Do They Really Want To Play The Mi-chelle Game?
"Obama's Baby Mama?" The pound she shared with her husband that was really a "terrorist fist jab?" When she thinks nobody's listening she loves to use the pejorative "whitey?" C'mon, do the Reactionary Regressives really want to shape the campaign on demonizing Barack Obama's wife Michelle?
They might as well take out a full page ad in the Weekly Standard announcing: EEH, WE GOT NOTHING
First off, demonizing the potential first lady; didn't they try that with Hillary Clinton? All that got them was eight years of Bill in the White House, and eventually Mrs. C as Senator from New York. Seriously, before the far Right Retro Guard gets too far down that road they might want to move on to Plan D.
Does the Right really want to go after a politician's wife? Remember what Dick Nixon was able to do with Pat's cloth coat. Stand back from the pillar of fire that's gonna rain from on high when Barack unleashes all his oratorical powers and smites the transgressors who dare...transgress the sanctity of his marriage.
Short of that, stand back when Michelle does Oprah and they get to crying and all the soccer moms recall repressed gender memories of how much they can't stand woman-bashing.
But to bring it all back home: Obama's Baby Mama? Somewhere, even Don Imus is shaking his head in disgust. Did no one at that Fox Chyron department know how to spell "Negress?" And I want to be very careful here not to denigrate "baby mamas." I'm not getting bent over how other people form their relationships. But what galls is the idea that to them -- to them -- married, single, with children or without all back women are the same and good for one thing: no more consideration than black women have gotten from Tom Jefferson through Strom Thurmond and right up to the aforementioned Imus.
And you think the Right would have learned something from the Imus affair. You think they would have learned what it looks like when the wagons circle and indignation -- be it righteous or faux pious -- rises up.
Clearly they have not.
So, keep on, I say, playing your Mi-chelle game. Keep on demonstrating that you've got nothing to say about the economy or the dollar or an energy policy. Health care or immigration. The war, National Security. Keep on putting into full effect that you are bereft of any idea that is any deeper than flicking a finger at a man's Mrs.
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Phenomenal article, John Ridley! You have manged to put the majority of my arguments down in prose. I have long asked myself: Is it just me or does it seem like Obama's contenders are intent on attacking the character and words of everyone but Barack Obama himself? I am not sure what this says. Are they lacking sufficient material to directly challenge Barack's person? Do they not have courage to directly challenge him? This guilt by association and/or analogy is getting old. I realize he is an upstanding guy, but let's challenge the actual man who is running for the office of presidency.
Reasonisky, I think they lack sufficient material to directly challenge Obama's person. His books reveal the author to be a man whose idea of doing good in the world is recognizable to regular folks. I don't think anyone who's read them would disagree. Such a leader isn't often seen this close to the White House, and unlike a rare sighting of the American Bald Eagle, this is an opportunity for each of us to do something to support the good of all Americans. I'm spending part of my summer supporting Obama's candidacy, and at fifty I'm ashamed to say I've never done such a thing before. The Michelle Game was the last straw.
(I don't include Corporations in "all Americans" - they don't even keep their money in America, let alone pay for its upkeep. Perhaps that will change.)
They couldn't disparage the character of Michael Dukakis either, who had led an unblemished life.
So they trotted out Willie Horton instead. That's how it works.
If a group of blacks heard another black using the term "whitey" as a racial slur, they would look at the person like she was from out of space.
Yep! Who says that? Nobody!
I aaume the only people who say that are those who don't actually know any black people and therefore assume that's how black people talk..
It's extremely 60's. Nobody talks like that anymore.
By the way, is anybody keeping track of just how many times the N-word has been heard floating around Faux News? I'll bet O'Reilly and Hannity have done it a few times. It'd be interesting to see that on YouTube.
One really has to wonder about Cindy?
When she appeared on the Tonight Show and was asked about how she and John met her response was --
"He kind of chased me around ... an hors d'oeuvre table." "I was trying to get something to eat and I thought, 'You know, this guy's kind of weird.'"
So her first impression was what? That he was some kind of middle aged lecher? Of course the follow on question that might have been asked was --- And at what point did you find out that he was a middle aged lecher with a wife? And what exactly did you think of him then?
I keep asking and I don't get an answer. What do we know about Cindy Hensley McCain between the age of 18 to 25? We know she went to USC. But what experiences would make a rich, attractive single woman of 25, want to marry an old dude of 43, who was married (with children)?
Again I ask, "Are there any real reporters out there anymore?"
May Tim Russert RIP.
It's the wrong question. Don't go down that road.
John McCain -- not Cindy -- is the subject. Period. Period. Period.
Something is said about MO and you go right to Cindy McCain. That has nothing to do with an article on MO. Actually you have two woman to crucify now.....Ci
Rise Hillary Rise......
Is that all they've got? Baby mama? Pretty childish. I think the only people paying attention will be a few red necks and the Klu Klux Klan.
Which pretty much describes the viewership of Fox News.
...and the "Reagan Democrats," who vote.
This is one of the best posts I've read in a long time.
Kudos.
You know all of this crap started when Michelle mentioned that this was the first time she was proud of her country. Let me tell you guys, I would not have said that in front of millions of viewers, but there was not a single thing wrong with what she said. I think you have to see this from her view point; as a black woman living in a country that, let's face it, has not been completely fair with African Americans. Sure, sure, sure she has graduated from the finest schools, and is married to a U.S. senator, but we don't know how people have treated her outside of that. In a country that has had 246 years of slavery, 95 years of Jim Crow laws, and then those rediculous "Separate but Equal" laws, how about we give her a pass on a few things that have come out of her mouth.....
Michelle said what many of us haven't felt since JFK. I have been especially ashamed of my country during the Bush years and in a slow burn ever since being discharge in '69. We were pissed on when we came back from Vietnam and so found our own peace by just getting quietly on with our lives. So good for you Michelle and piss on all these fake FOX patriots.
If she is so ashamed of America, why is she collecting 300K in salary? Many people who make it like she has, getting a superior education from one of the nation's premiere universities, know that it is the opportunities this country has to offer, despite the flaws of its government, that make one proud of it...her comments sounded spiteful, bitter and resentful, and has been demonstrated over and over, this is a pattern with this woman...we don't need spiteful people as first ladies.
What Ms. Obama actually said was that for the first time in her adult life, she was REALLY proud of her country. The fact that the news stations and other videos keep cutting out the word "really" REALLY pisses me off. One can be consistently proud of one's country or family, but especially or "really" proud when a specific action or event warrants it.
WELL SAID, thank you.
Actually, she said it without the "really" first, then later in the day "really" was added. I'm an Obama supporter, just putting it out like it happened.
Listen,
Either you want to know the truth and speak the truth or you want to spread lies and crap. That comment by Michelle was in the context of her facing a very large crowd and she was speaking about how proud she was seeing so many people involved in the electoral process. And this year there were record numbers of people involved in the primary race in some areas the percentage of voters have doubled, we've had the highest percentage of Democrats going out to the polls in decades.
That is what she meant by being proud for the first time. And I stand in complete agreement with her. I have never been prouder of the American public than I have been this election season seeing so many people engaged.
Your comment is full of it and twisting what Michelle meant. You know it and I know it. So grow up and quit the playing the GOP game of political personal destruction. You're adding nothing to the conversation.
She said REALLY proud! which means she has been proud, but felt at the time more proud.
Not she had NEVER been proud before.
Like most of this BS it only works if you misquote her.
Thank you...even the so called "reporters" cleverly leave out the part where she said "really proud of my country"
This is the best you got? Even Laura Bush gets it, and if the FIRST LADY Gets it, why not anyone else?
Someone needs to report foxnews watch suggesting all black women on tv are Angry. They gave examples. Never heard Hillary being refered to as an angry white woman.
Because she wasn't and never has been...the
I love Maya Angelou. Now there is a woman who has gone through hell and come back stronger, more vibrant than ever. She is TRUE hope and inspiration incarnate.
Maybe angry means something different to you, but I think most black women can rummage through their experience and work up some indignation over the cruel and insensitive treatment they've gotten in this world. There's plenty of that kind of treatment in this world for us all, but when the game is rigged against you, you just get so much more of it, and it's relentless.
The language from the right is designed to erode our expectation of fair dealing. It falls to us to defend this principle, as it's hard to refute its fundamental rightness. All they have is the schoolyard taunt and the fear of the other. Go Obama '08!
Yeah, they are trying to paint a picture. Problem is they aren't artist.
where is all the feminist outrage at how michelle is being treated??I guess it only counts when its a white woman!
Not true. Feminists have and will continue to fight both sexism and racism. There are discussions on Hillary supporting blogs right now about the sexism and racism Michelle faces.
Take a look at other sites besides HuffPo before you claim feminists only care about white women.
On the same general topic- on an ABC News story about Obama's new anti-smear website, George Stephanopoulos was asked to weigh in on the subject, and he actually said that the "they're" (the Obamas) had been, or were being, "COLORED BY" something or other. I heard George say "they're colored...
Just BEFORE that had been a segment with a short interview with a psychiatrist or psychologist, who said that Obama should have started reacting against the various smears and lies sooner than he did, basically because of the principle of the power of first impressions.
Then Stephanopoulos puts in that part of a sentence "they're colored...
I can't believe George would be so stupid as to refer by ACCIDENT to the Obamas with the words "they're colored" (or "They've been colored"- I don't have the exact quote.) He's literate- a different phrase cold have been chosen, such as "they've been affected" or something.
Geez, Louise,consider the source, will ya?
This is exactly what Michelle Obama meant: this is not a colorblind country, particularly when a benign phrase is interpreted thru, well, race-tinted glasses.
Now if Hannity the Insanity said it with the satanic twinkle in his eye and the "I'm smarter than you" smirk on his face, I'd hafta agree with you.
I'm sure if someone with a sense of humor had caught that and pointed it out to George, he would have turned red and defended himself unnecessarily.
By the way, another awesome post, Mr. Ridley.
And is there a chance we could strap Michelle Malkin to the next space shuttle when it takes off? She's about useful as a twelfth toe with a fungal infection.
"it sounded like a subtle racial slur to me"
You think he may have meant "jaded" , but in a more normal time "colored" is a perfectly acceptable way to express "jaded". Boy, the sensitivity is so great around anything about race now that we are going to have an interesting ride until the GE. Just look at what they did to Bill Clinton...
OT
take a look at this flow chart and let me know if anyone has the same problem with it that I do:
http://www
(hint: it has to do with a certain "F" falling under the axis of "Earnest News")
.
The problem with the 'whitey' assertion is that you can tell that a white person made it up after referencing too many blaxploitation films from the 70's . No black person and I do mean no black person not stuck in some 70's timewarp still wearing Nik-Niks and platform shoes would use the term 'whitey'.
.
Hmmm...I overheard some kids saying it on the subway the other day...gues
seems to me that you are the one living in the fantasy world.....
for actually claiming Hillary is NOT an angry white woman!!
talk about deluded.
hmmmm, were they Black kids? No Black person uses that word, it's a goddamn 60's-70's circa slang term. Nobody uses that word, except maybe Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.
Last time I heard it used by a black person was in the Wesley Willis song "Kill Whitey" ~ considering his other songs include some brilliant titles such as "I wupped Batman's ass" and "Torture Demon Hell Ride" and the man had schizophrenia, I wouldn't read too much into it.
I used to work for an artist who made collages out of old magazines. One of my favorites was a portrait he did of a friend with a giant Afro. He combined the portrait with a blue plastic afro pick and a phrase cut out from this old Look magazine: "What's Cookin, Whitey?"
That was retro humor in the '80s. Perhaps NTO was in a magic time-traveling subway car.
Are you sure they were saying "whitey" or were they saying "White T"? I ask because it is common to refer to white t-shirts. There is even a song about it. No one in this decade uses the term "whitey" anymore.
I suggest that we ignore it and keep hammering on what the issues are. Universal Healthcare, the economy, the dollar, jobs, Labels are stupid and disgusting. It turned me off the Obama camp with respect to Hillary, and it will turn me off anyone who does it to the Obama's as well. So, did Michelle says those things? Whitey? Well, what of it? I am *white* apparently. People speak about *black* , *black man* and more all the time, especially with respect to Obama now. I do not care one whit whether or not he is *black*, no matter with what intent it is used, or by whom. What I care about is what will Obama and Mchelle do for this country, how will it affect me, will we get Universal Healthcare, will the dollar recover, will we be able to make a dent in our debt? All that is fair game. I do not like Obama's healthcare plan. Insurers keep too much of a stake in it, which will mean people with preexisting conditions will still not be able to work, and cost us money, people opting out of this universal healthcare plan will make the plan not viable, so there is no universal healthcare plan. Michelle should make up her mind what she will do as first lady, and how she will go about that, then discuss it. As for possible personal attacks, I suggest raising her eyebrows.
Nothing against your suggestion to just "ignore it" but we are sorta tired of that. Ignoring something never got it changed. I suggest calling it what it is, calling the people that use it what it is and letting everyone know that such behavior will not be tolerated. Then move on.
NO. Michelle never said the "whitey" comment. It was made up by the GOP.
I preferred Obama's plan to Hillary's because it did not force people to buy health insurance (which I considered a big fat gift to the health insurance lobby). He stated that we need to regulate the health insurance industry, take away the incentive they have to not cover people or procedures to fatten their profit margins. The insurance companies are the ones driving up the cost of health care and premiums and blocking coverage of preexisting conditions. You have to deal with them or nothing will change. You have to make it affordable before you make a law to force people to carry it.
Hillary's plan was not universal health care, it was mandated coverage. There is a difference. If people can't afford health insurance how the hell are you going to force them to buy it?
The only candidate that even came up with a true universal health care plan was Dennis Kucinich but the media decided he wasn't their idea of presidential. And even his plan was not mandated, if people wanted to opt out and buy their own they could, just like in Europe/UK.
actually it was larry johnson who started the whitey rumor a hillary supporter!
Ignoring anything never works. ignore the bee you get stung. Obama doesn't have to worry about hitting the "girl" below the belt in the playground. He needs to start being ON OFFENSE instead of constantly being on the defense. There are way you can do that without being dirty. I'm sorry I'm tired of the constant smears without touch John with anything. I know some thing McCain will screw himself, but people don't seem to care what he says or does...fre
"When she thinks nobody's listening she loves to use the pejorative "whitey?"
That rumor was put out by Hillary supporter Larry Johnson, not the Republicans. Please place the blame on the responsible party.
Actually some Chicago machine politicians (Democrats) have been somewhat angry at her for a while about her mouth.
....her mouth. Yeah, that black woman needs to shut the hell up and know her place, right?
Women do not keep their mouths shut anymore, steamboat. Get over it.
That's not true, steamboat. Michelle is a Princeton educated attorney who also has an exception oratory gift, It is her love for children and her passion to make sure that Every
American child gets a fair shake at having a good life.
This will be her phenomenal gift to us as First Lady.
The Chicago politicians, of which you speak of have never pined such objections in our circles here. So, what you say is completely without validation or veracity.
Try to learn not to put words in other people's mouths.
Nope, you are spot on.
What;s the big deal. Obama and Michelle can take it. Funny, nobody said anything when the Republicans went after Mrs Clinton when she was first lady. Now all of a sudden the Republicans can't say bad about Michelle. Is this a double standard here. Stop protecting these guys. It was fair game to go after Hillary when she was first lady and it's fair to go after Michelle. I don't think Michelle is going to be accussed of murder like Hillary was. Everybody remembers that?
You know what, it was the Republicans that did that too. You can't say that because Republicans unfairly attacked Hillary it should be okay for them to attack Michelle too. How many attacks have you seen Dems make on Laura Bush? None I can remember. Your reasoning makes no sense. Let me guess, you are a Republican.
are you really suggesting it's okay to stoop so low because others did it to your candidate? the old two wrongs make it all right? Pul-lease! if you don't like the Obamas that's your perogative, but to support such gutter-tactics against them, again, pul - lease!
The primary is over. Obama won. Hillary is out. Bill is out. Get over it.
And i have not one bot of sympathy for the Obama's...
Remember the word is "presumptive" until the fat lady sings in August.
We didn't have HuffPost to go after folks with the zeal available to each and everyone one of us now.
But I keep wondering what possessed Fox to slide into Rapper hip talk? Who did they think they were going to impress with that? Besides, yeah, she's the mother of the children. And she's the wife. No surprises there.
And, she can give a great speech. Maybe they go after her because she's such an asset!
No, but the wackadoodles have already started the lie that Obama, himself, has been involved in a murder and an attempted murder. What sheer idiocy.
How very rich. The Republican nominee's wife was "the other woman" before she kicked out McCain's first wife and a former addict who stole meds, and *Republicans* want to play attack-the-spouse? I'd stay as far away from the spousal non-issue as humanly possible if I were them.
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