Republicans are whining about sexism because people are examining and detailing Palin's record. They are not restricting use of that charge.

You may have Deep South cred, but racism is a universal affliction. Where I come from, "uppity" is usually used to modift the N-word.

Modern conservatism would not exist if not for racist hostility to the civil rights legislation of the 1960's and the ensuing court decisions of the 1970's. It remains their natural political home.

Apologies for the duplicate comments that perhaps appear here, but every interaction with the TPM database results in a "500 Server Failure..." message.

I was fascinated with the responses to this post (and particularly with one in one of the other multi-posts of this entry), so I did the usual thing and asked my mom -- who grew up in the middle of the civil rights era. To her, uppity is absolutely racist and means what many of you have said.

I asked a couple of my college friends (also good liberal types) and they had reactions similar to mine.

So, I'm guessing this is a generational thing (and, given the age of the poli from GA who said it, almost certainly meant in a racist way).

So, I suppose here outrage and cries of racism are suitable -- though I wonder if many my age (even the lefties like me) will understand.

How can a blackman living in a "RACIST" country( my knee is just fine, you need a history book) be elite at all. First, you need to look up the word. Second, the way it was use is meant to be racist. Third, Your not BLACK and I no this for a fact. Because no black person would trivialize racism. You make sound like WHITES are the one that blacks did something too!!! No, you have it wrong the only reason black in America are in the positions their in is because of the four hundred years of racism by WHITES!!! The"FACT"that a black man will be the next Persident!! Has all the racist whites looking and sounding like the racist they are. Now you can say, OH that's bull. But, this time the WORLD is watching and as in the past (history and sense you do not read history. ie: you did not know that over time the meaning of a word will change, (shit can mean many things) black were the slaves!!!) when the world see a word for what it is a word and not some weapon. The Racism will be over, I should be able to say and do what I want!! That John McCain and that soccer lady(Ha! HA!)are the laughing stock of the planet!!HA!!HA!! The once great and powerful AMERIKKKA is putting the country in the hands of a 72 year old man(that can not remember what he said one hour ago[abc news interview]) and a "SOCCER" mom!! HA!! HA!! HA!! HA!!

"uppity" is a word that racists have often used in conjunction with the racist term "nigger" when they were disparaging a black person, that "did not know their place". I wrote on TPM several weeks ago, on TPM, that The Republicans were describing Senator Obama as "elitist" and "arrogant" as code words for "uppity".

They have been using those words as dog whistles to their racist base.

The word "uppity" when talking about a black man, has being so established as a racist smear term, that Mel Brooks even had to take it on in his movie. Blazing Saddles. Go look at the DVD, and catch the part where the white boss complains about having being hit on the head with a shovel "by an uppity nigger".

Of course those same Republicans do not think that Sarah Palin is one bit uppity, because of course she is White, and in Republican circles and White skin is the main qualification for office.

Just take a look at who they elected twice. Talk about Uppity. They vote twice for an incompetent imbecile.