Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Al Sharpton notes Bill Clinton’s racist comment, but is still ready to give a pass



Last night on Hannity, Al Sharpton was mixing it up with Al Coulter and Hannity [video here].  They were discussing Dingy Harry’s “light-skinned, no Negro dialect” comment and Sharpton actually made note of Bill Clinton’s racist comment which has been largely ignored by everyone.

In the book Game Change, Bill Clinton [America’s first “Black President”] said "A few years ago, this guy (Obama) would be getting us coffee." to Ted Kennedy while discussing Obama.   On the Hannity show, Sharpton had this to say about it:
 "I think Bill Clinton said is something you ought to be dealing with. I have said, and you know I said it, that that was far more far disturbing and I think it was far more offensive [than what Reid said.]"
Hannity asked, "Was it racist?"
Sharpton responded, "If he meant that he would have been serving because he was black..."
Hannity said, "Well, what do you think he could have meant?"
Sharpton said, "Well, that's what I want to know."
Come off it Al! Ted Kennedy walked out on Bill Clinton after the comment and then supported Obama. If Kennedy could have figured it out, why is Al having so much trouble? We all know damn well if that statement came from a white conservative or white Republican, Sharpton would be on their ass just like he was with Don Imus. Because Bill Clinton is a white liberal, Al Sharpton is willing to give Bill a whole lot of wiggle room by playing naïve and will no doubt end up seeing all kinds of nuance in what Clinton said. This is the standard role for many black liberals in the Four Phases of Forgotten Racial Comments.


I do have to give Sharpton a little credit for pointing out why Reid’s statement is a bigger deal than Clintons.  Sharpton had this to say as well:
Later in the interview, Sharpton, unsolicited, said, "Why aren't you all talking about Bill Clinton? You know why? Because Bill Clinton is not in charge of the Senate. He's not the one pushing healthcare [reform]. You're taking a statement [from Reid] you know is nowhere near what Clinton is accused of saying and going after Reid for purely political reasons."
Ah, and there is the rub. This is something I have to fault Michael Steele over. Steele was clearly giving the Dems a taste of their own medicine in racial politics [and they certainly deserve it] by playing the race card and calling for Reid to step down.  However, by only calling out Reid, Steele puts the focus on political gain rather than on the double standard that the left has long employed.  If Steele had brought full attention to both comments then the focus would be on both men and we would finally be making some headway in pointing out the blatant hypocrisy of the left and race.

As things stand now, Reid will get his pass as expected and Clinton’s comment goes immediately to Phase 4 of Forgotten Racial Comments.

Via: The Hill

11 comments:

Spinsterpov said...

The difference for me is that Reid's statement was specific to Obama's race where Clinton's was not. It could be interpreted that way, but my first reaction to the statement was that it was due to Obama's inexperience. "A few years ago" Obama had been in the state legislature and qualified to do nothing for this big, important politicians than fetch their cofee or make fund raising calls for them.

Clinton could have made that same comment about any inexperienced politician running for the highest office in the land. Assuming it was a racist comment because of the race of who it was made about, is racist itself.

Jess said...

I guess they ran out of supplies after they crucified Trent Lott.

AverageBro.com said...

Oh please, Steele was doing nothing more than trying to deflect the heat from himself. Remember the GOP was calling for his head just a week ago?

Today, it comes out that some in the party are considering asking Steele to hand over all proceeds from his book to the party coffers. How insulting.

It'd be nice for once if someone would acknowledge that Steele was only chosen as a counter-Obama, by a party foolishly looking to shed it's own race problems. Too bad they didn't bother thinking this through. Then again, Palin was sorta chosen in the same fashion, sooooo....

trinity said...

I don't believe Clinton's comment was racist. I think that he was referring to Obama being a nobody wannabe, who would have been trying to ingratiate himself by getting coffee or whatever else was asked of him. Bill has many faults, as we all know, but I don't think racism is one of them.

Harry Reid's comment denotes a mindset that is still back in the 50's and 60's. He used the word "Negro" that I haven't heard since I was a child in the 60's. He was also saying that a
dark-skinned African American could not have a chance with white voters. Reid has a serious problem with race. I vote for the individual and what they offer as a candidate, not what they look like, their gender or the color of their skin.

Fuzzy Slippers said...

I'm not convinced that Clinton's comment was about race, either. I'm not convinced that it wasn't, but there is some reason to think he was referring to the fact that BO was a junior senator, who'd been in the senate only months before running for president. If it was about race, too, then Kennedy would certainly have picked up on that, but Kennedy also, for all his millions, was very touchy about class (as long as the unwashed masses stayed behind the fence at Hyannis).

Janelle said...

Given Obama's sparse voting record, I'm in agreement with Trinity and Spinsterpov. Clinton's comment was about his lack of experience. And then all those sealed records about his entire background which few politicians have ever enjoyed or employed. That probably has more than a few in the 535 really teed off. How could this guy waltz in and get the job we were more qualified for?
Obama strikes me as fancy wrapping paper around an empty box.

Jess said...

Let's see: It's acceptable to understand, forgive, analyze, show compassion and hold hands, while showing how diverse and correct we are....unless you're a conservative. Then there's no tolerance, you're devil in a suit, the world would be better if you crawled back into the ground and we demand you resign immediately.

You can't have it both ways. Either there's absolutely no tolerance, or the witch hunts stop. I say an eye for an eye. Reid should resign immediately.

Liz said...

Bill Clinton's self-admitted mentor (William Fulbright) was a segregationist! Bill Clinton our "first black president". I believe what he learned from Fulbright is how to keep blacks loving him and voting Democrat.

"Clinton gave the nation's highest civilian award — the Presidential Medal of Freedom — to a man who spent the majority of his public career and life as a proud segregationist."

http://www.nationalreview.com/levin/levin122002.asp

Anonymous said...

this doesn't make the news

arlenearmy said...

opps! key board jumpy.

i saw you on glenn beck show a few minutes ago. you made good comment about the reid situation.

i did not know you were gonna be on the show.

I NOW REQUEST that you start twittering this sort of stuff. I would not had known you were gonna be on Beck until I turned on the show.

Foxmuldar Blog said...

I saw part of the Sharpton comedy on Hannity. Al might consider doing his own comedy show. Maybe a release of the a new Sanford and son. I can see it now. Al Sanford Sharpton after he hears that Obamacare has failed. "Im coming Elizabeth, its the big one." Ok maybe it wasn't so funny but I still see Al as pop Sanford in his rocking chair watching the tube and drinking his ripple. lol

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