82 Comments

1. Fausta:

Disgusting.

The fact that Dr. Rice is a Republican makes her (in their view) an appropriate target for the most bigoted remarks.

There’s no morality left in “liberalism”.

Nov 19, 2004 - 8:26 am 2. Hogarth:

Republican, Democrat, whatever: she’s smart and HOT and that’s enough for me!

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:10 am 3. Nomorelies:

Aunt Jemima? What would it take to make Dr. Rice authentically black? Would she be more appealing if she was a backup singer for Ray Charles?

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:11 am 4. chuck:

His defence:

He added that he has a long history of commitment to civil rights and has supported Madison’s black community.

Oh, right, black people are different. They are poor and downtrodden and need the help of well meaning superior white folk like himself. God forbid that they are successful, for then they cease to be “real” blacks. Must have sold their souls to the white devil or something. How else could racially impaired folk succeed?

What a maroon.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:16 am 5. thibaud:

Are liberals trying to piss off one of the few only remaining loyal consituencies they have? What next, attacks on teachers? The trial lawyers?

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:21 am 6. thibaud:

Something very, very weird is going on. Check out Joan Baez’s recent performance in which she assumed one of her “multiple personalities,” a po’ balck girl named “Alice”:

Note: this is not from Scrappleface. Itís a sympathetic leftist concertgoerís account of a recent Joan Baez performance in Charlottesville VA:

http://www.reason.com/links/links110404.shtml

“… the most remarkable and disturbing episode in [Joan Baezís concert] occurred halfway through the concert when Joan stopped singing and announced that she had “multiple personalities.” One of her multiple personalities is that of a fifteen year old poor black girl named Alice from Turkey Scratch, Arkansas.

“Baez decided to share with us Aliceís views on the election. Amazed and horrified I watched a rich, famous, extremely white folksinger perform what can only be described as bit of minstrelsyóonly the painted on blackface was missing. Alice, the black teenager from Arkansas Baez was pretending to be, spoke in a dialect so broad and thick that it would put Uncle Remus and Amos and Andy to shame. Baezí monologue was filled with phrases like, “Iíse gíwin ta” to do this that or the other and dropping all final “gís.” Baez as

“Alice made statements like, “de prezident, he be a racist,” and “de prezident, he got a bug fer killiní.” Finally, since Bush won the election with 58.7 million votes to Kerryís 55.1 million, Alice observed, “Seems lak hafí de country be plumb crazy.”

“Once Joan finished her minstrelsy riff, the audience, in which I did not see a single black person, went wild with applause and hoots and hollers. I have never felt so embarrassed for a bunch of “liberals” in my life….”

Thus is wisdom born. Repeat after me: theyíre not “progressives”, theyíre reactionaries.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:23 am 7. chuck:

Thibaud:

Something very, very weird is going on.

Yeah, the mask is coming off and the true motivations of these folks is being exposed. I first noticed this in the (in)famous Doonesbury cartoon, the cartoon that caused me to stop reading Trudeau’s stuff. ‘Nough said. Liberal hypocrisy is heading for a fall.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:31 am 8. Kevin P:

Roger:

In their desire to tear down President Bush the left will say anything racist or sexist to demean Secretary of State Rice. Her intellectual bona fides are impecible but according to the MSM she is portrayed as a steppin fetchit moron who follows the president like his pet dog. The sad thing is is that they will be able to get away with the sexist and racist portraits because any woman or black who is a republican is automatically not authentic and open to any of the old stereotypes of past generations. To watch a political hack like Chris Matthews try to paint her as a mental midget when she dwarfs his pea brain is truly pathetic. And when was it a requirement to pick cabinent members who oppose the Presidents policy. They are using the fact that Miss. Rice concurs with President Bush’s foreign policy as a negative.This idea is absurd.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:33 am 9. Richard Nieporent:

It is clear that the Left employs the politics of hate. After the election of Bush, the last remnants of the facade of respectability on the part of the Left has been removed. What we are seeing is raw, naked racism to go along with their vicious anti-Semitism.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:35 am 10. thibaud:

Crack-up time. I’m now of the opinion that the MoveOn/Mikey/Doonesbury crowd’s irrationality will cause the Democratic Party to split in two.

The only thing that holds the party together is its admiration for the ideals of Martin Luther King. But if the far left is becoming openly racist, there’s no way that old-fashioned JFK-Truman liberals can justify putting up with their stupidity anymore.

Sane Dems need to Souljah these morons– slap them down, and hard. And fast.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:37 am 11. sueb:

Because of the nomination of the very intelligent and talented Dr. Rice we are going to discover just how many racist people there are in this country – and probably the world.

Just as President Bush rose above the ignorant, disgusting cartoons and comments, I sincerely believe Dr. Rice will do the same. The main problem many of the idiots are having is proably that – HORRORS! – she is a woman AND African-American. They can tolerate one or the other, not both.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:40 am 12. Pat Curley:

This is the end result of Affirmative Action: the belief among the Left that no black person could possibly have made it to a lofty position on his or her own merits. The less charitable among them like to refer to Rice & Powell as “house n******s”.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:53 am 13. thibaud:

I can’t believe that Karl Rove is not taking notes now. If Rove figures out how to permanently peel off 10-20% of pro-Dem african-american voters, the Dems will cease to exist as a national party.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:55 am 14. Matt Evans:

I continued to be amazed that liberal democrats continually question Rice’s qualifications to be secretary of state. I keep hearing “she’s not qualified” but nobody can tell exactly what about her PHD and experience with policy and government for 25 years makes her “unqualified”. I never heard any of this about Warren Christopher and quite frankly, he was NOT qualified to be SecState, at least based on past experience.

Many of you have hit on it- the diversity in a republican cabinet dwarfs anything we’ve seen from Clinton, Gore or Kerry- and eventually, blacks and hispanics are going to realize that the alleged party of intolerance is the only party willing to recognize that when picking folks to serve in government, the ONLY thing that should matter is if that person is best for the job.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:00 am 15. thibaud:

Many of you have hit on it- the diversity in a republican cabinet dwarfs anything we’ve seen from Clinton, Gore or Kerry

Or anything we’ve seen from Harvard, or the New York Times, or the trial lawyers…

btw the Pentagon is far more progressive in this respect than any major liberal-leaning entity or institution.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:07 am 16. RogerA:

To the liberal establishments, apparently the (ahem) Rev Sharpton and Whoopie Goldberg symbolize the best of the best of the African American community–What a sad commentary. I have been very impressed that the administration, Sec Powell and Dr Rice have not bothered to comment. The restraint of the administration must drive the MSM absolutely nuts.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:10 am 17. lmg:

I find it amazing that not a single prominent liberal or feminist or black (on the left) has broken ranks and spoken out against these racist insults.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:21 am 18. Robert Crawford:

I find it fascinating that people will attack Condoleezza Rice using racist terms, then try to use their own “efforts for racial justice” as a defense. I think this used to be known as the “some of my best friends…” defense.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:21 am 19. Hermie:

It’s not a surprise that liberals have decided that it’s OK to use racially-offensive speach and actions against Republicans who happen to be black, hispanic, asian, etc.

When liberals refer to ‘neo-con’ it’s a code word for ‘Jew’. Just look at the anti-Semitism that is taking place on those bastions of liberalism and ‘enlightenment’, university campuses. Would anyone 4 years ago have actually invited and encouraged anti-Semitic ‘conferences’. They can ban the Nazis and the KKK (and if they wanted to, any non-liberal group would have to fight to get their voices heard on campus), but embrace the islamic facists and terrorist sympathizers…with our tax money and students’ fees.

This boob on the radio made mention that he had a long history of commitment to human rights and supported the black community.

Is that like the old statement: ‘Some of my best friends are black.’?

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:22 am 20. Henway:

It’s appalling to hear people who wouldn’t be allowed to buy a blank spiral from the Harvard bookstore-

(and aren’t PhDs, or experienced foreign policy experts, or speakers of 5 languages, or classically trained musicians, or experts on Russian literature- anything else? Oh yeah- or qualified for post-government transistion to a football head coaching position)

-cast aspersions on this brilliant woman who makes the rest of us look shallow and unambitious by comparison. What more is she supposed to do given the day contains merely 24 hours? You may disagree with her political views, but if Condi Rice’s amazing list of achievements doesn’t earn at least your grudging respect if not downright admiration, welcome to the truth. You’re a racist.

It is morally repugnant and socially disastrous to treat a minority of the population as if their only hope is in the paternal benevolence of the majority who knows what’s best for them.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:34 am 21. thibaud:

Count on Rove to launch soon a long-term grass-roots Republican effort to laud Condi as a role model for african-american girls. With an eye toward registering their moms as Republicans.

Why is my party’s leadership so stupid?

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:43 am 22. Terrye:

Is this the same guy that called Colin Powell an uncle tom?

My oh my that is class. What is next? A rendition of ol black Joe?

Trent Lotte got in all kinds of trouble for saying something nice and stupid about Strom Thurmond and the old days,but this is deliberate and malicious and the only people who seem to care are the Bushitler crowd.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:49 am 23. scalefree:

Here’s what another Liberal yahoo said. Dick (get it?) Morris, President Clinton’s longtime advisor, called her “Donna Rice”(1) on Fox News’s O’Reilly Factor. How can they let people like this on TV?

Oh wait. He’s not a Liberal yahoo, he’s a Conservative yahoo. I guess that makes it not a problem. Seriously guys, either cut out the faux-outrage or spread it evenly. Hands up for anybody who’s said a boo about Rush & his “wetback” crack.

Tim

(1)Donna Rice is a former model who was romantically linked to former Colorado senator and Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart. Hart withdrew from the 1988 presidential race amid rumors that he had engaged in extra-marital affairs, fueled in part by a widely-publicized photo of Rice sitting on his lap aboard a yacht named Monkey Business.

Nov 19, 2004 - 11:01 am 24. chuck:

scalefree:

Seriously guys, either cut out the faux-outrage or spread it evenly.

Ohh. OK, then. Racist bigots on the left are just fine with me. Satisfied?

The “you’re another” defence has always been lame. Most of us learned this in the first grade. Perhaps you attended a more progressive school?

Nov 19, 2004 - 11:12 am 25. RogerA:

Scalefree–I wish I had your gift of omnicience. Why do you believe the outrage is “faux?” Or more directly how do you possibly know? Racism is racism irrespective of the political coloration of the offending commentator, and you, sir, an an ass.

Nov 19, 2004 - 11:15 am 26. jedrury:

The Wisconsin radio station should take this racist nut off the air. But this is Madision where they won’t.

It is fascinating to confirm one’s suspicion about the MSM bias that it ignores the extraordinary historic fact that the last two Secretaries of State are Afro- American.

Recall how the press cooed over the appointment of Madeline “Robin Red Breast” Albright as the first female Secretary of State, her broaches, her undiscovered Jewish ancestry – even tho she turned out to be one of the worst.

I am bamboozled over the unwillingness/reluctance

/inability of the Afro-Amercan vote to demand more of their party – the Democrats – and to vote their interests which do not lie with the Democrats.

Nov 19, 2004 - 11:18 am 27. jerry:

I had one of my periodic revelations. The difference between red and blue states [really areas] is not the presence of something but its the absence. Blue areas are dominated by a large underclass of unmotivated captives of the government establishment and its Democratic Party operatives. This underclass is reverting to its Black foundations as a majority of Hispanics and most Asians seek a to rise into American society.

The Democrats are panicking about the prospect of the black underclass realizing that they are in a new form of slavery. Slaves whose only function is to turn out every four years to deliver votes for whatever chump the Dems seek to put to the American public. Condi Rice is now the inheritor of the mantle of Frederick Douglass. Today’s Democrats fear Rice as much as slave Democrats feared Douglass.

The attack on Rice is of the same quality as Schumerís characterization of Miguel Estrada as not a ìreal Hispanic. The question is, will the Black community react the same way that the Hispanic community did to Schumer or will they remain mired in their reliance on government and their self-destructive prejudices?

The DNC/MSM complex believes in their own moral and intellectual superiority over their red area adversaries. In a sense they are deluding themselves A party is not defined by the character Urban sophisticates, celebrities and academics. It is really defined by the majority of its voters. The Democrats are the party of the ignorant. They can live without the intelligentsia but they cannot survive unless they attract a wider base then the underclass. Bush and the Republicans dominate the some college through Masters and professional degreed segment of the population. The Democrats are confined to the two extremes. Even at the high end they only split the PhíD vote about 50-50. PhíDs out of academia are more numerous and much more Republican then sterile academics.

Nov 19, 2004 - 11:20 am 28. RandMan:

In the future I’ll have to give Rev. Jackson, Rev. Sharpton, et. al. a pass when they call America a racist country. After all, they dwell among them on the Left all the time. No wonder they see racists everywhere.

The more I see the real outrages on the Left vs. the supposed deficiencies on the Right as pronounced by the Left, the more the word “projection” seems to pop into my mind with alarming regularity.

Nov 19, 2004 - 11:24 am 29. Roberts:

Add in Bob Beckel’s recent outrageous repetition of the “neocons” being loyal to Israel slander, and we can see the new home of bigotry in the 21st Century.

Nov 19, 2004 - 11:41 am 30. Robert Crawford:

Seriously guys, either cut out the faux-outrage or spread it evenly.

Odd… you’ve given absolutely NO context for either of the horrible remarks you expect everyone to condemn. I don’t know, for example, if Morris simply misspoke and then corrected himself, or if it was an intentional — and bizarre — insult.

As for Rush; most of his remarks that spark outrage on the left turn out to be jokes. Usually his intent is so obvious that it’s clear his critics lack not only a sense of humor, but a simple grasp of English as a spoken language.

But, like I said, you’ve completely, utterly failed to provide context or a source in your attempt at what is one of the classic logical fallacies: “ad hominem tu quoque”. I guess when your basic argument is so unsound, providing evidence is a waste of time.

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:13 pm 31. Davod:

This has to stop. The time has come to show these people up for what they are. When they say something like this there should be protests. People in Madison should be out in front of the radio station with Racist/ Bigot signs. Black Churches in the area should given the information so that the pastors can decide whether they should object.

Academics should be up in arms at the disparaging of one of their compatriots.

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:19 pm 32. Cynic:

“He added that he has a long history of commitment to civil rights and has supported Madison’s black community.”

Gives me the same nauseating feeling as when I hear: “Some of my friends are….”!

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:20 pm 33. Davod:

Cynic:

Beckel used the I was doing civil rights defense on Fox. I don’t know why people cannot agree that this stuff is wrong.

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:33 pm 34. TomTomTommy:

“People in Madison should be out in front of the radio station with Racist/ Bigot signs. Black Churches in the area should given the information so that the pastors can decide whether they should object.”

riiiight. just like the way all those conservatives picketed Rush Limbaugh after he insulted Donovan McNabb last year. it was exciting to watch people taking the moral high ground and denouncing such a powerful figure…

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:51 pm 35. TomTomTommy:

furthermore, who is really the bigot here? a crackpot radio host in madison, or all the conservatives who parade an incompetent hack like Condi Rice like some kind of parade float? gimme a break? you guys talk about her like she’s Miss America, not the most powerful woman in the country. i could care less whether she’s black, white or polka dotted. my concern is that she has her fingerprints all over the mess in Iraq. how is that supposed to inspire young minorities? is it supposed to teach them that black people can be high-profile failures who aren’t held accountable?

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:55 pm 36. jerry:

Well TomTom, last thing I check is that Rush got fired from his job at ESPN for his remarks. This Bozo, and many like him, are still employed. There is also another difference. As we all know, Rush is a conservative and we don’t expect much from those people. However, being left means that you are really, really sensitive about race and racism. So when a lefty starts looking like a KKK member we should all be shocked.

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:55 pm 37. rgvdh:

“In their desire to tear down President Bush the left will say anything racist or sexist to demean Secretary of State Rice.”

That is not sufficient explanation.

Given the extant “Bush is a Moron” story line, the obvious thing to do would be to declare that Dr. Rice, who is a darling of the neoconservatives and even has a friggin’ oil tanker named after her, is the evil mastermind pulling the strings. If anti-Bush malice were the only or even the main issue, the cartoons would show *him* sitting on *her* knee.

That the MSM and the Left haven’t thought to make against Rice the sort of accusations the make against Rumsfeld and Cheney is explicable only by their own racism.

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:55 pm 38. chuck:

Et tu, ad hominem tu quoque, TomTomTommy?

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:57 pm 39. thibaud:

TomTom,

I don’t listen to Rush Limbaugh. I’m a Democrat. What used to be known as a liberal– y’know, a believer in opposing fascism, in judging people on the content of their character, not the color of their skin, etc.

I would like to know what the f*** has happened to my party that causes them to lionize fascist-worshipping morons like Mikey Moore and make openly racist attacks on hugely talented and accomplished african-american women like Condi.

Can you tell me?

Nov 19, 2004 - 12:57 pm 40. Mark Poling:

It is clear that the Left employs the politics of hate. –Richard Nieporent

furthermore, who is really the bigot here? a crackpot radio host in madison, or all the conservatives who parade an incompetent hack like Condi Rice like some kind of parade float? –TomTomTommy

Umm, does anyone else find this stuff amusing?

Hey Richard, it’s not so bad because it’s a dry hate…

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:12 pm 41. Barrett:

The liberals in this country are truly frightened and in their angst they are showing their true colors. Whether it is their racism or their effort to impose their non-morality on America, this behavior is vile and should be punished. Can you imagine what would happen (and has happened) to a conservative who said such a thing?

The leadership of the left, the self-proclaimed elite and enlightened intelligensia, are not interested in the success of blacks (and minorities) such as Dr. Rice and Colin Powell anymore than Yassir Arafat was interested in the welfare of the Palestinian power. The leadership of the left is interested in power!

The Great Society, nationalized healthcare and other socialistic initiatives are the policies designed to perpetuate the “problem” and the psyche of victimization. This creates a voting block dependent on the continuation of these perceived benefits.

Dr. Rice and Colin Powell are two examples to the rest of the black community (and to all minorities) that success can be had and such success is the enemy of the Left.

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:15 pm 42. Kyda Sylvester:

My favorite paragraph from the article: Linda Hoskins of the NAACP’s Madison branch said she could not comment on Sylvester’s remarks until she had heard them in their entirety. I guess the pejorative “Aunt Jemima” is acceptable to the NAACP as long as it’s used in the, um, proper context.

I’ve been watching these turkeys strut their stuff since the 60’s. There was nothing “progressive” about them then and there’s nothing “progressive” about them now. They’ve become tedious in their banal predictability.

(BTW, John Sylvester – no relation; and how wonderfully expressive Dr. Rice’s face is in the above photo. Beautiful.)

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:19 pm 43. RogerA:

Re TTT’s post above, I note an evolution of the liberal “critique” of the Bush administration. We went through the “Bush Lied” phase of the critique as if somehow a lie means the same thing as interpreting and evaluating evidence, and reaching a conclusion under conditions of uncertainty. Clearly liberals do not understand the concept of a lie; e.g.: “I did not have sex with that woman, Ms Lewinski.”

As the Wilson, Clarke, TANG, and other stories became increasingly suspect and in some cases outright fabrications, the liberal critique now turns to “incompetence.” This incompetence argument, however, hinges on the notion that somehow, based on what liberals see on the ground now, be it Iraq or the deficit, they apparently assume the know what the outcome of this historical processes will be. This notion, that somehow because these folks are blessed with the ability to foresee the future, the level their critiques in the present. Thank God these folks were not around in the early days of WWII or the Civil War.

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:19 pm 44. Richard Nieporent:

What makes this attack on Dr. Rice even more egregious is the fact that her appointment as Secretary of State has nothing to do with race! One can see (and of course not condone) how a minority group could be upset with someone they considered a “traitor to the race”. Thus, if this was an issue of support for affirmative action, you could understand why they would be upset. Instead we have what should be considered the perfect appointment – a minority who has achieved a position of leadership based on her educational achievement and scholarship. However, rather than celebrating her achievements, the attacks on her are even more shrill. This should indicate to anyone with a modicum of intelligence that the Left is composed of vile racists who use the Black community for one purpose only, to get their votes so that the Left can gain power.

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:20 pm 45. Matt Evans:

Tometal- please list Dr. Rice’s deficiencies as a potential SecState without using the words “Iraq” “disaster” or “quagmire”.

Also, please explain how her fingerprints are “all over Iraq?” and what this has to do with her qualifications as SecofState.

And just for laughs, who do you feel was more qualified then Dr. Rice to head up State ?

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:21 pm 46. jedrury:

Tom Tom is beating his drum but he unfortunately misses the point and is way off key.

Dr. Rice is an accomplished multi-talented woman who mastered not only the piano and Stanford University as its provost, but when the Soviet Union was extant, contributed to the intellectual formulation of American foreign policy. This is a lot more than can be said of Mrs. Albright when she was appointed.

Your “dirty fingers” argument really invites another post by Roger but haven’t we exhausted that argument pre-November 2?

Dr. Rice’s accomplishments and credentials really are without comparision in this post 9/11 world regardless of her race. One would hope that minority students of all races would see and understand this and not listen to the time worn blatter which you spout.

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:26 pm 47. Steven:

scalefree — I don’t see your point. So Dick Morris mis-remembers her first name, and calls her Donna by mistake. That’s just a mistake, having nothing to do with race. The stuff we’re talking about here has to do with liberals using explicitly racial, condescending imagery to talk about Ms. Rice.

TomTomTommy — she also has her fingerprints all over Afghanistan. So she’s batting at least .500 so far. And it’s still perfectly plausible that Iraq will turn out as well as Afghanistan has. Two years ago your side was assuming the worst about Afghanistan, and you’ve been shown to be wrong. So let’s wait awhile and see what happens in Iraq.

Nov 19, 2004 - 1:54 pm 48. Dylan:

Maybe the reason why the democrats don’t have minorities in top places is not because they are racist. Maybe it’s even worse. The party can’t attract minorities with the achievements/qualities that could be put in high places.

I find it hard to believe that if the Democrats had anyone with the stature of Colin Powell or Condi Rice, that they wouldn’t be trumpeting them far and wide. Look at how they’re annointing Barak Obama as the next sure thing because he’s black and articulate. It’s not as if he’s done anything yet to merit such advertising.

Perhaps minorities who are very accomplished instinctively believe in meritocracies as opposed to handouts. Perhaps these minorities don’t see how the Democrats will help them get to a point where they can make the differences they would like to make.

Let me know if I’m being foolish or way off.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:01 pm 49. Terrye:

I am with thibaud here. I don’t listen to Rush, never have.

But I will not be in the same party with a hate mongering propaganda artist like Moore and now to add insult to injury we can add overt racism to the list.

What has happened to my party?

Will I have to vote Republican from now on just to avoid the idiots, the bigots and the small minded people hoping and praying for disaster?

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:22 pm 50. Mark Poling:

i could care less whether she’s black, white or polka dotted. my concern is that she has her fingerprints all over the mess in Iraq. how is that supposed to inspire young minorities? is it supposed to teach them that black people can be high-profile failures who aren’t held accountable?

– TTT

Ummmm, the Administration was held accountable by the American people. There was an election not too long ago, remember? Folks seem to be okay with how things are going (maybe not ecstatic, but definitely okay). And I doubt many Americans of any color weren’t aware of Rice’s fingerprints all over our policies. Maybe she’ll inspire those ignorant masses by, you know, doing more of the same.

(Of course, we all know she’ll never be able to aspire to the inspirational story of that great Presidential Candidates for the Democrats, the Right Reverands Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson before him. And how can we forget the inspiraton of P. Diddy’s “Vote or Die” campaign? Now there are Democrat-approved role models for “young minorities”.)

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:24 pm 51. Charlie (Colorado):

Here’s what another Liberal yahoo said. Dick (get it?) Morris, President Clinton’s longtime advisor, called her “Donna Rice”(1) on Fox News’s O’Reilly Factor. How can they let people like this on TV?

Are you really enough of a nincompoop that you equate mistaking someone’s first name with calling them an “Aunt Jemima”? Or just desperate?

I’d vote for desperate, but I suppose the nincompoop theory has some support.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:25 pm 52. thibaud:

What Mark Poling said. Condi vs Sharpton: says it all, doesn’t it?

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:28 pm 53. Charlie (Colorado):

(BTW, John Sylvester – no relation; and how wonderfully expressive Dr. Rice’s face is in the above photo. Beautiful.)

Kyda, I’d say the expression looks to me like utter terror.

Which, if I were a rusty hobbyist pianist playing a duet with Yo Yo Ma with the world press watching, is exactly what you’d see on my face.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:32 pm 54. Knucklehead:

Notfuhnuttin’, folks, but what do y’all expect from the political party machine that brought us the Jim Crow south and inner-city blight? They’d much rather win elections than see any progress toward economic or social equality. They’d rather pander to teachers and establish vast patronage organizatons to maintain political power than see our nation’s children suitably educated. They’d rather push hate than progress.

They’d rather see the nation come apart at the seams than straighten out their tired, stupid act.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:38 pm 55. Knucklehead:

BTW, Roger, I have to admit that I was concerned when I first saw your post. I thought you were going to tell us that Mr. Ma was Yet Another Talented Idiotarian Moonbat. That would have pained me greatly since he is something of an icon in my home. The fact that Dr. Rice (Go Condi!) can take the musical stage with such a talent is, if nothing else, a tribute to her grace under pressure. Screw the moonbats.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:41 pm 56. chuck:

Which, if I were a rusty hobbyist pianist playing a duet with Yo Yo Ma with the world press watching, is exactly what you’d see on my face.

Well, maybe. Brahms himself was a rusty hobbyist pianist by the time he came play his second piano concerto. He cheated outrageously by all accounts, but didn’t seem bothered much. (Yo Yo Ma and Condi played a Brahms sonata for violin(?) and piano)

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:43 pm 57. Knucklehead:

OT – I have no idea of her political views, but surely Dr. Rice could find some place in the State Department for this young woman.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:48 pm 58. Rick Ballard:

Charlie (C),

She’s truly much better than rusty hobbyist. Concert level, if not Carnegie Hall level.

Wrt nincompoop, perhaps it was truly the best he could come up with. Some brains take a lot less time to wrack than others. ‘Course, that leads back to ‘nincompoop’ and the answer to your question becomes self evident.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:48 pm 59. Knucklehead:

Rick Ballard,

I admire Dr. Rice enormously but are you SURE about the “if not Carnegie Hall level” stuff? Musicians of that caliber are quite rare.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:50 pm 60. chuck:

Musicians of that caliber are quite rare.

And few can get away with as little practice as, say, Horowitz did.

Nov 19, 2004 - 2:54 pm 61. Rick Ballard:

Knuck,

Poorly written, no she is not Carnegie Hall level. However, I’ve been wracking my brain (generally doesn’t take this long) to remember if she played with the either the SF or San Jose Symphony in a benefit performance of some sort. It may have been an accompaniment at her church while she was at Stanford. Her church hires people from both symphonies for some performances according to my recollection.

Nov 19, 2004 - 3:01 pm 62. Lola:

I’ve been doing a slow burn over the treatment Condi Rice (go girl!) over the treatment she’s been getting. These vile cartoons want me to take a loooong shower. I’m disappointed in the lack of supprt from people like NAACP. See mhking’s post.

Also, if you’ve heard John Sylvester’s diatribe, look in the comments for addresses to contact the radio statements to voice your thoughts . . .

Nov 19, 2004 - 3:19 pm 63. Foobarista:

I know Dick Morris does the “Fox Political Analyst” bit sometimes, but I’m not so sure he can be called a “conservative”. After all, I strongly suspect he’ll be Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager in 2008; he was known for his foot fetishes and “trial baloons” as to whether blowjobs were really “sexual relations” during the Monica days.

But the man is one heck of a political analyst of all sides as far as tactical analysis is concerned – and far less goofy than Carville…

Nov 19, 2004 - 3:30 pm 64. Kevin P:

Roger:

Another reason the Dems and the Dowd and Herbert’s of the left are straining their keyboards to denigrate the accomplishments of Dr. Rice is because they are scared. They see President Bush giving some of the most powerfull positions in the land to minorties and women and they see one of their only rhetorical arrows they have in their shrinking quiver,that those nasty Republicans only goal is to keep the non-whites down, melting like an ice cube on a hot summer day. If they lose another 5 to 10% of the automatic Democratic minority vote they know they will be a permanent minority themselves. Unlike Kerry who talked about diversity but had a largely white staff, President Bush has shown his feelings about diversity by giving qualified minorities powerfull positions in his government. This leaves them in the position of attacking those women and minorities as Aunt Jemimas and ignorant lapdogs in a attempt to negate the historical appointments by President Bush. Democrats have been proclaiming their love of minorities for so long that they think they can continue to leave them out of the loop and get away with it. It may take decades, but the myth is beginning to crumble.

Nov 19, 2004 - 3:39 pm 65. Matteo:

What is the pattern in all this? The Leftist: Compensates for his own racism by shouting “racist”? Compensates for a lack of personal generosity by voting for the welfare state? Compensates for supporting the killing of babies in the womb by hugging trees, saving whales, and a preening pacifism?

I swear, sometimes I think that some folks treat taking the “liberal line” as some sort of absolution for personal flaws. “Aunt Jemima”? What a joy they and thrill they must get out of saying something like this! I’m sure they’ve always got an ear open for the opportunity. But it can’t be wrong, because they support Affirmative Action, the NAACP, and the Democratic Party!

When did the Democratic Party pick up the slogan “Vote for us, and your sins will be forgiven?”

Nov 19, 2004 - 4:19 pm 66. Roberts:

Didn’t the deadbeat, slandering, race-rioting-inciting Al Sharpton get a nice speakign slot at the DNC this year?

Tomtom, bad news, that’s the best you can do to defend the new home of racism.

Nov 19, 2004 - 4:24 pm 67. Charlie (Colorado):

Rick, having set the world’s record for number of years in the first-year John Brimhall piano book, I certainly didn’t mean to denigrate Condi’s piano skills, but we’re talking Yo Yo Ma for Gods’ sakes. I’m sympathizing.

Nov 19, 2004 - 5:53 pm 68. Fausta:

One thing that might be causing the bigoted reaction is the fact that, as Secretary of State, she’s in the line of sucession.

Nov 19, 2004 - 6:20 pm 69. RandMan:

tomtomtommy said –

riiiight. just like the way all those conservatives picketed Rush Limbaugh after he insulted Donovan McNabb last year. it was exciting to watch people taking the moral high ground and denouncing such a powerful figure…

Actually, Rush said nothing racist about McNabb. He said he thought McNabb was over-rated as a QB. He also said that the sports media were actually practicing reverse racism with regards to McNabb. It was Rush’s opinion that the east coast sports media were going easy on McNabb because media so want a black QB to win and win big in the NFL. The real controversy was Rush’s critique of the media, not his rating of McNabb per se. Of course, Rush’s political opponents turned it into a racial issue, falsely stating that Rush believed a black man couldn’t be a good QB in the NFL.

I wonder if tomtomtommy works in the east coast sports media? Nah………..

Nov 19, 2004 - 6:49 pm 70. notthisgirl:

Uhhh…mmmm. I’m still waiting for Bill Cosby to weigh in on all this … where are you???

OHH yeah, I forgot, it’s not cool to defend a black (perish forbid) RRRRepublican.

I guess I can exhale now?

And refresh my memory. Was it Condi Rice, orrr, George Tenent – the Clinton hold-over – who said SLAM DUNK on Iraq’s WMDs !!!???

… Never mind … I think I remember now.

Nov 19, 2004 - 7:29 pm 71. Section9:

What’s going on here is that some powerful Dems in the party’s power structure are concerned that Bush is grooming Dr. Rice to run against Hillary in 2008.

She can beat Hillary, too. Hillary’s negatives are far higher than Rice’s ever will be. Further, it was the above mentioned Dick Morris who maintains that it will be a Rice/Clinton race in that year.

Get yer popcorn ready, folks.

Nov 19, 2004 - 7:47 pm 72. Barry Dauphin:

I’m just waiting for the Dems to start waxing philosophic about how Condi is also *Gasp* “unmarried.” I’m sure that Terry McAuliff is hoping that going after Condi’s single status will prove how pro family the Dems are. BTW how much you wanna bet that if Madelline Halfbright could play the kazoo, 60 minutes would have had an entire show devoted to her wonderous talents.

Nov 19, 2004 - 7:52 pm 73. Rick Ballard:

In terms of grooming for higher office, I would bet that Dr. Rice will go after Feinstein’s seat in ‘06 followed by a run in ‘08 for the VP slot. I can’t see her going for the top slot until ‘16. She’ll only be 62 in ‘16 and there’s really no rush.

Nov 19, 2004 - 9:06 pm 74. Swede:

Democrats have, over time, manuvered themselves into the untenable position of having their very survival as a party depend upon the idea of a continuing racial divide in this country. To admit to the existence of successful African-Americans who, in turn, embrace a political philosophy that sees never-ending government handouts as an impediment to Black success, is to admit to their own irrelevance. So, Liberals cynically pit one Black-American against another by attempting to ostracize one while denigrating the other. It is racist at its core, but it’s all they have left.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:09 pm 75. brandon davis:

Condi Rice in 2008

…’nuff said.

Nov 19, 2004 - 10:15 pm 76. Silicon valley Jim:

Which, if I were a rusty hobbyist pianist playing a duet with Yo Yo Ma with the world press watching, is exactly what you’d see on my face.

Well, maybe. Brahms himself was a rusty hobbyist pianist by the time he came play his second piano concerto. He cheated outrageously by all accounts, but didn’t seem bothered much. (Yo Yo Ma and Condi played a Brahms sonata for violin(?) and piano)

Not to criticize here, just to shed some light, I hope:

Condi used to do this sort of thing when she was provost at Stanford (where I did my graduate work, and near where I live, so I get e-mails, etc., about these things). She would practice her ass off, and always gave a good performance.

As for the piece, it was likely one of the two Brahms cello sonatas (opp. 38 and 99). There are also three violin sonatas (opp. 78, 100, and 108), but it seems more likely that Yo-Yo Ma would play one of the cello sonatas than one of the violin sonatas transcribed for cello.

I also have $100 that says that Mr. Sylvester can’t answer some very basic questions about Yo-Yo Ma and Brahms.

Nov 20, 2004 - 8:24 am 77. Rick Z:

At heart, what has always terrified the left is the very idea of social mobility. Far better to be the permanent vanguard of class struggle than have to compete with “arrivistes” from the lower orders, regardless of origin. Witness its anachronistic and rather clueless stereotypes of “red state” types, union members, racial/ethnic “underclasses,” members of the military, greedy capitalists, etc.

Having lost all the policy debates of the last quarter century, all that they can cling to is the vain certainty that they alone are fit as a class to oversee a static world of properly servile untermenchen.

Nov 20, 2004 - 8:53 am 78. TomTomTommy:

you guys are talking around the issue. all you have done here is create a another strawman — liberal racism — rather than address the real issue, which is whether or not condi rice is qualified to be secretary of state. you breezed past my concerns about iraq as if that matter has been settled. hello! we ARE in a quagmire, and it is getting worse. that doesn’t mean that the cause is any less noble. it merely means that rice, rumsfeld and the rest of the team has bungled this from the start. which leads me to question her ability to do this job. yes, i am very impressed that she can play the piano. why not nominate stevie wonder for secretary of state? he’s a great pianist, and he’s blind. how about THAT? you guys are the real bigots. you talk about smart black people like you are awed by them, as if they are some kind of rarity. colin powell! condi rice! rod paige! aren’t they amazing! who knew?

Nov 20, 2004 - 11:06 am 79. Randy Paul:

I find it amazing that not a single prominent liberal or feminist or black (on the left) has broken ranks and spoken out against these racist insults.

I find it even more amazing that someone makes that statement without doing a modicum of research:

NAACP president Kweisi Mfume said people who make such remarks “are just as bad as those who hide under sheets and burn crosses.” Mfume said Rice is “an example of how far hard work, education and determination can take one to new heights.”

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz called Sylvester’s remarks “racially insensitive,” while Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold said he joined all Wisconsin residents in rejecting the statements.

It’s called Google. Consider using it next time.

Nov 20, 2004 - 11:50 am 80. chuck:

TomTomTommy,

Oddly enough, I think the Bush team has done a good job. Things don’t look bungled from where I sit and I am happy to have Rice, Rummy, and Wolfowitz continue their good work. That’s why I voted for Bush and was happy to see him reelected. YMMV.

Nov 20, 2004 - 12:31 pm 81. rgvdh:

Does anyone know where one could find a recording of the Rice/Ma performance?

Nov 20, 2004 - 4:48 pm 82. Silicon valley Jim:

They played the adagio (slow) movement from the Brahms violin sonata, Op. 108 (evidently a transcription; Yo-Yo Ma is playing a cello, and not a violin, in the picture). My statement that it was more likely that they were playing a cello sonata was, strictly speaking, correct; it was more likely, but not true (alternatively, I was plain wrong).

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020422-6.html

As far as I know, there is no recording of the performance; a friend of mine who is part of the department at Stanford presenting a performance by Yo-Yo Ma on December 8 is investigating that for me.

For those of you who are interested in the piece of music itself, but don’t require that it be played by Yo-Yo Ma and Condoleezza Rice, I can recommend the Angel/EMI recording with Itzhak Perlman and Vladimir Ashkenazy. The performance is wonderful, the sound is fine, and it’s mid-price.

Nov 22, 2004 - 10:24 am

Write a Comment

Name:	(required, displayed)
Email:	(required, not publicized)
URL:	(optional, displayed)
Comments: