Does Being Against Obama Automatically Make One a Racist?

[Old Studentka]

Of course not. There are, I'm certain, millions of Americans who genuinely, honestly, sincerely have policy differences with the President. Hell, I have one I can think of right now, namely, his continuing (and maddening!) desire to cut a health-care "deal" with those who, for months now, have made positively CRYSTALLINE their Great-Wall-of-China resistance to any deal that doesn't result in the President leaving office on 20/01/12!

But let us not be naive: There is a GALAXY of difference between those who are "against Obama" and the screaming, chest-thumping, "liberty-loving" horde that is anti-Obama!

Sixteen years ago. Hillarycare. Remember? Some of the opposition legitimately disagreed with the Administration's proposals, but others in Washington were against the idea because they hated Bill Clinton with a passion!

In Washington. Keep those words in mind.


Because---sixteen years ago---the country at large was basically for Clinton's health care proposals or opposed to them. What we did not see coming from outside the Beltway was the level of red-faced, vein-bulging, apoplectic vehemence that's been displayed in the town halls and on the Main Streets of America these past couple of months!

It's the same damn mentality that will cause some parents to keep there kids home on Tuesday, because, after all, what decent parent would willingly subject their child to absolutely unadulterated filth like, "Study, obey your parents and teachers, do your homework, and work hard to advance yourselves and your country"??? Dear God, aren't you just nauseous even THINKING about such a Communist, jihadist, America-hating message?????

Sadly, some of our fellow citizens---far too many---will find that message sickening, not because of the words, but, rather, the color of the face that those words are coming out of.

[spanone]

1. does being a racist automatically make one against President Obama?

[Deja Q]

2. No, and some blindly following Obama might be practicing reverse-racism.

In this world, it takes all types... and do all types exist.

Thankfully I'm none of them, but that's another story...

[liberal N proud]

3. You can bet if the shoe was on the other foot the GOP would be

playing the race card.

Remember the shit about you are with us or against us. They would use anything they could including race to conquer and divide.

Good thing they are the racists.

[donco6]

4. I'd be suspicious of people who said they were "against Obama."

Rather than "I oppose health care reform," or "I oppose telling kids to stay in school and do their homework."

When people oppose a *person,* I pretty much assume it's skin color or sexuality or religious issues.

[ZombieHorde]

6. Some people here were against Bush for political reasons. nt

Edit to add the word "some."

[donco6]

11. I can only speak for myself.

I don't know about others. But I oppose *issues*, not people.

[ZombieHorde]

20. When the vast majority of opposed issues are embodied in one politician,

opposing the politician, in favor of an alternate politician, can be simpler than opposing each individual issue.

[donco6]

52. And that is true. And sometimes it works out that way.

I still don't think that's Obama's situation, though. I adamantly oppose him on his marriage equality stand, for one thing. I think he's dead fucking wrong. But I wouldn't oppose EVERYTHING the guy said, just because he's Obama. I never could do that for anyone. Maybe I'm naiive (and it wouldn't be the first time I was accused of that), but I just think most people are like me - flawed, confused, conflicted, and at the mercy of the mileau around them.

[shanti]

12. speak for yourself

i was against the chump personally for several reasons.

[ZombieHorde]

16. I fixed the message. nt

[Chemisse]

22. I was too. I despised his entire personality.

I just happen to be prejudiced against single-minded, self-righteous religious fanatics who are also pretty dumb and don't care that they are completely unequipped to have the most powerful position in the world.

So I could see that someone might dislike Obama personally yet not be racist. Except Obama is a nice guy, intelligent, conciliatory, and lots of other good qualities. It's hard to imagine disliking the guy, other than for policy differences. So I think people who despise him are either narrow-minded right wingers who would hate any Democratic president, or racist. Most probably both.

[drmeow]

27. Don't forget psychopaths

I'm prejudiced against psychopaths. When they happen to also be single-minded, self-righteous religious fanatics etc who where appointed to a position of power they never should have had then I'm even more prejudiced against them.

[donco6]

53. LOL!

Yes, you have a point.

[shanti]

34. exactly

you said it better than i could!

[Robber M]

43. Yes

But not racial like to wingnuts are with Obama!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

48. I was against him only for political reasons, until, he made fun of Karla Faye begging for life

That's the day I truly learned just how evil that fucker is.

[gleaner]

47. OK, Riddle me this ....

I was against Johnson because he escalated and continued the Viet Nam war past the point where sanity dictated that it should stop. There were many other things that he did that I opposed which arose out of that. Rather than stand there for 45 minutes or so listing them, I simply said I opposed Johnson. I also didn't like his attitude. Now I miss him, but that is another story. At least he stood up and fought for his domestic policies.

I was against Nixon. Need I say anymore? There is so much there to work with that I would still be listing opposition to his policies if I had started. I opposed Nixon.

I opposed Reagan. He was a conservative dutz who started what Bush finished and left us in this wonderful place we find ourselves in now.

I opposed Clinton. He was almost as conservative in many ways as most Republicans.

I opposed Bush. He is an evil man and the worst president we ever had. Torture. Not just for other countries any more. I wonder how long it would take me to list my opposition to every single thing he did that I opposed, and still do.

Now I find myself in opposition to Obama. I liked his stated policies during the campaign, but I now dislike his unwillingness to stand up and face off with the Freepers to get them enacted. Sometimes it is not a President's policies it is his failure to live up to them and to support the majority who elected him. I don't know about anyone else, but when I supported Obama it was to have an end to the Bush and Fundie idiocy that had been ripping this country apart for 8 years or more. I expected from Obama's own words that he would take the country on a different course. Now he seems to be heading in the same direction as the Republicans. So, yes, right now I oppose Obama.

Now if you want, please relate "skin color" or "sexuality" or "religion" to the disparate presidents I have opposed. I think your logic on this one is faulty. I don't think you can take one statement that someone makes out of context and attach your own meanings to it without venturing into the area of fallacious logic. We get enough of that from our politicians. All of them.

[donco6]

51. OK, you're right.

I can eat crow when I have to. Good thing it's low carb.

But I guess I can't help it, I still get suspicious when someone says they're against a *person* rather than being able to articulate a policy they oppose. I may be assuming too much evil intent, but you can't blame me for being too suspicious.

And I think I was assuming too much here, thinking everyone would know me for opposing Obama's recent moves on gays and Afghanistan escalation.

[gleaner]

58. It's alright. Spare the crows...

get yourself a pizza or something else that's good.;)

Some of the time your feelings about people are probably right, but projecting those feelings onto everyone leads to the kind of universal prejudice that it is best to avoid.

I oppose Obama's policy on Afghanistan. When he was campaigning it was the one thing he stood for that gave me real pause. But then I looked at McCain who is so filled with rage that he can barely function and I chose what was for me the lesser evil. Obama embodied most of the values that I respect. McCain embraced none of them. Besides I think Obama is a man of great ability. I can't understand why he is behaving as he is. He is wasting the chance he was given to make consistent and lasting changes to improve the future.

I do not agree with the way Obama has treated gays. He could have worked to give gays equal protection under the law which eventually would have helped dispel some of the bias that gays have to live with and endure simply to live in this country. He should have done much more. He should have given gays full citizenship instead of a few crumbs off the table where others sit and eat the whole meal. He was wrong. I kept hoping that he would reconsider and make it right, and maybe he still will, but when I see him backing away from taking a strong stand against the Republicans I do despair, and I get very angry. As my Mom would have said, "He knows better." That was one of her measures of a person's actions. If they knew the right thing to do and chose not to.

So here we all are, wondering what he will do next and hoping for the best. But I don't really expect it. Once burned, twice shy.

[Hannah Bell]

60. or they think he's a commie, or shill for the new world order, etc. as with both clinton & obama,

in some folks' eyes.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. No , automatically being against him ,makes one ignorant ,close minded..

Which are prerequisites for being a racist.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. When one starts to dissect and debunk all the fallacies and arguments leveled at Obama and still

there is irrational hatred and fear? The only explanation remaining is race. Maybe it's because I was raised in the South, and that whole Southern Strategy/Welfare Queen/Willie Horton agenda worked so well...even to the point that Democrats themselves fell for it.

[Lilyeye]

8. We also saw democrats fall for the muslim terrorist bullshit.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

61. "the Southern Strategy/Welfare Queen/Willie Horton agenda worked so well".......

Dang, it has still got a strangle hold on some of them down yonder.

[varelse]

9. I am sure that one can oppose some of Obama's policies or criticise some of his actions

without having a racist motive. Being "against Obama no matter what he does" - that's due to either a personal or a racist motive.

It's pretty blatant when he can utter a speech which contains many sentiments and pronouncements that would also be standard fare in most speeches uttered by conservative politicians, and his "opponents" behave like rabid animals in reaction to it.

K&R

[Carl Skan]

18. "that's due to either a personal or a racist motive."

Or a need to fill up three hours of radio air time and make a buck stiring up conservatives.

[varelse]

28. Ah the Ann Coulter style of motive

yes, quite lucrative, and my naive mind keeps editing it out. You're absolutely right.

[TexasObserver]

10. Yes.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

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

[blueknight]

14. delete

n/t

[blueknight]

15. well

a lot of guys i know around here use EVERY EXCUSE in the book to be against him, when i know its really because he is black, because i know how these guys are

[Old Studentka]

21. Did you READ the damn post???

:argh:

[Old Studentka]

19. Doubtful.....

...since this is the first thread I've ever started!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

23. Who are these "we's"?....

Who peed in your cheerios?

That is not a very warm welcome for a new DUer.

[Robber M]

46. Cripes!

Does this mean I get ripped limb from limb when I start a thread?!?

[bemildred]

17. It's a start. nt

[JanMichael]

24. No fucking NO! Policy is the measure not race. nt.

[nini]

25. Not at all

However, racism is the sole reason some knuckle draggers are so paranoid. They're so full of hate they don't have a logical reason why they are against him. I'd bet 99% of them have no idea what his policies really are - all they see is kinky hair and dark skin.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

26. Welcome to Du, Old Studentka

:hi:

[Old Studentka]

31. Thanks!

I think! :scared: I don't think everybody, at least among those who've replied, has gotten that I'm on your side!

[Fearless]

29. Pun intended... The answers are more than just black and white.

[BlooInBloo]

30. The "reverse racism" whiners are among my favorite.

[Robber M]

44. It's the yellers, not the whiners I'm worried about!

Whiners probably don't have massive gun collections!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. I haven't met anybody who wasn't.

[Cleita]

33. If it's for no logical reason, yes. n/t

[Tim01]

35. Only if you are white. nt

[Orwellian_Ghost]

41. Nonsense n/t

[Kievan Rus]

36. Not at all

A lot of people in the GOP simply want Obama to fail so they can pick up seats in 2010 and get back the White House in 2012.

[Robber M]

37. HEY, DIMWITS! THE OP AGREES WITH US!

Fuck!

[hileeopnyn8d]

38. You made an important

distinction. There is a huge difference between opposition inside Washington and the frothing we've seen at townhalls, tea parties and the most recent objection over a speech to students.

However, it is beltway insiders that crafted the strategy that has caused these people to become so red-faced with anger and emotion they can barely speak coherently, and can rarely articulate what it is they are opposing.

It has become a battle of the "ists and isms", they've thrown every one of them at us and Obama - yet don't even try in the most indirect way to suggest that some of this outrage stems from racism.

[Robber M]

40. Exactly!

But let's not forget Drug Rush, Pansitty, Weeping Glenn and the others!

[Orwellian_Ghost]

39. No, of course not

Another question is if through certain policies we find Obama, by default or otherwise, in support of racist institutions what does that mean?

Now if Obama was even hinting at such policies as MLK or Malcolm might promulgate then we might have a conversation. But of course if that were the case Obama would've never become who he is and be seated with power.

[Justitia]

42. Did someone JUST GET BANNED starting this exact same thread? Oh, Welcome to DU on your 1st day!

I'm sure this is all one hilariously huge coincidence!

[UTUSN]

45. K&R #5, more often than not. n/t

[Old Studentka]

49. WHY ALL THE HATE???

Did you people even read what I wrote? Or did you just look at the title and decide to unrec it? And, if you're going just by titles, then how did I have given my daughters permission to stay home from school tomorrow get so much love???

Oy!

:banghead:

[Quantess]

55. It's very common for people to read only the title before posting their comment.

And you have a low number of posts, which makes people instantly suspicious. Welcome to DU! :hi:

[hileeopnyn8d]

62. I'm really sorry

that it seems many haven't actually read the words you typed. I thought your post was well thought out, you were not broadbrushing - you were speaking about a very specific group of people.

I thought that was pretty clear, I see nothing in your post that should provoke a liberal to become defensive. Yet it's clear from the responses in this thread they did just that.

BTW - Welcome to DU!

[WeDidIt]

50. Being opposed to Obama does NOT automatically make one a racist, however

being racist automatically makes one opposed to Obama.

[Nikki Stone1]

54. It could just mean you're a progressive who wants Wall Street and Bush behind bars, and healthcare

At least on DU that's what it can mean.

[scrinmaster]

56. Of course not.

It's pretty disingenuous to stifle all criticism of Obama by claiming that the criticizer is racist. Just like you can hate Bush without hating white people.

[Iggo]

57. Not automatically, no.

[Tx4obama]

59. Anyone against Obama racist, no. But anyone against HC Reform is against Humanity, IMHO n/t