If you caught last nights hardball you were treated to a preview of what the republicans have in store for Sen. Obama if he runs for president. During a discussion of 08 presidential contenders, Sen. Obama's name was first up and without missing a beat Ed Rogers rather than spewing the usual "he's a weak liberal" talking points, just said his name. Rogers said nothing about his views on abortion, or character, or his foreign policy experience, he just said; "Barack Hussein Obama". Accept Ed, being the red neck piece of shit that he is virtually spat out every letter taking special care to place emphasis on the "Hussein" part. It was an obvious appeal to the racists and xenophobes among us, but I wonder if American's will fall for it?
Watch the clip here http://www.tpmcafe.com/...
Now this guy Ed is from my neck of the woods so I know his type I grew up with them. No matter how much they go to church and how they may cheer the black running back at the football games they are still to their very core racists. In a way I'm almost glad that the talk shows keep putting these ass clowns on TV because they are a constant reminder of what being a southern conservative really means. For me, as a black man and a southerner it is very difficult to look at Ed Rogers and Haley Barbour and not imagine them with that same cruel smile and that same praline cracking voice and not picture them chunking rocks at freedom marchers.
People like this have fought every progressive movement in the history of this country and have done so while claiming to be the defenders of the great southern culture and upholding Christian morals. Translation: "our existence is based on the premise that no matter how worthless we are we are still better than blacks. It has always been that way and no matter what we have to do, it will always be that way". Don't get me wrong there are as many racists up north as there are down here but I know these folks, I understand the way that they think. Just take a look at his physical demeanor when he mentions Obama's name. Not only is he trying to associate him with Osama and Saddam there is something deeper and far more sinister. Just look at his facial expressions and the way he mouths every syllable in his name. It's almost as if he is disgusted that a black man would even be seriously considered as a presidential candidate. Thats not an act for the camera, thats real. But why do Republicans of his ilk have to appeal to this part of our psyche?
It brings it all home when ever I see Ed Rogers. Sure he's not as polished a southerner as James Baker or as fake as Ralph Reed, but what you see is what you get, and I actually appreciate it. After getting his start in Alabama politics like Karl Rove, he moved on to be another Lee Atwater disciple. So based on his pedigree in addition to being a racist I would say he is probably just a real nasty mo-fo who has found a home in the Republican Party for a very specific reason. That is what makes me cringe when I see southern blacks like Condoleeza Rice walking around with a shit eating grin, acting as if they don't see the same thing. She knows that conservative politics are inherently damaging to her race but yet she still carries water. Remember this classic Condi Quote:
From the AP-Most people who were alive at the time would tell you they had a lot of feelings during the civil rights era. But not Condeleeza Rice. The secretary of state said she was too young and too busy to feel much of an effect from the massive social changes during the 1960s. Rice said she was only 12 or 13 and that all she did "was play the piano and ice skate." Rice said because of that, she didn’t focus much on what she now calls "the counterculture."
Now just like I probably know the type of man Ed Rogers is, I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE CONDELEEZA RICE COMES FROM, and I know that her statements are complete bullshit. If she is to be believed then while schools were blowing up and kids her age were getting attacked by police dogs and fire hosed, this fool was fucking Ice Skating around Birmingham Alabama. I would love to know what damn counterculture she is referring too? The one that got her ass the right to vote, or the one that needed the national guard just to go to school? This is why black conservatives who whine about their treatment by other blacks are not taken seriously within the black community. When issues of institutional racism and civil rights come up they can’t defend the indefensible and inevitably they end up looking like a bunch of fools. Through her acquiescence Condoleeza Rice enables people like Ed Rodgers to attack Senator Obama without appearing overtly racist. My point is this; just like we (particularly black folks) should hold ourselves accountable for legitimizing the "N" word in popular culture, we also need to hold people like Condi accountable for their own brand of social cannibalism. People who know better should stop hiding behind labels like "evangelical", and own up to what they really believe. As far as the black conservative movement is concerned, when I finally meet a real black conservative who is not an Uncle Tom then I will start taking them seriously. In the mean time we need to own up to the legacy of racism and quit trying to play shell games with the truth.