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Is Geraldine Ferraro the latest hit man for the Hillary Clinton team? Part One of Two
The biggest impediment to solving the problem of racism in the USA is the denial that comes from all sides of the divide. Only when this denial is confronted will we get anywhere closer to solving this seemingly intractable issue. Let’s take the latest Clinton campaign dust-up. Geraldine Ferraro- one of HRC’s big feminist supporters- made probably the most nonsensical statement of this campaign cycle so far, when she suggested that Barack Obama has gotten where he is (his success in this presidential race to date) because he is lucky to be black. This is the same woman, who in 1988 said that Jesse Jackson was only running in the presidential primary (and with some success too), because he too “was black”. Talk about double-speak/lol; or is it double-talk? This was not accidental or coincidental; this was deliberate on Ms. Ferraro’s part. This lady needs some sensitivity training; even at age 72 it can be useful. When I said right here on the blogs, that “race” will be the “gorilla at the back of the room” in this presidential contest, I knew many felt that I was overreaching. Others felt that I was somehow exaggerating and being absurd somewhat. Go back to some of the comments made in the comment sections of some of my previous columns. I had to explain to many a person on the telephone, over e-mail inquiries, in various gatherings, and on the streets, that race is the unconscious factor in the lives of most Americans: no matter what color or genetic-nationality. I had to further explain some of the things that I have written about here -in many a column- that most Americans are in denial when it comes to racism; that there are many who walk around this country, unconscious to the fact that they have racist tendencies; seemingly oblivious to their programmed racist predispositions and /or built-in racial reflexes. This is where it starts: in the mirror that few care to look into. This is where it ends: in the introspection (and retrospection) that few care to indulge and/or confront. I am going to assume that it must have missed Ms. Ferraro when many other blacks ran for president; most of whom got nowhere; how come? Beyond Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama, the list includes Senator Carol Moseley-Braun, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Governor Doug Wilder, activist Al Sharpton, activist Ron Daniels, and also activist Leonora Fulani. I am certain that I may have missed one or two others along the way. I remember reading where Frederick Douglas was nominated for president at a Republican convention back in the day; and I suspect that Angela Davis once ran for the spot (or for the vice-presidency) somewhere in the eighties. None of these people that I have just listed, did nearly well as Barack Obama is doing now; how come? Could it be since he is half-white? Furthermore, Ms. Ferraro seems to be ignorant of the fact that in the pre-Reconstruction history of the USA, there have been three black governors only; three black senators, two black members of the Supreme Court, two black Secretaries of State and zero black presidents. Could someone get a cane for this lady’s brain? Is she oblivious to the racial discrimination that still exists- in quantities way beyond mainstream media’s ability to cover and expose? But then too many people believe that the civil rights gains of the sixties have eliminated racism in this land; they are so very wrong. Obama himself gave a beautiful response to Ferraro’s absurd comments, when he suggested that any primer for the US presidency wouldn’t show that someone with his name(s) or race, as favored for this run. And this is the point that Ferraro (and Gloria Steinhem) missed in frustration, at attempting to understand, why Obama is whipping Hillary Clinton’s butt in this contest. Any person who could assume that it would be easier for a mixed man (black and white parents), to become the president of the USA, than a white woman- especially a white woman who is not only a senator from New York, but who is also the wife of a former president- then that person needs to have their head examined. Could it be that Hillary’s high negatives (seen through years of polling) accumulated over thirty-five years (supposedly), finally caught up with her? Most Clintonistas refuse to accept that Hillary (despite her brilliance) is damaged goods after years of “Clinton fatigue”; after years of “Clinton issues”. Denial is a hell of a thing folks; it is when people refuse to believe what their eyes see. They become irrational and/or deluded. Look, it is understandable that women would feel a sense of pride in Hillary’s run; after all, “sexism” is very real, still alive and kicking, in this country and all over the world. Women are in solidarity against sexism; and rightly so. And yet, women should not- even for one minute- fix their mouths to attempt to say that sexism is worse than racism. Especially white women; since they- for the most part- enable (somewhat unconsciously) their white men to abuse power at everyone else’s expense. When Shirley Chisholm was asked which of the two was more egregious, not only did she say racism; she also said that “it wasn’t even close”. The first thing that Ferraro and most people get wrong is Obama’s race; he is mixed. He is not black, nor is he white either. He is by standard and traditional definition: a mulatto. This is the fact that apparently escapes most people. He claims to be black because the US society -given its racist history- still maintains anachronistic Jim Crow rules and norms, which will make him appear to be foolish: if he were to claim he was white. Given the “one drop of black blood rule” that was codified by racist laws, it is all right for Barack to claim he is black, but absurd to claim he was white. So he is forced to deny half of his genetic makeup, half of his heritage and culture, just because of racism; and he must live this everyday. He and the millions like him - all over this country, and all over this world- have been condemned to a life of racial confusion, pain, denial, lies and such; this is so sad. Read his book that echoed the “missing father syndrome”, and then tell me that he hasn’t gone through a major identity crisis; maybe he is still in flux with this rather personal issue. The many comments being thrown out by Clinton’s supporters that contain not too subtle racial overtones, plus the nasty e-mails, plus the photos of him in traditional African garb, plus the emphasis on his middle name (Hussein) and his father’s African heritage, plus the smear that he is Muslim and not Christian, plus all the other nefarious doings and sayings since this race got going; are meant to do one thing: drive up many people’s racial fears; especially white people’s. It is all meant to drive up Obama’s negatives, and the fact is they have succeeded (to some extent). It is fear mongering at its worst. Look, I cannot tell you that Billary Clinton condones all the things that have been done, but it’s their campaign; and both Hillary and Bill has to take some kind of responsibility, given the numerous times these things have been exposed. I cannot say that Billary are racists; in fact I doubt they are (especially Bill Clinton); but many racial things happen sub-consciously. Is this what is happening? Lately there has been a focus on the pastor of the church Barack has attended for years, because this reverend holds some views that many whites are uncomfortable with. Also, he has said some things that are downright ridiculous; and as I always say: no one race has a lock on stupidity. Stupidity and evil comes in all races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, sizes, shapes and forms. But this is where you really see the racial double standards at work, when freedom of speech liberties are allowed for whites but not for people of color. This is nothing new in this country’s history. Why is Obama being penalized for someone else’s views? We surely know that he doesn’t subscribe to Rev. Wright’s positions. Obama has said that it’s like having an old uncle who spews ridiculous views; we may disagree, but it doesn’t mean we totally disassociate from the uncle socially. He has condemned and repudiated these statements many times before but they keep coming back like a recurring decimal. Why? Think about that as you sip your cappuccino today. Lately some sickos have been sending e-mails calling Obama the “anti-Christ”. They have gone so far as to quote biblical verses to supplement their position here. It is as vicious an attack as I have ever seen in politics, given that eighty-nine percent of all Americans say that they are religious; and don’t forget that he is also supposed to be a “Muslim mole” bent on destroying this great country. For over a year now the internet, mainstream media and the political grapevine have been abuzz with all kinds of anti-Obama rumors. There have been anti-Obama innuendo, art, music, literature, websites and the like. Never before in the history of this country, has a presidential candidate received this kind of treatment in a primary process. He has been smeared worst than anyone could have imagined when he announced his run last February. If this is an epic of things to come- once he gains the nomination of his political party- then we are in for a real “doozie” between Labor Day and Election Day (November). And Geraldine Ferraro thinks he is LUCKY. Since last year I warned you folks that all this was coming. Racism USA-style starts from the belief that Caucasians (whites) are superior to all other races. It may have stemmed from the days of slavery here, when blacks were made (and even forced) to feel (and believe) that they were inferior to whites. It started long before the US Constitution was ratified; it was further perpetuated by said ratification. Ferraro’s comments seem to have been made by someone totally ignorant of the racial history of this country. Not only should Hillary Clinton denounce the statements of this blind lady (Ferraro), she should also reject, deplore and renounce them too. If she doesn’t, then she runs the risk of people viewing Ferraro as another, in a long line of hit men and hit women that the Clintons have tacitly (or not) approved to go after Barack Obama, time and time again. What has been amazing to me is the fact that so many educated and reputable people keep denying that all this is happening. But should we really be amazed or surprised? After all, racism- with its insidious octopussian tentacles- is denied every day in this country, by highly intelligent folks who unconsciously aid and abet its criminality and inhumanity. Ostensibly, every week- for the last six months or so- we have been subjected to these incessant attacks on Obama, from all over the political landscape. Is this something that’s orchestrated? Or are there racial undertones to all this? Think about that 3:00 a.m. advertisement that Billary ran in Texas and Ohio? Was it about terrorism? Or was it about raising racial fears and concerns, right here in the good ole US of A? Subliminalism is shrewd in its execution folks. I find it all similar to the attacks that I have received on the blogs for years now, where my detractors say it is not about “race”. They say it is about everything else that’s wrong with me; my writings, my views, my information, my credentials, my sources, my personality, my positions, my etiquette (or lack of), etcetera, etcetera? Yet, I am the only black consistently operating in this sphere here in New York; could there be something to that? The painful thing is that many say these aren’t “attacks” on Obama, that he is being vetted that’s all; I disagree. And why shouldn’t I? They say similar things when they attack me. It seems to reach a stage of unconsciousness. My students have studied all this, and they have shown me that some people come in the thread and say that they don’t read my stuff anymore, but they make scurrilous comments in the comment section; digest this for a minute. The purpose is not to read the columns but to join the line of attackers on the writer. And yet, despite all this, I am unable to single out any one person as racist, since it is very hard to prove conclusively. Collectively, it is easy to deduce or expose racism; individually: that is something rather difficult to do. Obama’s problem is similar to mine: when we push back or protest, we are accused of playing the “self-victimization” game; meanwhile the attacks continue. We all know what the objectives are; don’t we? Or do we need more evidence? Stay tuned-in folks; I am not finished with this one as yet, because we have to expose “the kitchen–sink strategy” for exactly what it is: viciousness. It shouldn’t be condoned, endorsed or validated; worse yet when there are subliminal undertones of racism throughout.
I Voted For Hilary Clinton
But camparing Jeremiah Wright to John McCain Minister ,,You Can not compare,,, John McCain,, the minister he know just gave him Money,,he does not Go to his church,,, He did not Baptise john McCain kids,,, he is not on John McCain Campaign,, Just gave John McCain money,,, to compare him with Jeremiah Wright is something the Media, and the Obama Camapaign,, doing,,Barack Obama Has a Racist man who worked on his Campaign,, Jeremiah Wright, ,, who helped Barack with the title of his book,,, who baptise his kids, Barack Obama Miinister, gave Louis Farrahkan life time achievement award, ,,, Barack Obama who went to this Racist mans church,,, for 20 years, Whats even sad is Barack Obama, followers don’t even Care, He can run over a person right now ,,, and people will still follow him,,, but one thing is for certain Barack no matter what, just lost this election,,, even if he wins the primary,,, from Hilary,,, Barack can not win a big state, Hilary followers will not back Barack Obama,,, just like if Hilary wins the primary,,, Barack Obama followers will not back Hilary ,,,,, Obama is definitely Muslim, but he is a closet Racist, who employed a racist,, of all Racist, ,,,,, he is done Watch Obama weblink http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prhnc2fxAzg&feature=related%20...%20http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4YxPBAkfp4&feature=related Is there any justification for what Geraldine Ferraro said? No. I think Obama would be a credible candidate regardless of his race or nationality. However, the same does not apply for any of the other previous black candidates you mentioned (Jackson, Sharpton, Moseley-Braun). None of those candidates were credible and all were running based on their being representatives of the African-American community, much like Tancredo and Duncan Hunter were simply running as representatives of the anti-immigration community or Mike Gravel is (was?) running as the representative of the past-their-prime nutjob community. For all of the VALID reasons that I don't like Obama (lack of experience, lack of track record, lack of information about his past and background), the one thing I DO like about him is that he is the first real candidate to transcend race. That is very admirable. However, you and his other militant supporters do him a great disservice by trying to reduce every criticism of your candidate to RACISM. It is not racism to question his background and experience (reminder: only 3 years in the US Senate to Hillary's 7 and McCain's 26 years of Federal experience). It is not racism to question his ethically questionable transactions with indicted Tony Rezko. It is not racism to ask why his wife stated that the first time she had ever felt proud of her country was only a few months ago (remember, this is our potential First Lady). I disagree with the belief that a candidate should be held responsible for the statements of a supporter. However, self-aggrandizing and megalomaniacal supporters like the writer of this original piece do their candidate a great disservice when they try to stifle legitimate conversation by screaming "RACISM". P.S. - I did not respond to your last post towards me where you challenged me to a duel of swords or pistols (and this is a thread where I agreed with you). Thanks for again proving your ridiculously thin skin and showing your true colors. Geraldine's comments were indeed racist. I have no doubt that they were endorsed and signed off on by Hillary. They were designed to belittle and mock the achievements of Barrack. How many white men do we know who have received accolades and run for office with far less going for them than Barrack, yet no one ever questions this? This is a man who was the first black Editor-in-Chief of Harvard Law Review and a state legislator for 8 years before coming to the Senate. The fact is, he has more legislative experience and has been an elected official longer than Hillary. What Geraldine MEANT to say was that but for being married to Bill Clinton, what other person in America could have moved to New York, having never held elected office and become a US Senator? Not a damn person but Hillary. At least Barrack got to the Senate legitimately. Hillary et al are disgusting. I will NEVER vote for her again, and I know many whom feel the same way. Guess who comes out of the woodwork immediately to jump all over Rock Hackshaw's latest column? Wonk and JP. Two blog stalkers. They stalk Rock's columns when they have nothing to offer this site. Two very sad white boys. The Obama comparison is accurate
Do you have to coment on everything Rock writes? You have nothing to say you do it to provoke him.
After observing the way hillary clinton conducted herself in this campaign count ma as another one who will never vote for her again. I voted for her on Feb5.
It is obviously a racial campaign. the Clintons have always wanted to portray Barack Obama as the BLACK candidate. It is all about fearmongering. Racism and sexism are alive and flourishing in this country.
This is a good column Rock and it is well written. I agree with you all the way including these attacks that detract from serious political discourse. Player haters all they are. Keep writing eventually they would realize you are not going to be chased away from the blogs.
If coward Rock Hackshaw hadn't baited me last week, breaking the truce called by Ben Smith, and followed completely by me until then, I would have held my tongue. I offered him the chance to apologize and instead he said I should apologize to him. The gloves are now off. I told him he'd regret "bringing me back in" and he will (actually, I'm quite certain he does already ;-) ). Rock's comparison of his "woes" to Barack's are pathetic. Unlike Rock, who did all the following things many times:
These are the reasons I criticize Rock. And not a single one of them has anything to do with race. For a college professor, Rock is incredibly poor at defending his work. He is a pretty good writer with some good insight and good sources. Again Rock supporters: SHOW ME THE RACISM. Ferraro was racist, you can point to it. WHERE AM I RACIST? You can't show it (other than to say "Rock is a succesful black man, it must be racist), because it's not there. If Rock kept it to facts, the ROCK TRUTH POLICE would have much less to say, but the minute he compares himself to Barack Obama it's a 911 call to the RTP. Again, it's PATHETIC for someone like Rock to compare himself to someone like Barack Obama, who is a great man. Rock, I've never met Barack Obama. I don't know Barack Obama. I've never worked with Barack Obama. But Mr. Hackshaw, I know one thing: YOU ARE NO BARACK OBAMA. Not one single mention of your name in Rock Hackshaw's column and you are again attacking the man.
If i am tired of all this I sure can appreciate what Hackshaw must be feeling after years of this shit back and forth. When he defends himself people say he is thin shkinned.
AS USUAL YOU STARTED THIS AGAIN WONK. HE NEVER MENTIONED YOUR NAME IN HIS COLUMN SO WHY DID YOU COMMENT? YOU SURE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE FOOLED HERE WONK. HE WRITES GRAT ARTICLES BUT YOU DON'T. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO CONTRIBUTE SO YOU TARGET ROCK. AND YOU SAY IT ISN"T ABOUT RACE. HA!
where did Rock say he was Obama? he compared the racial elements of this situation to what Obama is going through. It is the DENIAL stupid. Everybody tries to deny race and discrimination within them. u missed the point.
I don't have to have my name mentioned. The deal was mutual respect. I followed the deal, he didn't. Now that he broke the truce, it's done. A cease fire doesn't self renew. Once one side fires a shot, which is what he did, the cease fire is over. The RTP is now again on patrol and when I see Rock's Bullshit (Boo Hoo! I'm a victim like Barack!) I will call him on it. So don't go twisting the facts like I have to wait for him to mention me before commenting on his bullshit. That's not the rule. And how about this for being magnanimous. If Rock at any times wants to apologize for bringing me back into this in his post of last week and reinstate the truce requested by Ben Smith, all he needs to do is apologize for mentioning me when he had no provocation to do so and I will agree to go back to cease fire status. An apology and request for the truce to be reinstated and I'll I won't comment bullshit like he and Obama are comparable (I just threw up a little in my mouth). This is provocation Wonk that is all this is. I finally agree with Rock now. It is obvious now. Shaddup already white boy.
As I said before Wonk you are an ass. you terrorize the man for years and you want him to apologize to you. He never mentioned you once in this column but you come here and attack him as usual. Rock needs to close his comment section for all time. That will end the bs.
Simple as that. I can see it now. WONK IS A RACIST. Do what you do to white bloggers. Harass them and leave Rock alone.
Where's the racism? You can't just say it's racism, you have to say why. Ferraro's comments were, pretty much, per se racism--he wouldn't be where he is today if he wasn't back. That's racist. I just enumerated, the reasons, and my methodology for commenting on Rock's work, and none of it had to do with race. Rock himself hasn't been able to point to a single racist thing I've ever written (and I'm willing to bet good money that he looked). Rock's supporters and students (same thing?) have also not been able to point to a single racist thing I've ever said. So the last laugh is on you; you can keep calling racism all you want. But the response of "he's black, what else could it be?, when I explained the reasons for my critique of Rock shows that it's an empty response. Especially when my reasons are conveniently ignored--not even defended mind you, ignored. Did you miss me Rock? Is that why you gratuitiously brought me back in. You haven't chimed in on anything yet this morning, so I don't know if you're ignoring me or not. You always cave on that. My new thing:
How am I racist? You can't just say it! And now I terrorize Rock? That's the silliest thing I've heard since Rock comparing himself to Barack. Seriously people. Do you even stop to think for one second before you hit post? JP and WONK live on Earth for the sole purpose of defaming the great and infallible Rock Hackshaw, who might just be the second coming of the savior. They were brought to Earth by Satan to try and distract people from the good word from Mr. Hackshaw. They will rot in hell for their blasphamy. PEOPLE, please ignore the IGNORANT, RACIST comments and take and repeat the good words of Rock Hackshaw beyond the blogs, to the rest of the world. prof rock can i use your computer later? i'm using a computer lab computer and it sucks
This is obviously another attempt to drive Rock Hackshaw off this site. The whites tried it before. The vast anti-Rock conspiracy rears it's ugly racist head! I will again make the observation that the vast majority of responses (Anonymous responses at that) supporting Rock come in small spurts. Scroll back up and look at the evidence. You have 5 different posts between 9:12 and 9:34 (22 minutes), all with the same writing style and message. Then you have 8 messages between 10:49 and 11:07 (18 minutes), again, all with the same writing style and message as each other and the previous 5. It strains credibility that every single one of these messages is by a different Rock supporter since it is highly unlikely that so many of his supporters are on this site at the same time and all share the same style of writing. The only logical conclusion is that the same person is spamming the discussion with the different comments supporting Rock. Again, I'll put forward that this spammer is the author himself since the same writing style and grammatical mistakes are present in both his writing and that of the comments. Here comes the other clown to make another scurillous attack on professor hacksaw. Rock has been in meetings all day and I know this for a fact.
JP and Wonk are so predictable with their nasty vicious racist attacks. Shame on you two. You do it every column and you blame Rock.
As far as I know Rock left for Albany a few hours ago. Gov. Patterson is swearing in right now in the assembly chamber.
So we now have an expert on writing here PROFESSOR JP. what a sick guy.
I often wonder why the media report offensive statements such as those by Ferraro and Rev. Wright. Maybe it's because media organizations live and die based on advertisment sales and, well - controversy makes for good reading (or viewing). After all, unless the offensive statement comes from a candidate's mother or father, such comments cannot logically be imputed to a political candidate. Long-held notions of what is means to be black, white, latino and asian have been with us since the U.S. was formed, and they aren't going away anytime soon. Educational systems, housing, financial and employment opportunities, health care, the legal and penal systems and virtually every socializing institution one can think of is affected by race (and socioeconomic standing). How many studies have been done demonstrating the disparities in these areas based on race? Dozens? Hundreds? It's indisputable. In fact, preconceived notions concerning race are so deeply interwined with our daily lives that I no longer consider a white person who feels superior to blacks to be racist - giving it a name does not matter. How can a white person be racist, when all they are exhibiting are tendencies inculcated within them from the moment they are born? Similarly, what would a black person who feels inferior to whites be called? Again, the name does not matter. The person is affected by the same forces that create feelings of superiority among many whites. I speak from experience here, of course, as we all can. I have been told, directly and indirectly, that I cannot hold certain jobs, especially positions of great influence and prominence, and that I shouldn't live in certain neighborhoods. I am told on a regular basis that I don't matter - by the empty taxis that pass me by, by the shop owners that follow me around the store, by the police officers that eye me suspiciously even after I've called them for help - all because I have brown skin. So why wouldn't race find its way into the Presidential election?
Some of the posts are different in both content and style. Substance too. You are incorrect JP.
Sigh.
How am I a racist? Let me try something. I can fly. I can fly. I can fly. Hmmm. I can't fly. Damn, just cuz I said it, doesn't make it true. Much like calling me a racist. Either point to something I wrote that's racist or stop calling me a racist. As to JP, hey JP, all that logic is very racist, stop it! An anonymous supporter of Rock knows he was in a meeting, soSigh.
How am I a racist? Let me try something. I can fly. I can fly. I can fly. OUCH! Hmmm. I can't fly. Damn, just cuz I said it, doesn't make it true. Much like calling me a racist. Either point to something I wrote that's racist or stop calling me a racist. As to JP, hey JP, all that logic is very racist, stop it! An anonymous supporter of Rock knows he was in a meeting, so it must be true that you're a racist! I seem to recall where Rock said something last year abour race being the big factor in this year's presidential primary. It looks as though he is correct again. You must admit that his analysis is often astute. To dispute this proves that some of you here are nothing but player haters who come here only to stir up trouble when he writes. Wonk and JP do not have to always start something in the threads of his columns. Wonk and JP do this all the time. How does it help the discussion? How does it help the dialogue we all come her for. It must be something else happening and some of you who join in with these two fools are stupid blind followers.
Do you ever get tired of this silly stuff Wonk? You make yourself look awfully foolish every week here with all the diatribe. You could stop your comentary and this will go nowhere.
Wonk, As a third party outsider with no interest in the online conflict between you and Hackshaw, I must say that you demonstrate quite a bit of anger on this blog. Although you have assumed the position of an aggrieved person, I am starting to wonder about your endgame. As you know, people embroiled in conflict often fail to see objectively. What I am saying, with all respect due, that your unprovoked aggression in this column appears childish and offers little in the way of substance. I was actually taken aback by the ferocity of your posts (not the words, the tone). By posting here, you have invited every reader of this column into your dispute. Why? What's your goal here? CN CN: Any perceived anger on my part is affected. It does on an intellectual level piss me off that Rock can say outrageous things like that Barack Obama's situation with racism is analogous to his treatment on this blog and have his legions of fans chime in that I'm a racist for disagreeing. As his main, in his word, detractor, who he has never been able to point to a single racist thing I've ever written on here, it's insane for him to write about how he's treated on here in a racist fashion on a regular basis. Have there been racist comments against Rock? Absolutely. Have they been epidemic? Not even every post he does gets 1 racist comment. So his exageration needs to be pointed out. His MO in this piece is bizarre. Why is he making it about himself, when he has valid things to say about Obama's campaign (not that I agree with it all, and JP had some good points). I don't know why he made it about him, but it's seriously awful logic and someone needs to call him on it. I wish someone with more credibility towards Rock would chime in on this, but I'll have to do until someone else does. Maybe he made it about him for the same reason he brought me back into this last week by disparaging me in the comments of his own piece, when I had intentionally not commented. These things are mysteries. If he really doesn't want me to comment on his work, why didn't he, as I put it before, let sleeping dogs lie?
...except for his comparison to Obama at the end. Unfortunately, that is getting more attention than the rest of the article which, in my opinion, is not only far more interesting, but much more difficult to address. People aren't honest about race.
I think JP has a good point, re: comparison of an endorsement from a minister vs. his minister. But yeah, it's a good albeit long piece. I was wading through it (did I mention it's long), and got to the part where he starts comparing himself to Barack and literally started laughing out loud. I happened to be the first commenter so I wrote what I wrote and almost ten minutes later I was still laughing. What kind of ego trip is Rock on to compare himself to the front runner for the Democratic Nomination for US President. My point, in a sense, is why would he do that? Why take a good analysis of national politics and make it about himself at the end. Hubris anyone? I have praised and agreed with Rock many times, which no one gives me credit for, so I've stopped bothering most of the time. (And yeah, I'm still pissed at him for bringing me back into this by breaking the truce and I want him to feel that--he deserves it). And yes, this is still a very racist country, which Rock and I suspect Barack already knew. Ferraro's comments were outrageous. I don't know if Ferraro was doing this on her own or not. The quote was in a small newspaper that got picked up. I suppose that could have been the strategy, but it seems pretty low tech for the Clintons. If she was still doing the Clinton's bidding while she kept defending her comments as the campaign screamed "SHUT UP" that seems like a bizarre strategy on Hillary's part. But who knows? Wonk do you stop for a minute to think of the crap you spew. Rock is just plain tired of your years of harassment. This comes second hand WONK. I know what I am telling you. If he ever sees you, then you are in for a rough time. Racism is racism no matter how you shape it. You Mr. EWONK is a racist to have continued this badgering for so long after he asked you many times to stop. There is no rule that says WONK MUST COMMENT ON ROCK WHEN HE WRITES. Do your own columns Wonk. Do your own columns. You and your white friends want to gain fame by being Rock's terrorists on the blogs. If you chase him off it will be a great day for you. His point in this column is not to compare himself with Obama but to show how unconscious RACISM is by offering his experience here and the point that he is the only person experiencing this and he is the only black person here doing this. No racist ever admits that they are racist so you and your cronies are no different here Wonk. No different than what is happening in that race for the white house. All you have to do is end this by not commenting on Rocks blogs but you refuse. WHY?You say it is about him and his ego but you make it about you all the time.
Rock has done countless columns on national politics and I never see him injecting comparisons like this before so the reason cannot simply be his hubris. Maybe he has come around to what many of us have felt here that these personal attacks on him are racially driven.
If as you say that someone has to call out Rock on things he writes, then how come that someone is ALWAYS you?
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It's all about you Rock. Hysterical.
You were right that racism was going to be a big issue in this campaign and it has, but I think your comparison of Barack's situation to yours is both a huge exaggaration about your own mostly self imposed issues and, well, just not a good analogy.
Update: I seriously laughed for almost 10 minutes.