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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009

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analysis

Book Tour Shows Palin
Hitting a Nerve

'Going Rogue' phenomenon may foreshadow something bigger

Nov 22, 09 2:46 PM CST
Matt Taibbi

Palin: Our First WWE Politician

Pick an asshole, any asshole, and she'll rock the house

Nov 22, 09 10:44 AM CST
editorial

NYT to Blankfein:
Your 'Apology'
Is Bull

Editorial board schools Goldman CEO in true meaning of 'sorry'

Nov 22, 09 4:53 PM CST
the big plan

Beck Will Host Conventions
to Educate America

He's shifting toward political organizer, plans big DC rally

Nov 21, 09 5:06 PM CST
TALK SHOW ROUNDUP

McConnell:
Dems Proceed
at 2010 Peril

Senators hit the Sunday talk shows after health vote

Nov 22, 09 11:15 AM CST
Eyes on 2010

Lincoln
Swings to
Center of
Health Debate

Dems come calling as GOP eyes her seat in 2010

Nov 22, 09 1:03 PM CST
Palin Pulls in Big Bucks
—for Democrats

'Going Rogue' boosts Dem fundraising to new high

Nov 21, 09 6:50 AM CST
who let the paranoids out?

46 Years After Kennedy, the Virus of Hate Is Back

Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert panders to dangerous paranoids

Nov 21, 09 9:08 AM CST
Debt-Happy US Faces Payback Time as Rates Rise

Cost of debt to skyrocket $500B in next 10 years

5 hours, 10 minutes ago
NO COMMUNION FOR YOU, MY SON

RI Bishop Disses
Kennedy Over
Pro-Choice
Stance

Spat over Patrick's position on abortion escalates

Nov 22, 09 8:23 AM CST
First State Dinner to
Reveal Obama A-Listers

Mad scramble for invitations

10 hours, 56 minutes ago
Jim DeMint Becomes Hill's Top Tea Partier

South Carolina senator throws weight behind conservative insurgents

4 hours, 51 minutes ago
Billboard Links Obama to Jihad

Colo. car dealership wants this opinion heard

Nov 20, 09 8:42 PM CST

|NEXT STORY »

Mondale: Obama Enemies Show Racist 'Edge'

'I don't like saying it,' but tone 'harsher than in other times': ex-VP

By Jason Farago| Posted Sep 24, 09 5:34 AM CDT|

(Newser) – Jimmy Carter isn't the only grand old man of the Democratic Party to see racism in the opposition to Barack Obama's agenda. Walter Mondale, Carter's VP and the subject of a new documentary, said last night that "Having lived through those years, when civil rights was such a bitter issue, I know that some of that must still be around." The 1984 presidential nominee added: "I don't like saying it."

"I don't want to pick a person, say, he's a racist, but I do think the way they're piling on Obama, the harshness, you kind of feel it," Mondale said. "I think I see an edge in them that's a little bit different and a little harsher than I've seen in other times."

Hillary Clinton with former vice president Walter Mondale in Iowa during the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Brian Ray)

Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale and his running mate, Geraldine Ferraro, wave as they leave an afternoon rally in Portland, Ore., in this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 1984 file photo. (AP Photo/Jack Smith)

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11.23.09

Books Are Bad for You

11.20.09

The Health-Care Wars Have Just Begun

40 comments

VIEWING:

donnz
Sep 24, 09 6:25 AM CDT

Nobody likes anybody that is differant than their selves. Especially when they are in a position of power over you and 'your' kind. It's a natural to want your sect to succed. Rivalry and competition is bred into from sports and class systems. Color is more obvious because of immediate recognition of the 'other guy. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

dontlikeyou
Sep 24, 09 6:41 AM CDT

Did the Democrats call us Americans racist when he was elected president? So now that people are turning against obama, we are racist? Democarats are in deep trouble and they are lashing out like a cornered animal. It will not help their election chances. It is only hurting them. They are so obviously in trouble.

-9

IN RESPONSE:

LickDaCat
Sep 25, 09 1:19 AM CDT

Obama is a fraud. He needs to release his documents that are being hidden from us.

-4

| 0 minutes ago

dontlikeyou
Sep 24, 09 6:40 AM CDT

The Democrats are obviously feeling the poll numbers. Democrat congressmen, senators, the so-called president...... they know they are facing a huge defeat in 2010 and the only way they know to defend themselves is to lie and distort. Fascism = Silence your enemies. Democrats = Fascists. Reply

-9

IN RESPONSE:

MrsK
Sep 24, 09 6:49 AM CDT

The hypocrite liberal ship is sinking like sad sh*t and they know it. Big trouble for them in 2010. The best they can do is play the race card, but who is really buying it?

-10

IN RESPONSE:

Corona_Kinq
Sep 24, 09 8:03 AM CDT

I thought they banned C_k? Oh, new account I get it.

IN RESPONSE:

DJM420
Sep 24, 09 8:10 AM CDT

@ dontlikefacts then also true is: bush/cheney = silence your critics = fascist. your points always defeat themselves. you are like one big interchangeable JOKE

| 0 minutes ago

pwnage
Sep 24, 09 6:49 AM CDT

It sure sounds like the Democrat side is trying to lay on a guilt trip. "Think twice before you oppose Obama - people might think you are racist" Reply

-4

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 24, 09 9:15 AM CDT

So, you feel guilt now.

-1

| 0 minutes ago

paul123
Sep 24, 09 6:59 AM CDT

Just because I, or anyone opposes Obama, it does not mean that the opposition is rooted in racism. Reply

-2

IN RESPONSE:

DJM420
Sep 24, 09 8:11 AM CDT

it also does not mean that it isn't

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 24, 09 8:16 AM CDT

We know. Carter and Mondale are speaking for themselves. Bill Clinton said it best, "There is a lot of racism behind the vitriol against President Obama, but the people who oppose health care reform do so not out of racism. I should know. They opposed me on health care refrom as well . . ." (heavily paraphrased.) Having said that, a lot of the people marching and protesting against health care are racist; they're practically illiterate; they're fat and unhealthy; and they're nuts who believe FOX News is "unbiased news".You, Paul, may be none of these.

+10

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Sep 24, 09 8:35 AM CDT

@shon but if you break down the people by race who voted for Obama, he had a bunch of white people voting for him. now some of those white people have decided they don't like his health care plan. Now did they become racist over the course of 6 months or did they just have white man's guilt on election day? Now in every crowd you are going to have racist and that speaks for both sides of argument, and there are going to be people who support the President just because he is black, not are those people racist as well?

-2

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 24, 09 9:17 AM CDT

Not only that shonangreg, many of them are on Medicare/Medicaid.

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 24, 09 10:54 AM CDT

@godawgs, what you say is true. I don't actually see what there is to disagree with on this issue. Everybody is basically missing each other's arguments. There are a lot of racists in the health care protesting crowd. *Saying this* implies that a higher proportion of them are racist than Democrats at large or even Liberal protesters of the past were, otherwise there is no point in mentioning it. And I think this charge is true. To what extent would be difficult to quantify. This issue gets bogged down quickly in the details. The arguments here have barely gotten below the surface. Carter's comments also didn't really contribute much (at least not what I read/heard of his comments). I do think it is *probably* true that Joe Wilson's subtle racism allowed him to shout "you lie" at the President whereas no one has done that before. But even that is a subtle point that is hard to pin down. Paul here has rebelled against being labeled a racist several times, and I think he is being overly defensive. Carter said many Republicans are racists. Paul took that to mean he was racist as well in a prior discussion, which he never followed up on, btw (by virtue of assuming "many" meant "most" or "all", I guessed.) And OF COURSE opposing Obama does not mean that someone is a racist. I said months ago that Olbermann was wrong to let Garofalo say the lot of the tea baggers were racists. I even sent Olbermann an email telling him that they were largely the same people who hated Bill Clinton so much as well. And it gets more complicated from there as well. Sorry for not following out my train of thought to how opposition to Clinton was rooted in classism intertwined with racism, but that can be done as well . . . . . . . . .

IN RESPONSE:

paul123
Sep 24, 09 11:45 AM CDT

@DJM: You are correct. Being opposed to Obama in and of itself does not mean that it is or isn't based upon race, but I'm sick and tired of the implication that it actually is. Did the people that opposed McCain in this election or opposed W in the elections prior oppose them because they were white? The race card is being thrown around flippantly here and it is highly aggravating. Obama himself said that he disagreed with Carter and Mondale. He gave other reasons, which I also disagree with, but at least he said that opposition isn't based upon race. To that end, I say that if somebody automatically assumes that opposition IS based upon race, is either ignorant or uninformed about the opposition party or both. http://www.newser.com/story/69798/obama-anger-not-about-race.html

-2

IN RESPONSE:

paul123
Sep 24, 09 11:56 AM CDT

Wow Shonangreg, what a cheap shot from somebody who is usually pretty nice. I assure you that I am neither illiterate nor fat and unhealthy. For the record, I don't think that FOX is unbiased. I do think that you do however see a wider range of viewpoints on Fox as opposed to other news networks. There is a wide variety of left and right views expressed on FOX, which I really don't see elsewhere. I am also well aware that they lean to the right, yet I believe that it is pure ignorance to think that the remaining news outlets, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, etc are unbiased. They lean to the left. For bunch of whores to call Fox a slut for being in bed with the GOP is pretty hypocritical.

IN RESPONSE:

paul123
Sep 24, 09 11:58 AM CDT

@shonangreg: I apologize, I read "none of these" as "one of these". So apparently I am somewhat illiterate! :-)

IN RESPONSE:

Forderon
Sep 24, 09 4:06 PM CDT

godawgs, for the last time, please STFU about "they're just opposing him on healthcare". You know that's not what the issue is, so stop deflecting. I expect more from you than intellectual dishonesty.

IN RESPONSE:

Forderon
Sep 24, 09 4:09 PM CDT

There have been PLENTY of ACTUAL racist comments on Newser alone that have nothing to do with his policies, and we have people here still delusionally deflecting and denying reality. If this stuff is on the Internet, where I'd assume civilized and educated people would reside, then imagine what the sentiment is in "real America", in the rural, repressed, uneducated communities?

| 0 minutes ago

Doctor_Zaius
Sep 24, 09 7:42 AM CDT

I would prefer to call out the racists on the right for specific reasons. Such as the Obama bone-thru-the-nose Witchdoctor picture. And while there are many racists on the right, just read some of the posts here, they are not all racist, some of them are just misguided and foolish. And painting with this broad brush doesn't do the dialog any good. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

pwnage
Sep 24, 09 8:02 AM CDT

People on the right are either racist or misguided and foolish? Sounds like a broad brush to me, sir. Implies that intellectual discourse is not possible.

-5

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 24, 09 9:20 AM CDT

Wow pwnage, you can't even see when some one is defending the smart ones. You apparently are not of those as you seem to lack the understanding of the word "some".

| 0 minutes ago

Timinator2K
Sep 24, 09 8:10 AM CDT

Grits & Fritz, two very bitter old men who still don't possess the moral integrity to admit defeat. Reply

-5

| 0 minutes ago

ezrider
Sep 24, 09 9:13 AM CDT

if you don't want to be perceived as racist don"t let those who are , protest with you when your issue is health care reform because the perception is birds of a feather flock together Reply

| 0 minutes ago

TheMan
Sep 24, 09 9:33 AM CDT

This comment has been removed by Newser’s community. You must be logged in to view this comment. Reply

-5

IN RESPONSE:

dontlikenobody
Sep 24, 09 10:17 AM CDT

Buh 2.0. Let's hear it, dontlikeyou, timinator, godawgs - until you disown this creep, you ARE racists. Man up.

IN RESPONSE:

TheMan
Sep 24, 09 10:46 AM CDT

There's an excellent example of how the pukeleft scuzzies hurl their all-purpose "Racist!!!" slur indiscriminately as a form of self-administered therapy for the bitterness and hate their irrelevant, impotent, inconsequential, dead-end lives have engendered. We can only feel pity and disgust for their pathologies and failures.

-3

IN RESPONSE:

DJM420
Sep 24, 09 10:55 AM CDT

lol. talk about disgust.

IN RESPONSE:

schmidtkoff
Sep 25, 09 2:34 AM CDT

aren't you screeching hysterically post after tiresome post?

| 0 minutes ago

xml3052
Sep 24, 09 10:14 AM CDT

Ahh, Mondale has described exactly what I have felt about "some" of the behavior towards Obama. I appreciate and desire for everyone to speak their mind and I respect and admire anyone who calls out racism when they see it no matter which race the hatred is toward. Lets all keep trying to stop hatred and bigotry in its tracks. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Reader68389796
Sep 24, 09 10:34 AM CDT

Democrats in trouble? What country are you living in? Wishful thinking? The world loves this President. He is the only American President that the world has embraced so lovingly? No shoe throwing here??? Reply

IN RESPONSE:

paul123
Sep 24, 09 11:48 AM CDT

The world loves him? Give Poland a call right now and lets see...

IN RESPONSE:

RobN
Sep 24, 09 2:29 PM CDT

Note to Reader, the world doesn't get to vote.

-1

| 0 minutes ago

freethemall
Sep 24, 09 12:17 PM CDT

It should not be a surprise, that the election of the first African-American to the Presidency, would result in racists coming out from under their rocks, so to speak. The problem is that these genuine racists are causing those who oppose Obama strictly on policy, to be painted with the same brush. I say this as one who voted for Obama, and who has not wavered in my support of him. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Sniffer
Sep 24, 09 4:17 PM CDT

I find it interesting that many people feel the need to defend themselves as Not Being Racist. If you are NOT RACIST don't get upset. I am a White man who has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area my whole life - 46 years & believe me there are more RACISTS here of ALL ethnicities than anywhere else I have ever been. I don't care if you hate me because I'm White - who gives a S*it. I definetly have spoken to quite a few White peopel here in the Bay Area who HATE OBAMA "Beacause He's A MARXIST, COMMUNIST, LENNINIST, MUSLIM, BLACK POWER THEOLOGIAN" - Please, why don't you just say because He is Black - Oh because the Bay Area is too Politically Correct & You don't want people to know how You really feel for FEAR of BEING CALLED RACIST. I grew up in OAKLAND & we all know how to talk S*it about other people's Races & have fun with it & nobody gets bent out of shape or called RACIST. Remember - You can call someone a Communist & not get Your ass kicked but try dropping an N word & see what happens. That's how ALL the scared Whiteys go about it - just like the Cowards that they are. Get over it White people - the demographics of this country are changing & that is why You are Scared to death. What - you don't want BLACKS, LATINOS & ASIANS in charge of "YOUR HEALTHCARE" as if it were somehow only for the Privileged. As for YOU REPUBLICANS why don't You ask Your Republican Senators & Representatives to GIVE UP their "SOCIALIZED MEDICAL CARE" that is the best on EARTH paid for by Your Republican Tax Dollars. F*cking RACIST Hypocrites. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Adapt-Overcome
Sep 25, 09 8:20 AM CDT

WELL SAID., SNIFFER.

| 0 minutes ago

Adapt-Overcome
Sep 25, 09 8:17 AM CDT

LickDaCat, this article is about stupid people just like you. Get you head out of your cats ass and you could probably learn a thing or two. Dontlikeyou, another one in the bunch. MrsK, the only race card being played right now is by your right wing lunatic fringe. The Democratic party stands united as one. The Repub's stand divided as 2. The party of NO Solutions and ideas that is caught up in the hate of racism and the The Party of few that still believe in conservative ways with the understanding of ideas. So far, no one here belongs to the 2nd. How sad for the party of 2010. A house divided will fall. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

alkaseltzersammich
Sep 25, 09 12:59 PM CDT

I'm a black man, and I'm tired of the racism accusations. Yea, there are racists out there that like Obama. Let's get over it and move on. Dwelling on it won't get us anywhere. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

alkaseltzersammich
Sep 25, 09 1:04 PM CDT

Don't like Obama I mean.

-1

| 0 minutes ago

View all 40 comments »

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