Al Sharpton criticizing Barack Obama for urging non-violence in the Sean Bell verdict protest puts into dramatic relief the major racial conflict of our time – and it is inside the African-American community, not outside. Outdated racial profiteers like Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and now the formerly obscure Reverend Jeremiah Wright are clinging for dear life to their reactionary views that have impeded progress in their own community for years.
(You can read the rest of my hot-blooded screed on PJM.)
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20 Comments
1. neobuzz:Outdated? That is just wishful thinking.
And where is the tragedy in making the morality of race hustling a central issue in the candidate selection process for the party that has made grievance hustling its defining characteristic for the past 35 years? Talk about chickens coming home to roost.
As someone who walked away from the Democratic Party because I was repulsed by grievance hustling, this moment has come none too soon. Do not kid yourself, Roger, this is progress.
Apr 29, 2008 - 11:27 am 2. valjean:Conspiracy thought for the day: Rev. Wright — not to mention Sharpton and his ilk — are quite consciously trying to sabotage Obama’s candidacy for their own ends. If a black candidate loses the nomination, they’ll help portray it as “stolen” — and all hell breaks loose. Conversely, if we have a black *president* wouldn’t stock in black victimhood and grievance basically bottom-out?
Apr 29, 2008 - 12:07 pm 3. promoguy:Many good points above. I hate with a passion the parade of race hustlers that have been paraded before the general public.
So therein lies a dilemma which I never thought of prior to Valjean’s comment. Do I vote for Obama in the GE such that I will be relieved of one my ‘hates’.
Apr 29, 2008 - 12:22 pm 4. TerryeL:I listened to some of Wright’s rant and I was amazed at the sheer stupidity of it all. The man stood there comparing the United States to AlQaida and yet, no one is going to lob of off his head. I mean really, the demagoguery was stunning.
Apr 29, 2008 - 1:01 pm 5. Barry Dauphin:Alternative conspiracy theory: Orchestrated for Obama to have a “Sister Soldjah moment”
Apr 29, 2008 - 1:58 pm 6. valjean:Barry,
Get that from here:
http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YTg3ZDE4MzgxYmYwZjZkYmYxZDQ3OWFhOTZkMTYyNDM=
… or minds just thinking alike …?
Apr 29, 2008 - 2:03 pm 7. TerryeL:Barry:
I am not sure that is possible at this point. I think Wright is too obnoxious and Obama’s relationship with him too long standing. But what the hell do I know?
Apr 29, 2008 - 2:39 pm 8. Roger:I agree. It’s a little late for a Sister Souljah now, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it is tried and found to “work perfectly” by the usual suspects.
The problem for Obama, however, is that he said today that “this isn’t the man I knew for twenty years” or something like that. So that makes Barack either an idiot or a liar. Clinton did not, to my knowledge, even know Sister Souljah. Or perhaps he met her at one point – not sure. But in any case, she was certainly his pastor with a twenty year relationship. [I wouldn't be so sure.-ed. Yeah, youve got a point. But I wasn't talking about that.]
Apr 29, 2008 - 2:58 pm 9. Wellspring:Has it occurred to anyone that stuff this extreme might be simply tuned to let Obama safely disown them?
It goes like this: Wright / Sharpton / etc go way off their rockers. Obama stands up to the demagogues, making a call for peace, understanding and racial tolerance that would be totally uncontroversial were it not for the fact that white democrats are completely incapable of doing it. The media praises his “courage”, wonders aloud if he’s alienated his black supporters, and white voters decide he’s ok.
Also, happening this early in the race (remember, we have half a year to go!), the Wright stuff erupting this early makes it old news by election day. Much as the Dems whine that their nominee will be tainted by the bruising battle, it’s far better for them to confront this stuff now than in october.
Apr 29, 2008 - 3:08 pm 10. Barry Dauphin:valjean
Actually I posted a comment very similar last night under the previous thread on Roger’s site and later saw it wasn’t there. Or at least I thought I posted it. Maybe National Review stole it and wiped it off of Roger’s site with magic ray guns :>). I knew someone would say it.
TerryeL
I agree. I didn’t say it would be successful, just orchestrated (They could hit all the wrong notes and still be an orchestra). Roger picked up on the silliness of it as well as possibility certain someones could buy it. When Clinton said it, he had already sewn up the Dem nomination. So it was a remark geared to the general electorate not Democratic primary voters and superdelegates. So even though he has known the guy for 20 yrs., perhaps he is not speaking to the potential red state voters right now but to those with the audacity of hope (and smallish craniums).
Apr 29, 2008 - 3:12 pm 11. Barry Dauphin:OK. It is now officially silly. Good ole excitable Andrew Sullivan buys it. There is no surer sign of shark jumping than an endorsement from Sully.
Apr 29, 2008 - 4:23 pm 12. TerryeL:Barry:
Too true, Sully is the kiss of death.
Wellspring, it would have been even safer to disown Wright about 20 years ago.
People can complain all they want about George Bush, but he would never have sat there and listened to that crap. No one wanting to be president would, unless they are either stupid or incredibly arrogant.
Apr 29, 2008 - 4:41 pm 13. Barry Dauphin:I have an idea for Obama if he truly wishes to be brave. He should call for (Detroit mayor) Kwame Kilpatrick to resign. If only Detroit were governed as well as the Pistons play.
Apr 29, 2008 - 7:31 pm 14. promoguy:Bottom line that BO never thought he’d be this far, so it would have never mattered.
Apr 29, 2008 - 9:48 pm 15. Buddy Larsen:Wright’s Flights Tax Facts, Wax Lax
Apr 29, 2008 - 11:51 pm 16. Lem:If “different does not necessarily mean deficient” then where does “God dam America” stand? Or do I take it that the ëreverendí in his infinite wisdom has gone back and chosen to be merciful with us? Last time I checked, the dammed were eminently deficient.
It could be that while clinging to my views on freedom and equality, I just don’t get it.
Perhaps I need a patriot act to warrentlessly tap the side of my brain that would permit me to vote for Obama.
D’oh!
Apr 30, 2008 - 8:14 am 17. Lem:For as long as I can remember Obama has been telling to anyone who would listen that he opposed the Iraq war from the start.
While it has taken 20 years for him to see the light on Jeremiah Wright?
D’oh!
Apr 30, 2008 - 12:01 pm 18. miguelj:I think it is all just Wright jumping at the chance to become a national figure, maybe even (he hopes) “The” Black Leader. He thinks Baraq will lose anyway, so what the hell, why not?
Apr 30, 2008 - 6:55 pm 19. ahem:Keep this in mind: there is a summer coming. If there is another Tawana Brawley case, or Crown Heights, or Rodney King, or this Sean Bell business in NY turns uglier, watch out. Let’s say some kind of civil unrest breaks out. Won’t the Rev race to it like the vulture he is? Of course. What will that do to Baraq’s chances? Ask the Rev if he cares.
This thing that’s so noxious about the race hustling is that it absolutely guarantees failure in reconciling the wounds of the past. If you’re relying on getting political support based on resisting perceived wounds, then those wounds must never be allowed to heal.
Self-serving egomaniacs like Sharpton and Wright are doing a serious disservice to the cause of racial harmony and progress for all Americans–especially for those of African descent, many of whom are leading lives in limbo, erroneously believing they are being held back from success by some invisible force beyond their control.
Bullshit.
May 1, 2008 - 5:25 am 20. Boojum:I can’t say I so much blame Sharpton/Jackson etc as the press that continues to feed them the oxygen of publicity. When the media stops shoving a camera in their faces anytime there’s an incident, we’ll have made progress on the race hustling nonsense.
miguelj;
The Sean Bell business drew very few protestors, possibly because some of the officers involved were black. Al Sharpton couldn’t claim racism on this one so he took up the flag of police brutality. In fact, the frequency of Sharpton’s demonstrations are way down ever since welfare reform forced his mob to go find jobs.
May 1, 2008 - 7:43 am