Lil Obama

Update: BS from Oliver Willis linking back to me re my "afromercial" comment.

The Mask Slips Sometimes

I figured it would lead to being called a racist. But that's bullshit. It's a comment on the neeeed for so many on the Left, including african-Americans (ugh) to hyphenate everyone. In their book there are no "Americans." They have to break everyone down into some special group. In that sense, the Left is the most "racist" bunch of all, as far as I'm concerned.

Should be Lil' Obambi! I can't believe America may actually elect this guy. But it won't surprise me at this point.

Anyone watch the afro-mercial last night?

Comments

[mary]

After reading and learning so much in the last year or so about the American people I am seriously thinking of opening a "center for the advancement of the generic heterosexual white male" (trademark, copyright) and simultaneously I am also thinking of opening a "center for the advancement of any one person or family who makes over $150, $200, $250 grand a year" (trademark, copyright). Then I'm going to hire some lobbyists to go out and support my two causes Before you know it, the generic heterosexual white male will be someone again and the "rich" won't be despised.

[Spartan112]

You're right mary, Generic rich white guys are a highly oppressed group right now and they need your help. Maybe you could donate money to them.

[North Dallas Thirty]

"I can't imagine how anyone could find anything remotely racist around here."

Especially if you put it there yourself.

Meanwhile, would you call it "racist" if a black person said a black woman should be "ashamed" for investigating criminal activity carried out by another black person and for even riding in a car with a man named White?

Obama doesn't. In fact, he endorses and supports people who say that.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/NEWS01/80815026/0/NEWS01

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZNvC_-RW2Q

[Spartan112]

Ok ND, how is this different than McCain and Keating? Or any number of other people McCain has supported over the years that are now in legal trouble?

McCain took donations from Stevens PAC. Did he give it back?

[Worst President Ever]

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/NEWS01/809040454

"Sen. Obama believes that Mayor Kilpatrick's ongoing troubles and the serious charges against him have been a distraction that the city cannot afford," said Obama spokesman Brent Colburn.

"He believes it is time for the mayor to step aside so that the city can move forward and get back to business."

[Worst President Ever]

Why was McCain funneling money to Rashid Khalidi?

[templar knight]

I am curious about the ratings for the AAinfomercial. Did anyone see how many households tuned in to the "rap session", as opposed to a "fireside chat"?

[Spartan112]

29+ million. Better combined ratings than the same networks get for the same time slot on other weeks.

[mary]

spartan, believe it or not, the stats support the fact that both of these groups have been highly marginalized by society.

[mary]

WPE, the area under BO's bus is really really really getting crowded.

[North Dallas Thirty]

"Ok ND, how is this different than McCain and Keating? Or any number of other people McCain has supported over the years that are now in legal trouble?

McCain took donations from Stevens PAC. Did he give it back?"

Question is, Spartan; since you and Obama claim that about McCain's behavior and condemn McCain for all of the above, doesn't that make Obama's behavior and your endorsement of it hypocritical?

[Spartan112]

Maybe Joe was setting his Tivo?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc-ShYjrKKs

[Spartan112]

Actually ND you and the McCain campaign are doing exactly what you're accusing me of. You are the ones on the attack making ridiculous and hypocritical statements.

Did you see me making any statements that what McCain did was wrong? No. I just stated that they happened and asked you to explain to me how what Obama did was different (or worse). Of course you can't so you simply go on the attack again. Woof, woof.

[Geoff Guillory]

What we are all seeing now is the splintering of the once strong GOP back into its many fractious sub-groups:

The anti-abortion lobby/religious right wing
The anti-immigration movement
Corporate interests/Defense contractors
The FAR right (ever heard of Freedom County, WA?) and other libertarians
The uneducated white semi-working class (Joe the plumber)
Gun rights groups

That these disparate groups were ever united under a single banner or behind a single candidate was a pretty amazing feat. But the fact that McSame needed to add a rightwing nutjob to the ticket tells you a lot about the current state of the party (trying like hell to tie these groups together, and play on their perceived common interests and fears)

It's not that the country is really shifting that far left (you can exhale now) but more just a gut reaction akin to the farmer waking up from a 25 year sleep and starting to inspect the henhouse after the foxes have been at it for far too long.

Adios wackos! Back to the fringes for ye.

[LOL]

PRESIDENT Barack Hussein Obama

[Jim Treacher]

"Posted by: Geoff Guillory | Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 07:25 PM"

Bookmarked.

[Fred Beloit]

Agent112, here is another extension of the word marriage I'm sure you will like:

" A JAPANESE man has enlisted hundreds of people in a campaign to allow marriages between humans and cartoon characters, saying he feels more at ease in the "two-dimensional world".
Comic books are immensely popular in Japan, with some fictional characters becoming celebrities or even sex symbols.
Marriage is meanwhile on the decline as many young Japanese find it difficult to find life partners.
Taichi Takashita launched an online petition aiming for one million signatures to present to the government to establish a law on marriages with cartoon characters.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,24576437-5014239,00.html

[Spartan112]

Is that you Senator Santorum? Talk about a straw man argument...wahhhhhh, then people will be able to marry their ficus! What a douchebag.

[JustOneMan]

Via Drudge Report --
The Obama campaign has decided to heave out three newspapers from its plane for the final days of its blitz across battleground states -- and all three endorsed Sen. John McCain for president!

The NY POST, WASHINGTON TIMES and DALLAS MORNING NEWS have all been told to move out by Sunday to make room for network bigwigs -- and possibly for the inclusion of reporters from two black magazines, ESSENCE and JET, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Wake Up America - The face if things to come!! Major newspapers barred while insignificant publications take their place.

Essense this month....
Haute Halloween: The Cutest Costumes on the Web »
Sex Survey: Share Your Bedroom Secrets »
Dirty Talk: Tips For Talking Sexy »
Work Romance: Is It Off-Limits? »
Online Dating: Make A Lasting Impression »
Bad Dates: Women Share Their Dating Horror Stories »
Love Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on What Sisters Think »

Imagine what the press corp will look like IF Barry wins... High Times Magazne replacing the WSJ and Hip Hop magazine replacing the NYT...oh wait the NYT is already Hip Hop magazine....

[Fred Beloit]

This isn't "the argument". It is one to add to the list I presented you with previously, as you very well know, you wascally wabbit.

[Spartan112]

Whatever Fred. They are all garbage arguments anyway. There would be no harm in extending marriage to gays other than the consternation of the Christian Right (and that's not harm really, it's more like fun).

[Spike]

>>afromercial

So when Palin speaks, are you calling it "pussytalk"?

[lebecka]

Stay classy!

[Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s]

Your such a tool. How's that pay-per-view deal on Showtime going? The one where you get it on with that fat toad Goldfarb. I hope you get enough viewers to cover the cost of the vaseline. I hear anything petrol is up.

Dennis Miller is the Cat Stevens of comedy.

[Horatio]

Afro-mercial?

Just admit you're a racist scum bag, dude. At least I'd respect your honesty.

Must be fun watching your worldview dissolve into irrelavance before your eyes.

How's that permanent GOP majority thing going?

[Goddard]

WTF! I think your hood was on backwards. I do think that Obama's got a great message, that we don't have a black america and a white america or blue states and red states but a united states of america. But then morons like you open your mouth and I realize he's wrong. Sure, blacks hyphenate. But not all of them. YOU are the racist for giving people reason to hyphenate. Had YOU treated people with respect and given them the benefit of the doubt (which you so obviously have not done) then there would be no reason to hyphenate. Now stop blogging and go finish that GED you've been neglecting!

[Hugh Jass]

Please, oh please keep up your racist bullshit. You are doing wonders for the Republican brand!

[Gigi]

All I can say is, "wow". YOU PEOPLE never cease to amaze me.

[nancy werle]

I know racists aand you sir,
are a racist - simple and plain.

[Fuck you, Dan]

When someone tracks you down and blows your head off it's going to be a great day.

[Spartan112]

When someone tracks you down and blows your head off it's going to be a great day.

Posted by: Fuck you, Dan | Friday, October 31, 2008 at 11:35 AM

You know, that doesn't help at all.

[John]

There's long been a strain of racism in the Republican message. After all what else was the southern strategy about. It's still there but it's a diminishing asset like homophobia. People today are simply much less racist and much less homophobic than they were 20 years ago. McCain is losing this election and losing it badly to a black guy who by every normal measure of temperament and demeanor is the superior candidate for president. This is rather hard to take for the quasi KKK faction in the GOP, there's a priceless example all over the airwaves in FL where some Republican chairman is complaining about black people voting, I kid you not. And so you get stuff like this about Afromercials. It's not going to make much difference to the outcome but just demonstrates what the Republican party has become in 2008. Taking the longer view it's fatal to the long term prospects of a national party. It's going to take a few years for us to figure this out but we'll get there ultimately and clowns like the one who made this comment will disappear off into some nutso fringe party where they hold annual Jesse Helms celebrations.

[andrew]

jharp: congrats, you've learned how to cherry-pick!

[andrew]

if you prefer hard-liner ideologues running the executive, as they have been for the last 8 years, go ahead and vote McCain. I'll be voting for open-minded pragmatism on Tuesday.

[Jeremy Noble]

The common notion among Republicans that it is THEY who are the TRUE party of color-blindness (and general societal equality) is fascinating... and still-stunningly retarded. Daniel Larison, my current favorite blogger because he makes me think deeply, opened my eyes to this key component of modern "conservatism," or rather Republicanism.

I do understand how this notion lives in the minds of Reagan/Rove Republicans: how could they live with themselves, and consider themselves decent in a modern world, otherwise?

The Burkean core, what I call "the true conservative insight," regarding suspicion of grand movements, and all the rest that follows, really is genius and truly American. But there is an arguably much more important basic human calling to see societal influences through the transcendent lens of personal sympathy (the necessity of which breadth of thought is the essential liberal insight), and asshats who cannot wrap their minds and hearts around that are the core folks who vote for McSame, still cling to W, and need to quickly pass on of natural causes.

It's happening.

[Jim Treacher]

Nope, they're not nervous.

[Sariah]

You are disgusting. Not every 'joke' is funny.

[SJB]

Seriously, you're making it easy. You're an idiot.

[BB]

Oooooh, it's not about now YOU want to talk about Obama's race, it's about how the Left wants to talk about Obama's race.

I get it. You're off the hook.

Because you don't want to talk about Obama's race at all do you, Dan? It's a non-issue for you. You just point out that OTHER people want to talk about it. And in order to point that out, YOU bring it up. Makes perfect sense.

[MrMyke]

I'm with David Frum and Kathleen Parker and the other thinking conservatives this year.

The kind of casual "who me?" racism expressed by the "afro-mercial" comment is exactly what is wrong with Riehl's element of the movement.

Rove/Bush has killed us, and this is the only alternative for healthy survival until we get back to our roots.

Thanks for nothing Mr. Riehl, and I am happy to stay off your side.

[Jay]

You are a racist asshole! I'm sure your mother wishes she had aborted you.

[Seth Owen]

And after calling it an "afro-mercial" you expect:

1) To be taken seriously

2) To recruit non-white people into the conservative movement someday

3) Someone to believe your self-delusion that it wasn't a racist remark

Well, I know it's completely fruitless to tell you this, because your blindness is impenetrable, but it is, indeed, a racist remark. The fact that you can't see it is no evidence that it isn't actually racist, merely evidence that you don't understand.

Given that the country is inexorably becoming more diverse by the minute, consvervatives are going to have to come to terms with the question of race and ethnicity if conservative philosophy is to survive in American politics.

There's nothing inherently racist in a conservative politics, although its particular history in America on that score is not a happy one. There are left-wing racists and many individuals from minority groups have conservative personal philosophy and conduct. If conservatives became self-aware enough about racism to purge it from their polotics they may find it possible to connect political conservatism with the personal conservatism of many minority people.

Instead we have a black Republican women in tears because her Party mailed out "Obamabucks" with images of watermeleon and fried chicken and the party official professing ignorance of its racial implications.

If she was, indeed, ignorant (giving her far more than the benefit of the coubt) than she needs to educate herself. Ignorance is a poor defense on this topic.

[Matthew]

What a dickish comment to make.

And clearly racist. Shame on you.

[Brian]

Let me say one thing straight up: I hate it when leftists throw around the "racist" charge. I think they're way too cavalier about it, it usually isn't warranted, and it's really annoying. But "afro-mercial"? I can say with complete confidence, Dan, that you, sir, are a racist, whether you think so or not. (And nice try with your excuse -- we're suppose to believe you were simply satirizing liberals who try to hyphenate everything? That would be hilarious if it weren't so lame.)

[Clarence Beeks]

justoneman: obama looks like jimmy walker? are you an idiot as well as a racist?

and riehl: afromercial? that's a joke about political correctness? you're going to have to diagram that one, because the logic is pretty hard to imagine. more likely it's a racist making a racist joke he doesn't know is racist because all he does is hang out with other racists

[Kara Touby]

Wow. "Afromercial." Wow. I feel an apology coming down the pike from Riehl.

[Repub4O]

Afro-mercial, good one. Your lame rationalization for using that term is just as fucked as when Ice Cube rationalized his anti-Jewish lyrics by saying it was just a commentary on inner-city rage. He was a straight-up bigot, simple and plain, and Dan Riehl is one as well. You can see it in his angry face when he shows up on TV, yet another right-winger who is angry and tense and throws around accusations because he's got no clue of his own. You're a fucking disgrace to our fucking party. I will never vote for Obama but go fuck yourself, Dan.

[bonk]

Because, see, it was a commercial, but the guy in it is BLACK. Did I mention that? That Barry Hussein Obama is BLACK? Because he is; BLACK, I mean. Because, even though he never referred to his race during the commercial, it's a fact that Barry Hussein Obama is a BLACK GUY. BLACK.

What? Racist? LOL! You liberals are craaaaazy!

[Brian]

Here's my problem with your statement, Dan:

When I first read the "afro-mercial" comment, I thought, that strikes me as racist. But I wasn't totally convinced until I heard your explanation -- i.e., that you were merely apprehending and parodying the language of the Afro-centric Left.

Unfortunately this doesn't fly. Consider by way of analogy: Suppose during this campaign I thought the Right had gone too far excluding foreigners and playing up their patriotic credentials (starting with McCain's slogan "the American president Americans have been waiting for"). Now suppose McCain ran a half-hour infomercial the week before the campaign and I called it a "jingo-mercial." This charge may not be fair, but you could make a defensible argument for it IF and ONLY IF there were hyper-patriotic elements in the infomercial itself. Otherwise the evidence for jingoism would exist only in my head.

Obama's informercial didn't use racial imagery or racial language at all. If anything, the Obama campaign went out of its way NOT to dwell on Obama's race (notice how many times he's speaking to all-white or nearly all-white audiences). In other words, the only thing "afro" about the informercial was the color of Obama's skin. It simply NEVER would have occurred to you to dwell on the "Afro-centrism" of the informercial were you not ALREADY A RACIST. Period.

[Doug]

Please, Mr. Riehl! One of the main reasons we have so many problems is people who are thoughtless and rude. It wouldn't hurt you to treat everyone with the respect with which you would like to be treated. I think Jesus said that...and maybe the Buddha....and some other guys... 8-) Why should anyone take your conversations seriously if they are laden with abuse. A clear, respectful, intellectual discussion is much more valuable.