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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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 OPINION 
22

Obama Backlash Isn't About Race

The real, centuries-old conflict is between urban elites and small towners

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(Newser) – It's a mistake to see the growing backlash against President Obama through the prism of race, David Brooks writes in the New York Times. The anti-Obama movement springs not from racism, but from the long American tradition of popular distrust of the urban elite, argues Brooks. He notes mostly white anti-government protesters happily mingled with people from an African-American event in the capital last weekend.

The same kind of conflict could be seen as far back as the clash between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians, Brooks writes, with those in favor of greater federal power pitted against  those with "small town values" opposed to the redistribution of the fruits of hard work.  Populist movements like today's have come from both the left and right, Brooks writes. They always tend to be "ill-mannered, conspiratorial and over the top," he notes. "It's not about race," he concludes. "It's another type of conflict, equally deep and old."

A woman holds a sign that reads
A woman holds a sign that reads "Don't tax me bro! " during the Atlanta Tea Party tax protest earlier this year in Atlanta.   (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
A demonstrator protests the health care reform plan supported by President Barack Obama during a rally in Atlanta last month.
A demonstrator protests the health care reform plan supported by President Barack Obama during a rally in Atlanta last month.   (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Demonstrators rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington last week.
Demonstrators rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington last week.   (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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The populist tendency has always used the same sort of rhetoric: for the ordinary people and against the fat cats and the educated class; for the small towns and against the financial centers. - David Brooks

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freethemall
Sep 18, 09 2:12 AM CDT
Quoting Brooks: "The same kind of conflict could be seen as far back as the clash between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians,(sic) with those in favor of greater federal power pitted against those with "small town values" opposed to the redistribution of the fruits of other's hard work." end quote. Bull! This promotes the mistaken idea that Hamilton was a left winger, since he believed in a stronger federal government, and that Jefferson was a right winger, since he believed in state's rights. Not true. Hamilton was a champion of the privileged elite of his day, and he sought to further his ends by increasing the power of the Federal government. Jefferson championed the cause of the common man, and he sought to further his cause by promoting states' rights. The federal government became a means of furthering the cause of the common man, big time, under FDR and the New Deal. This is when the privileged elite became "states' righters", and began castigating the growing power of the federal government. This is just one example of how today's right wingers attempt to misinform. Reply
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OriginalMike007
Sep 18, 09 5:30 AM CDT
Free the mall you can't look at the political sides of conservatism and liberalism the same as today's political parties. They are not analogous. In their time Jefferson was the Conservative Libertarian and Hamilton the Liberal Federalist. Today their views would be considered pretty extreme conservatism. The new deal was opposed by the powerful elite because they rightly saw the federal government taking their money and giving it to those who did not earn it.
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Doctor_Zaius
Sep 18, 09 6:15 AM CDT
Considering the day Jefferson and Hamilton helped create a new form of government where the common man voted for his leaders and the state existed solely for the benefit of it's citizens. They based their constitution on the writings of Locke and Rousseau who were extremely left wing for their time. To retroactively try to pretend that either of these men were conservative is ridiculous. They were the laughing stock of the worlds conservative elite for attempting their little experiment called the US constitution. As far as race goes, any President elected from the Democratic party would be feeling this firestorm because the right is fighting for their political lives (as they should be from the vast mistakes they have made over the past 16 years) and some of the rotten tomatoes they are attempting to hurl at this administration may happen to be racist while some may not. It's just what they can manage to pick up quick enough to throw. Make no mistake, if HRC were president the rhetoric would be just as vitriolic with tinges of misogyny but it's cause would not be hatred of women, that would just be the vehicle used to attack her.
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hybrid
Sep 18, 09 6:46 AM CDT
free the mail..........your distorted view of todays politics is only overshadowed by your ingnorant veiw of FDR's new deal.
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IN RESPONSE:
awase61
Sep 18, 09 8:27 AM CDT
Doc Z I think you misunderstood Mike's point its not that back in 1776 that Hamilton or Jefferson were liberal, which they were, more that if you put them on a modern scale of left-right they would be on the right.
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