Something I think we need to consider, re: Bob Johnson's comments (only serious DUers respond pls)

[journalist3072]

First, let me preface this by saying this thread is not intended to be flaming in any way. I don't even want to way into this issue, but feel compelled to do so.

And my comments are directed at those DUers expressing faux outrage over BET founder Bob Johnson's comments when he pontificated on what Obama was doing with his life, while Sen. Clinton was working on civil rights issues and working at the Children's Defense Fund.

I believe that Bob Johnson's comments were totally appropriate, and the faux outrage here on DU needs to stop.

Here's why...

Let's think back to the 2004 campaign. What was one of the main talking points here on DU, and elsewhere on the left?

There were many of us who kept saying that while John Kerry was saving lives in Vietnam, George W. Bush was getting arrested for a DUI back here in the states. We said that, and we made no apologies for those comparisons. And I don't think we should have. I think it was entirely appropriate for us to examine what they have done with their lives, and look at the fact that John Kerry went to serve in Vietnam while George W. Bush was back here getting plastered and arrested for a DUI.

And I think the same thing applies here now...and I think it's totally appropriate to ask what Obama was doing with his life, at the time that Sen. Clinton was working for the Children's Defense Fund, and basically going door-to-door certain children were not in school.

Again, this was definitely not intended to be flame-bait...but instead of the faux outrage, we need to remember that we were contrasting what George W. Bush and John Kerry were doing in their lives at certain points, and that's all Bob Johnson was getting at.

[Catherine Vincent]

1. But there's a big age difference between O and H. nt

[salin]

8. that was my first thought as well....

compare what folks were doing at the same AGE, not at the same year. I know that what I was doing at 17 (college freshman, flighty, not wild, but not serious nor yet working for causes or change) compared to what I was doing at 27 is very different. To compare salin at 17 to another duer who was active (as I was at 27) who was 27 in the same year that salin was 17 - is not an apples to apples comparison.

Perhaps there are other explanations, but I don't think that this is a sellable one.

[earthlover]

18. At a younger AGE, Hillary was a YOUNG REP"U{BLICAN!!!!!!

Last time she held a president's job....

[Cha]

2. You and our "faux outrage" ...

like you don't respond to threads just to see how explosive you can get.

[143tbone]

4. How does one know if they're a serious DU'er? nt

[MidwestTransplant]

10. Skinner sends out a message to all "serious" DUers, letting them know they are serious DUers

If you didn't get yours, you aren't.

You can always appeal to Elad though. ;)

[NanceGreggs]

12. I got my PM from Skinner an hour ago ...

... he said I'd been "certified as a series!!! DUer".

Is that what you're talking about -- 'cause I'm easily confused.

Just wondering' ... :shrug:

[MidwestTransplant]

22. That's it...congrats!

[shugah]

26. are you sure? skinner sends the messages out?

about if you are a serious DUer or not? email or DU PM?

skinner sends the messages?

edit: formatting

are you sure they send a message if you are a serious DUer? skinner does?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. Are you sure you "even want to way into this issue" ?

Whatever that means... :shrug:

[Individualist]

17. rofl

:rofl:

[dsc]

3. Then he needs to be upfront and honest about it

But the problem we had with Bush wasn't that he was into drugs while Kerry was in VietNam it was that he was AWOL while Kerry was in VietNam. It also was that Bush was portraying himself as Rambo now, when he was AWOL then.

[JuniperLea]

5. Good points!

I feel it's exactly the same mode of compare and contrast as happened with the Bush/Kerry discussions. I remember them vividly, and joined in them whole-heartedly.

I hope you are wearing your asbestos undies. The Obamanistas will be out in force, regardless of your cries for serious discussion. They are "inspired" you know;)

[jasmine621]

6. Thanks for a well thought-out post. Hat's off. nt

:hi:

[TahitiNut]

9. Bob Johnson is a billionaire. It's the battle of the black billionaires.

It's not about black. It's about GREEN ... loooong green.

[earthlover]

21. My thoughts exactly....a billionaire....perhaps that is why he was on stage

[bluestateguy]

11. DUI puts other lives at risk, one person snorting blow does not

And if I ever brought up Baby Bush's past use of blow, it was to note his utter hypocrisy in supporting punitive sentences for non-violent offenders.

[AlCzervik]

13. I'm not full of Faux outrage but i will "Way" in, hopefully it's serious enough for you

Bob Johnson chose to make that comment, he could have said many other things but he chose his words and now Clinton will have to live with them. He knew exactly what he was doing and imo it was low and made him look like a blowhard with a big bank account, a bully.

Here's hoping John Edward's pulls a victory out of Nevada because after this weekend i'm totally sure i'm voting for him.

[NoBorders]

14. I thought the drugs were during his teens

But I'm not certain. I believe he was done with all that when he got to college.

[bigbrother05]

15. Wouldn't a more appropriate comparison

have been to examine their activities at equivalent periods in their lives/careers?

If Mr. Johnson wanted to draw attention to the differences in relative experience, he could have noted that Hillary was working for good causes when Barack was still in diapers/grade school/braces/etc. without veiled references to his self-admitted drug use.

Obama could rightly point out what he was doing in his life (i.e. equal rights activities) at an equivalent time in Hillary's life when she was a self-admitted Goldwater girl.

The Kerry/Bush comparison is/was pertinent because they happened at the same time, two contrasting responses to the same situation (Viet Nam). The fact that a teenager is not doing the same things as an adult lawyer is less relevant except to point out the difference in age and experience.

[mmonk]

16. Surrogates do the dirty work.

And who defines serious?

[psychmommy]

19. this belongs in gd-p

take your race baiting, flame baiting op and go to gd-p where it belongs. we no longer want to debate w/divisive people as yourself. serious duer's (i nominated myself as one) want real discourse and healthy discussion-not this garbage.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[psychmommy]

30. i am an african american female also

therefore i won't reply to you w/the same language you chose to use. i am grown, i am 43. you don't have to be a certain race-to racebait. you
keep this crap in gd-p where it belongs. if i feel like wading through the sewage in there i'll be prepared w/my hip waders.

[Kahuna]

20. SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Of course you think they were appropriate..

And while in a church yet. You never cease to both amaze and entertain.

[Window]

23. I assure you my outrage at Johnson's remarks are not faux.

For the record, I am a black female Edwards supporter. I've watched that clip many times, and it was very obvious that Johnson (while trying to be funny) was inferring that Barack was either using and/or selling drugs...period.


And I think the same thing applies here now...and I think it's totally appropriate to ask what Obama was doing with his life, at the time that Sen. Clinton was working for the Children's Defense Fund, and basically going door-to-door certain children were not in school.

I agree, but ask him, don't insinuate that he was using and/or selling drugs.

Peace:thumbsup:

[knowledgeispwr]

25. My outrage is not faux...

and deals more with the fact that Bob Johnson was speaking for Hillary in the first place.

As a black American male, I have little respect for the man that founded the Black Exploitation Network that does little more than to glorify negative stereotypes of black folks and denigrate women. He made a fortune hurting a community.

In contrast, while Obama did do drugs in his youth, he later became a community organizer/activist, good work which stands in stark relief to the harm that Johnson has done.

With that in mind, Bob Johnson doesn't have a room to be saying anything.

[SOS]

27. John Kerry was serving in Viet Nam in 1976?

Interesting new info!

This was enlightening too:

"Sen. Clinton was working for the Children's Defense Fund, and basically going door-to-door certain children were not in school."

Did she roust those lazy little whippersnappers and drive them to school in the big yellow bus?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[shugah]

28. i'm going to 'way in' - i am a serious DUer

i think bob johnson's comments were totally inappropriate. i'm not expressing outrage, faux or otherwise, because i don't feel outrage - i just think the man was totally out of line.

i'm sure Hillary will find a way to extract herself from the comments made. she ought to apologize. but if agreeing with Obama that neither will try to throw this sort of slime anymore is the end result, then that's better off than we were.

[Oilwellian]

29. What I wanna know is this...

was Bubba not inhaling around the same time?