Reid taking heat for "racist" Obama comment

[Monkeyleg]

Looks like Harry Reid is going to have problems with something he said about Obama early in the 2007-2008 campaign. According to a new book, "Game Change," Reid said 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 has quickly issued an apology:

I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.

I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama’s legislative agenda.

Moreover, throughout my career, from efforts to integrate the Las Vegas strip and the gaming industry to opposing radical judges and promoting diversity in the Senate, I have worked hard to advance issues important to African American community.

********

The irony is that Reid is taking heat for one of the few times he actually told the truth. If Obama were a dark-skinned black man with a dialect, he would have been far less electable, or more than likely unelectable.

[Perd Hapley]

At first I was all       Democrats are such hilarious closet racists.

Then I was like    It will quickly be forgotten, like other unconscionable comments from Democrats.

[Monkeyleg]

Do you mean comments such as Joe Biden's: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

:D

[jackdanson]

IMHO liberals are usually more racist than conservatives.  That is why they think people of color need handouts.  They are implying that certain people can't compete because of their skin color.  Obviously there are some jerks out there who don't like to hire minorities, but I believe that is only a small, small portion of the population.

[griz]

He said it two years ago and is apologizing now?  Sounds more like he is sorry he got called on it instead of sorry he said it.

[Perd Hapley]

Do you mean comments such as Joe Biden's: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

:D

Or Hillary Clinton's dumb joke about Ghandi owning a gas station? 

Let's keep the quotations coming!   

[Ben]

This will not be settled until we hear Janeane Garafalo's comments.

[Perd Hapley]

Would you settle for Sandra Bernhardt's fantasy about Palin being gang-raped by black men? 

[Standing Wolf]

I don't have a Negro accent, either.

[roo_ster]

Didn;t Trent Lott lose his Senate leadership position for racially insensitive remarks?

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

Trent Lotts remark, IMO, was not racial at all. The left took poetic license to a new level in distorting what Lott said.

[Perd Hapley]

And let's not forget the sudden and immediate destruction of George Allen's political career for the macaca incident. 

[Standing Wolf]

Everybody knows only conservatives can be racists.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Everybody knows only conservatives can be racists.

That.

[Silver Bullet]

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing can be distilled into the following question:

Is Reid's replacement more, or less, anti-gun than Reid ?

 

[seeker_two]

Everybody knows only conservatives can be racists.

Very true.....just ask Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, and Walter Williams....

[HankB]

Very true.....just ask Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, and Walter Williams....

"Oreo Cookies don't count."  - some Democrat

[Ben]

Interesting continuation of the story at the link. I was surprised Steele stepped up here, and annoyingly, not surprised that Al Sharpton was on Reid's list of people to apologize to.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/10/reid-mounted-aggressive-campaign-minimize-obama-negro-comment/

[Perd Hapley]

The irony is that Reid is taking heat for one of the few times he actually told the truth. If Obama were a dark-skinned black man with a dialect, he would have been far less electable, or more than likely unelectable.

No, it's not true.  Were Obama dark as a struck match, it would have made no difference.  While many black Americans pay attention to varying skin tones within their own ranks, white Americans do not.  To us, black is black.  This is usually known as the one drop rule. 

As for "dialect," many black Americans speak in a very polished and educated manner, and also sound distinctly "black."  MLK, for instance.  Obama himself sounds "black," at least to me.  Unless, of course, Reid thinks that a "black dialect" means an uneducated, inarticulate one. 

[Monkeyleg]

I don't know about that, Fistful. I think there's still a difference in gut feelings, and a very dark-skinned black would have been perceived differently.

I obviously can't back that up, and I don't know anyone who's done any serious studies on the subject. Anecdotally, though, I'd point out that the successful black actors and actresses of today are lighter-skinned. The only exception I can think of is Whoopi Goldberg.

As for dialect, I assume that Reid meant a really heavy dialect, but don't know that for sure. I don't detect a dialect in Obama's speaking, though.

[Perd Hapley]

I don't know about that, Fistful. I think there's still a difference in gut feelings, and a very dark-skinned black would have been perceived differently.

A "typical white person's" reaction to a black man walking toward them in a dim alley is quite a bit different from their reaction to a Presidential candidate on TV.  Just like a lot of white people didn't mind voting for Barack Obama, even if they wouldn't want him to date their sister. 

[Nitrogen]

I dont think reid's comment was racist.  I think he was reflecting on his observation that many americans are still racists.  I'm more angry that he thinks that, than any implied racism of his own.

The comment was definately dumb.

Having said that, I'd like nothing more than to see Harry Reid leave the senate leadership, but for different reasons than I'd imagine you folks have :)

[longeyes]

Morgan Freeman?  Denzel Washington?  Will Smith?  Not exactly light-skinned...  Yet somehow popular, I'd say.

The whole race situation in America is pathetically absurd and heading for worse.  So long as we think in sociological categories, with official imprimatur, we will never get our heads on straight on this subject. 

[Perd Hapley]

I dont think reid's comment was racist.  I think he was reflecting on his observation that many americans are still racists.  I'm more angry that he thinks that, than any implied racism of his own.

The comment was definately dumb.

I guess I'd agree with that.  It's funny what happens when you use the word "Negro."  It should be a perfectly innocent term, but people are stupid, so...

[longeyes]

Re stupid: check out the story today on the emos going into depression and withdrawal because they can't live on Avatar's Pandora...