'Watermelon Roll': More Racism from 'Team Sarah'

There is something very ugly happening out there in the hinterlands these days--a brewing cauldron of racist anger being directed at President-elect Barack Obama as he and his family get ready to move into the White House. It's a mean-spirited bigotry that is finding its way onto the internet and right-wing blogs across the country. It makes for a troubling portrait of a significant cross-section of the American polity as Obama prepares to take the oath of office as the 44th President of these United States.

Nowhere have these tendencies been more out-front and prominent than at TeamSarah.org, a website organized by "a coalition of women dedicated to advancing the values that Sarah Palin represents in the political process." Men, according to an exclamatory notice, are welcome, too.

The web site is funded--and hosted--by the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund Project, a national right-wing, pro-life Political Action Committee headed up by one Marjorie Dannenfelser, an ardent pro-life advocate. I know about Dannenfelser and the Susan B. Anthony group because earlier this year, the San Francisco Chronicle pitted Ms. Dannenfelser and me against each other in an op-ed page debate over the qualifications of Governor Palin to speak for families with special-needs children. Needless to say, Ms. Dannensfelser championed the activities of Governor Palin in this regard, while I did not. I have a special needs child and I find the idea of Palin speaking on my child's behalf an absolute outrage. No friend of special needs families is she.

So I was not surprised to find that the Anthony group was behind the Team Sarah web site. According to Ms. Dannenfelser "Team Sarah was formed to capitalize off the enthusiasm of the Palin Vice Presidential candidacy with the goal of reaching women voters and urging them to support John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin. Our goal was to win the Election. Several prominent women are involved with the project, including D.C. veteran Barbara Comstock, former First Lady candidate Jeri Thompson, FRC Action Vice President Connie Mackey, and actress Janine Turner, formerly (appropriately) of Northern Exposure." Now they are carrying the banner of Palin for President in 2012. (According to their website, membership is 62,639 and counting.)

Nor was I surprised when I went to the site to find all sorts of pro-life and anti-abortion links, with lots of Christian hyperbole. There are also links to "Catholics for Sarah," "Christians for Sarah," and, of course, obligatory links to Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. There's also a good amount of "clinging to our guns and our religion" in rhetoric that sounds straight out of the 17th century.

You can even find out why so many people hate Sarah Palin--"Her husband is a masculine hottie ," writes Dana. "Now I'm a straight guy, but I know when a guy is hott and Todd is hott. [sic] The left usually views masculine hotties as wife beaters who oppress their woman." Okay. And you are correct to presume that spelling and grammar do not seem to be highly valued on the site. (And, because of that, all spelling from the site is left exactly as it appears.)

There's also an incessant whine about the left-wing media bashing Palin, especially on the Huffington Post. Says Ronald: "Most people (like the media) who try to make others believe that Sara is dumb and stupid or inexperienced actually fear her because of her faith and goodness." So that's it.

But what's interesting is that there are actually more blog topics about "Obama" than about "Palin." Of course, Obama's citizenship, birth certificate, and alleged Muslim upbringing are constantly questioned, along with his youthful drug use (though funny, Palin's admitted use of marijuana is not, and we won't even mention Levi Johnston's mother). There are also a lot of references to Obama being the anti-Christ: "He is the antichrist sent here to destroy America. Nobody knows who he is or where he was born."

And then there's some plain, downright nastiness and plenty of good ol' fashioned racism that, well, certainly doesn't sound Christian, if you catch my drift. When a blogger named James asks if anybody has bought the new Obama coins, SavantNoir responds: "[Y]es James, and i melted it down to see the look of agnoy on his face, made it a BB pellet and shot it into a pile of shit."

On one blog Heather describes Election Day as the "most terrible" in history and asks "how long until obama is shot??????" Josie responds: "There are plenty of people that would like to see Obama end that way."

Nice. Then there's the "Obama the Snowman" song:

Obama the Snowman

Was a very scary soul
With a marijuana pipe
And two eyes made out of skoal
Obama the Snowman
Is a Kenyan they say
He liked his white nose snow
But the Americans know
How he stole their country one day

And guess what? It sounds exactly like the kind of racist remarks that were being sent recently on State of Alaska government emails.

Under a post entitled "Police prepare for RIOTS," by one BarbaraJo, one concerned blogger named Tommygun responded:

"For people in urban/Obama areas--do this now: 1. Stock up on some basic supplies--food, health and hygiene, water, etc. 2. Keep track of where your family members are. 3. Work up meeting points in your community for your family (different spots in town where members are to go if problems occur). 4. Check and prepare any weapons you may have."

In response, a blogger named Johnny got more to the point:

"Well niggers will occasionally chimp out like this, am I right?"

While several Team Sarah members condemned that particular post, it's remnants are still up on the web site.

Then there's the probing political analysis you can find on Team Sarah:

"Funny thing, when voters are offered the chance, they always vote to ban gay marriage. What I really find hilarious though, is the gays supported Barry Obama in force. And yet, thanks to Barry's "blackness" the negroes came out in force in California to vote for him! And negroes are pretty conventional when t comes to values. Most are rather conservative, which is why I can't understand for the life of me why the vote for democrats."

There's also a lot of Michelle Obama bashing, too, where she is often referred to as "Bitchelle." Take this current thread:

GaryP: This Obama worship has got to stop! Politico is now saying that since Michelle "gave up so much", that she should get a salary as well!

Biruta: She should be paid millions of counterfeit money, just as fake as her husband and as worthless as herself.

AmericanDog: Pay her the sum of $1.oo and then tax her at the rate of 53 % to appease her husbands new tax plans. And she would still be over paid.......

Ava M: I have never actually HATED anyone in politics before now....She is stupid, mean, power hungry, manipulative, corrupt, essentially ignorant--a poster girl for Institutionalized Black Racism and Agression, a take-no-prisoners warrior for Political Correctnes aka Socialist Realism and a racially driven Communist fellow traveller. Let her go run an African country. She doesn't fit in here with the American People.

Apparently, she, like her husband, isn't one of us. Sound familiar?

Then there was the musing about the Obama Inaugural, first reported in the Alaska Dispatch by its fine reporter, Amanda Coyne:

Wendell: I just can't wait to see the Inaugeral ball... I heard the Presidential Waltz will be replaced by Barack and Michelle "Crumpin".

tami: I am sure michelle will dance like a horse

Wendell: followed by the new cabinet break dancing...

Christopher: Not trying to get too racial, but I have never met a black woman who could not dance.

tommykb3grz: the 4th of july watermellon roll on the south lawn

Wendell: a 4-inch diameter Presidential Seal in gold hanging from Obama's neck

Surely, by now, you get the point. And just when you think you've seen it all, "Team Sarah" member Jarhead comes up with this:

"Aside form Obama being an utter Moron I suppose he is a nice enough person. I personally put his happy little smile on every Terrorist face in Rainbow six [a video game], just before my cross hairs line up..."

So much for Christian charity. As for Sarah Palin herself, she has yet to officially sign up for the web site, though she did send a note to the founders of the organization. "I received the packet of letters through Team Sarah and am inspired!," she wrote. "Thank you for all you are doing for women, families, children... America!"

Comments

[Justaride999]

For more information about Bill Collier, moderator and "Community Governance Advisor" at Team Sarah, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epHLQmDwQlE

(see also the video description)

and also this link:

http://operationpiedpiper.blogspot.com/

Another rant by Bill Collier:

http://www.tindeck.com/audio/fileshack/d/dicy-tmp72034.mp3

Ralph Benko, author of the "Webster's Dictionary", is the creator of Team Sarah - hidden in the beckground (officially in news reports, the creator is a woman called Marjorie Dannenfelser):

http://networkcreators.ning.com/notes/Social_networking_for_politics

+++

A chat conversation between Bill Collier and Kelly S from Team Sarah was recently intercepted which included highly interesting inside information:

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3050872&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=30

(scroll down on page)

Screenshots here:

http://s419.photobucket.com/albums/pp275/MisterClean123/

[elsa12]

If you google Team Sarah¨/banned, or something akin to that, you will now find over the past few days quite a few bloggers who have picked up on this story. It would be nice to see some of the people who were banned tell their side of things.

[Internet0Ninja]

i was a member but not because i like team sarah...i actually dont like sarah at all. but i went on the site to check out the 'other side of things' and it was horrible...i hadnt been on in a long time until recently only to find out ive been banned and i didnt even do anything. anyway one person definately worth checking out is tara rogers. shes one of the worst ppl on there and im pretty sure shes the one that got me banned. shes one of the die hard christian anti-abortionists....its psychotic really. she even quoted me in one of her bashing forums...although that was for something that had nothing to do with politics really

[JulieSA]

"But what's interesting is that there are actually more blog topics about "Obama" than about "Palin." "

Pot, meet kettle. HuffPo has a whole Big News page dedicated to Palin-bashing threads. I see more Palin stories here than I do on conservative blogs.

[JulieSA]

Before HuffPo started moderating comments, there was a huge amount of anti-semitism here, as well as threats of violence against the president. Some of that stuff still sneaks through. I hope the Secret Service is monitoring the HuffPo threads about Bush leaving DC--there're some really awful comments there.

There are anti-jew sites within the Obama campaign's own website. Unfortunately, large sites usually have a certain amount of trash that needs to be dealt with, some of it because of sabotage.

I'm a member of TeamSarah, though i don't really participate. I hope they're able to keep after the saboteurs, and also be open-minded to secular members, if this is the problem some commenters here are saying it is.

[Pro-LifeFeminist]

I don't suppose that -- if these stories are true and not just another attempt to discredit the site -- that out of over 63,000 members there might still be many "fake" members who are stirring up trouble, who haven't been kicked off yet and are all thinking that they're "outing" the actual members?

And again, even if they are actual members -- condemning an entire community on the actions of a few...

I'm sure that there is never any conservative Christian-bashing, or bashing of women with many children, or bashing gun owners, or bashing home-schoolers, or bashing pro-life activists, or bashing Hummer drivers...

(Oh, and I only belong to 3 of those groups, but I don't bash the others -- well, except maybe the Hummer drivers -- cuz it ain't polite.)

Just check out Team Sarah without baiting, and you will find a lot of people who may have different political views than you, but do a lot of good in their communities, are working hard to raise their kids in a better world, and think all racism, oppression, and intolerance are wrong. (And yes I would be one of them!)

[elsa12]

I personally do not condemn the entire Team Sarah community. The problem is that there are a few bad apples, who love to hang out in the forums, who are very vocal, and who truly do attack anyone who would not subscribe to the letter of every word that the zealots believe.

I recall an example...I remember someone whose screen name was Psychideath ( how could anyone forget that one!). His posts were always interesting and intelligent. However, he was a self-professed atheist. Wow! Was he attacked by the zealots! If they were not trying to save his soul, they were aggressively responding to his posts and telling him that it was not possible for him to be a real conservative. The idea that an atheist was among them was too much for some to take. I hope he is still there.

But I think what has happened on the site, as happens with many sites , is a strong paranoia. They are so worried that people might infiltrate and twist things, that they don't recognize the actual bad apples among them. Those members who report everyone for ideas and opinions are the trolls. At least they should be considered the equivalent because they are terrified of dissent of their opinion. That is very un-conservative like behavior. Just think Ann Coulter! Conservatives have enough problems between the fairness doctrine and the media banning popular conservative authors without conservatives banning other conservatives because they are not, perhaps, Evangelicals.

[nicole473]

It sounds as though you do not believe that racism amongst the republican, far rightwing teamsarah community is credible.

Please.

I would venture to say that it would not take sabotage for that site to contain an enormous number of truly racist people.

And, as Mr. Dunn pointed out, some of it sounds very like the racist emails circulating in ALaska government accounts.

[Garrett123]

I have been having a blast on that site lately as an uber cracker and I have many many supporters and 'friends' there who share my "cracker ideals." It seems the crazier I get the more support I get. I don't think they have a line I can cross, it is pretty freaky over there at TS. Those people are so far over the line already they don't need urging or prodding they are racist sexist and jingoistic to the core as they have proven publicly it seems odd that they are afraid of being outed.

[tech4u2hire]

Did you read the headline of this article??? 'Watermelon Roll': More Racism from 'Team Sarah'
And the term uber-cracker.... that is not racist? Or is it OK because as a four year old would say... they started it? Why is it that you can't just move on? You have to go over to that site and start trouble by attempting to bait people.In baiting people you are just perpetuating hate, and most of the people who pipe up when you bait, are just there trying to stir things up so they will have some sort of comment to continue to slander the people in that chat.
It is truly sad that you do not have anything better to do with your time and energy. Perhaps you could use your time to do some sort of charity work... here is a link to a site that should help you find a way to serve your community more productively http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/. If you think it is fun to perpetuate racism, then I suggest that you are just as bad as a klansman in a hood burning a cross. Stop perpetuating hate!! Oh and remember that generalizations are weak forms of argument, there are always people who do not fit within the little box you draw for them.

[trishthiel]

I have popped in and read over there a few times.

I see a lot of narrow-minded zealots, and paranoia also too.

[Pro-LifeFeminist]

elsa12 --

Well, see -- here's the thing -- it's easy to make these accusations based on a few instances that occurred *before* the "crackdown" on the infiltrators.

This is a fledgling organization that is having "growing pains" as it tries to juggle the opinions of over 63,000 people. Right now, they are relying on what I think is a skeleton crew of mostly volunteers.

As a somewhat conservative Christian myself, I see what you mean about how there are some members who are sometimes overly vocal and firmly stand their ground on their beliefs. That's their right -- but I wouldn't say that those who have disagreed with them have been summarily thrown out.

And I think to portray the moderators as intolerant is unfair. They are only removing those members who violate the Terms of Use and community standards, not simply those who express differing opinions. And there have been people who were removed in error who made an appeal, and they were reinstated with an apology.

Any cause will have strange bedfellows -- some are better at sharing the covers than others -- that doesn't mean that an entire community should be condemned.

As for the statement that a conservative has now become a liberal based on her experience at Team Sarah, I find it highly improbable and more than likely the writings of someone who is seeking to discredit a group they oppose.

[elsa12]

How did Shantee violate the Terms of Use? I read that thread and there was nothing insulting or questionable about Shantee's post. The reaction of some was what was questionable.

Yet, Team Sarah moderators removed both the thread as well as Shantee as a member. Why?

[topdocjim]

Well, I looked in on Teamsarah.org again this morning. It seems that the thread from "Shantee," protesting the thinly - and sometimes not at all - veiled racial comments are still inaccessible due to technical problems, or as they phrase it:

"Uh-oh!

Sorry! This app has encountered a serious problem and can't continue. The problem has been noted for the developer to fix."

Shantee's humble and well-intentioned questioning of Teamsarah's many racially-motivated comments has been removed, it would seem, as well as my - and many others' - rather subdued responses. It would appear they don't have the technical expertise to get rid of all traces, and you can still see parts of comments in response.

People like this have done the impossible: they have turned a serious conservative (me) into a serious liberal. That doesn't happen every day. People like this CANNOT ever be in power again. EVER.

[elsa12]

Yes, but that is not all. They have removed some 90 people.

I read some of their comments and in no way were they all infiltrators. Many were just honest conservatives with a slightly different viewpoint from the zealots. But they are so paranoid over there that anyone who does not march lock step with them "must" be a spy!!!

[Pro-LifeFeminist]

Well, as a member of Team Sarah (altho not an official spokesperson) I am happy to report that the racist comments like those listed above were from sources who were attempting to besmirch the site by violating the Terms of Use and community standards.

TS documented a group of at least 90 invaders who were plotting to post racist remarks and radical, over-the-top content in an attempt to discredit the site, to get members fighting each other, and to make it difficult to function as a community. This was not just suspicion. There was irrefutable evidence.

Thankfully the site has added more moderators and taken other measure to ensure that Team Sarah remains the place it was meant to be -- an open forum to discuss respectfully the future of Sarah Palin and other conservatives in the political arena.

If one truly feels that their position is right, an honest debate will allow that position to prevail -- why would anyone need to resort to sabotage?

I honestly wish those who had tried to infiltrate the site would take all that energy and devote it to volunteering their time to those in need -- positive actions make a more positive world.

[elsa12]

...OK. By many others...many others!, called Hitchens essentially a Godless heathen and did not care what he had to say. Needless to say, those few brave people, including atheist conservatives, who do not follow an extreme religious viewpoint, are constantly attacked by the zealots.

Team Sarah has seemingly now removed some 90 people from the site and the Forums...all because a handful of religious zealots can't stand dissent. In light of Ann Coulter being recently banned from NBC, Team Sarah should be ashamed...they ( the moderators and a few forum people) are not real conservatives...just fanatics who can't support their narrow view of the world without a Bible passage. Even with a Bible passage, the fanatics of the site do not have the smarts to defend conservatism with logic.

In short, I can understand why Sarah Palin has not endorsed the site personally. These loud fanatical voices are not good for her candidacy. Yet, don't try telling that to the handful of crazies on the site...unfortunately, the moderators and admins of Team Sarah seem to share their views.

[nicole473]

Oh, yeah. I would truly love to see that "documentation", because it's existence does not ring true.

Oh, and how exactly do you define a "pro-life feminist"? I find the two terms to be at odds.

[elsa12]

Team Sarah as an organization is well intentioned. I supported Sarah Palin and still do. I think she a very viable conservative candidate for any office.

That being said, I think the moderators and some of the group think masquerading as conservatism at TeamSarah is way off base. I have read numerous posts by people who feel that conservatism is essentially policy driven. I agree with that and consider any viable, sound, conservative a plus to the conservative movement. Certain members at team Sarah however seem to feel that only if you subscribe to their brand of Christian conservatism, well, you are not only not a true conservative bu also not a good Christian.

I have seen good members who spoke intelligently and wonderfully for conservatism thrown off the Team Sarah site for daring to disagree with this small groups of zealots. If it were only other forum posters I could say, "Who cares?", but it seem the moderators must share that zealotry or else those good conservatives would still be there.

I left Team Sarah for this reason. I don't think they represent modern conservatism. They are stuck in the dark ages where only an Evangelical Christian should dare call themselves conservative or Republican.

[topdocjim]

Teamsarah.org is a pretty amazing place. I don't know whether it is more amusing or chilling to browse the posts on this Website. I've never seen a more deluded - and generally provincial and ignorant - group of individuals.

A couple of days ago, a black teenager named Shantee posted a mild protest of the racially tainted letters on the site and was met with cries of, "Troll!" and "Don't respond to her!"

Well, I responded, and this morning I see that the whole thread is "inaccessible" due to some "technical issues." Yeah, right. Keep the delusions rolling, boys and girls - Sarah is exactly who liberals want for the Republican nominee in 2012; the only problem will be that her entry will depress the level of debate so much that it won't be any fun.

[LNA]

This is disappointing. But its not limited to right wing sites. You can find the same thing on so called democratic sites. For example, a few remnants of the PUMA's left the site hillaryclintonforum.net and went over to a new site called hillarysvillage.net

The old site decided that once the election was over, a civil discussion of politics would be better. Those who couldn't stand the new direction went to a new site where you can find plenty of comments on Obama being a Muslim, terrorist, ruining the country, etc. They have somehow managed to pair Hillary Clinton with Sarah Palin when the only thing they had in common is they both were opponents of Obama at some point.

It's the same drivel, just under a different name. The Sarah Palin site might as well be the HIllary's Village site.

[robXdion]

You're on the right track. Whites have to address this madness to other whites since so many can't handle such lectures from blacks. It's to the point blacks have to deny their very identity, history and essence just to help some whites feel comfortable in their presence.

[ericmiami]

If I had a tutoring business, I'd advertise my English and spelling classes on teamsarah.org

[Pragmatus]

Alas you would get no takers. To these folks "grammar" is the old woman they keep out in the woodshed.
.

[postman606]

They have kicked me off twice in the last three days, I don't get it.