Newsweek: The Moderate Voice: The Excrescence Of Right-Wing GOP Hate

Newsweek: The Moderate Voice

The Excrescence Of Right-Wing GOP Hate

The racist and xenophobic bile that has flowed from the right-wing Republican base and spokesmouths like Rush Limbaugh has been unprecedented in this campaign season, and it was easy to predict that the moment Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama that he was no longer a war hero and brilliant diplomat but just another uppity Negro. If the hate mongering of these people was not so destructive, the knots into which they tie themselves would be amusing. They slavishly support an immoral war fostered by Bush and Cheney (and yes, Powell, as well) and for no reason more than their view that it is a well justified payback against godless Muslims. An American jihad, if you will.

Washington Monthly: ‘UPPITY’

Washington Monthly:  (9/22/08)

‘UPPITY’

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, a far-right Georgia Republican, seemed to get the ball rolling a few weeks ago, calling Barack Obama and his wife “uppity.” (He later said he had no idea the word had racial connotations.) Now, the Politico’s Mike Allen has quoted a Republican insider, identified only as “one of the smartest Bushies,” who has some advice for the McCain campaign:

The tactics that got them to mid-September in a tie are not going to get them to 50 percent plus one in November. They need … an eye toward driving out the range of contrast that makes McCain different from Obama (action-oriented rhetoric v. grand prose; accessible v. uppity; humble servant of country v. arrogant).’

Seriously? “One the smartest Bushies” believes the McCain campaign should deliberately characterize Obama as “uppity”? The insider is encouraging the campaign to pursue racially-charged language to emphasize the “contrasts” between the candidates?

Booker Rising: Quote of the Day

Booker Rising (9/19/08)

Quote of the Day

“I really don’t care who she supports. But here you have a woman who has the title of Lady and is the mistress of her country estate in England where she lives with her very wealthy husband Sir Evelyn Robert Adrian de Rothschild who is a member of England’s banking dynasty calling Obama an elitist? Give me a damn break!!!!! I’m surprised she didn’t call Obama uppity. Pot meet kettle indeed.” — Talking Stuff, black moderate blog, on Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild. Mrs. de Rothschild is a top fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Clinton and Democrat who now supports Sen. John McCain

Booker Rising: Uppity

Booker Rising (9/11/08)

Uppity

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I heard that Rep. Westmoreland called the Obamas uppity and my head dropped. Westmoreland actually said that the Obamas are part of ‘an elitist-class individual that think they’re uppity.’ Honestly, the statement primarily focuses on elite and not just African American elite. But, the focus should be on ‘think’ because that one word changes the statement all together. If I am calling you uppity, that is one thing; but if I say you ‘think’ you are uppity, I am saying you are not uppity but you have a false sense of superiority.

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Media Matters: Fox’s Cameron: Obama “run[s] the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant” if he doesn’t offer “lipstick on a pig” apology

Media Matters (9/10/08)

Fox’s Cameron: Obama “run[s] the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant” if he doesn’t offer “lipstick on a pig” apology

Summary: Fox News’ Carl Cameron claimed that Sen. Barack Obama “run[s] the risk of appearing a little bit arrogant” if he doesn’t offer an apology for his “lipstick on a pig” comment. Cameron made the comment even though he twice stated during the program that the McCain campaign’s complaints about Obama’s comment may amount to “crocodile tears.”

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Swing State Project: GA-08: Now Goddard Steps In It

Swing State Project (/10/08)

GA-08: Now Goddard Steps In It

Lynn Westmoreland got nailed for referring to Barack Obama as “uppity” last week. Well, it turns out he’s not the only one, suggesting more of a pattern and practice by white Georgian politicians than an innocent misuse of what one might mistakenly think is a racially-neutral word.

On Thursday (the same day as Westmoreland’s gaffe) Retired Air Force major general Rick Goddard, who’s running against Jim Marshall in the neighboring Eighth District, referred to MSNBC reporter Ron Allen, who is African-American, as “uppity” while being interviewed on a Macon radio news show.

Last night, Newt Gingrich disarmed a very uppity newscaster who tried to question him on the capabilities and leadership of Governor Palin.

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JackandJillPolitics: Why don’t they just say NIGGER and be over with it? ‘Uppity’ Alert

JackandJillPolitics (9/10/08)

Why don’t they just say NIGGER and be over with it? ‘Uppity’ Alert

It looks like more than one prominent Georgia Republican likes to use the word “uppity” in regards to prominent African-Americans — this time, it’s the GOP nominee in one of the few House seats that Dems could possibly lose this year.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Rick Goddard, a retired Air Force major general running against conservative Dem Congressman Jim Marshall, referred in a radio appearance to “a very uppity newscaster” who had a testy TV exchange with Newt Gingrich at the Republican Convention. This appeared to be a reference to MSNBC reporter Ron Allen, who is black.

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Booker Rising: Ave Tooley on Jive And Game

Booker Rising (9/9/08)

Ave Tooley on Jive And Game

The black moderate-conservative blogger writes: “Politics is dirty. We already knew that. What really gets on my nerves about it is the word games people play. Particularly annoying to me personally is the say-something-ridiculously-biased-then-say-I-didn’t-mean-it-in-an-offensive-way game. Seriously. I’m not one of those people who believes that racism is lurking around every corner, but I know it when I see it. The whole uppity remark [by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, a conservative Republican from Georgia]? That was the real deal. I think what bothers me so much about it is not that the dude said it; it’s not even that the dude who said it is an elected representative. Naw, what bothers me is when I see otherwise well-meaning people try to shoot between wind and water to render a neutral reading of the statement. It is what it is.

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Atlanta Journal Constitution: Political Insider: Barack and Michelle Obama are ‘uppity,’ says Lynn Westmoreland

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Political Insider (9/4/08)

Barack and Michelle Obama are ‘uppity,’ says Lynn Westmoreland

U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, who was born and raised in the South, said Thursday that he’s never heard the word “uppity” used in a racially loaded fashion — and meant nothing more than “elitist” when he applied it to Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

“If anyone read more into it, no undercurrent was intended,” Westmoreland spokesman Brian Robinson said this evening.

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TalkLeft: Uppity

TalkLeft (9/4/08)

Uppity

“It was only a matter of time before Republican officials shifted from oblique racially-charged language to brazen racially-charged language,” wrote Steve Benen, author of a blog for Washington Monthly magazine.

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