Centrist Republican Calls Obama a "tar baby"

[Críostóir]

I don't think you can actually call yourself a centrist when you say racist shit like this.

But then racism has been a hallmark of the Tea Potty idiots from the very beginning, so they'll probably like him fine.

When I think of 'tar baby' I don't so much think of the classic story as of the John Varley story "Lollipop and the Tar Baby." In that sense of the term, it's the Tea Pottiers who are the Tar Babies...or at least their brains are black holes.

 

[Críostóir]

Actually, he isn't right about tar baby. Tar baby is a doll made out of tar. Br'er Fox constructs the doll and traps Br'er Rabbit, who slaps the doll for not greeting him, then in trying to escape from the doll, gets further stuck. He is thus captured by Br'er Fox. It is Br'er Rabbit who out smarts Br'er Fox by pleading with Br'er Fox not to throw him in the briar patch, when in fact that is what Br'er Rabbit wants. When Br'er Fox throws him in the briar patch, Br'er Rabbit is able to escape.

The Briar Patch, in this case, being a US default, loss of international credit, and the subsequent collapse of the US economy, which the Tea Potty wackos want because then they could establish themselves as robber barons or some other insane shit.

As I've said elsewhere, if they all died I would weep over their graves...for values of 'weep' more or less equivalent to 'piss'.

 

[chrisrobin]

I don't think you can actually call yourself a centrist when you say racist shit like this.

But then racism has been a hallmark of the Tea Potty idiots from the very beginning, so they'll probably like him fine.

You're not referring to the Obama with a bone through his nose posters are you?

 

[chrisrobin]

Actually, he isn't right about tar baby. Tar baby is a doll made out of tar. Br'er Fox constructs the doll and traps Br'er Rabbit, who slaps the doll for not greeting him, then in trying to escape from the doll, gets further stuck. He is thus captured by Br'er Fox. It is Br'er Rabbit who out smarts Br'er Fox by pleading with Br'er Fox not to throw him in the briar patch, when in fact that is what Br'er Rabbit wants. When Br'er Fox throws him in the briar patch, Br'er Rabbit is able to escape.

I stand corrected. The tar baby was only a means to an end. In any case, I don't think author Joel Chandler Harris was racist.

 

[Joshua_me]

This is news? We have a neofascist, obese drug addict who, for all intent and purposes, is running the RNC, who gets paid how many millions of dollars a year, has said the following:

Repeatedly uses the term "Feminazi."
Referred to Gwen Ifill as "Aunt Jemima".
Called the President of the United States "Curious George".
Originated the term "Angry Black Man" when referring to the President.
Calls Barney Frank "My Boy Lollipop."

And don't forget this one:

“I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.” - Rush Limbaugh

 

[Críostóir]

And don't forget this one:

“I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.” - Rush Limbaugh

There's another whose grave will become the site of great acts of micturation.

 

[laikaNYC]

Tarbaby: a difficult or "sticky" situation, especially one where peoples' attempts to make it better only make it worse.

But hey, at least he didn't call him "light skinned with no negro dialect" like Harry Reid

 

[Críostóir]

Another brilliant post by LaikaNYC, intended to enhance the conversation and shed more light than heat, with an illustration that gives current, up-to-the-moment insight into the nature of our two political parties.

Only not.

 

[archive]

Tarbaby: a difficult or "sticky" situation, especially one where peoples' attempts to make it better only make it worse.

But hey, at least he didn't call him "light skinned with no negro dialect" like Harry Reid

And this is why a lot of blacks do not take race discussions with whites seriously.

 

[Críostóir]

And this is why a lot of blacks do not take race discussions with whites seriously.

Which in turn is why we whites need to remember, in having any such discussion, that there's a huge load of hurt, anger, and frustration built up in any black person in America, before the conversation even starts, and that their willingness to even discuss the matter with us is unearned grace.

In other words, we should watch our words carefully, and avoid anything that could be interpreted wrong.

The same goes for men discussing sexism with women and for straights discussing homophobia with gays.

 

[archive]

Which in turn is why we whites need to remember, in having any such discussion, that there's a huge load of hurt, anger, and frustration built up in any black person in America, before the conversation even starts, and that their willingness to even discuss the matter with us is unearned grace.

In other words, we should watch our words carefully, and avoid anything that could be interpreted wrong.

The same goes for men discussing sexism with women and for straights discussing homophobia with gays.

Definitely my friend. I am a black gay male myself and it amuses me how people try and backpedal away from statements they have clearly said. You and rareboy have done excellent in this thread. Its just hard for me to rebuttal in CEP. Everyone wants to be taken seriously but refuses to be serious. You have laika using a term literally rather than the connotation of denigration it has become, jackoroe going off on tangents, springer being a canned response as usual, and JQ equating a rude term to a racial epithet. And this happened in one thread. I love a good debate as much as the next man and rarely a angered poster, but the last few days with so many people being out right hypocrites and the (imo) worthless guidelines of not calling posters anything besides the s/n is lame. We are all grown adults if you can't stand being called an idiot for posting idiotic things , teach yourself.

 

[rareboy]

Hey Archive.

Don't give up having discussions.

Just because we also have racists here at JUB shouldn't be a huge surprise.

Although the naked and stomach turning hypocrisy of the reactionary conservatives from other 'non-white' ethnic groups certainly just about pushes my last 'detonate troll' button.

In short. The conservatives and the crackers know that they should be embarrassed by a representative of all they love and hold dear being caught out using this term publicly, but like Palin, they'll just keep spinning this thing until Paul Revere rides out to warn the British that the Americans are coming.

There are enough people here and thank god, across the US to shame those who are indifferent or ignorant to the impact and import of the words they use inappropriately and to ensure that the nasty, insidious and sometimes subtle racism in a nation founded and made rich on the ownership of African slaves will not stand.

BTW, as the majority of us have discovered the opinions of Laika, Springer and jqueer are so lightweight as to not even merit notice.

 

[chance1]

Best case is this guy is brainless

that's the best wase

Worst case is he's a racist

my guess is somewhere in between

either way not very bright politically

his comment does not represent the majority of opinion IMO

 

[CowboyBob]

The American right wing continues to concern me.

Anti-minority, anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-poor, anti-intellectual, anti-democracy, anti-science, anti-internationalist, anti-multiculturalist, and anti-Muslim.

They drive closer and closer to the brink of Fascism.

I keep hoping that this element of society will self-correct and begin to self-limit its hatred of so many of the good aspects of America society.

But they seem to be getting worse.

I'm concerned about this group also. The Republicans and the Tea Party people are testing the boundaries all the time and stepping over it. It's clear the majority of them are racists; it's what unites them..... hatred of the "uppity colored" man in the White House.

They are against virtually everything. Their campaign is one of constant hate and fear. Nothing positive ever comes out of their mouths, just demagoguery and fear. Republicans play to people's fears. The Republicans have become Orwellian.

 

[Yves]

Tar baby is a legitimate reference to a literary character. Read the story of Br'er Rabbit. So he used a poorly received double entendre. Now if he called Obama a mulatto pickaninny then I can see the uproar.

A literary reference that is racially insensitive in the US. The Br'er Rabbit story is part of the Uncle Remus collection (1881) by Joel Chandler Harris. The stories were very popular, but Harris was not immune to prejudice against blacks in his own time (same with the audience)

Seriously. Stop being so sensitive about everything. I loved having Aunt Jemima pancakes and reading Curious George when I was a kid.......it was just a joke.

Some "jokes" are deeply rooted in prejudice and ignorance. Tar baby is not a joke.

 

[chance1]

I'm concerned about this group also. The Republicans and the Tea Party people are testing the boundaries all the time and stepping over it. It's clear the majority of them are racists; it's what unites them..... hatred of the "uppity colored" man in the White House.

They are against virtually everything. Their campaign is one of constant hate and fear. Nothing positive ever comes out of their mouths, just demagoguery and fear. Republicans play to people's fears. The Republicans have become Orwellian.

Bullshit

evidence of rampant tea party racism is non existent

which doesn't deter you and others from making the claim

now if you want real demagoguery try the bullshit about tea party "terrorists"

standard talking points making the rounds now

that is rampant and utilized by media, politicians, activists plus

this is not

keep the disinformation coming

you make fox news look fair and balanced btw

 

[justdra]

Until the President himself starts calling these racists on the BS, then it will continue. Its one thing to disagree on this politics are even call him ignorant or stupid but the racial slurs keep coming. They just apologize and continue because they have already said what they needed to say the certain followers of theirs.

 

[laikaNYC]

In short. The conservatives and the crackers know

SO in a thread about a supposed racist statement, someone makes a REAL racist statement. Congrats! I always knew you had it in you

 

[Críostóir]

SO in a thread about a supposed racist statement, someone makes a REAL racist statement. Congrats! I always knew you had it in you

Wait, are you seriously suggesting that someone called Obama a tar baby and didn't mean it in a racist way?!?!?! Oh wow. *reads back on the thread* Yeah, you do think that! It's just so...no polite word comes to mind...that I didn't quite grok it before.

Wow. You're amazing.

But hey, 'cracker' just means someone who cracks. You know, who cracks a whip, to get other people going. I'm sure that's all he meant.

 

[chrisrobin]

SO in a thread about a supposed racist statement, someone makes a REAL racist statement. Congrats! I always knew you had it in you

How's this?​