Pat Buchanan--WTF?

[vixengrl]

Re: his performance here-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0LiydCYJQs

He's nuts. I know. Picking on Uncle Pat for his peculiar version of racism is like a canned hunt, but you have to give Rachael Maddow points for marksmanship just given that many people in the mainstream media have not actually considered him a game animal before. But here, he just looks like what he is--an artifact of a bygone era in American ethnocentricity.

I think the thing I like best is his implausible assertion that not only is Sonia Sotomayor an affirmative action choice for Ivy League studies, which might be plausible given that she entered Princeton with a full scholarship, but that her success, such as graduating from Princeton summa cum laude and winning the Pryne prize, stem from some insane liberalism that must have infected every single professor she had.

Think about that. In Uncle Pat's world--she was reading the equivalent of The Hungry Caterpillar just to be able to keep up with Ivy League college-level work. (As opposed to reading young adult fiction to get a better grasp of idiomatic English usage and style, which is how I understand her story). And aaaalllllll of her professors had to be militant liberals who said, "Ah, well, this is 'C-' work--but it's a Latina 'A+'!" And all the accomplishments she's had since--"affirmative action."

That paragon of "affirmative action", George H.W. Bush, selected her for the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York--and somehow she served for 17 years in that and other capacities with no one noticing she was just not all that competent; in Buchanan's world, that could happen. When she was approved for the 2nd District Court of appeals, once again--affirmative action.

He complains that the field from which Obama chose was narrowed down to four women, from which he chose the Latina. Although diversity is perhaps one aim Obama had (age, undoubtedly, is more important, from the POV of longevity in the court), it rankles Buchanan to suppose that the choice did not include a white male. Because in his eyes--an exemplary education and court experience aside, a white male would be--

Right. If a white male had a distinguished education from an Ivy League University and 17 years on the bench, why, that's the natural order of things, just like the leadership of white guys in founding this country, writing our Constitution, and fighting in so many of our wars. He'd never have disparaged those achievements in a white male. There is no reason to believe that an Hispanic woman isn't just as good. But Buchanan just says--"No she isn't." His reason is no reason at all. If she was out of her depth at Princeton, she'd have sank. If she was unqualified for the bench, she'd have disgraced herself. His argument is stupid and patently bigoted. Even the arguments of minor-league bigots like Jeff Sessions, who want to paint her as racist, pale in comparison to the naked assumption of "unworthiness because of" race and gender, which is where Buchanan is tending. If he wants to point to "what has she written", he's pulling criteria out of his ass. What has any justice written? What creativity does he expect from the bench--indeed, isn't that kind of what conservatives grouse about? Too much diversion from stated case law?

What I think has disturbed the right about Sotomayor is that she actually kind of is proof that affirmative action can work--that it can assist people of intellect and drive to accomplish a great deal and seize upon opportunities that their background would not have afforded them otherwise. But the existence of programs to offer a hand up is no hand out--they represent a stepping stone, not a ladder. Buchanan's view is "dated" in that he can not imagine a woman, let alone a woman of a minority group, standing toe-to-toe in a white male's world without stilts.

And once again I ask--how is it that when race becomes an issue, we hear from Buchanan? Because I never felt he had the "intellectual candlepower" to discuss matters of race.

http://vixenstrangelymakesuncommonsense.blogspot.com/2009/07/pat-buchanan-wtf.html

[madokie]

1. He needs to be fired and soon

there's no room for assholes like him on our airwaves

[Rhiannon12866]

6. On the other hand, he's criticized the right and was against the Iraq War...

I agree that he's way over the top on this, as he is with immigration, but I'd be much happier seeing the likes of O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc., go first... x(

[Chemisse]

10. I agree - in matters of race he has a big blind spot

But he doesn't always tote the republican line. He often surprises me.

That said, his racism is so glaring and so despicable, that he should be taken off the circuits. He is embarrassing himself.

[Rhiannon12866]

26. It's hard to understand because he's an intelligent man.

And he's not without a sense of humor. He went to Georgetown University, one of the best, and during the 2000 presidential election mess in Florida, he immediately acknowledged that there had to be something amiss, joking that there was no way that he carried the Jewish vote... :-)

He took serious issue with numerous actions of the Bush* administration because they ran counter to his beliefs, since he is a true conservative. Back in 2003, during the initial invasion of Iraq, he was highly critical of it and I posted more than one of his articles here on DU. I was a little nervous about the reaction here, but it was positive, because he agreed with us... :shrug:

Rachel Maddow knew what she was getting when she had him on her show. She's argued with him many times since she began appearing on MSNBC and seems to enjoy it. She considers him a friend, calls him "Uncle Pat..." :shrug:

[spiritual_gunfighter]

11. I hope MSNBC keeps Buchanan and I am sure they will

I think it is essential that people like Buchanan be heard because everytime they open their racist disgusting mouths they further alienate potential voters. When rational people watch Pat Buchanan say that "white people built this country" the Republican party will lose potential voters. So I am all for having Buchanan continue to spead racist bile on MSNBC, it is hard to watch and turns my stomach but I know that everytime he vomits out his tired rhetoric that is another potential independent or left leaning Republican that they lose. If Buchanan and his ilk think that framing the Republican party as the party of white males is going to win them elections they are in for a wake up call. You see how well it worked in 2008 right?

[lamp_shade]

2. I'm... I'm... I don't know what I am... I don't know what to say.

[Lisa0825]

3. Great post!

I saw it as the reply in the other thread, and posted your blog link to my FB. Really good stuff!

[lapfog_1]

4. Everything they do is pure projectionism.

Every thing the wing nuts bring up... it's projection of their own faults.

Sarah, Bill, Rush, Pat, Glen... it's doesn't matter.

Pat's all upset about "affirmative action" and "not the best qualified" candidates to our courts... But he supported the most "affirmative action" student of all time, one George W. Bush. A legacy that was admitted to Yale, but without anything one expects from a Yale student. Not the grades, not the SATs, nothing. What is that if not "affirmative action"? And the "gentleman's Cs" that Bush got while AT Yale is simply the result of his family name and the position his father held at the time. He is the ultimate "fail upward" candidate. And how far did he fail upward... all the way to the Presidency, a pResidency that was first decided by the bastion of white uptight men, the Supreme Court.

And look at the result. We'll be lucky if that Presidency doesn't finally kill off this country as a country. Bush shredded the constitution, the military, and our economy. I'm beginning to think that Barack Obama won't be able to undo all of the damage in two terms... and it may never be completely undone.

The assholes of the far right are projecting... and the affirmative action candidate that they SHOULD have been concerned about not be fit for the job was their President, George W. Bush.

[ErinBerin84]

5. I just read the full editorial by Pat that Rachel was questioning him on

Jesus, so deluded after all these times....he is still obsessed with the idea of "Hillary Democrats", and said "Hillary Democrats came to Palin's side when she was announced , because they saw her as 'one of us'" (one of us?!), and then Pat says they left after the financial collapse. Um...what, they were with Palin for a full two weeks after the Republican convention? LOL.

[ejpoeta]

9. yeah, they were with her until she started talking without a teleprompter.

then she showed how 'smart' she is.

[polmaven]

7. When he started spewing

about how he is sure HE graduated from high school with a higher standing than Judge Sotomayor, and that he is sure HE had higher grade point averages in college than she, I kept shouting at the TV "PROVE IT, A**HOLE"....I heard a neighbor who was out walking the dog chuckle as he walked by.

PROVE IT, Buchanan! Wasn't she her high school class valedictorian? PROVE IT, A**HOLE!

[ejpoeta]

8. he NEEDS to believe that for himself. it doesn't have to be true, but

he NEEDS to believe it because I do believe it scares him to think that a woman and a Puerto Rican woman at that, could actually be smarter than him. he is threatened by it.

[polmaven]

17. The night before,

when he was on Hardball, he sneered " She sure isn't any Scalia". After I stopped laughing I thought "Oh, Thank GOD!"

He again last night mentioned about how she would never be a Scalia. ....Thank you, Mr. President!

[jhain]

12. He ought to be TOAST.

Yeah, yeah, he's well known for being stupid. However, that performance was the most disgusting display of misogynistic racism ever shown on TV. I was very surprised that Rachel allowed it to continue. I think she genuinely wanted to give him out- instead he gave gave NBC a thousand reasons to fire him.

[Karenina]

14. The man is foaming at the mouth.

I'm having some nasty flashbacks... :puke:

[glinda]

21. The man is showing signs of dementia.

[goclark]

22. His racism is really showing ~ he wants a top spot on MSNBC

Watch, he will either get one or he goes to Faux.

[glinda]

23. Let him go to Faux!

[goclark]

25. That would be perfect for him ~

He is really getting desperate with his racist words lately.

[glinda]

31. Am tired of Networks giving any time and airspace to these idiots.

[Ian David]

13. Be funny if someone abducted him and permanently dyed him black. n/t

[Odin2005]

15. I'm 23, and I never though I would see this kind of vicious racism in my lifetime.

When I was a little kid were were all taught that we as a nation had grown out of that kind of BS. I guess I was taught wrong. :(

[Karenina]

20. You've led a very sheltered life

My bi-racial sons who are in your age group have such funny fly-on-the-wall stories. They are both fluent in Japanese. NO ONE EVER imagined that they... :rofl:

[Odin2005]

30. Not really sheltered as much as naive.

I grew up in a little rural Minnesota community near an Indian Reservation (White Earth Ojibwe) and I have many relatives that are either part Ojibwe or have a Ojibwe spouse. My first GF was Ojibwe. Because of that racism never made sense to me, and any overt racism, like the virulent racism of a friend's dad) was routinely shouted down, Minnesota Nice and all that.

My 87yo hard-core DFLer grandmother, however, LOVES Obama, just adores him. Last Christmas she quipped that "it's hard to believe that our first black president will also happen to be the next Franklin Roosevelt". :)

[lunatica]

29. Before LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in 1964

It was a hell of lot uglier than it is now. It was violent, vicious, bloody and murderous. Martin Luther King Jr. was a victim of the raging racism of those times. Right now it's just a bunch of vulgar talk, and hopefully it'll stay that way.

But the racist crap is coming from a very small minority. They're really just very loud.

[Stephanie]

16. Dick Cheney was ushered into Yale by an alum patron, & flunked out. Twice.

According to his football buddies he was too busy drinking to do the work. But never mind! Let's make him de facto president.

[lunatica]

28. wrong post

[GeorgeGist]

18. He's a famous racist ...

who appeals to dim bulbs.

[AntiFascist]

19. Talk about privilege...

Buchanan is a member of Knights of Malta, an organization that is probably more of a threat to American democracy than even The Family.

[IDemo]

24. I saw one of his racist screeds at the book store today

"The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our Country and Civilization". I discovered this is not his only book in the same line: "State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America" is another. Anyone who feels "Uncle Pat" was only having a senior moment on Rachel's show should take a look at either of these books: the promotion of fear of other races is central to his political message.

Keith dumped the nightly Dan Abrams segment after he refused to explain or retract something he said; it is time for Buchanan to receive the same treatment by his MSNBC family.

[lunatica]

27. Is he yelling at everybody to get the fuck off his lawn again?

Unless, of course they're there to mow the lawn and landscape his plants or clean his house. But other than those people he wants everybody to get the fuck off his lawn!