Obama’s Victim Meme
Personally, I’m a little sick and tired of Obama constantly throwing out the race card. News flash, Obama, I don’t like you because you’re a liberal - not because you’re half white.
“Nobody thinks that Bush and McCain have a real answer to the challenges we face. So what they’re going to try to do is make you scared of me,” Obama said. “You know, he’s not patriotic enough, he’s got a funny name, you know, he doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.”
I’d say that your point was better made if McCain wasn’t industriously attacking Senator Obama’s integrity and personality at every turn. McCain looks more and more like Bob Dole’s bitter little brother with every ad he runs.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 0850 hrs
he’s got a funny name, you know, he doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.”
What a pathetic straw-man statement.
Coming from a presidential candidate none-the-less.
Childish…
Its bad enough to play the race card. Its worse to make shit up in order to play the race card. Desperate measure.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 0909 hrs
Make shit up?
You haven’t noticed a right wing affection towards stressing Obama’s middle name? There hasn’t been a coordinated effort to paint Obama and his wife as being insufficiently patriotic?
Is Obama supposed to ignore those attempts to smear him?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 0935 hrs
you children really are precious.
Your whole party schtick has been to attack and slime.
Where is your otrage there?
Absent as usual.
Posted by Fred on July 31, 2008 at 0953 hrs
Well said Fred.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1013 hrs
You haven’t noticed a right wing affection towards stressing Obama’s middle name? There hasn’t been a coordinated effort to paint Obama and his wife as being insufficiently patriotic?
Obama’s wife is the one that said she hadn’t been proud of her country.
No one said anything about her she didn’t say herself.
Sorry the truth hurts…
As for his middle name… Yeah, I’ve heard a comment about it hear and there. Far less than I hear Jay Leno making his nightly joke about McCain’s age.
But the comment about “he doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills”
is just a desperate attempt to infuse race into the situation.
Noone is talking about how Obama looks or his race.
Come on 3rd way tell me you aren’t THAT naive to not know he was playing the race card.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1019 hrs
Did you see the footage, Owen? He is smiling, chuckling about the whole notion—hardly acting like a victim. His point was that the GOP’s efforts for the next 100 days is to make people afraid of him. And he’s right—that’s all you got.
Posted by Mike Plaisted on July 31, 2008 at 1027 hrs
So Mike, I’m confused, is it or isn’t ok to call O a thug? You’re the expert on it, and my policy has always been to go right to the experts when in doubt.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1037 hrs
No one said anything about her she didn’t say herself.
With statements like that you really shouldn’t be throwing around the naive label.
I don’t see one phrase within the context of a speech equating to a desperate attempt to play the race card. You can claim that is “a desperate attempt to infuse race”, but I disagree. I see spinning Obama’s rebuttal to the persistent meme that he is an untrustworthy scary anti-American outsider as playing the race card as simply another attack on the guy’s character.
You can’t claim that Obama hasn’t been attacked because of his name and background. You can disagree with the way he responds to it, but he is taking a smear and turning it around on the people that are trying to smear him. It is a little dirty, but this is presidential politics. It ain’t bean-bag.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1041 hrs
“Doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills…”
I love how the guy hasn’t served one day in the White House and already the implied comparison is to guys like Washington and Lincoln.
It’s good to know that all those attacks haven’t hurt Obama’s ego at all.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on July 31, 2008 at 1044 hrs
You can’t claim that Obama hasn’t been attacked because of his name and background.
What does his name and background have to do with his looks?
Thats what he said. “I don’t look like” etc.
Thats the straw-man.
Noone has talked about your “looks” Barack except YOU.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1053 hrs
Furthermore 3rd Way, Barack specifically cites Bush and McCain and says “what they’re (bush and mccain) going to do is try to scare you”
And I am certain that neither Bush nor McCain have said a word about Baracks middle name, and I am certain that neither Bush nor McCain have called him patriotic. Nor have either of them ever talked about his looks. (if they had, you know the hair-trigger-rush-to-victimhood media would have been all over it)
So your entire premise of defending Baracks comments about what “bush and mccain” are trying to do by reaching into the grab-bag of moral-equivalence and pulling out what any old joe wind-bag has said about Baracks middle name is out of line.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1101 hrs
Obama’s use of “they’re” doesn’t necessarily infer Bush and McCain personally as the attackers. I didn’t interpret his words that way.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1117 hrs
And I am certain that neither Bush nor McCain have said a word about Baracks middle name, and I am certain that neither Bush nor McCain have called him patriotic. Nor have either of them ever talked about his looks. (if they had, you know the hair-trigger-rush-to-victimhood media would have been all over it)
And Bush never said Iraq was behind 9/11 either, what’s your point?
The outrage that Obama dares to plainly speak about what we all know is happening is laughable. You’re all pissed because he’s smart enough to put things like those viral emails on his own website and respond to them, as opposed to simply trying to ignore below the radar smear attempts.
McCain isn’t an idiot, he’s not going to say don’t vote for the black guy. But he isn’t going to lose any sleep if others, advocating for him, get him the votes he needs to go over the top by playing on the worst traits of some Americans. You can try to spin that this is Obama playing the race card. The rest of us know he is refusing to ignore the elephant in the room, and tackling an issue that threatens his candidacy head on.
Obama plays politics with the best of them, but he’s cutting through the BS on this one. He continues to impress me as a politican.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1124 hrs
What is really upsetting to me about Obama’s comments, is that they take the debate away from policy matters into what used to be called “the politics of personal destruction” (or something like that). Both sides are equally guilty of this.
I don’t know that it’s the candidates’ fault or the public’s fault for eating up the garbage.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1134 hrs
Yes stuff was made up and emailed about Senator Obama. It was done by the Clinton campaign. Why is it that the left talks about the Republicans when they should be referring to Senator Clinton?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1134 hrs
Yes stuff was made up and emailed about Senator Obama. It was done by the Clinton campaign.
Proof please.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1141 hrs
Yes stuff was made up and emailed about Senator Obama. It was done by the Clinton campaign. Why is it that the left talks about the Republicans when they should be referring to Senator Clinton?
So the latest viral email, the one claiming “facts” about Obama’s and McCain’s tax plans, was done by the Clinton campaign?
You guys gotta understand how far these things go. A friend of mine sent that one to me all concerned because a client of his sent it to him. That client was a CEO of a company in Chicago. A quick fact check cleared it up, but most people aren’t so heavily into politics as we are, and if they get an email from a friend they’re going to assume there is truth to it.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1142 hrs
<i>...he doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.<i>
Other presidents? A bit presumptuous at this point, no? I guess if you’re The One To Save The World And Unify The Country you can speak thus and not be called on it by the Left.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1208 hrs
McCain isn’t an idiot, he’s not going to say don’t vote for the black guy. But he isn’t going to lose any sleep if others, advocating for him, get him the votes he needs to go over the top by playing on the worst traits of some Americans. You can try to spin that this is Obama playing the race card. The rest of us know he is refusing to ignore the elephant in the room, and tackling an issue that threatens his candidacy head on.
Actually, McCain does react very strongly to supporters whom he thinks are using these type of attacks. He suspended a campaign blogger, and apologized when he found out that a radio announcer introduced him to an event a referred to Obama by using his middle name. McCain does speak out against the dirty politics when they are related to him. He’s not going to post on every blog, or reply to every idiot who acts poorly, any more than Obama would.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1236 hrs
3rd way, do you seriously require proof that Camp Clinton said bad things about Senator Obama?
What strange world have you been living in where you need proof of something we all just lived through.
Google that one yourself and I am sure you will find much.
Posted by Fred on July 31, 2008 at 1332 hrs
I know the Clinton camp said some nasty racist BS about Obama. I saw it, read it and heard it. But I don’t believe for a second that the Clinton supporters are the only ones sending out those e-mails.
Even if all of those e-mails originated from Clinton supporters you would have to have and IQ of about 10 to think that Clinton supporters are the only ones forwarding them around.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1403 hrs
No one said they were 3rd way.
Tell you what while you are here defending your Mesiah he is out on the attack making a claim about something that has not happened.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D928S7080&show;_article=1
Posted by Fred on July 31, 2008 at 1410 hrs
No one said they were 3rd way.
Having trouble with reading comprehension today Fred?
Yes stuff was made up and emailed about Senator Obama. It was done by the Clinton campaign.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1436 hrs
And so a news source pulls a random 30-second quote out of what was probably a 45-minute speech and headlines it “Obama says Republicans Trying to Scare Voters.”
Never mind that it’s true and that Republicans have been trying to scare voters for years. Never mind that Obama probably spoke for the other 44 minutes and 30 seconds, give or take, on substantive issues. What matters is that now there’s a “horse race” topic the media can obsess over.
In the long run, this is good for the Republicans, by the way, because if this devolves into an issues-based campaign, McCain is toast.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1537 hrs
Noone has talked about your “looks” Barack except YOU.
Posted by xxpilot on July 31, 2008 at 1053 hr
Are you sure about that xxpilot? check the following from the Texas Rep. Convention.
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/06/stick-a-pin-in-it.htmlPosted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1558 hrs
Figure-head republicans like McCain and Bush always pretend to have plausible deniability when their surrogates do and say things that some consultant has told them would be effective but they want to be perceived as above-the-fray. Willie Horton and the lying Swiftboaters are only the most obvious examples. McCain telling them to knock it off means nothing because it’s all part of the little dance they do when they can’t win on the issues, which is always.
Posted by Mike Plaisted on July 31, 2008 at 1558 hrs
1) There is only one President on the dollar bills. George Washington is on every dollar bill I’ve ever seen.
2) Of course, Plaisted is right. Shouldn’t we all really be more worried about the bigger issues…Have you checked the air pressure on your car’s tires today? http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=142113
Posted by Fraley on July 31, 2008 at 1836 hrs
Which brings up a great point. If proper tire pressure is the answer to our environmental problems and petroleum needs, then the thug Dem activists who slashed the tires of the Republican GOTV vans last cycle may not have been engaged in voter suppression, but surely we can blame them for the rise of our oceans and our dependence on foreign oil, right?
The shame.
Posted by Fraley on July 31, 2008 at 1840 hrs
1) There is only one President on the dollar bills. George Washington is on every dollar bill I’ve ever seen.
Yes, on a ONE dollar bill. We do have a number of other denominations in circulation… Maybe you should ask for a raise?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1914 hrs
Figure-head republicans like McCain and Bush always pretend to have plausible deniability when their surrogates do and say things that some consultant has told them would be effective but they want to be perceived as above-the-fray.
Riiight, and Bill Clinton never did that. Your BDS is showing.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 1952 hrs
Clinton did what cynical? If you were awake during the 90’s you might notice all the wild-assed crap that was being cooked up and served up about the Clintons. I remember one health insurance agency, those fine folks who pork you all on a regular basis, showing a composite picture of our then first lady as a dominatrix.
Let’s face it boys. All this stuff about elitism and “The One” is just you being polite for once and not using your favorite chestnut—uppity.
As far as Michelle Obama goes, an assertive black woman? Look out!
No racism. OK. Once upon a time…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 2123 hrs
As pointed out by someone on another blog—
What does Obama mean by “other” presidents on the bills? He’s not president
Not every face on US currency is that of a President. Obama knows as much about US currency as he knows about the 57 states
end of shameless stealing
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 2200 hrs
Actually when you think of it, don’t ya kinda want someone who has a solid opinion of themselves, as us suffering through the past eight years of someone who had such a poor self image he had to invade a puny dictatorship to feel good?
Don’t you want someone who is smarter than you are? Don’t answer all at once.
Or do want John McCain who seems to imply, “I am nothing special and would probably make a terrible president.”
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 2207 hrs
Let’s face it boys. All this stuff about elitism and “The One” is just you being polite for once and not using your favorite chestnut—uppity.
As far as Michelle Obama goes, an assertive black woman? Look out!
No racism. OK. Once upon a time…
ATTENTION REPUBLICANS:
New campaign ground rules from Keith Schmitz follow:
Any reference to Barack Obama as ‘The One’, or insinuations that he is elitist, or that Michelle Obama is assertive, will be seen as evidence that you are a racist. Be aware that no other motivation will be considered legitimate by Keith, or indeed by others who think like Keith.
Please stay tuned for further updates. That is all.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 2211 hrs
Don’t you want someone who is smarter than you are?
ATTENTION REPUBLICANS:
New campaign ground rules from Keith Schmitz follow:
Barack Obama is smarter than we are. But not smarter than Democrats, evidently. However, this does not make him elitist (ref: previous ground rules). We are not to question how he arrives at his tire inflation/domestic oil production ratios. It is possible that this would mean that we are racist.
Please stay tuned for further updates. That is all.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2008 at 2227 hrs
The idea that the left has a monopoly on using the victim meme is laughable. They may have invented it, but the right has adopted it with gusto.
“The media is out go get us…”
“Academia is out to get us…”
“They hate Christianity…”
“They hate family values…”
“They hate (my idealized version of) America…”
“The gays are out to get me…”
Oh I know, but it’s true when I do it….
*YAWN*
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 0632 hrs
A little sensitive aren’t we Tony? Wonder why?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 0658 hrs
A little sensitive aren’t we Tony? Wonder why?
ATTENTION REPUBLICANS:
New campaign ground rules from Keith Schmitz follow:
Reacting in any way to an unwarranted and unsubstantiated charge of racism will in and of itself constitute further evidence that you are indeed a racist. Going forward, you are to react with serene equanimity to such charges.
Please stay tuned for further updates. That is all.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 0724 hrs
Yeah, I guess John McCain needs to flash certain shiny objects in front of you to distract y our attention from other things like oh, you know, issues.
Of course the right wing has given us no reason, none, what so ever to suspect racism, the weight that prevents us as a country from advancing.
Obama had to address the 800 lb. gorilla in the room, especially since the other side is very good at using code (them, thugs, etc). At least he does it with a sense of humor but you guys of course being extremely literal don’t do or understand jokes, unless you hear it from your favorite comedians Chuck and Rush, or rants from the mentally disturbed Savage.
So now Tony I am glad you apply the elitist label on yours truly since you have no other arguments and since, I am sorry to tell you, you can now expect push-back from Democrats. Maybe you are doing it to me a white person so you can cover up the inherent racism of using it on Obama.
And why is this different than labeling Kerry an elitist? Compared to McCain and the money he married into the Obamas have rather modest means. Plus they worked themselves up from lower middle class backgrounds, something McCain never experienced.
To boot, McCain tells you a lot of pleasing lies such as drilling our way out of the energy crisis to extend the control of energy companies over our lives. You guys know how to protect yourselves don’t you.
So it’s the issues that count. Not labels unless of course your goal is winning the election and losing our futures.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 1042 hrs
Here’s what I don’t understand:
a) race is an 800 lb gorilla in the room. Barack addresses it and his followers divine as a legitimate issue.
b) any topic/issue that Barack doesn’t want to talk about is a distraction (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/24/AR2008042402983.html)
c) Barack injects race into the campaign by pre-emptively calling his opponents racist
d) his opponents say Barack is injecting race into the campaign and resent being called racistSo, is race a distraction, a legitimate issue, or can it only be discussed on Obama’s terms?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 1442 hrs
The only one injecting race into this is Obama (and Clinton did as well).
All we have here are unhinged lefties playing the same old tired rule book.
Posted by Fred on August 01, 2008 at 1450 hrs
Barack injects race into the campaign by pre-emptively calling his opponents racist.
Oh yeah? Where? You watching FOX again? What direct quote to you have where Obama uses the word racist?
Again Fred, it is the usual GOP line of “who me?” Cut the crap. Please. Everyone sees right through it.
Or on the other hand. Keep it up. It’s August and by September voters will notice the distinct absence of message and vision in the McCain Camplaign and total presence of classlessness. Why am I helping you guys out?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 1553 hrs
Isn’t it the liberals that are always accusing the GOP of using “code words”? What’s the difference when your guy does it? He telegraphed his message and you’ve eaten it up, Keith. You are the only one who fails to recognize what Obama was doing.
In politics it is called, “poisoning the well.”
As “Lefty” points out above, “Obama plays politics with the best of them [...]”
Your amateur understanding of how this is going to play out is almost cute… McCain is doing exactly what he should be doing: defining his opponont prior to convention/unLabor Day. Once we turn that corner, McCain turns back to his own message.
Obama’s supporters (like those here), have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker… you’re clearly on the defensive. That’s how the game is played.
I’m going to go make a sandwich or something while you try to figure how to address my earlier points, though.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 1623 hrs
I hope your sandwich was an oreo.
McCain has no message.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 1847 hrs
And we’re racist? What’s with the Oreo comment, Keith.
McCain has as much message as Obama does experience in “change”.
Tick, tock, Keith. When are you going to address my earlier points?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 01, 2008 at 2019 hrs
I hope your Oreo comment was meant as humor, because if not it indicates something more troubling.
If you can’t read the comment above I’m not typing it twice. In fact this morning Obama said the McCain response was not racist, but cynical.
I’m sure you are smarter than that.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 02, 2008 at 0918 hrs
Uhh…Keith, I think Publius was reacting to your Oreo comment at #45. I’d kind of like to hear your explanation as well, actually.
Gotta be careful when you play the race card, eh?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 02, 2008 at 1117 hrs
Well Tony, his observation was wonderfully clever and dumbassed all at the same time.
Guess I have to explain it. When you do not advocate racist policies as I do, an Oreo is an Oreo.
But when you have the right wing side of the GOP pushing racist policies to stir up the sullen, putting white women with black candidates as was done with Harold Ford in Tennessee last election.
But it is understandable why you guys are sensitive about this, being called out and all.
So let’s get back to the issues shall we?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 02, 2008 at 1208 hrs
Is race not an issue, Keith?
I’m still waiting for you to address my comments at #41.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 02, 2008 at 1539 hrs
Yeah, it’s a bitch being accused of racism for no good reason, isn’t it, Keith? Although I’m guessing the irony of your comment is lost on you.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 03, 2008 at 0733 hrs
Total Entries: 20000
Total Comments: 134051
Most Recent Entry: 05/25/2012 06:26 am
Most Recent Comment on: 05/25/2012 10:25 am
Total Members: 9751
Total Logged in members: 0
Total guests: 105
Total anonymous users: 1
Most Recent Visitor on: 05/25/2012 12:15 pm
The most visitors ever was 538 on 12/01/2007 02:11 pm
Protected and licensed under a Creative Commons License (some rights reserved).