“Happy Days” Are Here Again

Obama describe himself as “skinny.” How could you forget this?

Jake – as you say, the Obama campaign hasn’t said anything like this, nor has his supporters. Calling Slate, or Bob Herbert (NYT) the entire Obama base isn’t accurate. There are always going to be a few nutballs that try to make everything about race. But the campaign itself, or its surrogates, have not ever brought this non sense up. I find it curious that you find one stupid artile in Slate (not your major magazine) and try to reflect it as if that’s how everyone feels.

dl,
You make a lot of sense. Saved me a lot of typing lol. take care.

Obambi’s going to have a tough time putting the race genie back in the bottle. He idiotically decided that playing the race card was a great idea, and now everything is “oh, and did I mention that he’s black?”
Well, no, McCain didn’t mention that you’re black, and neither did Hillary, but you have … a number of times. So, Mr. Empty Head, what is it about being black that qualifies you to be President?
Your educational and professional career seem to scream “I’m a mediocrity!”, but your skin color makes you relevant?
I don’t think so. Let’s watch the meter drop on your voter support some more. And then let’s elect a new Senator in Illinois. You can go back to being the state senator from Hyde Park.

Crying “racism” and “sexism” is an old tactic of the left used to silence legitimate criticism. Fortunately, this tired tactic has been used so often, in every possible circumstance, that it has very little meaning anymore.
Obama is skinny – Racist!
Obama has little experience – Racist!
Obama is half black – Racist!
Obama is a democrat – Racist!
One might go as far as to say crying “racist” now reflects poorly on the accuser.

I’m pretty sure there is no racial subtext to the “is he too skinny and healthy” debate, more so just a reference to him being too “elitist.” The uppity discussion, however, has obvious racial undertones considering that McCain’s similar positioning is not being judged the same way, but again, I hardly think it’s purposeful. What I find so interesting is that so many people think a racial discussion is what should be off the table – as though people shouldn’t be permitted to explore the possible undertones that are obviously present because of Obama’s race. We’ve got someone other than a white-haired white guy running, so, guess what, some things that might not have garnered attention or explanation before are going to now. Same goes for when Clinton was running. Of course discussions of Obama’s figures shouldn’t be off the table, nothing should be, including perfectly reasonable inquires into the racial context of statements made about Obama.

Um Jake, haven’t you heard Obama try to make out McCain into a racist?
That’s not “his campaign”, that’s the candidate himself.
Is this why Barry was selected to run, that his skin color would insulate him from any criticism?

I believe part of the problem that causes people to see “racism” in everything is that people don’t have an actual understanding of what racism is.
Too many people have been led to believe that saying anything (unless it’s glowing praise) about anyone who isn’t white is somehow racist.

Hey Jake where is a post for the Republicans in congress standing up for Americans to get get lower gas prices at the pump, while the Dems play politics with it after they take their vacations while Americans lose their jobs and/or can not afford to go on vacation them selves.

Pretty soon, “black” is going to be a code word for “anal retentive.”
Wow, people need to lighten up.
Obama is just another guy and if you can’t rib him about his weight without being flailed alive as a racist, then America is in a whole world of hurt.
The thing is, Obama’s camp are the one’s who are encouraging this over-reaction, therefore giving their candidate a teflon complexion where nothing, absolutely nothing, can stick to him. It worked with Clinton but McCain is challenging the notion that this candidate can’t be criticized.
Bob

Some commentators — not the Obama campaign, mind you, but their supporters in the blabbocracy — are trying to take entire subjects of discussion off the table by insinuating there is a racial subtext.
THIS DISQUALIFIER MEANS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR FOOLS GOLD. Why is bumbling old man who forgets what he says from one week to the next so far off the table?
More fodder from the media blabbocracy

I saw that column, and I concluded it HAD to be a joke, because surely, the writer wasn’t serious.
I’m pretty tired of being told that, if I don’t like Obama (particularly as I am a liberal) then it must be b/c I’m racist. Can it be his inexperience, his arrogance, his flipflopping? Nope, it’s his skin color, say the zealous ones on Huffington Post.

The Slate article sounds to me like a stretch.
But google “the brute caricature” and you might find some parallels with some of the imagery slipped in there by Republican talking heads, especially Pat Buchanan who recently compared Senator Obama to a bull being taunted by a matador in one of his columns.

Obama is the one who keeps bringing up the fact that he is “skinny.” All of that, “I may be skinny, but I am tough” stuff. Character on Happy Days was “Sticks.”

I’m tired of this paralysis by over racial analysis.
Who cares if it’s true or not?
Just another distraction from the fact that John McCain doesn’t speak for his own campaign.

Seems like a discussion about ANYTHING hurts Obama. The more discussion, the more he is revealed as a big-talking grievance prince who would throw away the things that have made this country great for 2 centuries. You know, little things like capitalism, self-reliance and personal responsibility.

Discussion of Obama’s tremendous self-regard
What evidence do you have of “Obama’s tremendous self-regard” in relation to other politicians? You have to be a little full of yourself to run for political office, surely you as a political reporter must have seen this in every person you have covered. Are you suggesting that McCain somehow is a humble man who doesn’t have a huge ego?

Let’s have a law similar to Godwin’s Law from the Usenet days. Godwin’s Theorem is that the longer a discussion goes on any topic, the probability someone will be compared to Hiter approaches 1 (a certainty for the Harvard business grads here).
We are announcing Obama’s Law: the longer a discussion of Obama’s failure to get higher poll numbers go or any discussion of a flaw in Obama’s campaign goes, the probability of someone being called a racist approaches 1 (a certainty for the Harvard grads here).
The penalty for violating Godwin’s law ais the violator is immediately pronounced the loser and the thread stops. The penalty for violating Obama’s Law is the person is disqualified from voting in November and has to scrub Laura Bush’s kitchen floor in Crawford.
Like the death penalty, it should reduce recurrence and recidivism.

It still amazes me that the Republicans after being in power the last 8 years, have the nerve to try and change the debate from real important issues challenging America right now and if not rectified will send America down the road of history like ancient Rome.
I for one want dialog pertaining to the issues, not lies, distortions, character assasination and Paris/Britney.
We should expect and demand more from our politicians. The I don’t care attitude gave America 8 years of Bush. We can’t afford to sleep in this election.
Obama 08

People are getting over sensitive with the racial stuff. And its not good, because when someone actually says, does something racist, which I predict is bound to happen between now and november, the media reaction is going to have people rolling there eyes because they will have heard people cry wolf once too often.
Bill Clinton’s South Catrolina comment about Jesse Jackson at least sounded racist, because Clinton seemed to be suggesting Obama won that State because of the color of his skin. Beyond that I have not yet heard much truly racist happen. Maybe some of the Jeremiah Wright furore was caused by a lack of racial understanding, on both sides. But I don’t really think it descended into racism. Wright was making some fair criticisms of America, albeit in inflammatory language, and some of the response to Wright took him toooo literally. Right now thoughI say get on with looking at policy and issues of character, and leave race out of the race.

>>>Elitist:
“I don’t care attitude gave America 8 years of Bush. We can’t afford to sleep in this election.”
___________
I DIDN’T vote for Bush….
But because I agree we can’t afford to sleep through this election….
I WON’T be voting for Barack!
I like a man who finishes one job before he begins another.
The only things Obama has completed were the two semi-autobiographical novels loosely fashioned after his life and well written albeit untrue… sort of a/la James Frey.
In Chicago, we stil have low rent housing developments begun when he was a state senator about nine years ago. which are still in the development stage.
In fact, the only thing which has risen in Chicago … has been the sales tax…. and that takes the cake for now being the highest in the country!
In the senate, he has still to call a meeting for his Afghanistan/ UN committee.
I like a President who has accomplished something more than just hiring a great campaign organizer… otherwise, we can just electe Axelrod…
HILLARY OR MCCAIN
BUT ALWAYS…
COUNTRY BEFORE BROKEN DOWN DNC PARTY