One year later: Right-wing media routinely call Obama racist

[G_j]

http://mediamatters.org/research/201007280007?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mediamatters%2Flatest+%28Media+Matters+-+Latest+Items%29

One year later: Right-wing media routinely call Obama racist


On July 28, 2009, Glenn Beck called President Obama a "racist" with a "deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture." While Beck has reportedly lost more than 100 advertisers since he made those comments, right-wing media figures now routinely call Obama or members of his administration "racist."
Advertisers drop Beck's show

At least 100 advertisers have reportedly dropped Beck's Fox News show. At least 100 advertisers have reportedly dropped their ads from Beck's Fox News program since he called Obama a "racist."
Right-wing media now routinely call Obama "racist"

Beck distorts Obama's comments to accuse him of "racism." On the June 14 editions of his radio and television shows, Beck misrepresented comments Obama made during a 1995 interview to claim Obama did not want to meet with BP CEO Tony Hayward because he is a "white CEO" and that those comments were "code language" that "sounds like racism," "stereotyping," and "profiling." However, as Obama's full comments make clear, he was actually discussing personal responsibility on the part of both blacks and whites.

Limbaugh calls Obama administration a "racist" "regime" During the April 26 edition of his radio show, Rush Limbaugh discussed Arizona's controversial immigration law and claimed that "not everybody thinks that civil rights are the end-all and be-all of every single issue." Limbaugh then cited a campaign video in which Obama discussed voter turnout, including among minorities and women, in 2010. Limbaugh then said, "This is the regime at its racist best.

Limbaugh calls Obama "the most-racial president" During the July 22 edition of his radio show, Limbaugh said, "So we're supposed to have a post-racial president. Instead, Barack Obama is the most-racial president."

Breitbart, Asman agree Obama is "defending racism" in New Black Panthers case, which is "virtually the same" as being racist. On the July 6 edition of Fox Business Network's America's Nightly Scoreboard, Andrew Breitbart agreed with host David Asman, who stated that while it "may or may not be true" that Obama is a racist, "in letting the Black Panthers off," Obama "is defending racists," which is "virtually the same."

Discussing New Black Panthers case, Severin rants about Obama being "demonstrably a racist" During the June 30 edition of his radio show, Jay Severin discussed the New Black Panthers and claimed that "as long as Barack Obama is president, there is a complete double standard, and a lot of it is based on race" and that "Barack Obama is a racist." Severin added, "Barack Obama is -- the president of the United States is demonstrably a racist."

Hannity defends Beck's statement that Obama is "a racist" During the March 9 edition of his Fox News show, Sean Hannity questioned whether Beck had said anything "over the top." Democratic strategist Penny Lee cited Beck's statement that Obama was racist. Hannity responded, "But wait a minute. Wait. Hang on a second. When the president hangs out with Jeremiah Wright for 20 years, I'm -- can one conclude that there are issues with the president -- black liberation theology?"

Blogger Pamela Geller called Obama racist. A March 23 post on Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugged blogged was headlined "Racist Obama will not be photographed with Jewish prime minister of Israel."
Right-wing media call administration officials "racist"

Limbaugh accuses Eric Holder, DOJ of racism During the July 21 edition of his radio show, Limbaugh discussed the "amazing story of Shirley Sherrod," asking, "If we're going to fire Shirley Sherrod on the basis of racism, then why the hell does Eric Holder still have a job?" Limbaugh later claimed that Holder "has ignored the voting and civil rights of white people in Philadelphia all because the perpetrators of the voter intimidation, the New Black Panther Party, were black."

RedState.com accuses "African American Attorney General" Holder of "blatant reverse discrimination." In a July 7 RedState.com post on the New Black Panthers case, Dave Poff wrote:

It's impossible to believe that President Obama and his Administration actually buys in to this idea that we have moved beyond race and into a new generation of a color blind society, when you consider the blatant reverse discrimination his Attorney General (yes, his African American Attorney General) Eric Holder has been pursuing in the name of leveling the playing field in matters of Justice. Holder, it would seem, is still judging people by the color of their skin.

Gingrich: Holder "should certainly resign over the racism inherent in the Black Panther case." On the July 19 edition of Fox News' Hannity, Newt Gingrich said Holder "should certainly resign over the racism inherent in the Black Panther case."

Wash. Times: "t is only under the Obama administration that top appointees have allowed and even encouraged race-based enforcement as either tacit or open policy." In a July 6 editorial headlined "Black Panther case: Racism rules," The Washington Times parroted the discredited claims of former DOJ attorney and right-wing activist J. Christian Adams that the Justice Department "announced that civil rights laws would not be enforced to protect white voters," which the Times wrote was proof that the Obama administration has " allowed and even encouraged race-based enforcement as either tacit or open policy."
— J.H.

[JoePhilly]

1. Its the GOP Southern Strategy with a Rove twist ...

A common Rove tactic is to take your weakness, and claim that it is your opponent's weakness. Rather than play defense on an issue, play offense.

In this case, the GOP knows that racism is an issue. With an African-American President, they knew that racism in the GOP would become an issue.

So, rather than wait for that ... they jumped out in front of it and started to call Obama a racist.

You start with Beck one year ago, but it started much earlier ... during the primaries. Initially, the GOP had no idea what to do, then Rev Wright popped onto the radar screen and that gave them the opening they needed ... they claimed Wright was a racist and Obama must be too.

They then started to attack Michelle Obama, claiming she was a racist.

They claims that Obama isn't a citizen is part of their screed. He's a Kenyan ... so on.

They called Colin Powell a racist for voting for Obama. They claimed most blacks are racists for voting for Obama.

They claimed Holder was a racist ... then Sotomayer is called a racist ...

SO like I said ... its the GOP Southern Strategy, with a Rove twist.

[rfranklin]

2. Classic examples of projection: Racists accusing others of their sin...

They are still smarting from the whupping they got during the 1960's and want to turn it back on an African American.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. Ah...the classic case of PROJECTION!! You project onto to others what you YOURSELF are guilty of!

The wingnuts have perfected this art for decades.

Engage in racist rhetoric and behavior, and before the other side gets a chance to defend itself, charge THEM with racism!

Wash, rinse, and repeat...and repeat...and repeat....and repeat...and continue to repeat until you have a good majority of whites afraid of blacks. Turn all racially-neutral policies (like unemployment insurance and health care reform) into "WELFARE"!!! Repeat, repeat, repeat...until...you have even Democrats and many liberals buying into this bullshit!

That's how to win elections, folks.

If the wingnuts can convince enough Independent white men to be afraid of blacks--and to be ANGRY at blacks and browns--for taking something away from them, they have WON.

Why can't we see this? Why can't we open our eyes and see exactly what is happening here?

Every day, Tweety has been obsessed with race. His entire show yesterday was about how there is some moral equivalency between the teabaggers and the New Black Panther Party. Tweety asks: why didn't Obama pursue charges against the NPP to deflect these claims of "reverse racism?" HUH???!?!

What the wingnuts--and even some Democrats--want is a race war! They've been fomenting this war for many years. They wanted to divide the Democratic Party in 2008, making the primaries about women vs. blacks, sexism v. racism!! :puke: And sadly, even Democrats on this forum continue to oblige them.

When will we learn?!??!?!?

[truedelphi]

4. propaganda is propaganda.

I ignore the RW nut jobs and their RW TV stations as they yammer on about their usual nonsense.

But I do notice when our supposed "Democrats" say that victory is around the corner and that in terms of our two major wars, we can afford to spend one hundred and ninety nine billion on fighting them - and that figure is just from the last eight months!

Meanwhile unemployment (according to Paul Craig Roberts) is over twenty percent and our states cannot have any monies from the Fed treasury as it is all promised to the bankers in Europe.

That's not the change I voted for, and my hope now is not in being fooled a second time by these pathetic tools of the Big Bankers/Big Defense Contractors industries!