Nothing in particular, since both Palin and Bird's professional lives are pretty much public knowledge. But Bird didn't make his reputation in his sport by denigrating and bad-mouthing people he didn't even bother to take the time to understand. Like I said, Bird was offered more than a few opportunities in the media to cow-tow to this whole "reverse-racism" and white guilt victimization tripe that so many people associate with the Republican party now, twenty years or so ago, and he didn't take it. Palin and others have, for their own personal gain and nothing else. Bird, from what we know of his upbringing, could have been influenced by white supremacist groups much more believably than you'd imagine. He was poor and white. And he was still better than any Negro if he wanted to take that tack. He could have felt that the black busboys and waiters and janitors he played pick-up basketball games with were ruining his country, or whatever vehicle he could find to place irrational fear and speculative hatred into to explain his lot in life, if he wanted. I don't particlarly care, one way or another, about what a person says, or why he says it. People often say things with emotional tenor that takes away from any salient argument that they might be trying to make about something. Which is why, if we're going to "judge" anybody about anything at all, we have to look at their behavior..."...when the rubber meets the road..." Bird had a lot of sway with white folks in his playing days, particularly with the media. The NBA was overrun with an image problem that was largely blamed on the league being "too black" then, and Bird was seen for a long time as a great white hope, taking the game back from the dirty negroes who'd sullied it (hyperbole mine). If he wanted to, if it was ever inside him, he could have parlayed a lot of that sentiment into just about anything he wanted to for himself. But Bird was never that selfish or simple-minded, even for a country hick. I wouldn't know or care if Bird was Republican in his politics. But I do know what I can see from his own behavior what kind of character he has. I haven't seen anything from Sarah Palin that leads me to believe that she's anything other than somebody who will say anything to get attention or a buck. Which I wouldn't mind if she was at least as direct about it as a Kim Kardashian is about her venality. And Kardashian is smart enough to keep tabloid behavior in the tabloids. Not in the political arena. The money's better, and nobody cares if you're dense, so maybe she's not as vapid as she appears... I learned awhile back not to sandwich a comment between an insult and a criticism, and pretend to be surprised when nobody eats that junk.
Nothing that jumps out at me, no. But then, I admit, I'm not incessantly chasing the woman down to point out how poorly she behaves on political matters overmuch. She is fairly consistent. Anecdotal references are just that. I don't think it would matter to you if I found one instance of Palin's crassness or 100. I don't have a lot of time to focus on negatives. I'm not right often enough about anything to spend a lot of time pointing out faults or holding grudges. But people are what they are, and it doesn't have as much to do with how bright the lights are or how dark the skin is, most of the time.
thank you. it's instructive to know your impression of Palin is formed primarily from anecdotes shared by others. i've no doubt this is the case for most of her political opponents. i also have no doubt that these anecdotes are untrue.
I'd appreciate that, if you remembered that I said I based my opinion of her on what I saw for myself from her behavior. People have about as many opinons on something as they have hairs on their head. Nothing there to quibble about. The anecdotal "example" you asked me for would have been just that...MY anecdote. I know, I know...I'm Black, I'm "liberal"...ergo, I'm indoctrinated...incapable of forming an opinion opposing the nanny state that reared and fed my all-encompassing ignorance. That's cool with me. Been called a lot worse. Part and parcel with the skin, I hear.
had no idea you were black, but I'm not sure how that's relevant. there are many, many white Palin haters, working from equally uninformed perspectives. ignorance knows no color.
Ignorance knows no color. That's true. I'm curious: why is my perspective on Sarah Palin "uninformed" exactly? She says and does one thing in front of cameras and on radio, but she's an entirely different person outside of those venues? Or am I missing something?
maybe I've misunderstood what you've posted, but (i thought) you clearly implied Palin was racist. there must be some evidence to support such an assertion. you provided anecdotes, shared by others. have i misunderstood?
Then I owe you an apology. I don't know if Sarah Palin is "racist" or not. I suppose her dalliance with a black basketball player disqualifers her, if associations of any type count towards that. I didn't seek to portray Palin as a racist herself. I did not seek to do that with my juxtaposition of her professional persona with Larry Bird's. The "ancedotes" I referenced were from a sports documentary, where those stories are usually apolitical. But by the same token, guilt is often ascribed by association. Palin would associate with anyone who would further her own personal agenda, in my opinion. Bird had a lot of what you call "race-baiters" trying to entangle him in those types of arguments, but he refused to let anything other than his own "anecdotal" experiences with black people dictate his behavior or approach. I believe that if Bird had to make a choice that was financially or socially damaging to himself, he would not hesitate if it was the right thing to do for people. I don't believe that about Sarah Palin. That's my opinion of her. Mine alone. Uninformed. Ignorant. Anecdotal. But mine.
Yeah, he's been known to say some cringe-worthy stuff. I mostly cringe at the claim that he can jump, which I don't believe for a second, and the idea that he could stand on the same basketball court as Kevin Johnson. The appeal to a racial stereotype is a little awkward, but so common I wouldn't notice it out of anyone else's mouth.
When people are oppressed or demeaned that can tell if someone is sincere or hates them. Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and others get away with more because folks can tell they do not hate or detest blacks, Mexicans, gays, women or the poor. The same cannot be said for Palin or many other members of the GOP.
no worries. i actually don't have that much of a problem w/ Biden's comments, although i do think they're a bit clumsy. not as clumsy as his assertion that Obama is/was clean & articulate, from which one could infer that he thinks many other black people are not. but your comments have borne out my suspicion that Palin would not have gotten much slack for similar comments, had she ever uttered anything remotely similar. but she hasn't, and yet is still punished for imaginary racism. cheers.
Palin is punished because she is a complete moron, quit on her state, and won't go away. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard. She is a nitwit who deserves no defense. She runs her mouth without even viewing the source material. I have never thought she was a racist, but she is clearly an idiot.
you seem to forget the attacks started before she ever stepped to the podium when McCain nominated her.
meh, I don't think what Biden said was that bad. It was obviously a joke in knowingly mixed company and it got laughs. I think this is much worse: “Immigration reform is important in our country,” she said. “We have a lot of employers over on the beaches that rely upon workers and especially in this high-growth environment, where are you going to get people to work to clean our hotel rooms or do our landscaping?" -Florida Congressional Candidate Alex Sink- <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/s6S4zSPN5Ec?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
And I think that's probably the point. Allowing for the theory that Sarah Palin is an idiot, it stands to reason that, even if in this hypothetical she were to utter some "racially charged" epithet, even if it may be in jest for her, her past behavior on a variety of subjects lends people to draw the conclusion that she isn't qualified in the least to try to engage in some "good-natured" ribbing from any group of people marginalized by the sharp political divide in recent years, because of the peoples she's chosen to align herself with politically and professionally. If people are generally more tolerant of what Joe Biden said, while potentially not being as tolerant of Palin, then that is more than likely due to Palin's history of behavior herself. Race or money or gender would not be as important as some people want to make it out to be. Palin's sold herself as this caricature of a "political figure", made a few bucks along the way, and got a lot closer than sanity should ever have flirted with, to being the President of the United States. I doubt you would find her anywhere complaining about whether or not somebody would be waiting for a chance to call her a "racist". Whatever Palin's been painted as in the nation's view.... ...she provided the brushes and the canvas for it all by herself.
