Reid Once Called Obama "Light Skinned with no Negro Dialect"

[red states rule]

Once again the left and liberal media show their blatant double standards when it comes to pointing out racism

If any conservative or Republican would have said the same thing, all hell would have broken loose





The Juiciest Revelations In "Game Change"
"Game Change," the long-awaited and very gossipy chronicle of the 2008 campaign by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, is chock full of revelations that are bound to stir the folks who live within ten miles of the Beltway -- and perhaps even reverberate beyond Washington.

The book doesn't officially go on sale until next Tuesday. The authors are slated to appear on 60 Minutes Sunday to preview it. I found it available for purchase at a Washington, D.C. bookstore tonight.

Among the more fascinating items:

On page 37, a remark, said "privately" by Sen. Harry Reid, about Barack Obama's racial appeal. Though Reid would later say that he was neutral in the presidential race, the truth, the authors write, was that his
encouragement of Obama was unequivocal. He was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one," as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination.


E-mails sent late Friday to Reid staffers were not immediately answered. (Update: Reid apologized.)

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/01/the_juiciest_revelations_in_game_change.php

[PostmodernProphet]

probably fishing for the VP slot in Obama's second campaign......worked for Biden.....

[red states rule]

probably fishing for the VP slot in Obama's second campaign......worked for Biden.....

Perhaps. Looks like Reid will need a job after the 2010 election

[red states rule]

and now some in the liberal media are defending Harry Reid, and all are giving him a pass

Again, I wonder how these same "reporters" would be reacting if any Republican or conservative would have made the same comment


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[stephanie]

Obama Accepts Reid's Apology "Without Question" Flashback: 2007 Obama Blasting Don Imus on Hardball For Racial Slur (Video)

Listen very closely, Imus had already apologized, see if you detect any forgiveness from Obama

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more at..
http://hotairpundit.blogspot.com/

[red states rule]

Anyone remember how libs reacted over Trent Lott's remarks at Sen Thurmonds birthday party?

He had to step down as Senate majority leader - as most Dems demanded

[stephanie]

Anyone remember how libs reacted over Trent Lott's remarks at Sen Thurmonds birthday party?

He had to step down as Senate majority leader - as most Dems demanded


yep, and he made that statement at a PRIVATE affair..but that didn't stop the Democrats and their lapdog media..

[red states rule]

yep, and he made that statement at a PRIVATE affair..but that didn't stop the Democrats and their lapdog media..

How many times did Lott apologize, but it was never enough for the left

Amazing how much protection that "D" at the end on ones name can provide you when you screw up

[red states rule]

Well how about this? Harry Reid said trent Lott has no chopice but to step down as Senate majority leader

Will Harry practice hwat he preached?

Probably not





The Associated Press State & Local Wire

December 20, 2002, Friday, BC cycle

Nevada lawmakers not surprised by Lott resignation

DATELINE: LAS VEGAS

Sen. Harry Reid said Republican Senate leader Trent Lott's decision to relinquish his post Friday came as no surprise.

"He had no alternative," the Nevada Democrat and Senate minority leader said. "Senator Lott dug himself a hole and he didn't dig it all in one setting. He dug it over the years. And he couldn't figure out a way to get out of it."

Reid, who has called colleagues in a bid to win his party's Senate leadership post should Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., resign it seek the presidency, said he had no preference for a replacement for Lott.

Lott's resignation Friday culminated a controversy over his racially insensitive comments at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party.

Lott said that Mississippians were proud to have voted for Thurmond in 1948 on the pro-segregationist Dixiecrat ticket.

Asked if the episode would serve as a warning to weigh his own words carefully, Reid said: "You play how you practice."

"If you tell ethnic jokes in the backroom, it's that much easier to say ethnic things publicly. I've always practiced how I play."

Nevada's other Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Shelley Berkley, said the lesson behind Lott's resignation was "clear and positive."

"The political system and the American public will not tolerate, in the 21st century, the backward viewpoint reflected by the senator's remarks."

http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/politics/Reid_on_ethnic_jokes.html

[red states rule]

Is anyone surprised the Dems are defending Reid - and some of these same Dems demanded Trent Lott step down as Majority Leader





Democrats close ranks around Reid

Democrats on Sunday rallied to the defense of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from a political firestorm caused by his newly reported remarks during the 2008 presidential campaign describing Barack Obama as "light-skinned" who chose to speak "with no Negro dialect."

"I think if you look at the reports as I have, it was all in the context of saying positive things about Senator Obama," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine. "It definitely was in the context of recognizing in Senator Obama a great candidate and future president."

Mr. Reid apologized to Mr. Obama on Saturday, and the president issued a statement accepting the apology and saying he considered the matter closed.

The Nevada Democrat, a pivotal figure in Mr. Obama's hopes of passing a health care reform bill and other top agenda items, said later Sunday that he had no intention of resigning his leadership post or his Senate seat, as Republican lawmakers began demanding Sunday.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, said Mr. Reid should not resign and defended his remark as just a "mistake."

"Clearly, the leader misspoke. He has also apologized. He's not only apologized to the president, I think he's apologized to all of the black leadership that he could reach," she said. "So the president has accepted the apology, and it would seem to me that the matter should be closed."

In a private conversation reported in a new book, "Game Change" by journalists Mark Halperin of Time and John Heilemann of New York magazine, Mr. Reid described Mr. Obama as an ideal candidate for the 2008 presidential campaign because he was a "light-skinned" black man "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

While Democrats rallied to the Senate leader's side, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele mocked Mr. Kaine's defense and he called on Mr. Reid to resign.

"If [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell had said those very words, then this chairman and this president would be calling for his head, and they would be labeling every Republican in the country a racist for saying exactly what this chairman's just said," Mr. Steele said.

Mr. Steele also compared Mr. Reid's remark to comments by Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican, in 2002. Mr. Lott, the Senate majority leader at the time, said at the 100th birthday celebration of 1948 presidential candidate Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina that "if the rest of the country had followed [Mississippi's] lead" in supporting Mr. Thurmond, "we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/11/democrats-close-ranks-around-reid/?feat=home_cube_position1

[KarlMarx]

Yeah, Harry Reid is a dunderhead. Yeah, he and all the Dum-o-crats practice a double standard. Yeah, he should step down (although he won't).

I wish to see a day that when people on either side of the political argument make this type of remark nothing happens.

Racism is not a problem in this country. The real problem are the instigators who manufacture a problem for the sake of their own agenda.

[red states rule]

Lets see how Dems reacted over Lott's remark and what they said after he said he was sorry





A number of Democrats felt an apology was not enough. Check out some of the Democratic leaders below and their responses to the 2002 Trent Lott's comments. A National Public Radio segment includes former Vice President Al Gore demanding a censure of the Mississippi Senator.


Former VP Al Gore: "It is not a small thing for one of the half-dozen most prominent political leaders in America to say that our problems are caused by integration and that we should have had a segregationist candidate. That is divisive, and it is divisive along racial lines. Sen. Lott should apologize; failing that, the Senate should seriously entertain a motion of censure for his having made such a racist statement."

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D - CA): "He can apologize all he wants. It doesn't remove the sentiment that escaped his mouth that day."

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D - MD): I have not seen the apology, but I can tell you I'm very concerned and very upset that anybody that would issue such a statement would be in the leadership of this nation or the Senate. And so we're still trying to resolve exactly what action we will take, but guarantee, action will be taken.

Rep. Maxine Waters(D - CA) : "I consider this as a Democratic Party issue, and the party should take into consideration what message this and other kinds of statements are sending to the African American community."

Rep. Diane Watson (D - CA): "I'm very, very troubled at the attitude expressed in his remarks, considering that he is fourth in line for the presidency. I think he needs to step down and I'm going to do all I can to see that that occurs."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2010/jan/09/nancy-pelosi-lott-apology-2002-it-doesnt-remove-se/

[red states rule]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4268312963_49154b3438_m.jpg

[Agnapostate]

Aside from the amusing nature of seeing rightists become the most politically correct crowd around even as they accuse the Dems of hypocrisy, I'm not certain there's a major inaccuracy in what he said. It's true that there's always been a degree of mulatto privilege above that of the more pure-blooded black population, and higher placement of mulattoes in the racial hierarchy. And as long as Eurocentric-minded people like Jimmy are prepared to dismiss the black dialect as "bad English" while not doing the same for the accents of the dirt farmers of Biloxi, there will also be irrational opposition to it. As the Reverend Jeremiah Wright pointed out, Kennedy could stand at his inauguration and proclaim, "Eask naught what yeh countree cyan do fuh yu" without accusations of bad English, but what if Obama had dared to say "Axe not"?

[red states rule]

Now Dems want sweep this racist comment of Reid's under the rug

I can only think the outrage and how both the Dems and their allies in the liberal media would be reacting if Sarah Palin would have made the same comment of Fox News

They would be going after her with everything they got

[Agnapostate]

Why? She could just claim that she'd meant to refer to "O'Biden." (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31249.html) :laugh:

[red states rule]

Why? She could just claim that she'd meant to refer to "O'Biden." (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31249.html) :laugh:

Nice dodge

Do you want to compare her gaffes to the very long list of gaffes of Biden? I would post Obama's gaffes but then I would be called a racist for doing so

[Agnapostate]

Nice dodge

Do you want to compare her gaffes to the very long list of gaffes of Biden? I would post Obama's gaffes but then I would be called a racist for doing so

It wasn't a "dodge"; it was a mockery. It's not much of a dodge inasmuch as I really don't care about electoral politics. There's not enough variation in the Washington political spectrum to catch my eye.

[red states rule]

It wasn't a "dodge"; it was a mockery. It's not much of a dodge inasmuch as I really don't care about electoral politics. There's not enough variation in the Washington political spectrum to catch my eye.

You do not care because your ass is grass on yet another thread

[Agnapostate]

You do not care because your ass is grass on yet another thread

I'm thinking you've been smoking some grass, actually.

[bullypulpit]

Anyone remember how libs reacted over Trent Lott's remarks at Sen Thurmonds birthday party?

He had to step down as Senate majority leader - as most Dems demanded

No equivalenct at all Red. Trent Lott expressed a sense of pride at having voted for Strom Thurmond when he ran for POTUS, and then went on to say that...

<blockquote>"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either,"</blockquote>

Problems? What Problems...?

The "problems" are highlighted by some of Thurmond's statements during the campaign such as,

<blockquote>"All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches." </blockquote>

And the Dixiecrat Party platform...

<blockquote>"We stand for the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race." </blockquote>

To equate Harry Reid's ill-worded compliment of Obama with Trent Lott's praise of the violent segregationism represented by Strom Thurmond during that long ago presidential campaign are in no way equivalent.

Don't suppose you have a problem with El Rushbo and "Barack the Magic Negro"? Didn't think so.

Your hypocrisy, and ignorance, rear their heads yet again.

[Insein]

No equivalenct at all Red. Trent Lott expressed a sense of pride at having voted for Strom Thurmond when he ran for POTUS, and then went on to say that...

<blockquote>"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either,"</blockquote>

Problems? What Problems...?

The "problems" are highlighted by some of Thurmond's statements during the campaign such as,

<blockquote>"All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches." </blockquote>

And the Dixiecrat Party platform...

<blockquote>"We stand for the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race." </blockquote>

To equate Harry Reid's ill-worded compliment of Obama with Trent Lott's praise of the violent segregationism represented by Strom Thurmond during that long ago presidential campaign are in no way equivalent.

Don't suppose you have a problem with El Rushbo and "Barack the Magic Negro"? Didn't think so.

Your hypocrisy, and ignorance, rear their heads yet again.


I must've missed it. What public office does Rush hold?

Its unfortunate, bully, that you are so lock step in with them that you can't see the forest for the trees. Defend, Deflect, Demonize. Carry on.

[Trigg]

Aside from the amusing nature of seeing rightists become the most politically correct crowd around even as they accuse the Dems of hypocrisy, I'm not certain there's a major inaccuracy in what he said. It's true that there's always been a degree of mulatto privilege above that of the more pure-blooded black population, and higher placement of mulattoes in the racial hierarchy. And as long as Eurocentric-minded people like Jimmy are prepared to dismiss the black dialect as "bad English" while not doing the same for the accents of the dirt farmers of Biloxi, there will also be irrational opposition to it. As the Reverend Jeremiah Wright pointed out, Kennedy could stand at his inauguration and proclaim, "Eask naught what yeh countree cyan do fuh yu" without accusations of bad English, but what if Obama had dared to say "Axe not"?

I agree with SOME of what you've said. There is no inaccuracy in what he said. Obama is light skinned and he doesn't "sound black". I think it's funny to listen to all the black people Fox has interviewed saying "there is no black dialect". It's very easy to tell when I'm talking to a black person on the phone, they have a certain way of talking.

However, your wrong when you say the media doesn't dismiss the southern dialect. The population in the south are always portrayed as slow and dimwitted because of the accents.

Also, why would the media have a problem with a Boston accent??? Most of the elite politicians come from the East Coast states. The media would never have questioned Kennedy's accent, the thing they focused on at the time was his religion. If you go back and look, the major problem Kennedy had to overcome was being Catholic.

[hjmick]

Don't suppose you have a problem with El Rushbo and "Barack the Magic Negro"? Didn't think so.

Your hypocrisy, and ignorance, rear their heads yet again.

Don't suppose you know that "Barack the Magic Negro" first appeared in an Op-Ed piece in the Los Angeles Times as "Obama the Magic Negro?" Didn't think so.

Don't suppose you know that Limbaugh said, "I'm going to keep referring to him as that because I want to make a bet that by the end of this week I will own that term." He also added, "If I refer to Obama the rest of the day as the 'Magic Negro,' there will be a number of people in the drive-by media and on left-wing blogs who will credit me for coming up with it and ignore the L.A. Times did it, simply because they can't be critical of the L.A. Times, but they can, obviously, be critical of talk radio." Didn't think so.

Latching onto L.A. Times op-ed, Limbaugh sings "Barack, The Magic Negro" (http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200703200012)

Obama the Magic Negro (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,3391015.story)

Don't suppose you have a problem with The Los Angeles Times, David Ehrenstein and "Obama the Magic Negro"? Didn't think so.


And I don't even listen to Limbaugh.

[Agnapostate]

However, your wrong when you say the media doesn't dismiss the southern dialect. The population in the south are always portrayed as slow and dimwitted because of the accents.

It's an issue of correlation, not causation. They're depicted as such by some popular media because of that perception, but it's not because of the way they speak. The accents are just used in imitations because that happens to be what they sound like. And at any rate, there's no punditry or policy-makers that hold an official position of that accent being based on inaccurate grammar and pronunciations and necessary to weed out.


Also, why would the media have a problem with a Boston accent??? Most of the elite politicians come from the East Coast states. The media would never have questioned Kennedy's accent, the thing they focused on at the time was his religion. If you go back and look, the major problem Kennedy had to overcome was being Catholic.

Yes, that's Reverend Wright's point:

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[red states rule]

Don't suppose you know that "Barack the Magic Negro" first appeared in an Op-Ed piece in the Los Angeles Times as "Obama the Magic Negro?" Didn't think so.

Don't suppose you know that Limbaugh said, "I'm going to keep referring to him as that because I want to make a bet that by the end of this week I will own that term." He also added, "If I refer to Obama the rest of the day as the 'Magic Negro,' there will be a number of people in the drive-by media and on left-wing blogs who will credit me for coming up with it and ignore the L.A. Times did it, simply because they can't be critical of the L.A. Times, but they can, obviously, be critical of talk radio." Didn't think so.

Latching onto L.A. Times op-ed, Limbaugh sings "Barack, The Magic Negro" (http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200703200012)

Obama the Magic Negro (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,3391015.story)

Don't suppose you have a problem with The Los Angeles Times, David Ehrenstein and "Obama the Magic Negro"? Didn't think so.


And I don't even listen to Limbaugh.

Now you did ti. Bully will now become bored and leave the thread

Also, using the word Negro is now OK

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But Michael Eric Dyson gets it right. If a white Republican said it it would be huge news

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[Trigg]

It's an issue of correlation, not causation. They're depicted as such by some popular media because of that perception, but it's not because of the way they speak. The accents are just used in imitations because that happens to be what they sound like. And at any rate, there's no punditry or policy-makers that hold an official position of that accent being based on inaccurate grammar and pronunciations and necessary to weed out.

I guess we'll have to disagree, yet again.

They definitally are depicted that way because of the way they speak. That is why media people who are on the major network shows work to loose any accent they have.

[red states rule]

I guess we'll have to disagree, yet again.

They definitally are depicted that way because of the way they speak. That is why media people who are on the major network shows work to loose any accent they have.

It is amazing how they can change their tone

[Agnapostate]

I guess we'll have to disagree, yet again.

They definitally are depicted that way because of the way they speak. That is why media people who are on the major network shows work to loose any accent they have.

No, they're depicted that way because of their more socially regressive nature than those in other regions. It wouldn't matter if they spoke with New England accents; it would be the New England accents that would be mocked and parodied, in that case. But regardless, no one claims that Southern English is "bad English" to any extent matching that of black English despite the fact that so much of it is the exact same. Mockery is quite distinct from advocacy of eliminating it.

[red states rule]

I wonder if Harry Reid could buy into an NFL team after this?

[Trigg]

No, they're depicted that way because of their more socially regressive nature than those in other regions. It wouldn't matter if they spoke with New England accents; it would be the New England accents that would be mocked and parodied, in that case. But regardless, no one claims that Southern English is "bad English" to any extent matching that of black English despite the fact that so much of it is the exact same. Mockery is quite distinct from advocacy of eliminating it.

So your saying that all Southerners and all blacks are socially regressive??

Racist much??


Having an accent doesn't necessarily equal bad English. Axe instead of ask and Cuber instead of Cuba is pronunciation. "I ain't seen nobody" is poor grammer.

[PostmodernProphet]

I'm thinking you've been smoking some grass, actually.

consistent, since he's smoked yer ass as well......

[red states rule]

Damn, even after his negro comment, Harry Reid has 71% approval............


in the liberals media's coverage of him






MRC Study: After 'Negro' Comment, 71% of Network Coverage Supported Harry Reid


The controversy over Harry Reid's crack about Barack Obama's lack of a "Negro dialect" is apparently over, at least according to the broadcast networks. Although the story only broke Saturday afternoon, the last network news story aired Tuesday night on Nightline.

An MRC analysis found that from Saturday to Tuesday the networks ran a combined 37 items on Reid's "Negro" remark, including interviews and panel discussions. Broadcast opinions were heavily skewed in Reid's favor: 71% of interview guests, soundbites or quoted sources were supportive of the Democrat, vs. 29% who were critical of Reid.

It's an excellent case study in how the liberal media aid in Democratic scandal control. Over four days, the networks morphed the story from one of an embarrassing racial gaffe by the Senate's top Democrat into one about Republican over-reach in going after Reid, with some journalists even crediting the Senator with keen insight on race relations:


Day One, Reid's In Trouble: ABC's and CBS's Saturday evening newscasts both carried short items on the quote from Reid (NBC's Nightly News was pre-empted). CBS anchor Jeff Glor called it "a controversial remark [that] is shaking the political world."

# Day Two: Sunday Morning Fodder: On ABC's Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulos sounded like a Reid shill: "This was a private conversation....His choice of words, obviously, was unfortunate. The Senator knows that." Later on This Week, Stephanopoulos moderated a panel discussion in which PBS anchor Judy Woodruff relayed the White House line: "This is the Mormon from Searchlight [Nevada] with an ear of tin and a heart of gold." Of the show's five panelists, only conservative Liz Cheney condemned Reid, calling his remark "outrageous."

# Day Three: Rallying Around Reid: NBC's Andrea Mitchell was toughest Monday morning, calling Reid's remark "demeaning" of Obama. But NBC's Today also supplied a 100% pro-Reid panel: PBS host Gwen Ifill, who rejected any insult from Reid — "I don't understand what's demeaning" — and NBC analyst (and soon-to-be Senate candidate) Harold Ford, Jr.: "I don't believe in any way that Harry Reid had any animus, racial animus."



Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rich-noyes/2010/01/14/mrc-study-after-negro-comment-71-network-coverage-supported-harry-reid#ixzz0cgXOEgbP