I have heard a number of false allegations leveled against President Barack Obama -- socialist, communist, illegal immigrant, terrorist sympathizer, etc. Iowa Congressman Steve King (R-Limbaugh/Coulter/Palin) took things to a new level when he said on G. Gordon Liddy's radio show that: "the President has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race -- on the side that favors the black person." This charge, completely unsubstantiated by the factual record, would be laughable were it voiced by someone with no responsibility for national leadership. Coming from a member of Congress, however, it only contributes to the animus that some on the Right feel toward Obama. America's racial issues require serious words from serious people. Steve King is not among them.
Don't get me wrong: Presidents can be racists too. Even black ones. But to hurl that charge without legitimate evidence simply adds fuel to the fire that burns in some people who will believe anything about the President that confirms their own narrow view of him and the world. King just gave rhetorical nourishment to the Tea Party crowd and others who just can't accept the fact that a black man is President of the United States.
Indeed, to the extent that national reporting touches on Obama's personal security, we know that the life of this President is under threat moreso than any previous person to hold the office. Is it because he is left handed, a lawyer, or we are in a recession? No. We have had southpaw presidents, lawyer presidents, and recession presidents, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's probably because he is black. CNN and the London Telegraph reported in August of 2009 that threats against Obama were up 400 percent from his predecessor, George Bush, who received about 3,000 per year. Even with that reality, the president has bent over backwards to overlook race.
I have been critical of him for his clear unwillingness to use his bully pulpit, one which no other person on the face of this earth has, to lead the country in a new direction on race. Silence on the prison-industrial complex which has destabilized black and brown communities around the country. Silence on the race-based exploitation of Africa. Silence on racism. Barely a peep on racial profiling. Indeed, he publicly scolded his Attorney General for having the temerity to say that America has been cowardly when it comes to race. Obama's plan has been to largely ignore race, as if a lead-by-example philosophy will fade this historic stain on the American quilt. I believe this the wrong approach. No systemic societal problem in all of recorded human history has gone away because it was simply ignored.
Meanwhile, King's comments reflect the conservative narrative on race in America: charge liberals with being racists to change the subject and hope the country does not examine the Right's record on race. There is no legitimate support for King's claim. But he lodged it anyway because, in America, race is one of the few topics that will get a rise out of people. As we look move closer toward the November elections, look for King and people of his ilk to amp up the rhetoric to drive their supporters to the polls. The result may be more people like King getting elected, restarting the cycle.
Michael K. Fauntroy is an associate professor of public policy at George Mason University and author of the book Republicans and the Black Vote. He blogs at: MichaelFauntroy.com.
Follow Michael Fauntroy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikeFauntroy
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It's beyond ridiculous
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First let me say, I voted for the president and if he runs again, I'll vote for him again. I don't agree with some of his agenda but he's the best man for the job right now.
I'm neither liberal or conservati
Congressma
I don't believe nor have I read, seen or observed anything in your statement about prison-ind
None of those drugs are grown here or can grow here. How is it that they proliferat
I agree the war on drugs would be a bad joke if people weren't dying every day to them.
The rich have been oppressing the poor and average for eons of time. Its what corrupt evil humans do and have always done. But I grew up in a poor neighborho
You do drugs expect the worst. You do the crime expect the time.
I am holding off despair as much as I possibly can.
I'm afraid most of the conservati
"As we look move closer toward the November elections, look for King and people of his ilk to amp up the rhetoric to drive their supporters to the polls. The result may be more people like King getting elected, restarting the cycle."
I believe the majority of American voters are smarter than that. How can anyone with a clear mind not see that the Tea Baggers, who proclaim they want their country back, are doing everything they can to destroy it? Where is their sense of pride in all the human principles that we have held dear lo these many years? They insist that we should all be white, Judeo-Chri
We'll do the right thing this November!
The main problem here is that Obama never seems to do his homework before commenting
And I believe you need to go back and look at Bush if you want to see someone who never did his homework. What makes a white conservati