« HRC Records To Be Released Tomorrow | Main | Bell Curve Author On Obama Speech » Rush Limbaugh Reacts To Obama Speech On Race18 Mar 2008 12:53 pm On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh said that Barack Obama was now "the candidate of race." He said Obama "is not an agent of racial healing, he is a product of it." He accuses of Obama of wanting to be the nation's racial-healer-in-chief, rather than its commander-in-chief. Limbaugh can go there... I don't know if John McCain can, or will. TrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry: Comments (189)
You're wasting bandwidth to tell us what Rush Limbaugh thinks? 
I thought Obama's description of the black church experience was really important, although no one is picking that up. It sounds like black churches ROCK. They get it all out. Maybe that's why they don't have to discharge their hate like Limbaugh.
Unsurprising. Limbaugh is one of those guys who's built a career out of divisiveness and partisanship. There's no way he's going to acknowledge the validity of Obama's comments.
What do you expect him to say, "great speech"? It is a waste of time to even cite reactions by agit-propagandists like Limbaugh and Hannity
Now I understand speech is MORE IMPORTANT than action. Obama is really good at talking gold out of trash. American people are so easy to be FOOLED.
Rush and those like him are most threatened by unity in the country. Of the candidates Obama is the one sincerely seeking unity. Unity puts Rush out of work. Too bad society isn't rational enough to put him out of work no matter what because he is a lethal force against good.
"But Rush is a closet racist" Closet?
And seriously, is being healer-in-chief a bad thing ?
Limbaugh can go there... I don't know if John McCain can, or will.
American people are so easy to be FOOLED. Posted by Jackie Ling | March 18, 2008 1:04 PM Yep...Bush fooled them alright.
He is a racist. Nothing more needs to be said.
Rush and The Clintons would like to somehow make Obama's candidacy all about race. He is the "race" candidate. If you want to do something about "race" vote for Obama. But If you want to do something about the other issues facing us - you need to vote for someone else. They keep trying to box him in. Contain him, marginalize him as a person and as a candidate. And they will use every occasion to try to emphasize that point of view. But it is not so. It never was so and in a couple weeks we will no longer be talking about race in the same way as we are today. We'll be talking about jobs, and health care, NAFTA, and the Surge and Iran and Clinton's tax returns and White House schedules.
Hey, Jackie Ling, fuck yourself, China slut.
Joe: "But Rush is a closet racist" He does mask it, just because we see it differently doesn't matter. How else would Ambinder get away with continually referencing him?
Rush Limbaugh can go lick his mom's cunt. Piss on him!
Rush Limbaugh is one very prime example of why our country is very disliked around the world! He is an embarrassment to our country,an egomaniac, and a person with no sense of right and wrong. It sickens me that he has an audience that actually listens to his malicious, venomous attacks. I am hopeful that his days are numbered--that soon Rush Limbaugh will find himself ignored and deflated as he fans the flames of stupidity in this country!
See, fundamentally if THAT is the way the right wing radio decides to respond to this than it was a good day for Obama. Because he has fundamentally good policies, good presentation, and a sound campaign. So really, if that is the take away from the Wright controversy then they will be able to wrap this up fairly well. But mostly for now, it's going to come back again in emails, viral video, and talk radio in the form of discussions of patriotism come the Fall.
The business model of the Rush Limbaugh show is predicated on having us vs them food fights. Barack Obama's message is a threat to the polarizing environment that feeds Rush and much of the MSM for that matter. Hence Rush's support for HIllary Clinton. He needs a foil....and Obama is not a great foil to get riled up against. And so they have to go after Wright because Obama is so hard to demonize.
ElRushbo makes Hannity somewhat look reasonable in comparison. And ... honestly Marc. Did you think that Rush wouldn't find a reason to dislike Obama when HE got the precipice? It'd be like a cat passing up a mouse.
wait, did no one parse what Rush said? According to Marc, Rush said Obama "is not an agent of racial healing, he is a product of it." So...Rush's attack is that Obama is a product of racial healing?? hilarious.
I'm shocked, SHOCKED to find out that Rush Limbaugh is panning a brilliant speech by a leading Democratic contender for the White House.
Heres the trick though. So Rush had it partially right, but mostly wrong.
Totally predictable. Rush is a jerk and his whole career is built on creating dissension and trying to marginalize anyone with an opposing viewpoint.
What does David Duke think about Obama's speech?
"Heres the trick though. So Rush had it partially right, but mostly wrong. Posted by Daniel" Americans can't afford to put gas in their cars, food on the table or pay the utility bills not to mention paying for health care or a clean environment [And some have much more pressing concerns]. Meanwhile when obama is not whining about some panty sniffing fantasy he is busy trying put out brush fires his campaign started. Despite the fawning "liberal media" the wheels are come off.
Did we get any reaction from the Aryan Nation yet?
What I found fascinating was that Limbaugh had such a hard time leveling meaningful attacks on Obama's actual speech that he resorted to standard ultra-rightwing talking points about big government and liberal social policy. It will be interesting to see how this all develops with the news cycle, especially with the (somewhat) less inflammatory conservative commentators like Hume, Hannity, et al.
If anything Rush has become predictable while Obama has not. Shame on me for thinking Rush might shock us all and actually give Obama credit for addressing the problem head on. For giving an honest assessment of Wright and his relationship with him and even going beyond and explaining why whites may harbor resentment. They never caused black slavery or greif. But Rush is just typical Rush. He cant see any good in his political enemies.
What I see is that Obama have emerged as a man who can unite America on race and help heal wounds of race. Admit...mistakes have made in the past and this is the time to move on and unite the nation. Wrights statements are regrettable but are mostly facts. We need to help minorities to feel better ……Obama can unite this great nation.
What I see is that Obama have emerged as a man who can unite America on race and help heal wounds of race. Admit...mistakes have made in the past and this is the time to move on and unite the nation. Wrights statements are regrettable but are mostly facts. We need to help minorities to feel better ……Obama can unite this great nation.
What I see is that Obama have emerged as a man who can unite America on race and help heal wounds of race. Admit...mistakes have made in the past and this is the time to move on and unite the nation. Wrights statements are regrettable but are mostly facts. We need to help minorities to feel better ……Obama can unite this great nation.
This speech highlights why we need a man like Obama to be our President. Thoughtful, intelligent, inclusive, the best ideas America has to offer for moving forward together as one Nation, under God. We have an opportunity to do some things now that have not been possible for other Presidents. Our Nation is ready for change in a new and hopeful direction. If we learn to trust each other and learn to work together we will again become the great nation of hope that we have been in the past.
hadenough: Your brilliant political insight is a marvelous thing. Clearly, the only two things that Obama does is bitch and put out fires. Oh wait, there are all those policy discussions in a frank and open tone. That's something else. I wonder if he eats at any point too.
Some body wrote here.
Rush can't say anything positive about Obama. His radio listeners would revolt against goodness at the RL show. hehehehe
America needs a uniter to unite the nations of the world, not a divider like Hillary.
Bravo Obama
You have comments here that I would not allow on my blog. Hateful, racist, and vulgar. On Obama's speech, you either love in or laugh at it, for me it was pathetic, the bit about his grandmother did it for me, why did he have to trash his own grandmother, thumbs down.
Rush Limbaugh has gotten rich off of dividing Americans. I bet he'll try to divide the occupants of hell when he gets there. What did anyone expect him to say about Obama's speech. I used to get upset, now I just smile and feel sorry for such ignorance and arrogance. I pray for the Americans in this country who care more about race than they do their children's future in this country. Most of the anti-Obama comments posted here come from those who have lazy, uneducated thoughts! In a way, I'm glad Rev. Wright's offensive remarks have been broadcasted throughout America. It has exposed the ignorance and arrogance of those who think they are the deciders of this country.
Wonderful speech. My father say's the most racist things in my eye. I don't agree with it, but I love him and he loves me. Great Speech, I truly admire Barack Obama
Wonderful speech. My father say's the most racist things in my eye. I don't agree with it, but I love him and he loves me. Great Speech, I truly admire Barack Obama
"hadenough: Your brilliant political insight is a marvelous thing. Clearly, the only two things that Obama does is bitch and put out fires. Oh wait, there are all those policy discussions in a frank and open tone. That's something else. I wonder if he eats at any point too. Posted by Aaron" Policy discussions? Would that include obama saying troops out of Iraq and then power telling us that's just campaign talk? Would that include a nafta re-do that gloosbee tolds us was just camapaign talk? How about 'fixing' social security or leaving millions out of health care?
Mark, why do you pay attention to Rush anymore? It's like checking in to see what David Duke's take on life is. Best to look away and not encourage the carpetbiter
I don't know...do you think Rush makes less sense when he's on oxy-contin or when he's off? Follow-up questions: How can you tell? And does it matter?
Rush is usually has a bit of thinly vield racism in him , but the fact of the matter he would dissagree with what Obama says anyway. Short of switching to the Republican party , re-enacting Jim crow, doubling taxes on the poor and middle class while giving millionaires tax breaks and marching off in to Iran next week there would be no other way for Rush to react. Even if Obama were white ,Rush would attempt to torpedo the idea of unity , and civil discourse because goodwill, building up America and positivity are not his forte'.
you mean he stopped popping the pain pills long enough to say something intelligible ... i guess he had to if former pressident had to be on his show to step in for his girlfriend in a schoolyard brawl ... the shamelessness of those two and the prospect that she is able to twist anything she wants and have the press run with it because her husband got her a senate seat ... she hitched her cart to the wrong horse ... the guy was impeached for the love of god and country ... why do either the former president or this demigogue of hatred receive so much attention ... they're both way off the mark
What does Rush and other have to offer in an effort to solve racial divisions or race relations?
Barrack Obama is a poser. He did not respond to this when it came up..he took a few days so his Speech Writers could come up with this. All fluff and no substance as usual. He ought to apply for a cheerleading job, not President. Who cares about Wright? BO Attends a hate mongering "church" with ties to radical Islam. Many black churches are this way, and I have attended them on occasion. All they talk about is race...I have never seen this is other churches. If predominately white churches were used to further the white cause, it would be labeled KKK. The ACLU would be bitchin and moanin as usual. I am in Atlanta, and I wonder why no one addresses black racism against whites, which has been rampant here for the 20 years I have lived here. Blacks are dishonest about it. Listen up when a white woman walks into a place with a black man. Blacks come unglued. You ought to see Blacks against Hispanics here..the violence and crime toward them is unbelievable.
Obama says he is an agent of change but black people will never get a fair shake as long as the teachers union remains the most powerful union in the US and dominates the democratic party. The teachers union represents teachers, not students.
Kudos to those of you who saw this speech for what it was and not what you want to make it out to be. I am a registered Republican but even I can see when someone is trying to be sincere. If you could feel your way around to only find fault or ulterior motives in this speech then you simply have too much time on your hands. You people need to get off of it already!!! All this black, white, red state, blue state trash is just that, TRASH!!! Pull yourself off of the curb and free your mind. You would be surprised how much better you'd feel when you drop that heavy burden of "us vs. them" mentality!
Kudos to those of you who saw this speech for what it was and not what you want to make it out to be. I am a registered Republican but even I can see when someone is trying to be sincere. If you could feel your way around to only find fault or ulterior motives in this speech then you simply have too much time on your hands. You people need to get off of it already!!! All this black, white, red state, blue state trash is just that, TRASH!!! Pull yourself off of the curb and free your mind. You would be surprised how much better you'd feel when you drop that heavy burden of "us vs. them" mentality!
I really don't know what to think about some folks in the media. This election is bringing out all the true racists of this country with sean hannity and rush limbaugh leading the march. How can rush limbaugh (lower case until he becomes a respectful person)say condemn the fact that Obama wants to heal the racist nature of the country......by condemn that good deed aren't you in effect saying you think it should stay racist? and by saying that Aren't you saying that you (rush limbaugh) is indeed a racist? Now let's tackle the race issue.......some whites don't like blacks...this country didn't belong to whites in the beginning so how can anyone stake that much claim to a country that they didn't find. Also when you trace back history....The Garden of Eden has NEVER even been discussed about being in a European country...it would be somewhere between Africa and the Middle East......So all the racist whites in this country that claim to be christians.....Are you in fact racist against Lord and Savior that doesn't orginally have the same color of skin as you do???? WAKE UP!!!
Kudos to those of you who saw this speech for what it was and not what you want to make it out to be. I am a registered Republican but even I can see when someone is trying to be sincere. If you could feel your way around to only find fault or ulterior motives in this speech then you simply have too much time on your hands. You people need to get off of it already!!! All this black, white, red state, blue state trash is just that, TRASH!!! Pull yourself off of the curb and free your mind. You would be surprised how much better you'd feel when you drop that heavy burden of "us vs. them" mentality!
G-d D--n Obama.
Its amazing. We admit that slavery existed for over 400 years, we admit that Blacks were beaten, raped, and categorized as animals 100 years ago, we admit that Blacks could not sit on the front of a bus less than 50 years ago, and we know that today Black/White education, income, and incarceration gaps persist today. Is it too far fetched to state that even today, these things have deep negative psychological effects on America as a whole, especially upon the direct targets of these oppressive actions: African Americans? Many of the Americans who crafted segregationist laws and were raised by those standards -Black, White, and other-still today hold political offices, CEO positions of companies, pastoral postions in churches, etc… It is those individuals in power positions that establish the overriding system of standards, values, and morals we accept as a country. By virtue of American history from slavery to now, How can this country NOT have racism and oppresion woven into the fabric of its culture? The interesting thing is that I see this as fact, while most other white americans view these facts as hate filled speech….Its time for a change.
Forget Rush, I want to see Bill O'Reilly's response. Who has the bigger audience? I'm not sure, but O'Reilly definitely has a large one. O'Reilly has shown moments of intelligent discourse (an appearance on Maher's comes to mind), so I'm willing to bet he's at least capable of giving props. If Obama wasn't a presidential candidate, and he didn't make this speech in the Wright context, the right-wing pundits would be tripping over themselves to say, "Look, even Obama says blacks should start taking account of themselves!"
Rush is amazing---in a negative way. We admit that slavery existed for over 400 years, we admit that Blacks were beaten, raped, and categorized as animals 100 years ago, we admit that Blacks could not sit on the front of a bus less than 50 years ago, and we know that today Black/White education, income, and incarceration gaps persist today. Is it too far fetched to state that even today, these things have deep negative psychological effects on America as a whole, especially upon the direct targets of these oppressive actions: African Americans? Many of the Americans who crafted segregationist laws and were raised by those standards -Black, White, and other-still today hold political offices, CEO positions of companies, pastoral postions in churches, etc… It is those individuals in power positions that establish the overriding system of standards, values, and morals we accept as a country. By virtue of American history from slavery to now, How can this country NOT have racism and oppresion woven into the fabric of its culture? The interesting thing is that I see this as fact, while most other white americans view these facts as hate filled speech….Its time for a change.
Obama's greatest attribute is that he makes people think, just as he does. He challenges people to use their brain to come up with ideas and solutions to make this country a more perfect union. It is this novel approach that people should actually use their brains and think about what they say and do that scares the pants of people like Rush Limbaugh. Obama is an enabler. He empowers people. Limbaugh is a controller. They are polar opposites and a perfect reason why someone like Limbaugh would use every weapon at their disposal to try and destroy someone like Obama. Hate always wants to destroy hope. It is an age old truism.
Its amazing. We admit that slavery existed for over 400 years, we admit that Blacks were beaten, raped, and categorized as animals 100 years ago, we admit that Blacks could not sit on the front of a bus less than 50 years ago, and we know that today Black/White education, income, and incarceration gaps persist today. Is it too far fetched to state that even today, these things have deep negative psychological effects on America as a whole, especially upon the direct targets of these oppressive actions: African Americans? Many of the Americans who crafted segregationist laws and were raised by those standards -Black, White, and other-still today hold political offices, CEO positions of companies, pastoral postions in churches, etc… It is those individuals in power positions that establish the overriding system of standards, values, and morals we accept as a country. By virtue of American history from slavery to now, How can this country NOT have racism and oppresion woven into the fabric of its culture? The interesting thing is that I see this as fact, while most other white americans view these facts as hate filled speech….Its time for a change.
Jim Henderson, You may or may not be a racist, a black man and a Liberationist, but one thing is for certain - you are an asshole.
Rush Limbaugh has become rich by voicing the values that people who work for a living and are building businesses (e.g., creating jobs) know to be valid: that America's most important asset is its opportunities for people with a dream and a work ethic to get ahead, regardless of their ethnicity. To accomplish his mission, Limbaugh uses a common rhetorical device: hyperbole. His show is entertainment, with no intention to be considered news. Most of you posters have not even listened tot his show, but you heard about him from somebody else ... who probably has not listened to Limbaugh, either. I have listened off and on since 1988. While I only agree with him about 50% of the time, I have always been entertained by his topical humor, his acerbic wit, and Paul Shanklin's excellent parodies. I challenge you all to listen to Rush Limbaugh for a week, then you will be qualified to voice an opinion. There is nothing quite as sad as a person who is indignant out of ignorance!
Hey, Jackie Ling, fuck yourself, China slut. Rush should be working at Wallmart or in a Trailer Park with a Shure Mic. You are a waste of band space. Can never some up with any good stuff. Obama is what this Nation needs why do people look at race we r all people some good some bad. I think he would make us happy to be living in the US. We where loved during WW2 and now people hate us becasue of Bush! Our polices to the middle east r why we have so many probelms. Make freinds dont spill blood! All the billions and lives gone for what? Mr. Kim in NK still has nukes? But Iran and Iraq. Baby Bush thinks Iran is going to come in to Iraq and really give us a 1 2 punch. Make peace with Iran and work with the probelms hear at home. We r going to hell in a hand basket.
Hey, Jackie Ling, fuck yourself, China slut. Rush should be working at Wallmart or in a Trailer Park with a Shure Mic. You are a waste of band space. Can never some up with any good stuff. Obama is what this Nation needs why do people look at race we r all people some good some bad. I think he would make us happy to be living in the US. We where loved during WW2 and now people hate us becasue of Bush! Our polices to the middle east r why we have so many probelms. Make freinds dont spill blood! All the billions and lives gone for what? Mr. Kim in NK still has nukes? But Iran and Iraq. Baby Bush thinks Iran is going to come in to Iraq and really give us a 1 2 punch. Make peace with Iran and work with the probelms hear at home. We r going to hell in a hand basket.
I appologize for the repeats. The Atlantic said it was a process error, and that the others did not process.
Has anyone ever seen old film staring Henry Fonda called "12 Angry Men"? It goes like this a jury of 12 begin deliberating 11 say guilty 1 says innocent, but by the end of the night it turns out each individual has deep seated personal reasons for wanting the boy to "burn" on the electric chair. Did you say Rush Limbaugh? If you don't think Rush has pent-up deep seated problems then here is a question for you. Who would Rush Limbaugh be, and how would he talk, if he woke up in 1965 Alabama?
gary_the_writer - Until I got a satellite radio receiver, the only talk radio to listen to here in New Mexico was Rush and Savage. I'm sure it's the same for a lot of other people. I've probably heard over 500 hours of Rush. His schtick contains hyperbole, but it is certain not only hyperbole. More of it is based on false facts, faulty logic, and appeals to emotional knee-jerk reactions. He is serious when he says most of the things he says.
Obama ROCKS! I am a white mother of a biracial son whose father was born and raised in a West African country, and has now earned American Citizenship. CJ: You make one of my favorite points - the Garden of Eden was on the African continent; AND Christ was a Jew - so white supremacist "christians" WAKE UP! Jim Henderson: Yes you can be racist if you are black. Anytime you dislike someone, or put someone down simply because of their appearance - you're a racist! You can even be racist against your own race - so look into your heart and start the unifying and healing there. As Michael Jackson said (before he went wacko) "I'm starting with the man(or woman) in the mirror"
Could we chill on the Jackie Ling "China slut" bits? Especially in the backdrop of this speech?
Response to soccity: Limbaugh's audience is something over 20 million. It doubtful that any cable news outlet generates more than 10% of that during a one-hour program.
gary_the_writer - Thanks for the correction. I wasn't sure. Nevertheless, O'Reilly has a broad reach as well.
You're wasting bandwidth to tell us what Rush Limbaugh thinks? Rush Limbaugh thinks?
Limbaugh had a brilliant analysis. As for unity, why in the world would conservatives want to be in unity with liberal Democrats? We here Barack's rhetoric, but it's totally against conservative principles. Yes, yes, I understand that George Bush is not a model conservative--as government spending has significantly increased. Bush is not the issue. Bottom line--Barack Obama has a socialist platform and people who are looking for something from the government will vote for him.
I just love how blacks think they are the only ones with a struggle...I guess all white folk are rich, go to private schools and live in big houses like Barack Obama. I guess no white folks face any discrimination when they try to work for City and County Governments in Black Run Cities. Or when they try to get elected to predominately corrupt black school boards paid for by white taxpaying home owners. Yes, we have a big problem with perception in this country.
Forget Rush......take a real look around you.
Ignorant, ignorant Liberals....... First the fraud lies about ever being present during these racist rants, now he says he was there but tried to rationalize the actions of his pastor and "spiritual mentor" rather than quit the church and diassociate himself from this agitator. My guess is Wright has something on Obama that he can't afford divulged. The olny people voting for this phony are the blacks and Ultra-Left Wing Liberal morons. Good Luck...........party is over.
I just love how blacks think they are the only ones with a struggle...I guess all white folk are rich, go to private schools and live in big houses like Barack Obama. Did you even read or hear his speech?
Folks, don't worry about rush limbaugh (he does not deserve the upper case)the guy makes his living by making sure the country is divided. He and his cohorts on one side and other people on other side. He lives on Us vrs them, he thrives on division instead of unity. The message of unity from Barack is a threat to his job. He will lose his essence if the nation becomes united, hence his negative effusions on Barack. I recommend somebody buy him more drugs so he can pop some more, and spew more venom. Anyway who needs the commentary of a drud addict called rush limbaugh
The world would be a better place if Rush would just put a lid on it;). Go take some more pills you racist white man.
To 12 Angry Men: The Fonda character in the movie demonstrates how much influence one man with principles can influence a group in the search for truth. That is what makes it a classic. You apparently watched the movie but missed the point!
I am tired of hearing the white man enslaved the blacks and that we owe them. Who sold them into slavery to start? Their own kind, go after the Black African Tribes with your hatred, the ones thayou on the block.
Russian doll Manchurian candidate doomsday scenario: Obama head, inside Wright head, inside Farrakhan head, inside Limbaugh head... weez all dead. They are all racists because it pays off for them. Watch Obama ride that Dr. Strangelove steel pony all the way to Black Liberation glory.
Seriously though, how awesome is it going to be to watch the racists lose an election? I really just can't wait.
If I were to take advice from Rush Lardbaugh, it would be on how to dodge the draft, which is what Lardbaugh did during the Vietnam War.
Now I understand why I'm an "Ultra-Left Wing Liberal moron" and proud of it. I can't believe there are people in America that actually think like this... I'd like to start by saying screw you for voting for Bush. Screw you for voting for him the second time. I'm amazed at your (GOP as a whole) inability to learn from your mistakes - it's pretty impressive. $3,000,000,000,000 and 4,000 American lives as well as countless Iraqi deaths for a war that did very little - nice move, well played Repubs, well played.
Rush's argument that Sen. Obama is a "product of" racial healing and not an "agent" of it can be made about any successful racial minority in America and thus suggest that a slave who was a "success" was the product of his owner's racially progresisve views.
"Hey, Jackie Ling, fuck yourself, China slut. Nice comment from the Obama suporters. It shows the kind of arguments they use when somebody disagree with them.
"Hey, Jackie Ling, fuck yourself, China slut. Nice comment from the Obama suporters. It shows the kind of arguments they use when somebody disagree with them.
Can we just shut down Rush Limbaugh and the others. He's obviously nuttier than nutty. He's so deeply entrenched in hate that even if something good flew in his face, he'd have to deny it. He's staked his life on being hateful and exploiting others who don't know any better for his own financial gain. He can never be the Grinch whose heart grows larger. What would he do for work then?
Olga says: Typical liberal thinking: shut down those that don't think like you. Liberals know better. They are the owners of the truth. Also says: Perfect description of Jeremiah Wright.
"Typical liberal thinking: shut down those that don't think like you." Lardbaugh must be a closet liberal then, since he censors any caller whoever questions his draft-dodging during 'Nam.
Now that Obama has adressed the religous fringe issue and the God dam America speech made by his ex pastor. It's time for the press to ask Mcain why he did not leave the podium at the Christain Taliban conferance as the chior sang Why should God bless America ? They should ask him about his self admitted religous advisor Rod Parlsey who he shared a stage with in Ohio, the rite reverened Paisley who preaches God's ordanation of America to rid the world of Muslims, I'm sure some Muslims nations will see this with Mr.macains desire to fight for the next 100 years as another holy war. I would like to know if this an attempt to bring on the rapture or is he just trolling for the religous right vote.
"He's so deeply entrenched in hate that even if something good flew in his face, he'd have to deny it." Unless of course it was Oxycontin.
Rush is lame. Obama gave probably the best speech I've ever heard. It was nothing short of brilliant. I'm glad there was a lot of hype prior to this as I'm sure many got to see how beyond in years he really he. From a broken home to graduating top at Harvard Law school. He is, without ever explicitly saying it, the american dream. He's also the best that america can produce and I think more people are beginning to see that maybe, just maybe, he is a great hope. The speech was one for the history books. How the hell did he write that in a just a few days? Al
Old Rush Limbaugh kicks your liberal asses
Why do outlets like this and Time's "The Page" give Limbaugh such press? They treat him as if he is some respected commentator, instead of a hateful hyperpartisan. And notice they only seem to give attention to Limbaugh when he criticizes Obama; then he's some sort of newsworthy figure. They ignore him when he criticizes Hillary; then he's just a partisan hack acting as expected. What you should expect from Limbaugh is nothing but hate radio, with no solutions offered, nothing positive to give people hope. And I do know some Republican evangelicals that are turning away from him precisely because of that. Keep in mind Limbaugh, Hannity, et al would have criticized mercilessly the great Martin Luther King if they had been on the air during that time. They would have hurled all sorts of the usual insults his way, and they would have criticized his speeches, much the same way they do now with Obama. But Limbaugh's influence even inside the GOP is clearly on the wane; he couldn't even prevent McCain from being nominated, even though he tried his best. Limbaugh's most influential days have passed. And I still think McCain should be asked how he feels about Limbaugh to see if he will repudiate him.
It was, in many ways, a brilliantly written and delivered speech—something we've come to expect, of course, from Barack Obama. It did an excellent job of providing context for the black experience in America, explaining how the average African-American could gravitate to a controversial church like Jeremiah Wright's, and how those experiences might understandably be misunderstood by white America. It took a stab at uniting the black and white American experiences under the common problem of economic anxiety, brought on by the real enemy of working people in our country: unfettered corporate greed. In this regard, the speech still should have gone much further. More on that in a minute. It was a brave speech. Barack Obama has been running as a post-racial candidate this entire election cycle. Today, he turned into the wind, and tackled the racial crimes, conundrums, and tragedies that have buffeted our nation since its inception. Obama challenged our country to deal with the race issue in the here and now, to no longer keep this conversation tucked away in our racially homogeneous tribes, where our separate white and black safety zones allow us to say what we really think about the other. He did so knowing that after today, there is no going back. As an unnamed Obama adviser was quoted as saying, "Race is now officially on the table. It’s not going away after this,”. Race will be a part of his candidacy for the remainder of the primary, and, if he is so lucky, the general election. This is not something Obama wanted to happen, but at this point in the midst of the Wright controversy, it is obvious he felt he had little choice. Even braver, rather than offering banalities on unity and togetherness, he picked at some of the ugliest scabs in our national discourse, in effect claiming that his candidacy possesses the unifying power to do so without making the wounds worse. That said, while I feel that the speech was a rhetorical victory, I am worried that in certain ways, it was a missed opportunity, and possibly a political failure. The speech can be judged by who its intended audience was, and who it ended up becoming. His intended audience should have been the white blue collar males that, after the Virginia primary, were flooding towards his candidacy, but after Ohio, and Jeremiah Wright, have been flooding away from it. Instead, the speech seemed more tailored towards the media, and Obama's base. Political journalists have swooned over it all day long. Chris Matthews probably had to change his pants twice on Hardball tonight, calling it "the greatest speech on civil rights in our nation's history". It's a fine civil rights speech, and deserves much praise, but Barack Obama is not running to make a point, or win the argument about race in this country. He is not running for Civil Rights Leader of America. He is running for President of the United States. In a country with a still-white majority population, the two are unfortunately incompatible. Fascinating frames like the following are crack for the media:
But I've since heard more than a handful of other white folks—on both the left and right—say things like, "that wasn't a very nice thing to say about his poor old grandmother." Instead of getting the intent of the story—to remind people that Obama's experience is actually as a black and white man—a lot of white blue-collar folks hear that anecdote and think how rude it was for this young black man to say that about that poor old white woman. Plus, they're reminded about how they too, sometimes get scared around young black men. And soul-searching introspection on those feelings is likely not their next step. As Obama himself said today, "I have never been so naive as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own." So why is he attempting to do that very thing at its greatest crisis point? I've even heard from some Democrats—yes, Democrats—who say maybe it was Obama's resentment of his white grandmother's attitudes towards blacks, that led him to a racially charged church like Jeremiah Wright's. I think such arguments are absurd and deeply narrow-minded. Unfortunately, so is the state of typical white racial thinking in this country. What Obama also did not do with the speech was explain why he spent 20 years listening to a pastor condemn America, hate on white people, and spit on Israel. That's not what's really been happening the last 20 years in the Trinity Church of Christ, of course, but it effectively is what much of white America has come to believe. Yes, Obama described Wright's outlook as "a profoundly distorted view of this country". And yes, Obama explained that Wright is more than the sum of these snippets of controversy: "The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor." Fine. The retort I hear then is why does Wright say the U.S. government gave AIDS to black people? What the speech really needed to do today was, at length, directly address the economic considerations from on high that have intentionally spurred the racial divisions in our country since the American Revolution. It needed to be, in many ways, his Howard Zinn speech. It was good for Obama to start by empathizing with lower-income white Americans who feel robbed by affirmative action, who see no special value in their own white skin, who "don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race." But the argument stopped with empathy. It is absolutely critical that if you venture into why lower-income whites are resentful of affirmative action, you must complete the circle by explaining how our corrupt economic system requires whites to focus their anger on tiny programs like affirmative action, rather than the massive, non-racial corporate forces that are taking away black and white jobs, black and white health care, black and white homes. The reason Obama must focus primarily on economics, rather than race, is that with two wars being fought abroad, a looming recession, a housing crisis, trade deals shipping our entire manufacturing base overseas, blue-collar white Democrats really don't feel the urgent need to solve this race problem in America. It is, unfortunately, probably the last issue on the plate—if it's even on the plate. With one candidate focusing his attention on a controversial topic, which, though eloquently discussed, isn't at the top of voters' concerns, which other candidate is poised to jump right into an opening on the economy? Yep. But, you say, Obama had to address this Wright controversy—it was eating his candidacy alive! I completely agree. The way in which I believe he would have been better served is by unifying the discussion of race more fully with the economic pressures that have caused these racial fractures in American life in the first place. It was still a brilliant speech. He has retaken the news cycle—no small feat after what he's been through the last couple of weeks. But it's just a news cycle, and the questions will continue to linger among lower-income white voters about Obama's racially questionable church-going. It's not fair that Barack Obama should be judged by what Rev. Wright has occasionally said. But as life is not fair, many white voters still will do so. He is still the front-runner for the nomination, and will still likely obtain it. The problem isn't with getting the nomination—it's how does he defeat a cultural icon like John McCain in the general election without grabbing a big share of independent white votes in swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Missouri. His current base—young, affluent educated whites, and black voters—can't bring him over the finish line. And if he is ever going to silence the critics who say he is all hope and no results, he is going to have to throw some serious economic red meat on the table—sooner, rather than later. If he cannot get away from the race discussion, he must drag it over to the economic one. |
But Rush is a closet racist, he just wraps it very cleverly as political commentary. What did you expect him to say?
I continue to be amazed at the extent of coverage he receives in intelligent places.
Posted by TDE | March 18, 2008 1:01 PM