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" Hardworking Americans, white Americans" vs. Lazy Blacks?
Hillary Clinton's recent reference to "hardworking Americans, white Americans" is not just offensive for baldly injecting race into the campaign, it also sets up a very unfortunate dichotomy: hardworking white Americans versus lazy blacks.
I am sure she did not intend this, but when someone says "hardworking Americans, white Americans" it is hard not to think about the opposite. What do you come up with when you think of the opposite of "hardworking Americans, white Americans"? I suppose you could come up with lazy foreigners (another lovely thought), but in the context of this presidential race, I don't think that is the first thing to come to mind.
This is Hillary off her game. I don't believe for a minute she would say something like this if she were not exhausted and in deep trouble. To me, this is more evidence that it is time to go.
Comments (23)
That's what I was thinking yesterday, listening to the quote on NPR in the car.
"Shiftless Blacks...etc."
All the black people I interact with are working stiffs like me.
Some news pundit said after the Katrina mess that white people had come to learn that there were blacks 'better' than them - Oprah, et al - maybe even Obama. And of course the idea of the 'shiftless' inferior black hasn't gone away.
But 'white Americans' the pundit said, still have a tougher time thinking of black people as LIKE themselves. Not better, not worse.
Here's hoping a sucessful Obama campaign 'turns the page' and allows us not just to TOLERATE each other but to mutual admiration.
May 9, 2008 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
She was quoting an article.
The article correctly mentioned a demographic.
You need to chill with this stuff.
Making a race issue where it does not exist is bad
all around.
May 10, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
In your mind, maybe. You certainly have jumped to that conclusion based on the usual faulty reasoning that's so prevalent today.
May 9, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
She said exactly what she meant. She meant exactly what she said. If you took it to mean only white Americans work hard, you got it right. If you took it to be a slam on hard-working non-white folks, you got it right again. Notice also the conclusion of the sentence -- the "weakening again part.
The end of the road for this racist couple cannot come soon enough.
May 9, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Her statement seemed to imply that only white americans are hardworking americans. She's a fucking racist. The MSM has been pushing this bullshit for awhile now. PBS had an interesting segment on race in the media a few days ago. They were talking about this type of bullshit. Whites are broken down into college educated, white collar, blue collar and latinos, blacks and asians are all just their race. Non-whites don't break down further by class or educational background. This is exactly why I hate that filthy scumbag HRC and exactly why I don't respect any of her supporters. Supporting Hillary means you support racism. This isn't just playing the race card, this is racial divisiveness at its worst coming from a supposed liberal at a time where even Karl Rove wouldn't say things like she has.
A vote for Hillary is a vote for racism. It may be easier for some whites to dismiss her bigoted attacks since it doesn't mean much to them but as an African American I can't let this slide. I have children to raise in this fucking country. So far I have to warn them that they can be shot 40-50 times while being unarmed in NYC and the people who did it will never be punished if they wear a NYPD uniform, that they will have to be superior to their counterparts on every level just to get average treatment at times and that regardless of what they say many whites will hate you or not care about others hating you just because the color of your skin.
This is revolting. The fact that not too many people on here are outraged is even more revolting.
May 9, 2008 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm 58 years old, a white female and a feminist. You don't have to be AA to be totally offended by Hillary's race-baiting campaign.
May 10, 2008 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you for saying so.
May 10, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just for clarification- I appreciate you saying so. I know you don't have to AA to be offended and that many non-AA people are offended by what has gone on. I just don't see the appropriate level of disgust from the majority of the party that claims to represent us all. The way people are explaining this away "She's tired" "What she said was racist, but I dont think she's racist" etc is pretty foul.
May 10, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good point. Hillary's racial dogwhistles have offended both liberals and AAs.
Ted Kennedy comes to mind as someone she pissed off.
"hardworking Americans, white Americans""
Hillary is an asshole.
May 10, 2008 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to agree with TM. If we are expected to believe we could call on Hillary at 3 AM, then the "exhausted" excuse has got to go.
This was an intentionally race-baiting statement, meant to appeal to the hidden (or not so hidden) racist impulse in her voter base. Really really--what was the FIRST question regarding Obama's candidacy??? "IS AMERCIA READY FOR A BLACK (*GASP*) PRESIDENT???"
Has anyone wondered lately why this was even a question? Could it be that we have a hell of a lot of backwards-ass racist thinking that goes on in our country?
Hillary's desperate strategy now is to raise this question over and over again, to be sure we're not ready by injecting not-so-subtle innuendos into the headlines. There's nothing well-intentioned or accidental going on here.
Why the hell are we making excuses? And why are we not more outraged?
May 10, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pointless theme. Obama cannot be elected president. Nor could any other Democrat who had to overcome the combined votes of ALL the Republican voters (remember those people? they're the ones we have NOT been talking about, while in this frenzy to nominate the black John F. Kennedy), at LEAST half of Hillary Clinton's supporters, who have indicated they will vote against Obama, if he is nominated,and a minimum of 35% of the independents. Amazing as it seemed, just a few months ago, the Republicans will keep the White House, because the two strongest candidates the Democrats have had in a long time showed up for the same election.
May 10, 2008 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh really? You mean all those same Republicans who have come out in record numbers to support GOP candidates all over the country in House and Senate races? Go write Sean Hannity an email or something.
May 10, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is a fucking racist. His bitterness statements came out of pure bigotry.
20 years in Jerimiah Wright's church, and . . . he never knew!
Yeah, right.
May 10, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
TM: Did you drop your breakfast pizza in your lap, before you finished reading my post? Sorry to wake you up, but if you'd finished reading my post before typing your knee-jerk reaction, you would have noticed that I was pointing out that Mr. Obama will have to somehow overcome a large number of people voting for Mr. McCain, in ADDITION to the Republican voters.
May 10, 2008 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
and her 8% of the black vote, almost half of her already paltry support in OH?
And those of us who will not vote for a Democrat who race baits and relishes in every ugly Republican meme and lie and slur?
Of course, we'll just all "fall in line" in the CLinton hubris. Not this time. Millions of Americans see Barack Obama as a move toward post-racial politics and brings us into the 21st century. If America does not do this, the nation is doomed. Millions of us don't want a president who will "obliterate Iran" and offer nuclear umbrellas to the likes of Saudi Arabia. Who has humiliated her own Congressional leadership over a harebrained gas tax holiday that benefits no one but oil companies and HIllary's campaign. We're done bailing the Clintons out of their political and personal messes. They done nothing progressive, ever, and they won't now.
And have you forgotten the intense hatred of Hillary Clinton by those Republicans? They don't need to worry about fundraising with HIllary as the nominee. They will come out in droves to vote against her. In fucking droves.
So if we're going to lose against McCain anyway, I'll go with the future, the fundraising, the 50-state infrastructure, thank you. I won't be forced to voting for 1955.
The party should be ashamed. The Clintons are incapable of shame.
May 10, 2008 12:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
In reply to "Present"
1. Did the article say, "hardworking white Americans?"
2. Was there a reason she was quoting a May 3 Ap article, quoting an earlier poll, and not the exit data from IN and NC?
Yeah, that was fair of her.
Then let's have the discussion about the fact that Hillary has lost half of her already paltry support with blacks since OH.
Bill Clinton would have been given a bus ticket back to Arkansas without the black vote.
May 10, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jesse Jackson, and a lot of black people were given wonderful prestigious high profile opportunities by Bill Clinton.
Didn't take a second for them all to turn on him, did it.
May 10, 2008 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
A statement about how some people who are disenchanted with politics and politicians vote is bigoted? Is Bill Clinton a bigot too? He's said the exact same thing. Cmon man shouldn't you be doing more productive stuff like praying at your Limbaugh shrine?
May 10, 2008 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's in response to "Present"
May 10, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Jesse Jackson, and a lot of black people were given wonderful prestigious high profile opportunities by Bill Clinton."
Wow. So, are we to gather that they didn't actually EARN and DESERVE those positions? Was it just that Bill was being magnanimous and throwing a bone to the black community?
Bill knew perfectly well which side his bread was buttered on, and any interest he has ever shown in non-majority groups has been purely self-serving, no matter how deserving those people have been.
If you really want to know Bill's record for civil rights, take a look at how he screwed over the gay and lesbian community. He was the worst president ever for gay rights-- and why? So he could woo the middle-grounders and "conservative" democrats.
May 10, 2008 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
To 57andFemale: ". . . a move toward post-racial politics and brings us into the 21st century. If America does not do this, the nation is doomed." Nah. You're late getting to the party. The hippies and their hangers-on already chewed this line of thought ragged, in the 1960's. Seen any hippies, lately?
May 10, 2008 10:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hello Deeds, I'm probably a hippy, by your estimation. The problem is that I don't look unusual enough to label as such, I guess.
I'm just one of the million donors who got Obama where he is now. We understand that money speaks louder than words. After all, Obama helped create spending.gov
May 11, 2008 7:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hello, whosane: I'm not completely certain what your main thought is, in your reply, to me, but I do agree with you on one thing; that is, that money is very valuable in any election. Even money has a limit as to its effectiveness, though, and the blizzard of money that has been spent on this election has, I believe, bought all it is capable of buying, when it comes to whom the voters prefer. I seriously doubt that the other blizzard of money that I know is going to be spent between now and the actual election is going to change many minds. This campaign has been going on for too long for the excess money to have the effect it usually has. Minds have had far longer than usual to come to their conclusions, and I think everybody is in their respective corners, now. Yes, I know there a lot of people who claim they are "undecided," but they know what is in their heart, already. The die is cast; we all know for whom we are going to vote. What's going to happen between now and the moment when we each close the curtain of the voting booth behind us is mostly an elaborate charade.
May 12, 2008 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
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