I am not sure that there is anything wrong with what he said. My concern is that had a Republican said it, he would be getting skewered by the Dems. Since a Dem said it, it is getting the attention it likely deserves (apology and move on).
Reid's a douchebag elitist. It's not surprising that he'd say something like that or that the reaction would largely be partisan. What's disturbing is that some people actually agree with him. If Obama looses, it's because America isn't ready for a black president Obama only won because America wasn't ready for a black president It betrays an underlying lack of faith in the electorate, and the democratic process itself.
I disagree. The comparison most GOPers are making is the Lott comment, which was a horribly racist comment (suggesting that if Thurmond had been successful in pushing continued segregation we'd be better off). Comparing Lott's remarks and Reid's is ludicrous. Many Republicans and Democrats have said basically what Reid said, which is just that Obama had a better chance of breaking the race barrier because he wasn't all that black. There hasn't been a firestorm about those sorts of comments before, largely because they're true.
Well, the use of the word "Negro" is a big clue to the dated mindset Reid from which Reid operates. But beyond that, and more fundamentally, is his use of the American People as a canvas onto which he could project his giddiness at the prospect of adding a notch to his party's belt (i.e. representing the first black president), without actually having to endure any undesirable blackness.
If you continually display you don't give a rats ass about a group of people and then you say something stupid, you're a much easier target than the guy who's leader of the party that works for those people. Let's not be naive... party of Limbaugh's magic Negro songs, party of Obama hates white people, party of Obama is a Muslim, party of Acorn is the devil.
It sounds like you're just projecting that attitude on to him. What evidence do you have that what you say is what he prefers? I see no evidence of the giddiness, nor any evidence that "more blackness" is undesirable to him personally. Sure it's possible that your guess is accurate, but I don't see anything even remotely indicating that it actually is. Could explain further what makes you dismiss the simpler (and in my opinion more likely) explanation that one can have a dated lexicon without necessarily ascribing to the beliefs that led those words to fade from popular usage? The use of the word "Negro" is hardly evidence of the more inappropriate mindset that you accuse him of having. At least from what I can see.
But that's not what he said. His comments aren't even close to "Obama only won because America wasn't ready for a black president." I'm not saying he doesn't believe it, but why does everybody take a small quote and provide their own context and intentions, then assume that the context and intentions they picked must be reality?
lol. so, apparantly you need a track record to be a racist. the extent that idiots go to in order to extend their agenda is lolrus.
This is pretty much what I immediately thought. When a guy has a history of working with/for the black community he is going to bet the benefit of the doubt when he says something that might be considered racist.
I know few Democrats who are happy that Reid is the Majority Leader, but he is. As I implied in my earlier comment, it was a stupid remark. I don't care how "accurate" it is, Reid was stupid to make it. What would be worse for the President, however, would be an upheaval in the Senate leadership at the present time. The healthcare bill has to be pushed through. Reid may not even win his reelection bid which, as much as I'd hate to lose the seat, might eventually give us a better leader in the Senate. Guess we'll have to see how things play out. As it stands now, this is mother's milk for the far-right talk shows and columnists, but not much else. Except for that aspect of it, this will blow over.
How is what Reid said any different than a lot of what's said about Battier in the GARM? The only arguably racist thing about Reid's comment is the use of the word "Negro," a word that's still used in the census.
Ain't that the truth. If we gave full voice to denouncing the myriad slanders aimed at countless targets there, the Rockets and basketball would be lost in the resulting chaos.
i agree the word negro is problematic. i'm not a big fan of harry and i can't pretend to know what's in his heart but, i don't think he spends much time appreciating the richness that black folks have added to american culture.
i've been called racist in the d&d for quoting thurgood marshall, so it doesn't surprise me that Batman et al are will to excuse this. Reid is a democrat after all, and we all know democrats can't be racists. reid needs to go, and judging by the comments i heard from Nevadans this past week in Vegas, he'll be gone soon enough. i do hope he retains his leadership post through the mid-terms however, since he's the single best argument for breaking up the monopoly of power in washington the democrats currently enjoy.
What's been forgotten in all of this is that according to the same book Reid encouraged Obama to run for President and was a relatively early supporter. While Reid's languange is politically incorrect and deserves some criticism this isn't as though Reid felt Obama was only qualified because he was a black man didn't speak in ebonics.
