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Jimmy Carter - Shoots Dems in the Foot, As Well as Himself; What a Fool
September 21, 2009 - 6:51pm
The way I heard it was that Phyrrus said "Another victory like that and we're done for." The OED (under "Pyrrhic") says it was the battle of Asculum in Apulia and quotes Phyrrus as saying "One more such victory and we are lost." (link to source)
Trust me, as a left-wing Democrat, having Jimmy Carter's support is poison. To paraphrase Pyrrhus, "any more support from the likes of Jimmy Carter and we're done for." Carter's now put his foot in his and my fellow Democrats' mouth big time (link):
Jimmy Carter wrote:
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man,"
The linked article continued:
MSNBC article wrote:
Republicans called Carter's remarks "very destructive" (Newt Gingrich) or "an outrage" (GOP chairman Michael Steele, who happens to be black himself). But otherwise party leaders stifled themselves, apparently on the principle that you don't get in the way of an opponent when he's shooting himself in the foot.
I've always considered Obama to be Carter's second coming.
Cheers.
I don't think so.
And it's time to get the rich off welfare in the USSA and all.
Just an idiosyncracy of mine. I begin with respect. Trust comes later.
I agree with Jimmy Carter
Theyre all nuts down there. The whackos are are likening Obama to Hitler, and that will make enough of an impression on stupid people as to have the negative effect theyre aiming for. The whackos have more in common with Joe Goebbels era propagandists than they realize. I'm convinved of what historians say about outgoing regimes and old guard - that anywhere from a few thousand to several million politicos, militarists and embedded bureaucrats will be dogs in the manger about democratic change and resisting to the bitter end.
Seems to me a Straussian neo-con has come among us in something calling itself "bo_ bo_ obama" all dressed up as a Greek scholar, the telltale scat.
Yeah, I thought Carter was spot on.
Just a question to some of those who've posted in this thread. I get the impression that some of you believe that there is 100% no racism in Republican ideology. Really?
Some of us?
It's really only the pretendy "left-wing Democrat" who started this thread that seems to think that.
I think that the only person dismissing the racism in Republican ideology is "bo-bo-obama". This isn't surprising, as bo-bo-obama's handle links Obama to bo-bo the chimp, which is a rather ghastly expression of racism (and speciesism, but that's another topic altogether).
Bye bye, bo-bo... (typed in a hopeful tone)
I suspect it did its drive bye smear, thinking it was all that and a bag- o- chips, and will not be seen again. The adult version of knocky knocky nine doors if you will.
On the first point, we don't believe you. On the second point, you have to go a long way past living memory to make that claim.
Ha ha this guy/gal is too much. I say with a big smile on my face, " You may be surprised....lol.....Do you know where you are?" This isn't northen bumpkin land where people don't know big subjects like history and here people can actually think in non-linear, non black and white terms. Have to give you credit for trying though. Do we get to hear all about the proud and relatively ancient history of Lincoln now? About the passing of the civil rights bill blah, blah, blah. Here's a hint before you start, we know the words 'Southern Strategy' as well as the term 'Dixecrat' and the history about the switchover from Dem to Repub. Some here even know about it in great detail so be very careful.
That's not to say of course that in the past fifty years or so the Dems have been some sort of saints or racism free but come on quit with the obvious talking point. Gawd, that one is such and old and simplistic one too. I'm almost insulted that it's even being tried here. ;)
Right on Eliza. And the "Obamba" chuckle raised here is very old hat - and fading as the pres. continues to press for change in the face of these bozos like bo_bo eh?
bo_bo_obama, I'd like you to explain to the mods what your username means. I'm a mod. Explain it in the thread, or explain it to me by private message or e-mail (michelleATrabbleDOTca).
I'll give you until the end of the day today.
George W. Bush was likened to Hitler constantly. People are acting like vitriol directed at a president is soemthing new. People on the left constantly disparaged Bush as moronic, redneck fascist. People on the right constantly disparaged Clinton as lying, communist sexual predator. Was all of that motivated by racism? of course not. Carter made an ass of himself, as usual. It's perfectly legitimate to criticize a president who happens to be black. I happen to like Obama myself but accusing his critics of being motivated by race is pretty desperate. Jimmy Carter has been highly critical of Israel. Should we assume that he's motivated by anti-Semitism?
And of course, SSC, being Canadian-born, you are more aware of the roots of racism than the Georgia peanut farmer.
You really should get around to reading the book by Joe Bageant, Deer Hunting With Jesus - that fella up in the hills above you where the racial divide is perhaps a little more obvious than in the "cosmopolitan" cities of Virginia.
You know, George, I actually bought that book quite a while ago and it's still sitting in my "to read" pile. Ever since our baby arrived, I haven't had a lot of time for pleasure reading, unfortunately.
And nobody is disputing that there are some racists in the United States. And most racists probably hate Obama. But it doesn't then logically follow that hating Obama makes one a racist. Most anti-Semites hate Israel. It doesn't mean that hating Israel (for policy reasons) makes one an anti-Semite. The vitriol directed at Obama is actually tamer than a lot of what was directed at Bush. or Clinton. or Carter. Those other presidents just couldn't accuse their critics of being motivated by racism.
SSC, the issue isn't whether all criticism of Obama is racially inspired. The issuse is "is a some of the criticism racially inspired?"
I think "yes" is the correct answer.
I just finished Obama's first book. He seems to get rac in that one. I'm about to start his second boo, "The Audacity of Hope." The irony is that was the title of the first sermon Obama heard preached by Jeremiah Wright.
His first autobiog. was a great read, eh? The second one is a primer on politics. Still a read, but nowhere near his earlier honest to gosh recall of growing up in Hawaii and Java. The one that the racists won't touch.
Jimmy Carter has reached that serene state of life when he can tell the truth, and not have to worry too much about personal political consequenses. I'm glad he's taking advantage of it. Pres. Obama and the Dem leadership are distancing themselves for the exact same reason they did from Jeremiah Wright. Not because this is not the truth, but because it is hugely impolitic. The US of A is a deeply racisit country. Racism is ingrained within the very warp and woof. (I should make it clear I'm not speaking from any sense of smug Canadian superiority, as we expanded from East to West with violence and genocide as well, but it's a different flavour for us and a different thread.)
Anyway, it probably makes sense. There are too many people who just can't see a black guy in the white house, so their mind takes them all sorts of irrational places which permit denial of his legitimacy or to dark places where their worst political fears lie, such as *shudder*...SOCIALISM, or whatever. This is not a dialogue which they can even have with themselves, and to be honest I don't think they're ready for it. They just woke up one day to find they elected a black guy, and a democrat at that! They need some process here before they start examining the infection which lies under some very old and deep scabs.
Sorry, Oldgoat, but I think the idea of vast numbers of people being "uncomfortable" with a black man in the White House or of any significant percentage of the anger directed at Obama to be because of racism to be largely bullshit.
People used the same sort of rhetoric during Sonia Sotomayor's supreme court nomination; saying that the opposition to her was because she was Hispanic. Ironically, the same people making that claim were the people most vociferously opposed to Bush's former nominee Miguel Estrada, who they blocked from being appointed to a federal court. Was that racism too? Or based on legitimate opposition to his judicial philosophy? Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, another Hispanic Republican, got grilled far worse than Sotomayor - again, legitimately. They grileld him because of a corruption scandal not because of his race. Democrats certainly opposed and continue to be highly critical of Clarence thomas. Is that due to racism? The same people who hate Obama, coincidentally, LOVE Clarence Thomas. And Condoleeza Rice. And Bobby Jindal. And Alan Keyes. People who, coincidentally are largely hated by the left.
Does it not seem more reasonable to interpret what's going on now and what's gone on in the past as "Gee. Conservatives tend to like conservatives regardless of colour and dislike liberals regardless of colour. And liberals tend to like liberals regardless of colour and dislike conservatives regardless of colour" rather than as "Conservatives hate Obama cause he's black"?
Also, you may have noticed that conservatives tended to hate Hillary Clinton. And that liberals tended to hate Sarah Palin. Is one side or the other sexist? Or could it jsut be that they have strong ideological differences?
Sorry SSC, those are not good comparisons. The country you chose to call home (or did call home) is chock full of rabid racists. Alberto got grilled because he's a facsist POS, as for sarah Palin anhd the like, also raving looneys who deserved every bit of attack they received. Clarance Thomas is a racist himself. he hates his fellow African Anericans. Seriously, are we in grade school? This is basic stuff here SSC.
Talk about blinders SCC. It's not about 'vast numbers of people' either. It's about the small number of people who happen to be very, very loud at the moment. Carter was not talking about everyone. The base is barely even using dog-whistles anymore. Even congressional and elected leaders are playing along with some of it. It's pretty damn blatant in some quarters especially from the big populist voices that are fueling all the tea parties and things like the 9/12'movement' if you can call it that. Ay, yi, yi. I don't doubt one iota that if Obama wasn't black that he'd be would be getting attacked with stupid populist rhetorcical crap and fear, fear about socialism nor that their wouldn't be anger directed at him. It's the racist underpinning and foundation that are just making it a shit load easier for all of the astroturf. front and propganda organizitions to get people one board. Cripes Fox News is full of it. Glenn Beck anyone? He might as well have a permanent whistle attached to his face. That guy is even trying to pull the reverse rascism bullshit card. No it's not us who's racist, it's Obama. He's racist against white people apparently.
Go take a look and some of the protest signs on the web. Some of them might as well use the n'word. There's everything but.
Also there is just no damn way that all of the 'he is a muslim,' 'born in Kenya birther' crap which is a hell of lot more prevalent then should be and yes supported or unofficially 'not really going to say one way or another ask me another question' by actual elected reps, who not surprisingly are republican, would ever happen if Obama didn't have skin pigment.
As for Sotomayor, one of the biggest issues that people railed against her at least with most of the rhetoric that I heard floating around didn't have anything to do with her philosophy or record. That might of mattered for the people actually involved in the vetting and the process but the overarching right wing propganda (for the people) about her, was based on her 'wise Latina' remark and a couple of other comments which somehow indicated that SHE was a racist and the horror that would come from her nomination because of her love of hispanics over the law and everything else.
Look, I can't stand Gonzales, Palin or Thomas. Neither can you, evidently. Should they and their, therefore, assume that you and i are both bigots? Maybe we jsut dislike them because of what they stand for. Like maybe the people hwo hate Obama hate HIM because of what he stands for.
And your portrayal of America as "chock full of rabid racists" is a complete caricature not even worth responding to, except to tell you that I've lived here for well over a decade and base my impression on actual experience instead of speculation or cartoonish stereotypes.
Go back and listen to what Carter actually said! He said "an overwhelming portion" of the anger at Obama was because Obama is black. That doesn't seem like it's about "a small number of people" as you claim above.
During the protests against Israel during the attacks on Gaza, I could certainly point to signs and statements at rallies far, far more despicable than anything directed at Obama. Does that mean that protesting Israel is automatically bigoted? Should one conclude from a number of signs that an "overwhelming portion" of the anger was because of bigotry?