamed on having a Democratic President. Prior to the 1995 the blame could be put on the House bring Democratic since 1949. Come 2000, the GOP controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress for the first time since 1931 and all that was passed was laws cutting taxes for the rich and threats against Social Security.

The religious right asked where were the things they wanted and was told it will pass when Congress gets to it, but Congress never did. The religious right then voted with they feet, refusing to vote for anyone in 2006, giving the Democatic party controlled of both houses of Congress. In response to this drop in support among the religious right, the Tea Party was invented by the GOP elite to replace the religious right, but the Tea Party is much more racist and intolerant then the relgious right ever was.

The GOP tries to merge the religious right into thr Tea Party and several religious right leaders made the transition, but most lower level members of the religious right refused to go. Decrease taxes for the rich and cut in social spending is NOT what such members wanted. On the other hand Trump's support for Social Security and other social programs have brought those members back to the GOP, but as Trump supporters (with many others supporting Cruz) but not the cuts in social spending all the other GOP candidates supported.

Thus the Tea Party has a lot of Racists, but these same racists would have opposed any Democratic President. They are more overt do to the GOP elite seeing they need their votes to win (even if the GOP cheats, such cheating becomes to clear if it exceeds 5% of all votes casted, thus even if you plan to cheat to win you want as many valid votes as possible to hide the cheating). Thus you see more such racists today then in last elections, for the GOP want such Racists to see GOP as they best choice on the ballot.

Thus you see more racism today for the GOP has few cards to play given the GOP losing the religious right. The GOP wants those same voters but do not want to pass any effective law on abortion or helping religious right schools. In effect the GOP wants social right wingers to vote GOP while giving such social right wingers the left wing economic program they also support.

Trump sees the problem and decided to give the religious right what their want, a right wing social agenda, a strong foreign policy and a left wing economic policy. The GOP elite hates the last thing and thus hate Trump. Worse the GOP elite know if they attack Trump on his support for Social Security, that will increase the support for Trump and if Trump losses the nomination, thise attacks on Social Security will come back to haunt the Republican Party in November. Thus the only way to attack Trump is to bring out the Race Card and hope it is enough to deny Trump the nomination. Thus another reason you are hearing more on race then in previous elite elections.

In my opinion, race being used in 2016 is NOT to attack Obama, but to get people to vote GOP and ti deny Trump the nomination.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

51. No, it is about race. And Trump doesnt have a strong foreign policy, he has an idiotic

foreign policy.

[Chakab]

55. He doesn't even have any policies. He surged into the lead based strictly on inflammatory

statements that he made about immigrants. His support is fueled primary by hate and the fact that he won't apologize for articulating his hate in the most obnoxious manner imaginable.

I'd like to say that I'm surprised by some of the obtuse comments RE racism in the Republican base here, but I'm not after some of the tensions that have bubbled over here recently RE race issues in the primary.

It's not the only reason, but it's a major motivating factor for the rage that's been bubbling up in large parts of the country during the time that Obama's been in office.

Anybody who's denying it is either being dishonest or living inside of a bubble somewhere in an insular, left-leaning community where they haven't had to deal with the river of shit that's been overflowing since the '08 campaign.

[happyslug]

60. I did not say Trump had strong foreign policy

But the GOP voters like Trump's Foreign policy. That the policy is nonsense tends to be unimportant to such voters.

My point it is Racial Policy that the right wing hates, that Obama is African-American is less important then the Civil Rights Policy that the Democratic party has supported since Truman. Thus the hatred to Obama is the same as it had been to Carter, Lyndon Johnson and Truman. All three advanced Civil Rights for African-Americans, more then Clinton did and to a degree more then Obama. Through what Obama could do was limited given he had to deal with a GOP controlled Congress except for his first two years in office.

[heaven05]

83. it definitely

is very important to RW racist pigs, of which a MAJORITY of republicans ARE, that our POTUS has a different skin color than they. Nothing else can be said that diminishes this fact. Period,

[happyslug]

87. I deal with a lot of Republicans, most are NOT racists.

They may have some racists concepts, such a lack of father figure among inner city African Americans is a major problems for African Americans, but once exposed to the actual facts, those concepts are dismissed by those Republicans. They may repeat racist jokes, such as the old joke from the 1960s "what does Kinny Shoes and the US Post office have in common? They both have 50,000 black loafers". Again once exposed to the ACTUAL situation, they see such jokes as based on lies, but they MUST be shown that it is based on lies (the recent increase in Reports, based on Videos, of Police misconduct on African Americans have opened a lot of eyes of such Republicans).

Sorry, most Republicans may be right wing idiots, but most are NOT racists. Do not go by the big month racists, who like Trump get press coverage. It is like the black militants of the 1960s, the majority of African Americans rejected such militants call to violence, but the militants made front page news and a lot of whites only experience with African Americans is via the news. MOST blacks are not drug crazed pimps (a popular portrayal in the movies) but African Americans who appear to fit that role get on the Evening News. The same with Racist whites, most Republicans are NOT racists, but white racists are a popular items in the Movies and TV and anyone who fits that role also gets on the Evening News.

Remember the comment attributed to Pulitzer, "Dog biting man is NOT new (it happens every day), but a MAN biting a Dog is NEWS (for it is something out of norm)". What a lot of people think of other groups are based on what they see on TV, that goes for perception of Republicans and African Americans.

[heaven05]

94. per your title of post

I've known racism for generations and the large majority of white....uhhhhrightwingers are racist. They have been shown for generations that racism is based on myth...white...and lies white supremacists in the media and government, local and national, spread. I could go through all the names of black americans that have contributed to this country's progress and safety, from say George Washinton Carver to Colin Powell to Barack H. Obama our current POTUS whose election has brought BACK the virulent and widespread racism I grew up with.

Believe what you please. I'm down here in the trenches. I study also. I can make my own appraisals.

[DrewFlorida]

50. I agree! I think Republicans have an extreem hatred of Obama, which goes above and beyond....

any other Democratic President. We have seen the disgusting statements made, that prove racism is the reason for the extra passionate hatred from these scumbag republicans.

[tavernier]

52. Are you kidding me?

The racism is so blatant, I'm shocked that half of congress doesn't go to work in white robes.

[Jon Fogerty]

54. Even Lindsay Graham noted...

that 1/3 of Republicans believe Obama is a Kenyan born Muslim, they certainly did not "de-legitamize" Clinton, Carter etc. to that extent. I know certain Republicans get upset simply seeing him get into Air Force One, the helicopters, and limos because they cannot stand the sight of him "enjoying" those "perks" as President.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

56. and those here in DU who say he hasn't had a liberal agenda are as bad.

Whether that denial of his accomplishments comes from racism, I cannot say. But they say it loud and proud that he abandoned Democrats for a Republucan agenda despite proof to the contrary.

Infuriating.

[spanone]

57. K&R...

[Mbrow]

58. K&R

As a white man I can tell you are 100% correct. About time this get said long and loud.

[Major Hogwash]

59. I think a scientific study would bear this out.

I really do.
The underlying hateful sentiment against Democrats from Republicans is a given.
However, how many filibusters, or threats of filibusters, took place when the President of the United States was white?

I think there is a strong correlation between Republican policies and Republican value systems.
They're based on the same thing, the status quo.
The status quo of America 70 years ago.
Back when it was mostly "white people rule over everyone else".
I also think that a fundamental aspect between most of those Republican policies held by most of those Republican people that bonds them together is racism, pure and simple.
Not all of them, just most of them.

I use the 70 year mark as a history marker, or a starting point of the status quo belief system, because I think it became very apparent to many Americans right after World War II was over that the majority of white people in this country believed that the majority opinion should be adhered to . . without question.

It was the idea, just the very idea, that most white people in this country wanted ALL of the black people, as well as every other minority -- especially women -- to just go back to the position they held in our society prior to 1940, before WWII had affected the U.S. to the point of declaring war on other countries.

I have yet to meet a Republican who actually isn't racist in one form or another.
Or maybe not racist, but a separatist, and also at the same time, a misogynist.
And I live in a state (and city) where my gawd damned personal observations are definitely valid due to the large sample size I have been able to take my personal observations from.

There are exceptions, but they are few and far between.
Very, very few.
And very, very far between.

[Bad Dog]

61. And the worst offenders

Say they don't see colour but if they did Obama wouldn't count because his mum was white.

[hamsterjill]

95. Or, they are even more nasty about the fact that his mother was white.

I live in Texas, and I've heard racist remarks made about Obama's mother for having dared to sleep with a black man and bear his child. I think the fact that he is half white is probably THE most offensive to some of these idiots.

My one consolation in all of this has been the fact that I've been so proud of President Obama for the way that he's handled the stupidity. He doesn't spend time acknowledging it, but rather goes about his business, secure in the fact that he IS the President. He conducts himself in a way that shows HOW intelligent he really is, and that in turn, reveals the stupidity of the ones who seek to destroy him.

[Bad Dog]

97. If he did ackowledge it he wouldn't have time for much else.

I remember when he won the election, it was a wonderful feeling, (even this side of the Atlantic.) There was a feeling racism was being defeated, I guess we were pretty shocked by the backlash.

[Bob Loblaw]

62. Perhaps

not all Republicans are racists, but in my experience every racist I've ever known was a republican. Like that Fox news helicopter from The Simpsons says on the side, "Not racist, but #1 with racists."

[retrowire]

65. i got confirmation in real life that they hate him for race

the other day when I had the misfortune of sitting behind a truck with some terrible bumper stickers.

[Scuba]

66. Well, duh.

[baldguy]

67. I think the racism is just an excuse. The hatred is really because he's a Democrat.

Don't forget that their opposition is political at it's core. His race doesn't really matter. His policies don't really matter. It's simply the fact that the Republicans wanted one of their own in the White House and Obama took it away from them.

It's about power.

Their attacks have a large component of racism simply because their constituency is, for the most part, provincial and ignorant. And proud of it.

If Bernie gets in the White House, we'll be hearing a lot more innuendo disparaging Jews - not directly of course, that would be too distasteful and discomforting for "Good Christian" cloth-coated Republicans to take. And If Hillary gets is it'll be the same sexist crap we've been hearing from the VRWC for 30 yrs, but it will be amped up 1000 fold. And both are subject to the slander against being well-educated, urban elitists.

They did it with Carter, they did it with Bill Clinton, they've done it with Obama, and they'll do it with the next Democratic President, no matter who it is.

[heaven05]

85. yeah right

Geez.

[Botany]

68. Very true

% of Trump voters = % of people who are pissed that a black man is POTUS

make America great again = make the POTUS white guy again

[TNNurse]

70. This southern white woman

agrees with you completely. They have made public racism allowable if not acceptable. No one believes them when they deny it, well no rational people.

[L. Coyote]

72. Anyone who doesn't recognize this vehement racism isn't listening to the people who are hating.

All you have to do is talk to the rednecks, they will say it to your face.

[BumRushDaShow]

73. Nailed it and it's not just Republicans.

[lunasun]

77. You got that right!

[sofa king]

74. I made a handy graphic!

Just as "stupid" is easily absorded by "evil," "racist" is absorded by the entire Republican Party because they rely upon fear and racism to keep right-wing authoritarians in the ranks. Play it even somewhat fair and the racists will go tea-party on your ass.

In this particular case, the dunce cap in the graphic should be replaced by a white hood, but they are quite interchangeable.

[Kip Humphrey]

76. I do believe that in my entire life I have not met a single republicon that did not harbor racism or

bigotry in some form or degree in their heart. Not one. Not ever.

I am white and I come from a staunchly republicon family. I grew up among the wealthy and I currently live in Texas. So, I have met a lot of republicons in my life.

[heaven05]

78. thank you

many do know, many deny out of a false sense of decency toward the racist pigs in the republican party....+1000 and thanks again for the reminder based in american cultural reality.

[awoke_in_2003]

81. It has been painfully obvious

to this white guy. Their hatred of Obama is much deeper than a rep/dem thing. Anyone who doesn't see it is obtuse or naive.

[moonbabygo]

88. Bush is white?

After reading this thread I had to google bush just to make sure he was white. He is move along

[awoke_in_2003]

90. What does Bush being white...

have to do with the treatment Obama has received because he's African American?

[barbtries]

84. of course they do.

his election brought all that ugliness to the surface and anyone who says it isn't racism is not paying attention.

[napkinz]

98. K&R

[harrose]

99. It's much easier to see if you start from the premise that every Rethug is a racist.

eom