Barack the Magic Negro.

[Anonymous]

http://wonkette.com/405184/magic-negro-racism-song-will-land-chip-saltsman-the-gop-job-of-his-choice#more-405184

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:http://wonkette.com/405184/magic-negro-racism-song-will-land-chip-saltsman-the-gop-job-of-his-choice#more-405184

Excellent. The US will from now on be dominated by the Democratic party, facing weak opposition from a small regional party called the Republicans.

[Anonymous]

I agree completely with the sentiments of the Wonkette article and Jeff's response. I think the song is disgusting, but setting aside the philosophical objections to it, it just doesn't seem very pragmatic on the part of the Republican party. They just got hammered in the elections, in part because the party still hasn't been able to attract non-white voters in large numbers. You would think it would be time for a bit of introspection and humility within the party about why that is. Instead, a potential RNC chairman pulls this stunt, and unbelieveably, the party doesn't come out in unanimous condemnation of it. It just doesn't seem very prudent.

Oh well, I won't complain if, as Jeff predicts, the Republicans are reduced to a limited-appeal regional party!

[Anonymous]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rutten31-2008dec31,0,2751514.column

(Chip) Saltsman now wants to be Republican national chairman, and, apparently as part of his campaign, he sent his associates a Christmas gift consisting of songs by the satirist Paul Shanklin. The title track, sung in a voice meant to impersonate Al Sharpton, is "Barack the Magic Negro." It parodies the president-elect as a black man acceptable to whites. Another song, "Star Spanglish Banner," disparages Latinos.

Shanklin, who first performed his parody on Rush Limbaugh's radio show (and they say ideologues don't have a sense of humor) said he was inspired by an Op-Ed article by David Ehrenstein that appeared in The Times this year. Saltsman, who as you can imagine has come in for a bit of criticism for his gift, now characterizes the column as "irresponsible." (We'll leave it to him to explain why he distributed irresponsible ideas.)

The point is, when it comes to discussions of race in America -- and particularly racial or ethnic humor -- context is everything. In fact, racial and ethnic humor are probably the most contextually sensitive of all forms of satire. They work only when everyone is clear that the person making the joke regards the differences and foibles of another group affectionately and as something that makes everybody's life more interesting. Lots of traditional Jewish and Irish humor falls into that category, though even there, it depends on who is telling the joke, and to whom.

Saltsman - RIP. Go Michael Steele

[Anonymous]

The song and the lack of condemnation for it by Republican leaders reveals the true nature of Republicans in America today. They are the party of hate, of exclusion, and they gain points with poorly-educated voters by feeding their fears of the "other" e.g. blacks, latinos, gays, Muslims, anybody who is not white and Christian. When a white person uses the word "Negro" it is a racial slur, regardless of humorous intent.

Sadly, I disagree with Jeff. I think the Republicans are just being themselves, and there are a lot of them. DC is a small pond, filled with liberals, but in much of America, Republicans adore the "magic Negro" song. They will regroup and come back stronger and more hate-filled than ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The song and the lack of condemnation for it by Republican leaders reveals the true nature of Republicans in America today. They are the party of hate, of exclusion, and they gain points with poorly-educated voters by feeding their fears of the "other" e.g. blacks, latinos, gays, Muslims, anybody who is not white and Christian. When a white person uses the word "Negro" it is a racial slur, regardless of humorous intent.

Sadly, I disagree with Jeff. I think the Republicans are just being themselves, and there are a lot of them. DC is a small pond, filled with liberals, but in much of America, Republicans adore the "magic Negro" song. They will regroup and come back stronger and more hate-filled than ever.

Thankfully there are not enough of them to win national elections. I think that the "coalition" that Obama put together in this past election will stick around for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again, where did I defend the ditty? I didn't. I only talked about where the term was picked up. The term came from the L.A. Times, not Rush Limbaugh. Why wasn't the LA Times criticized when the editorial was first printed? Why wasn't Jesse Jackson ex-communicated from the Democratic party after his hateful comments? Why is Sarah's Palin's daughter referred to as white trash? Wouldn't Obama's mother also be considered white trash since she was a pregnant, unwed teenager? I'm just pointing out the double standard here.

Bristol is alive, poorly educated, and appears to be a dumb teen.
Obama's mother is dead (thus we don't criticize her), was well educated (in college while getting pregnant), and enlightened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Bristol is alive, poorly educated, and appears to be a dumb teen.
Obama's mother is dead (thus we don't criticize her), was well educated (in college while getting pregnant), and enlightened.

Judgmental much? About people you have never met? 18 year old Bristol is just starting to live her life and you have already put her life in the 'worthless' column. As a mother of teens, I am glad I don't know you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Bristol is alive, poorly educated, and appears to be a dumb teen.
Obama's mother is dead (thus we don't criticize her), was well educated (in college while getting pregnant), and enlightened.

Judgmental much? About people you have never met? 18 year old Bristol is just starting to live her life and you have already put her life in the 'worthless' column. As a mother of teens, I am glad I don't know you.

What kind of life is that for an 18 yo? She's a new mother with a high school degree (amazing that she got through) and is "being encouraged" to marry the father of her baby, who cannot possibly be enthusiastic about being tied down. Flame away all you want. Young boys do not good fathers make . . .

Gee - I wonder who will be raising baby Tripp?

Furthermore, "as a mother of teens," I hope your expectations for them are higher than Palin's were for her own children.

[Anonymous]

God forbid, but if DD ever got pregnant as a teenager, I would respect her choices, but strongly urge her to get an abortion. A few teenagers can handle parenthood, but most can't. I feel sorry for Bristol and her son. The idiot boyfriend is acting like all idiot teenaged boys. Birth control works if it's available and used properly. Palin opposes giving teens such education, and then makes her daughter suffer the consequences of her typically teen-aged actions (having sex).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God forbid, but if DD ever got pregnant as a teenager, I would respect her choices, but strongly urge her to get an abortion. A few teenagers can handle parenthood, but most can't. I feel sorry for Bristol and her son. The idiot boyfriend is acting like all idiot teenaged boys. Birth control works if it's available and used properly. Palin opposes giving teens such education, and then makes her daughter suffer the consequences of her typically teen-aged actions (having sex).

But we don't really know for sure. Maybe in an act of teenage rebellion, Bristol was using birth control. Maybe the condom broke, I know I became pregnant while on BCP! These things happen, planned or unplanned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Bristol is alive, poorly educated, and appears to be a dumb teen.
Obama's mother is dead (thus we don't criticize her), was well educated (in college while getting pregnant), and enlightened.

I hope that you were being facetious. Or are you really saying that only people with college degrees make good parents? It doesn't seem that Barack's father was very interested in his son despite his Harvard education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Bristol is alive, poorly educated, and appears to be a dumb teen.
Obama's mother is dead (thus we don't criticize her), was well educated (in college while getting pregnant), and enlightened.

Judgmental much? About people you have never met? 18 year old Bristol is just starting to live her life and you have already put her life in the 'worthless' column. As a mother of teens, I am glad I don't know you.

What kind of life is that for an 18 yo?

Her life. Who are you to say what kind of life it is? Thank you for making my point about how judgmental this board is.

Anonymous wrote: is "being encouraged" to marry the father of her baby, who cannot possibly be enthusiastic about being tied down. Flame away all you want. Young boys do not good fathers make . . .

How do you know she is being encouraged? You don't - you assume. Based on your biases about Bristol's mother. And you also don't have a clue what kind of dad Tripp will have - again this is a judgmental, biased point of view from someone completely ignorant about the realities of their situation, but because the poster is from DC they are better than this family from Alaska?

Anonymous wrote:
Furthermore, "as a mother of teens," I hope your expectations for them are higher than Palin's were for her own children.

I don't know what Palin's expectations are - and neither do you. Life throws challenges in one's direction - how you rise or fall to a challenge defines you. My children know my expectations, and they also know I love them unconditionally - so should they stumble they will still be supported. Can you say the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What kind of life is that for an 18 yo?

Her life. Who are you to say what kind of life it is? Thank you for making my point about how judgmental this board is.
You're welcome. I do try my best to irritate ignorant posters. And for the record, I'm proud to be judgmental if that means I don't want my daughter to become a teen mother.

Anonymous wrote: is "being encouraged" to marry the father of her baby, who cannot possibly be enthusiastic about being tied down. Flame away all you want. Young boys do not good fathers make . . .

How do you know she is being encouraged? You don't - you assume. Based on your biases about Bristol's mother. And you also don't have a clue what kind of dad Tripp will have - again this is a judgmental, biased point of view from someone completely ignorant about the realities of their situation, but because the poster is from DC they are better than this family from Alaska?
I'm sure Levi - once he completes his on line GED courses - will be well equipped to be a good father for baby Tripp. And Bristol, between feedings, will have have every opportunity to attend classes at the community college. 8) BTW - as the PP from the DC area who has taught MANY pregnant teens, I do not consider myself ignorant in the least bit. Teens become pregnant b/c they're ignorant about birth control, and they know very little about how their bodies work.

Anonymous wrote:
Furthermore, "as a mother of teens," I hope your expectations for them are higher than Palin's were for her own children.

I don't know what Palin's expectations are - and neither do you. Life throws challenges in one's direction - how you rise or fall to a challenge defines you. My children know my expectations, and they also know I love them unconditionally - so should they stumble they will still be supported. Can you say the same?

PP, why would you even ask a parent whether s/he has unconditional love for his/her child? You're absurd. Even Palin, for as hypocritical as she is, unconditionally loves her children.

[Anonymous]

This was a title of an article in the LA Times, nearly a year ago. Then Rush Limbaugh took the title and had the song written for his show. The song was a mockery to the article. The article talked about Obama and how he was white enough for whites to vote for. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story

After the song was aired, Obama appeared on Limbaugh's show. He stated he wasn't offended, but making fun of his ears was off limits. He seemed to know that it wasn't a racist song against him, but a rebuttal to this article in the times. And no, I didn't listen to the shows, I have no real interest in Limbaugh, but when I first heard the story last year, I wanted to know the full story and I listened to the broadcasts online.

I am in now way defending the new story surrounding the song, just providing some background information.