Anonymous wrote:We just lived through an election in which the Republican candidate would not definitively address the constant accusation that Barack Obama was a Kenyan-born Muslim. Is that not exactly the same thing?

What does that even mean exactly. He, like the majority of Republican leadership have said they believe he was born in HI.

This is the worst example of two wrongs making a right, this has nothing to do with Romney or even the president for that matter.

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:I think you guys are missing the OP's point. The issue is not that McConnell shouldn't have complained about the tweet, it's that this shows that there are legitimate times to "play the race card" because frequently individuals and groups act out of race. However, when liberal groups react to equally legitimate cases of racism or prejudice, they get derided for "playing the race card."

For example, just a few days ago in one of the Michelle Obama threads, I mentioned that MO was once criticized for being an angry black woman. Now, she is criticized for being a celebrity and having too much fun. The criticism has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. One of DCUM's conservatives replied to me saying, "Yeah, it's about her blackness." That same conservative is likely in agreement with McConnell. Maybe that is hypocrisy rather than irony, but otherwise the OP is exactly right.

I think there's a difference between saying every criticism about Obama is about race (which some liberals do, in fact, do -- sometimes with justification, but often without) and addressing hate speech directed at one's spouse. McConnell didn't "play the race card" here -- he wasn't trying to worm out of legitimate criticism. One often "plays the race card" when one doesn't have anything else to play.

I don't understand what hair you are trying to split. If someone makes a racially-based criticism of Obama, can a liberal complain about it? If so, how is that different than McConnell complaining about racially-based criticism of his wife? In my mind, it is correct and legitimate to criticize racially-based attacks regardless of the attacker and the target. I am quite happy to condemn the tweets about McConnell's wife. I am also quite happy to condemn racially-based attacks on Obama. That is what I would consider being consistent. Do you have a markedly different position then me?

As for the other poster, I don't know if you are the one replying with something about Alinksy (sic, it's actually Alinsky) every thread, but I've never read anything by him and don't know much about him. You would be better off understanding my tactics by reading my own writing. Unlike, you apparently, I do my own thinking.

We just lived through an election in which the Republican candidate would not definitively address the constant accusation that Barack Obama was a Kenyan-born Muslim. Is that not exactly the same thing?

It is just straight Alinksy, Mr. Steele. Make your adversary live up to their own book of rules.

jsteele wrote:I think you guys are missing the OP's point. The issue is not that McConnell shouldn't have complained about the tweet, it's that this shows that there are legitimate times to "play the race card" because frequently individuals and groups act out of race. However, when liberal groups react to equally legitimate cases of racism or prejudice, they get derided for "playing the race card."

For example, just a few days ago in one of the Michelle Obama threads, I mentioned that MO was once criticized for being an angry black woman. Now, she is criticized for being a celebrity and having too much fun. The criticism has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. One of DCUM's conservatives replied to me saying, "Yeah, it's about her blackness." That same conservative is likely in agreement with McConnell. Maybe that is hypocrisy rather than irony, but otherwise the OP is exactly right.

I think there's a difference between saying every criticism about Obama is about race (which some liberals do, in fact, do -- sometimes with justification, but often without) and addressing hate speech directed at one's spouse. McConnell didn't "play the race card" here -- he wasn't trying to worm out of legitimate criticism. One often "plays the race card" when one doesn't have anything else to play.

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:I think you guys are missing the OP's point. The issue is not that McConnell shouldn't have complained about the tweet, it's that this shows that there are legitimate times to "play the race card" because frequently individuals and groups act out of race. However, when liberal groups react to equally legitimate cases of racism or prejudice, they get derided for "playing the race card."

For example, just a few days ago in one of the Michelle Obama threads, I mentioned that MO was once criticized for being an angry black woman. Now, she is criticized for being a celebrity and having too much fun. The criticism has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. One of DCUM's conservatives replied to me saying, "Yeah, it's about her blackness." That same conservative is likely in agreement with McConnell. Maybe that is hypocrisy rather than irony, but otherwise the OP is exactly right.

Actually it looks like your inability to interpret sarcasm, and the posters failure to realize the age old adidge (sic) that sarcasm often falls flat over email.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it would only be sarcasm if the poster didn't think I was introducing race to the conversation. But, given my experience with that poster -- a poster that makes similar statements about race and the race card frequently -- I believe the poster actually was suggesting I was inappropriately introducing race.

jsteele wrote:I think you guys are missing the OP's point. The issue is not that McConnell shouldn't have complained about the tweet, it's that this shows that there are legitimate times to "play the race card" because frequently individuals and groups act out of race. However, when liberal groups react to equally legitimate cases of racism or prejudice, they get derided for "playing the race card."

For example, just a few days ago in one of the Michelle Obama threads, I mentioned that MO was once criticized for being an angry black woman. Now, she is criticized for being a celebrity and having too much fun. The criticism has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. One of DCUM's conservatives replied to me saying, "Yeah, it's about her blackness." That same conservative is likely in agreement with McConnell. Maybe that is hypocrisy rather than irony, but otherwise the OP is exactly right.

Actually it looks like your inability to interpret sarcasm, and the posters failure to realize the age old adidge (sic) that sarcasm often falls flat over email.

I think you guys are missing the OP's point. The issue is not that McConnell shouldn't have complained about the tweet, it's that this shows that there are legitimate times to "play the race card" because frequently individuals and groups act out of race. However, when liberal groups react to equally legitimate cases of racism or prejudice, they get derided for "playing the race card."

For example, just a few days ago in one of the Michelle Obama threads, I mentioned that MO was once criticized for being an angry black woman. Now, she is criticized for being a celebrity and having too much fun. The criticism has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. One of DCUM's conservatives replied to me saying, "Yeah, it's about her blackness." That same conservative is likely in agreement with McConnell. Maybe that is hypocrisy rather than irony, but otherwise the OP is exactly right.

I don't see the irony, either. It may be that OP is one of the many people who don't understand the meaning of the word.

No McConnell fan, but I've got his back on this one. That tweet was beyond foul.

I guess I don't understand the irony.

I'm as liberal as they come, and in general I'm no Mitch McConnell fan, but there's no doubt that he's in the right here. The original tweet is unexcusable. Situations like this can help the Republicans gain perspective on these kinds of issues.

I'm sorry Ms. Chao had to face this, and glad that she had her husband by her side to support her.

How did Republicans play the race card?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that is really offensive and I don't think it's playing the race card to say so. Is Progress Kentucky a bona fide liberal group?? I can't imagine a real liberal group would say this.

Yes they are and liberals aren't immune from racism.

Would you feel differently if she was a Muslim and the discussion was about his position on the intelligence committee?

No it is still offensive. The remark is totally offensive (and pretty juvenile / not particularly clever) regardless of what race or religion you substitute for "China".

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that is really offensive and I don't think it's playing the race card to say so. Is Progress Kentucky a bona fide liberal group?? I can't imagine a real liberal group would say this.

Yes they are and liberals aren't immune from racism.

Would you feel differently if she was a Muslim and the discussion was about his position on the intelligence committee?

Wow, that is really offensive and I don't think it's playing the race card to say so. Is Progress Kentucky a bona fide liberal group?? I can't imagine a real liberal group would say this.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/03/02/mcconnell-chao-twitter-kentucky/1959635/

This time it's Mitch McConnell, attacking this tweet referring to his wife:

This woman has the ear of @McConnellPress — she's his #wife," the group Progress Kentucky tweeted on Feb. 14. "May explain why your job moved to #China!"

The group has since apologized and removed the offending tweet, as well as receiving condemnations from the Democratic Party.


Frankly, I agree. It IS racist to assume that someone of Chinese heritage is subverting the interests of America because of that heritage. But if this was a Liberal attacked for being Muslim, African, Mexican, Lebanese, what have you - the there would be quite a discussion and I am certain we would hear that liberals pulled the "race card".

Can we agree that questioning the integrity of Americans based on their ethnic, religious, or racial heritage is just bigotry plain and simple? Can we refer back to this in the future when we have discussions about race/ethnicity/religion?