Bill Off the Hook: First Black President Can't Be Racist/ EMERGENCY UPDATE!

Am I the only one who has a major problem with the language surrounding the "Is Bill Clinton a racist" debate? If people really think that Clinton was basing his comparison between Obama and Jesse Jackson's campaigns on the fact that both men are black, that's fine. But you can't call Bill Clinton racist. Because when you're America's First Black President, you can't be racist. At the very worst, Clinton is self loathing.

UPDATE: I have just learned that Clinton's FBP status, which I took for granted, has been revoked and he may not have been black at all. Author Toni Morrison was the person who anointed Clinton FBP, saying,

white skin notwithstanding, this is our first black president, blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children's lifetime. After all, Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald's-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas.

And yet, Morrison is endorsing Obama, which puts the former president's racial status in serious question. So I guess Clinton can be accused of racism after all. I guess Clinton's comparison between Obama and Jackson is racist. At least, that's what the pundits are saying when they announce Morrison's support of Obama, which, coincidentally, they compare to Maya Angelou's support of Clinton. Well, Morrison and Angelou don't share the same political endorsements. Because we all know what they do have in common, right?

They both had their books banned by Maryland public school superintendents after a few white parents called the books "trash" and "anti-White. " Hmm. I'm pretty sure THAT is racist. And censorship. Which is a killer combo.

Originally posted on TakePart.com.

Comments

[ljsfolly]

I think the only thing balck about Bill is his soul as even if you might be friends or helped blacks in your lifetime you can still be a racist. I come froma family of rednecks so racists I know well. I have had to stop and think at times before I say something as having been learned as a child and what I know to be truth as an adult. If Bill had a soul that isn't racist he would never have attacked Barack as he did and made the comments he did. But as for them together, Hillary campaigned in Fla after signing an agreement not to do so otherwise why the "victory party" after? If she had followed the agreement she would have been somewhere else that day. Many didn't see that no one but Hillary did campaign at her private parties and she funded a whole lot of parties and events she did not attend to "campaign". They together have more rove and penn dirty tricks and obvious pandering to get votes while Barack has not done anything other than be a honest upfront candidate. Now with John Edwards gone the nasties will come out from the clinton camp by the thousands. In Fla the internet was filled by the "Obama is Muslim" emails also so guess who was behind that? Lots of clinton supporters as told by some volunteers forced to step down and some military guys told not to spread the lie on military computers.

[sky2evan]

I can't be bothered to spend much energy analyzing whether or not Mr. Bill Clinton is a racist when he characterizes Mr. Obama as a "kid" (boy reference) "roll of the dice" (shooting craps), "a fairy tale" (Iraq or impossible dream), or a "Jesse Jackson" (black candidate and 'black' states). Playing the race card, BTW, can be argued as not necessarily being racist.

All of these individual, isolated incidents coming from an ex-President who supposedly was very in-touch with the black community & civil rights, and allegedly "smart", "charismatic", and one of the most "highly skilled politicians of our time". These incidents may or may not be part of a larger pattern - consciously or subconsciously.

When the Clinton campaign was firing volunteers for forwarding Muslim emails, and co-campaign chairs for cocaine comments, or apologizing for questions planted by "renegade" staff, Ms. Clinton also said they were "isolated, individual" incidents that were not authorized or condoned by herself. Only a political baby would naively & innocently accept Ms. Clinton's explanation of these "kindergarden" incidents. Yet even if we give her the benefit of the doubt... this surely doesn't reflect well on her leadership capabilities or the character & judgment of her supporters & chosen staff, does it?

Back to Mr. Bill Clinton, it also doesn't reflect very well on Ms. Clinton that she (nor anybody else) doesn't seem to have very much control over him... which has repeatedly been evidenced by anonymous Clinton campaign advisors who have been questioning the adverse effect he seems to be having on his wife's campaign. Ms. Clinton's lack of control or influence over Bill Clinton's behavior, of course, accurately reflects her lack of control over his philandering as well.

Mr. Bill Clinton, whether he is racist or not (and I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, since I can't be bothered to waste more energy on him unless absolutely necessary)... still lacks class and honor. He could have left out Jesse Jackson and just said: "Others have won SC and went on to lose the nomination. Obama ran a good campaign."

[SethBLiNK]

Okay, let's say that Bill Clinton has been enough of a friend to the black community that a bad week or two doesn't undo all that good and make him a racist. Fine. He's not a racist. But that doesn't mean he didn't act atrociously in South Carolina the last few weeks, and the Jesse Jackson comment was icing on the cake. Barack Obama has been gracious in both victory and defeat, praising his opponents and remind voters that they are all democrats and good people. The Clintons did everything they could to at least keep it close in South Carolina, and after getting trounced, Bill tried to dismiss it with the comparison to Jesse Jackson. Okay, he's not racist, but he's certainly squandered some of the good will he has earned over the years with the black community.

As for Toni Morrison, having dubbed him the first black President, I guess only she can take it away. Clearly, the message of that piece was that "he is far blacker than any actual black person we'll see elected in my children's lifetime." And I'm sure nobody would be happier than her to discover that she was actually wrong because we might elect an actual black man in her own lifetime.

[Tellmethetruth]

Bill Clinton never was racist, but the opposite, very good and close friends with African Americans his entire life, even in a segregated South.

Katie Halper, the comments you made are cruel, incorrect, slander, and libel.

When you are willing to work every day in Harlem as Bill Clinton has, then you will have earned the right to call him a racist. No African American who knows him, would, because they know it is not true.

[IndependentInChicago]

Katie... nice post. Let's see how many people get the irony... or watch out, you may be accused by the MSM of calling Maya Angelou a racist.

[SeanGardner]

Jon Stewart made a funny joke this week when he noted that if you consider Bill CLinton "black", then the distortions of Obama's record and assasination of Obama's character by Bill can be seen as "black on black crime". Truly irreverent humor.

Bill Clinton is a scumbag for injecting racial divisiveness into this race, and I for one predict that he will never regain his former glory. Never.

Get ready for President Barack Obama.