Romney Adviser: As an African, Obama Doesn’t Appreciate ‘Anglo-Saxon Heritage’

Jaw, meet floor
Politics • Views: 37,170

My jaw is officially on the floor at this statement to Britain’s Telegraph by one of Mitt Romney’s advisers: Mitt Romney Would Restore ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Relations Between Britain and America.

As the Republican presidential challenger accused Barack Obama of appeasing America’s enemies in his first foreign policy speech of the election campaign, advisers told The Daily Telegraph that he would abandon Mr Obama’s “Left-wing” coolness towards London.

In remarks that may prompt accusations of racial insensitivity, one suggested Mr Romney was better placed to understand the ties between the countries than Mr Obama, whose father was from Africa. “We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he feels that the special relationship is special,” the adviser said of Mr Romney, adding: “The White House didn’t fully appreciate the shared history we have.”

Jump to bottom

282 comments
1 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:35:23pm

I get the feeling at any minute the official GOP slogan is going to become "Wake up, white people!"

2 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:36:09pm

Shame on you trying to tie this to Mitt. That adviser resigned from the campaign over a week ago.

Retroactively...

3 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:36:59pm

re: #1 Kragar

I get the feeling at any minute the official GOP slogan is going to become "Wake up, white people!"

Getting flashbacks of the KKK guy on Howard Stern twenty years ago.

4 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:39:26pm

Where does Romney think that white half of the family that the wingnuts have been snickerin' over for the past several years came from? Mars? Dunham is a good old-fashioned Norfolk name.

Was Martin Van Buren able to appreciate the Anglo-Saxon heritage? He was Dutch.

What about Andrew Jackson and Kennedy, both from cultures that had been invaded and oppressed by England? Were they legit? Was there coolness?

Our connection to Britain comes through language, shared cultural history, and legal/governmental tradition. Barack Obama understand and celebrates all of these things just like any other damn president we've ever had, and we do not need to elect a president who looks like someone's idea of an ethnic Briton for either them or us to remember that.

What a meshugganeh.

5 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:39:46pm

Dear Mitt Romney, Please Stop Embarrassing Me

I am half British. My father is a first generation immigrant–but that’s ok, because he’s the right kind of immigrant with a public school education. Our family goes across the pond as often as we can afford it.

[...]

In short, if you’re going to bait for the benefit of the racist old white people who are scared of the second decade of the 21st century they’ve woken up to, please do here at home, quietly, where the rest of the world can’t hear you. You’re EMBARRASSING me.

6 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:39:53pm

re: #1 Kragar

I get the feeling at any minute the official GOP slogan is going to become "Wake up, white people!"

I'm up. I'm also preparing to vote against Mitt Romney, the Saxon Choice.

7 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:41:02pm

re: #6 SanFranciscoZionist

I'm up. I'm also preparing to vote against Mitt Romney, the Saxon Choice.

Me and my most-of-a-quarter Saxon heritage.

8 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:41:25pm

Thought the only thing funnier than his tone-deafness on this was his pandering by saying he'd bring back the fabled bust of Churchill to the White House. The man truly has no clue just how little such a gesture would mean to a country who chucked Winston's ass before the war had even officially ended. It would be a might like us sending a bust of FDR to the Brits as a sign of "solidarity."

9 jamesfirecat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:42:13pm

At this rate how long till Mitt complains about how Obama isn't a WASP like all our other presidents minus JFK? (Asks this WASP lizard)

10 Varek Raith  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:42:23pm

Dog foghorn.

11 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:42:53pm

Are "Anglo-Saxon relations" similar to "Anglo-Saxon attitudes"?

In other words, do we all have to walk like the White King's messenger from "Through The Looking-Glass" now?

12 jamesfirecat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:43:52pm

re: #1 Kragar

I get the feeling at any minute the official GOP slogan is going to become "Wake up, white people!"

What'd he say?

THE PRESIDENT IS NEAR!

13 engineer cat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:44:40pm

... An Anglo-Saxon, Hinnissy, is a German that's forgot who was his parents. They're a lot iv thim in this counthry. There must be as manny as two in Boston: they'se wan up in Maine, an' another lives at Bogg's Ferry in New York State, an' dhrives a milk wagon. Mack is an Anglo-Saxon. His folks come fr'm th' County Armagh, an' their naytional Anglo-Saxon hymn is 'O'Donnell Aboo.' Teddy Rosenfelt is another Anglo-Saxon. An' I'm an Anglo-Saxon. I'm wan iv th' hottest Anglo-Saxons that iver come out iv Anglo-Saxony. Th' name iv Dooley has been th' proudest Anglo-Saxon name in th' County Roscommon f'r many years.

"Schwartzmeister is an Anglo-Saxon, but he doesn't know it, an' won't till some wan tells him. Pether Bowbeen down be th' Frinch church is formin' th' Circle Francaize Anglo-Saxon club, an' me ol' frind Dominigo that used to boss th' Ar-rchey R-road wagon whin Callaghan had th' sthreet conthract will march at th' head iv th' Dago Anglo-Saxons whin th' time comes. There ar-re twinty thousan' Rooshian Jews at a quarther a vote in th' Sivinth Ward; an', ar-rmed with rag hooks, they'd be a tur-r-ble thing f'r anny inimy iv th' Anglo-Saxon 'lieance to face. Th' Bohemians an' Pole Anglo-Saxons may be a little slow in wakin' up to what th' pa-apers calls our common hurtage, but ye may be sure they'll be all r-right whin they're called on. We've got together an Anglo-Saxon 'lieance in this wa-ard, an' we're goin' to ilict Sarsfield O'Brien prisidint, Hugh O'Neill Darsey vice-prisidint, Robert Immitt Clancy sicrety, an' Wolfe Tone Malone three-asurer. O'Brien'll be a good wan to have. He was in the Fenian r-raid, an' his father carrid a pike in forty-eight. An' he's in th' Clan. Besides, he has a sthrong pull with th' Ancient Ordher iv Anglo-Saxon Hibernyans.

"I tell ye, whin th' Clan ah' th' Sons iv Sweden an' th' Banana Club an' th' Circle Francaize an' th' Pollacky Benivolent Society an' th' Rooshian Sons of Dinnymite an' th' Benny Brith an' th' Coffee Clutch that Schwartzmeister r-runs an' th' Turrnd'ye-mind an' th' Holland society an' th' Afro-Americans an' th' other Anglo-Saxons begin f'r to raise their Anglo-Saxon battle-cry, it'll be all day with th' eight or nine people in th' wurruld that has th' misfortune iv not bein' brought up Anglo-Saxons."

Mr. Dooley in Peace and War, Finley Peter Dunne, 1898

14 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:44:54pm

I'm starting to think that Romney's staff read "No Apology" and thought "challenge accepted."

15 elisabeth  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:45:05pm

From the article:

The advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity because Mr Romney’s campaign requested that they not criticise the president to foreign media.

Because criticizing anonymously doesn't count .. or something?

16 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:45:53pm

re: #15 elisabeth

From the article:

Because criticizing anonymously doesn't count .. or something?

Well, they did just have that whole clusterfuck with Australia.

17 Varek Raith  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:46:08pm

re: #15 elisabeth

From the article:

Because criticizing anonymously doesn't count .. or something?

And because it was a clearly, 100 percent racist statement.

18 Shiplord Kirel  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:46:08pm

I thought Obama was a Kenyan, that is, born a British subject. ///

Right-loons have also tried to connect Obama's father to the Mau-Mau, which is about as likely as me being elected Pope.
As the wingers never tire of reminding us, the senior Obama was a Muslim. He was therefore not a Kikuyu and therefore not a Mau-Mau, but wingers would not, and probably could not, understand that.

19 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:46:33pm

So somebody decided it wasn't enough to make the various brown citizens of the UK uncomfortable, they had to play the Anglo-Saxon card and get up the backs of the Welsh, Scots, and Irish.

Never go full Sassenach.

20 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:46:49pm

re: #15 elisabeth

From the article:

Because criticizing anonymously doesn't count .. or something?

Lets round up all those people who boycotted the Dixie Chicks and get them to boycott the Romney Campaign.

21 wrenchwench  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:47:03pm

re: #15 elisabeth

From the article:

Because criticizing anonymously doesn't count .. or something?

This, from the campaign of the guy who said his administration will not tolerate leaks.

22 Varek Raith  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:47:38pm

re: #21 wrenchwench

This, from the campaign of the guy who said his administration will not tolerate leaks.

He clearly meant 'leeks'.

23 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:49:31pm

re: #22 Varek Raith

He clearly meant 'leeks'.

A mean comment about laverbread is all that stands between Romney and a mob of rioting Welshmen.

24 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:49:53pm

I see red flags all over this one. Unnamed sources, African was inserted by the Telegraph and not mentioned by the anonymous aide. When I first saw mentions of this on the earlier thread it looked might it might be something. Maybe, maybe not.

25 aagcobb  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:50:56pm

re: #6 SanFranciscoZionist

I'm up. I'm also preparing to vote against Mitt Romney, the Saxon Choice.

You do know that you don't count as "white" with these people, right?

26 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:52:30pm

re: #24 Killgore Trout

I tagged it as a dog whistle even without the mention of "Africa", when indeed Romney did refer to the Anglo-Saxon-ness.

27 Eclectic Infidel  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:52:32pm

It's official: retards are running the Romney campaign.

28 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:55:21pm

Mission accomplished, gun lobby. Mission accomplished. Pour yourselves some drinks and give yourselves a pat on the back.

Gun sales soar in Aurora

29 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:55:38pm

re: #26 freetoken

I tagged it as a dog whistle even without the mention of "Africa", when indeed Romney did refer to the Anglo-Saxon-ness.

"Anglo-Saxon heritage" can only mean one thing.

30 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:56:14pm

re: #24 Killgore Trout

I see red flags all over this one. Unnamed sources, African was inserted by the Telegraph and not mentioned by the anonymous aide. When I first saw mentions of this on the earlier thread it looked might it might be something. Maybe, maybe not.

They knew what he meant!!!!!

It comes four years after Mr Obama’s own landmark foreign tour, which attracted thousands of supporters.

So the writer is also setting up the scenario that if Romney doesn't "attract thousands,,," the trip will be a failure

31 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:56:28pm

re: #26 freetoken

I tagged it as a dog whistle even without the mention of "Africa", when indeed Romney did refer to the Anglo-Saxon-ness.

Did he? All I see is the claim that an unnamed aide mentioned Anglo Saxon. It's possible but using anonymous sources for a story like this raises my suspicions.

32 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:56:32pm

re: #27 Eclectic Infidel

It's official: retards are running the Romney campaign.

Why would you say...

‘Absolutely’ Russia Is Our ‘Number One Geopolitical Foe’

O’BRIEN: Here’s what Governor Romney said to Wolf Blitzer on March 26: Russia “is without question our number one geopolitical foe. They fight every cause for the world’s worst actors.” Do you think that is true? Russia is our “number one geopolitical foe”?

CHAFFETZ: Well, as you look at behind the scenes what’s going on — and how they support terrorism; how they supported some of the worst actors in the world, including Iran; if you look at what’s going on in the cyber-security front, some of the classified briefings we hear there — absolutely.

O’BRIEN: Worse than North Korea? Worse than Iran? Worse than China?

CHAFFETZ: Well, look, those are probably your top three. But certainly you cannot dismiss the Russians even though sometimes they stay out of the news.

Nevermind.

33 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:56:49pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

"Anglo-Saxon heritage" can only mean one thing.

Bloody Celts.
/

34 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:57:16pm

re: #31 Killgore Trout

Did he? All I see is the claim that an unnamed aide mentioned Anglo Saxon. It's possible but using anonymous sources for a story like this raises my suspicions.

Direct quotes:

“We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he feels that the special relationship is special,” the adviser said of Mr Romney, adding: “The White House didn’t fully appreciate the shared history we have.”

35 prairiefire  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:58:01pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

"Anglo-Saxon heritage" can only mean one thing.

It's really a ballsy move. He could be referring to the Magna Carta, and the basis of our laws, but he (typically) was not so specific. I think he has a lazy intellect.

36 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:58:08pm

re: #32 Kragar

Why would you say...

‘Absolutely’ Russia Is Our ‘Number One Geopolitical Foe’

Nevermind.

Somebody call the Romney campaign, advise them that it's 2012, not 1979.

37 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:58:51pm

re: #31 Killgore Trout

Did he? All I see is the claim that an unnamed aide mentioned Anglo Saxon. It's possible but using anonymous sources for a story like this raises my suspicions.

Well, I guess we'll see if Romney comes out and defends what his aide (allegedly) said, or if Romney will simply say "I wouldn't use those exact words."

38 elisabeth  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:59:10pm

re: #31 Killgore Trout

This from the campaign that has said that after the "felon" remark they will have no trouble miring in the muck? They don't get much of a benefit of the doubt from me. Let Romney and/or some spox clarify/defend.

39 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:59:11pm

re: #34 Charles Johnson

Direct quotes:

Yes,, from an adviser (unnamed) not a direct quote by Romney, as Kilgore stated

40 jamesfirecat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 5:59:44pm

re: #31 Killgore Trout

Did he? All I see is the claim that an unnamed aide mentioned Anglo Saxon. It's possible but using anonymous sources for a story like this raises my suspicions.

Does your outfit come with a cape Captain Contrarian?

41 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:00:25pm

The last paragraph...

The advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity because Mr Romney’s campaign requested that they not criticise the President to foreign media.

Hmmm...so they're 'helping' the campaign by making anonymous racially charged statements instead?
I don't know about this one.

42 prairiefire  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:00:43pm

re: #40 jamesfirecat

"No capes!"

43 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:01:16pm

re: #39 sattv4u2

Yes,, from an adviser (unnamed) not a direct quote by Romney, as Kilgore stated

Newspapers use unnamed sources all the time. I don't see any particular reason to believe the Telegraph is making up these quotes.

44 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:02:39pm

re: #43 Charles Johnson

Newspapers use unnamed sources all the time. I don't see any particular reason to believe the Telegraph is making up these quotes.

I didn't say the quotes are made up

Only that they come from
A) unnamed sources (sometimes accurate, sometimes not so much)
and
B) Romney (apparently) didn't say it

45 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:02:40pm

re: #41 Killgore Trout

The last paragraph...

Hmmm...so they're 'helping' the campaign by making anonymous racially charged statements instead?
I don't know about this one.

So you think it's possible the Telegraph is fabricating these quotes?

I don't.

46 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:02:49pm

re: #41 Killgore Trout

Trial balloons are used for many reasons.

It is not unreasonable to simply accept the Telegraph's reporter as factually relating what a real Romney aide said.

This is hardly the only time that Romney's campaign feels out its oats.

47 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:03:48pm

re: #45 Charles Johnson

So you think it's possible the Telegraph is fabricating these quotes?

I don't.

I think the quotes are most likely accurate but come from someone not really all that close to the inner circle, but someone who wants to be and found a willing audience

48 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:04:21pm

re: #47 sattv4u2

I think the quotes are most likely accurate but come from someone not really all that close to the inner circle, but someone who wants to be and found a willing audience

And I should believe you on that instead of a Telegraph journalist, why?

49 engineer cat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:05:48pm

the adviser said of

his soon to be former boss, mr romney

50 wrenchwench  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:06:53pm

re: #47 sattv4u2

I think the quotes are most likely accurate but come from someone not really all that close to the inner circle, but someone who wants to be and found a willing audience

If anybody thinks that's the way to get closer to Romney's inner circle, they think even less of Romney than I do.

51 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:07:36pm

re: #31 Killgore Trout

Did he? All I see is the claim that an unnamed aide mentioned Anglo Saxon. It's possible but using anonymous sources for a story like this raises my suspicions.

Romney Dog Whistle: Obama’s Philosophy Is ‘Foreign To The American Experience’

ROMNEY: This is an ideology which says hey, we’re all the same here, we ought to take from all and give to one another and that achievement, individual initiative and risk-taking and success are not to be rewarded as they have in the past. It’s a very strange and in some respects foreign to the American experience type of philosophy. We have always been a nation that has celebrated success of various kinds. The kid that gets the honor roll, the individual worker that gets a promotion, the person that gets a better job. And in fact, the person that builds a business. And by the way, if you have a business and you started it, you did build it. And you deserve credit for that. It was not built for you by government…. So his whole philosophy is an upside-down philosophy that does not comport with the American experience.

The stuff from the anonymous sources is only a slight change in timbre from what's coming from the horse's mouth.

Addendum--even more tellingly, it echoes themes of OBAMA IS THE OTHER AND NOT WHITE that persisted for four years in wingnut circles.

52 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:08:09pm

Given the coverage this has now gotten, I think the ball is in Romney's court to clarify this.

53 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:08:13pm

re: #48 Charles Johnson

And I should believe you on that instead of a Telegraph journalist, why?

I really care not who/what/why you believe

You read it one way. I see another

I see an "unnamed" source speaking to a journalist who is then willing to add his own inflections (whose father was from Africa) as if that was part of the quote then adding the Mr Obama’s own landmark foreign tour, which attracted thousands of supporters. making that the benchmark for a successful Romney tour

54 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:08:24pm

Journalists in Britain have a very strong motive not to make things up these days, after the Murdoch shitstorm. I think it's absurd to suggest that these quotes are fabricated or didn't come from Romney's advisers. A Telegraph journalist who made up something like that would be asking for serious trouble.

55 wrenchwench  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:09:08pm

re: #53 sattv4u2

I really care not who/what/why you believe

You read it one way. I see another

I see an "unnamed" source speaking to a journalist who is then willing to add his own inflections (whose father was from Africa) as if that was part of the quote then adding the Mr Obama’s own landmark foreign tour, which attracted thousands of supporters. making that the benchmark for a successful Romney tour

You're gonna hurt yourself stretching like that.

56 drool  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:09:22pm

As a first generation American of English parents I consider that comment from the Romney campaign an insult to Americans and our relationship with Great Britain.

57 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:09:33pm

re: #55 wrenchwench

You're gonna hurt yourself stretching like that.

I'm actually curled up all nice and comfy on the recliner

58 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:11:06pm

re: #53 sattv4u2

I really care not who/what/why you believe

You read it one way. I see another

I see an "unnamed" source speaking to a journalist who is then willing to add his own inflections (whose father was from Africa) as if that was part of the quote then adding the Mr Obama’s own landmark foreign tour, which attracted thousands of supporters. making that the benchmark for a successful Romney tour

Ah.

Postmodernist concern.

59 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:11:10pm

I realize it's a real stretch to imagine Republican politicians making racially charged statements.

/

60 engineer cat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:11:28pm

anglo saxon relations

i had a girlfriend like that once

61 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:13:18pm

re: #58 The Ghost of a Flea

Ah.

Postmodernist concern.

Not concerned in the slightest

As a matter of fact, the fetching Mrs Satty is imploring me to join her for a viewing of Rizzoli and Isles followed by Franklin and Bash!

62 blueraven  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:15:57pm

Why would this not be believable to some?

John Bolton is a Romney adviser. John Bolton has jumped on the "investigate Huma Abedin" train.

Sleep with dogs...

63 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:17:38pm

re: #62 blueraven

Sleep with dogs...

DAVID BARTON WARNED US ABOUT THAT!

64 DREd  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:18:51pm

Why do the Jutes and the Frisians always get ignored?

65 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:21:26pm

By the way, if you Google "Mormon Anglo-Saxon" you discover that this "Anglo-Saxon heritage" thing is an important part of the Mormon religion, and one of the reasons why they've had big problems with racial issues.

66 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:23:32pm

re: #45 Charles Johnson

So you think it's possible the Telegraph is fabricating these quotes?

I don't.

Sure, they're in the business of getting traffic. Lots of links from lefty sites and by using the claim of anonymous sources there can never be proof either way. Lefties advance their cause, the Telegraph gets lots of traffic and there's no accountability. Yes, I think it's very possible. Given the evidence provided in the article I would even say it might be likely.

67 aagcobb  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:23:34pm

re: #50 wrenchwench

If anybody thinks that's the way to get closer to Romney's inner circle, they think even less of Romney than I do.

Its a clear dog whistle to the base, and doubly plausibly deniable since its in (easily broken code) and Romney didn't say it himself; so yeah, I think this could be viewed as shrewd by the Campaign.

68 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:24:25pm

re: #66 Killgore Trout

Mmkay.

69 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:25:45pm

re: #66 Killgore Trout

Likely. Really. Because of the lefties. A newspaper is just going to completely fabricate quotes out of nowhere. As if Romney isn't already basically saying this.

And you think this is likely.

Holy crap, that's sad.

70 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:26:16pm

Romney's about to go to Britain, but it's a real stretch to imagine that his advisers might be talking to British journalists.

/

71 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:26:27pm

re: #66 Killgore Trout

Yes, I think it's very possible. Given the evidence provided in the article I would even say it might be likely.

No. I think the quotes are most likely accurate, but as I stated I doubt it's from anyone that even gets within earshot of the inner circle, as well as the insertion you pointed out by the reporter

72 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:26:34pm

re: #69 Obdicut

Likely. Really. Because of the lefties. A newspaper is just going to completely fabricate quotes out of nowhere. As if Romney isn't already basically saying this.

And you think this is likely.

Holy crap, that's sad.

It works for WND...
///

73 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:28:18pm

re: #66 Killgore Trout

The author is John Swaine, who is the Telegraph's DC reporter.

[Link: twitter.com...]

74 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:28:33pm

re: #70 Charles Johnson

Romney's about to go to Britain, but it's a real stretch to imagine that his advisers might be talking to British journalists.

...Against instructions and making racially charged allegations to "help" their candidate. I don't know about that. If he had cited named sources it might be different but unless further proof is forthcoming I don't think this story has legs outside the lefty activist media.

75 JamesWI  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:28:41pm

re: #66 Killgore Trout

Sure, they're in the business of getting traffic. Lots of links from lefty sites and by using the claim of anonymous sources there can never be proof either way. Lefties advance their cause, the Telegraph gets lots of traffic and there's no accountability. Yes, I think it's very possible. Given the evidence provided in the article I would even say it might be likely.

What a sorry joke you have become.

76 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:28:57pm
77 dragonath  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:29:36pm

REPULSE THE ANGLO SAXON INVADERS! CYMRU RYDD!! CYMRU AM BYTH!!

78 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:30:17pm

re: #75 JamesWI

What a sorry joke you have become.

very insightful!

(and yes, I know you'll downding me,,, {yawn})

79 JamesWI  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:30:57pm

re: #78 sattv4u2

very insightful!

(and yes, I know you'll downding me,,, {yawn})

If only I could manage to be as insightful as you..... A man can dream......

81 engineer cat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:31:23pm

re: #77 Fred Galt

REPULSE THE ANGLO SAXON INVADERS! CYRMRU RYDD!! CYMRU AM BYTH!!

nobody ever talks about the part before that where the celts came over from the continent and conquered the tuatha da danae and the firbolgs

82 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:31:36pm

re: #71 sattv4u2

Yes, I think it's very possible. Given the evidence provided in the article I would even say it might be likely.

No. I think the quotes are most likely accurate, but as I stated I doubt it's from anyone that even gets within earshot of the inner circle, as well as the insertion you pointed out by the reporter

It's possible but i have my BS meter set pretty tight these days. Lot's of fake stories floating around these days.

83 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:31:44pm

re: #79 JamesWI

If only I could manage to be as insightful as you... A man can dream...

Lessee

You ,,,,name calling

Me,,, not so much

YUP,, you win!

84 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:31:56pm

re: #74 Killgore Trout

If he cited a named source, how would that change it? If the named source denied saying it, then what?

It's kind of odd that you're reacting to the idea of an anonymous source as though this is something at all new in journalism, or as if it just gives people a license to make shit up. When reporters are caught fabricating quotes, it's very often career-ending. The Romney campaign says enough dog-whistle shit on any given day, like Obama being foreign to the American experience, that there is very little return in making up yet another racially charged comment from an aide, when you have Romney making those kinds of statements directly.

But whatever. This is probably just you in performance art "I don't know if the Vice President in charge of Policy at Komen has any effect on Policy at Komen" mode again.

85 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:34:24pm

re: #83 sattv4u2

Lessee

You ,,,name calling

Me,,, not so much

YUP,, you win!

No name-calling in there.

You're a dumb-ass.

That's name-calling!

86 Kronocide  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:34:25pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

"Anglo-Saxon heritage" can only mean one thing.

This is what I think of when I hear Anglo Saxon:

Youtube Video
87 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:34:31pm

re: #84 Obdicut

It should also be noted that British libel laws are far more loose that American laws, such that the Telegraph could be sued just for publishing this story, regardless of whether or not the quotes are really from a member of the Romney campaign.

88 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:34:57pm

re: #82 Killgore Trout

It's possible but i have my BS meter set pretty tight these days. Lot's of fake stories floating around these days.

Well, you can challenge Mr. Swaine directly, as he seems to respond to tweets.

89 JamesWI  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:35:17pm

re: #83 sattv4u2

Lessee

You ,,,name calling

Me,,, not so much

YUP,, you win!

There isn't much left to do but call him a joke, when he starts assuming any story that might hurt Republicans is fake.

90 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:35:41pm

re: #84 Obdicut

But whatever. This is probably just you in performance art "I don't know if the Vice President in charge of Policy at Komen has any effect on Policy at Komen" mode again.

Yes, I almost mentioned that as a recent example of a bogus anonymous sources story. I think the AP uncovered documents a few months later showing that Komen made the choice after years of pressure from American Catholic groups. The decision, despite what the anonymous sources said, was made before she joined the group.

91 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:35:45pm

re: #85 Mocking Jay

No name-calling in there.

You're a dumb-ass.

That's name-calling!

Calling someone a "sorry joke" is a compliment

Cool!!!

92 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:36:25pm

re: #89 JamesWI

There isn't much left to do but call him a joke, when he starts assuming any story that might hurt Republicans is fake.

Yeah, because if there's one thing Kilgore is, it's a HUGE republican cheerleader!!!

93 Petero1818  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:36:26pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

"Anglo-Saxon heritage" can only mean one thing.

It reminds me of 20 years ago when backpacking and arriving by boat from Morocco to Spain. I got off the boat and arrived at passport control. There were two lines. One line said EU Passports. The other line said Non EU Passports. As Canadian I was in the Non EU Passport line, when I and a number of other Canadian and American tourists were pulled from that line and placed in the EU line. I said to the border guard, "actually I am Canadian so I think I need to be over there". He said to me "No ...that line is for other people". Basically the EU line was for EU passports and all white people.The non EU line was for African people.

"Anglo Saxon heritage" is actually code for EU///

94 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:36:55pm

re: #87 Targetpractice

Their libel laws are a lot looser, but I don't think there's anything actionable in reporting what they said. The libel laws mostly apply to saying things about someone.

95 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:38:54pm

re: #80 Charles Johnson

Mitt Romney Announces Foreign Policy and National Security Advisory Team

Interesting, Chertoff's on the team. He has a prior history of inserting the term "Anglo-Saxon" to provide emphasis where it's not at all necessary.

"I have made unambiguously clear, in Anglo-Saxon prose, that it is not to ever happen again, and there will be appropriate disciplinary action taken against those people who exhibited what I regard as extraordinarily poor judgment."

96 erik_t  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:39:07pm

My reaction to this embarrassing clusterfuck of a laugh-track defense/conversation.

See y'all tomorrow.

97 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:39:28pm

re: #92 sattv4u2

Yeah, because if there's one thing Kilgore is, it's a HUGE republican cheerleader!!!

Let it go. "It's a waste of time and annoys the pig" - Twain

98 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:39:59pm

I'm half Saxon (mom's people were from Westphalia) and half Celt (da's people were from Cork and Mayo). So I guess I'm Celto-Saxon.

And I guess Mittens' people are not dog-whistling my vote.

By the way, if you haven't seen Doonesbury the last couple of days, it's been brutal on the whole photo ID issue.

99 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:40:14pm

re: #97 Killgore Trout

K

See you in the Bottom Comments in the morning. I'll bring the muffins, you bring the coffee!!

100 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:40:33pm

re: #83 sattv4u2

Lessee

You ,,,name calling

Me,,, not so much

YUP,, you win!

Yes.

Your flippancy, dismissiveness, and feigned aloofness are totally different and not at all a form of social aggression because technically you aren't saying anything that's directly mean.

Congratulations, you're the alpha of middle school social tactics.

101 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:41:57pm

re: #100 The Ghost of a Flea

Yes.

Your flippancy, dismissiveness, and feigned aloofness are totally different and not at all a form of social aggression because technically you aren't saying anything that's directly mean.

Congratulations, you're the alpha of middle school social tactics.

So instead of stating my opinions and talking about it calmly, it would be better if I just called someone an asshole!

K

102 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:42:04pm

re: #90 Killgore Trout

Yes, I almost mentioned that as a recent example of a bogus anonymous sources story. I think the AP uncovered documents a few months later showing that Komen made the choice after years of pressure from American Catholic groups. The decision, despite what the anonymous sources said, was made before she joined the group.

Your memory tends to be piss poor-- you mix up Talking Points Memo and ThinkProgress, and stuff. I wouldn't rely on it too much, if I were you.

And even if it were, this is another classic case of you staring at the forest and saying "There's all these fucking trees in the way!"

She was powerless to do anything about this decision, right? Or she was hired precisely because she, herself, is anti-choice and is a perfect person to implement the policy? Why are you pretending that what was being claimed was that she single-handedly implemented the policy? I'm sure the Catholic church has always pressured Komen about their relationship with Planned Parenthood. That you think this somehow absolves her of any responsibility is just inexplicable.

I really, really honestly can't tell if you are actually fooling yourself with this bullshit. I tend to think not, since you do dumb shit like claiming to be a classical liberal and then immediately talking about how great positive rights are (positive rights being the thing that classical liberals are opposed to) which indicates more just a lazy contrarianism with Wiki-skimmed research than actually buying your own crap.

103 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:42:24pm

So what exactly is the argument that this quote might be a partial, if not full, fabrication other than what amounts to a gut feeling?

104 JamesWI  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:43:38pm

re: #103 Targetpractice

So what exactly is the argument that this quote might be a partial, if not full, fabrication other than what amounts to a gut feeling?

Because the evil lefties are planting fake stories everywhere!!!

105 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:43:38pm

re: #103 Targetpractice

So what exactly is the argument that this quote might be a partial, if not full, fabrication other than what amounts to a gut feeling?

That's it. Award-winning journalist makes up quote that's actually slightly tamer than some of the shit that Romney himself has been saying recently because lefties.

Oooh, those lefties! What won't they do next?

106 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:44:08pm

re: #103 Targetpractice

So what exactly is the argument that this quote might be a partial, if not full, fabrication other than what amounts to a gut feeling?

I never once stated the quote was a fabrication. Just questioning the importance of it

107 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:45:19pm

re: #103 Targetpractice

So what exactly is the argument that this quote might be a partial, if not full, fabrication other than what amounts to a gut feeling?

re: #106 sattv4u2

I never once stated the quote was a fabrication. Just questioning the importance of it

As a matter of fact, I have stated a number of times that I beleive the quote is most likely accurate

108 JamesWI  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:45:41pm

re: #106 sattv4u2

I never once stated the quote was a fabrication. Just questioning the importance of it

Oh no, you never stated the quote was a fabrication. You just decided that the person who said it must not be the person the writer is indicating, and probably has close to nothing to do with Mitt Romney, because . . . lefties.

109 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:46:13pm

K,,, Wifeys pissed at me, and that's worse than Lizards being pissed at me

110 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:48:04pm

re: #107 sattv4u2

re: #106 sattv4u2

As a matter of fact, I have stated a number of times that I beleive the quote is most likely accurate

And exchanged the accuracy of the quote for skepticism as to the source, as though there's much difference.

111 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:48:42pm

re: #108 JamesWI

Where do I say anything about "it must not be the person the writer is indicating" or "lefties"? (or is it that you need me to say something like that??)

I'm sure the the person the reporter was introduced to was presented to him as a "Romney aid"

112 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:50:38pm

re: #110 Targetpractice

And exchanged the accuracy of the quote for skepticism as to the sources closeness to the inner circle, as though because there' Is much a difference.

ftfy

113 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:51:11pm

Somebody should ask Chertoff if it was him, since he's used the term "Anglo-Saxon," a rare term, more than once:

Indeed, the very idea of subjecting any of these allegations to normal judicial process appears never to have occurred to Chertoff. His approach is that of a battlefield commander administering martial law, not a civilian official of a democratic state. According to one report :

He was asked to consider the oft-repeated criticism of the US "war on terror", that it was being fought at the expense of the fundamental rights of the citizens it claims to protect.

In answer, Chertoff ... suggested the Anglo-Saxon legal principle that "it is better that a thousand guilty go unpunished lest one innocent man be wrongly punished" might be outmoded.

114 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:51:21pm

Please, MSNBC, find someone else to sub for Rachel. An hour of Ezra Klein just puts me to sleep.

115 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:51:30pm

re: #95 goddamnedfrank

Note too the presence of Heritage Foundation members on Mitt's team. Heritage has a whole "Freedom Project" which emphasizes "Anglo" this and that.

116 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:52:18pm

re: #111 sattv4u2

Where do I say anything about "it must not be the person the writer is indicating" or "lefties"? (or is it that you need me to say something like that??)

I'm sure the the person the reporter was introduced to was presented to him as a "Romney aid"

Which would make the quote part of the Romney campaign's official position on the difference between Romney and the Prez. In any case, a horrible choice of words. When you have the BNP agreeing with you with big grins and raised pints, you have fucked the dog.

117 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:52:25pm

re: #99 sattv4u2

K

See you in the Bottom Comments in the morning. I'll bring the muffins, you bring the coffee!!

Deal.

118 sattv4u2  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:52:33pm

{redux}
K,,, Wifeys pissed at me, and that's worse than Lizards being pissed at me

OUTSKIES

119 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:53:17pm

I see that Swaine responded to my tweet with a link that describes The Telegraph:

120 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:53:54pm

re: #112 sattv4u2

ftfy

So the difference between you and Kilgore is he thinks the person's lying about what was said and you think they're lying about who they are.

121 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:53:57pm

re: #118 sattv4u2

{redux}
K,,, Wifeys pissed at me, and that's worse than Lizards being pissed at me

OUTSKIES

Pee on the toilet seat. That'll teach her!

122 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:54:02pm

Ergo, I think Swaine isn't bending to KT's allegations about "allegations".

123 JamesWI  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:54:06pm

re: #111 sattv4u2

Where do I say anything about "it must not be the person the writer is indicating" or "lefties"? (or is it that you need me to say something like that??)

I'm sure the the person the reporter was introduced to was presented to him as a "Romney aid"

So, you think it was really the coffee-fetcher who said it, pretending to be an adviser, and the reporter just went with it, without knowing who it really was.

Gotcha. Yeah, not questioning the accuracy at all, there!

124 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:55:47pm

re: #119 freetoken

Heh.

is a daily morning broadsheet conservative-leaning newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.

It must be a lie. They're part of the lefty activist media. Killgore's gut told him so.

125 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:56:35pm

re: #87 Targetpractice

It should also be noted that British libel laws are far more loose that American laws, such that the Telegraph could be sued just for publishing this story, regardless of whether or not the quotes are really from a member of the Romney campaign.

Britain's got a bit of a rep for tabloid and sensationalist journalism that didn't entirely flow from Rupert Murdoch, though.

I assume someone said this. How important--as opposed to hilarious--it is, is another matter.

126 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:56:38pm

re: #119 freetoken

I see that Swaine responded to my tweet with a link that describes The Telegraph:

[Embedded content]

Probably intended to point out the bold section:

The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet conservative-leaning newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.

127 dragonath  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:56:48pm

re: #95 goddamnedfrank

Interesting, Chertoff's on the team. He has a prior history of inserting the term "Anglo-Saxon" to provide emphasis where it's not at all necessary.

Ere The Morning Sun Hath Risen
Most Severest Red, Threat Level Dire
Cyning Bush Slew The Dictator
The Youthful War-Hero, His Gold-Flashing Helmet,
Thine Mission Hath Been Accomplished

128 MittDoesNotCompute  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:57:19pm

re: #1 Kragar

I get the feeling at any minute the official GOP slogan is going to become "Wake up, white people!"

Pretty much, in which case, this would be appropriate:

Youtube Video
129 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:57:22pm

re: #93 Petero1818

It reminds me of 20 years ago when backpacking and arriving by boat from Morocco to Spain. I got off the boat and arrived at passport control. There were two lines. One line said EU Passports. The other line said Non EU Passports. As Canadian I was in the Non EU Passport line, when I and a number of other Canadian and American tourists were pulled from that line and placed in the EU line. I said to the border guard, "actually I am Canadian so I think I need to be over there". He said to me "No ...that line is for other people". Basically the EU line was for EU passports and all white people.The non EU line was for African people.

"Anglo Saxon heritage" is actually code for EU///

I was never allowed into the EU line. I don't know what that means, now.

130 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:57:42pm
The Daily Telegraph has been politically conservative in modern times.The personal links between the paper's editors and the leadership of the Conservative Party, along with the paper's influence over Conservative activists, has resulted in the paper commonly being referred to, especially in Private Eye, as the Torygraph. Even when Conservative support was shown to have slumped in the opinion polls and Labour became ascendant in them (particularly when leader Tony Blair rebranded the party as "New Labour" on becoming leader after the death of John Smith in 1994), the newspaper remained loyal to the Conservatives. This loyalty continued after Labour ousted the Conservatives from power by a landslide election result in 1997, and in the face of Labour election wins in 2001 and the third successive Labour election win in 2005.

My, what a long, cunning game these lefties play. All those years pretending to be a Tory paper. It just shows how far they'll go.

131 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:57:53pm

re: #103 Targetpractice

So what exactly is the argument that this quote might be a partial, if not full, fabrication other than what amounts to a gut feeling?

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS. At the risk of invoking the MBF, let's flip the script. Suppose a news source claims anonymous Obama aides said he's "africanizing and socializing the American economy and experience" as his father instructed. Would you believe it? I wouldn't.

132 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:58:38pm

All I know is this - Romney has loaded his team up with advisors who are real big on "American Exceptionalism" and who run in "conservative" circles.

re: #131 Killgore Trout

But... it's not "outrageous" given some of the people on Mitt's team.

133 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 6:59:02pm

re: #130 Obdicut

My, what a long, cunning game these lefties play. All those years pretending to be a Tory paper. It just shows how far they'll go.

Tricksy hobbits.

134 Big Joe  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:00:10pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS. At the risk of invoking the MBF, let's flip the script. Suppose a news source claims anonymous Obama aides said he's "africanizing and socializing the American economy and experience" as his father instructed. Would you believe it? I wouldn't.

That makes no sense.

135 JamesWI  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:00:35pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS. At the risk of invoking the MBF, let's flip the script. Suppose a news source claims anonymous Obama aides said he's "africanizing and socializing the American economy and experience" as his father instructed. Would you believe it? I wouldn't.

Do Obama's aides have a history of saying they want to make America more "African," the way Romney and his aides have constantly said things that are not all that different from this quote?

No? So you're just a joke?

136 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:00:48pm

re: #134 Big Joe

That makes no sense.

Shut up. He's on a roll.

137 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:01:14pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

If the Obama team had people on it who really were involved in attempts to "Africanize" America then it wouldn't be an outrageous claim.

However, to the best of my knowledge, the Obama team has no such members. They do have some who are classically "internationalists", but that's about as far as it goes.

So no, the analogy sort of fails.

138 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:01:27pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS.

Anonymous sources are a perfectly common thing in journalism, and are not a sign of BS. Any claim of 'someone said something' is unproveable unless there was a recording device present. And what was said is not really more outrageous than what Mitt himself has been saying about the president.

Why can you believe (assuming you do believe) that Romney will talk about how Obama's philosophy doesn't mesh with America, completely misrepresent his views as basically communism, but this statement is just beyond they pale?

139 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:02:30pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS. At the risk of invoking the MBF, let's flip the script. Suppose a news source claims anonymous Obama aides said he's "africanizing and socializing the American economy and experience" as his father instructed. Would you believe it? I wouldn't.

You really suck at analogies.

140 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:03:02pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Does learning that this is appearing in a conservative paper and not the lefty media make any impression on you at all? Or is your gut just overwhelming you with truthiness at the moment?

141 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:05:08pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS. At the risk of invoking the MBF, let's flip the script. Suppose a news source claims anonymous Obama aides said he's "africanizing and socializing the American economy and experience" as his father instructed. Would you believe it? I wouldn't.

I can't open a newspaper and read many political stories without running across one or more statements coming from anonymous sources.

142 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:05:32pm

re: #134 Big Joe

That makes no sense.

It's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.

143 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:05:50pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS. At the risk of invoking the MBF, let's flip the script. Suppose a news source claims anonymous Obama aides said he's "africanizing and socializing the American economy and experience" as his father instructed. Would you believe it? I wouldn't.

The problem with "flipping the script" is that the proposed "Obama" version is incoherent with what Obama himself says.

On the other hand, Mitt has talked about how Obama's worldview is strangely "not American" and not pushed back against much stronger and uglier propositions that Obama is somehow The Other. He's also sold the line that Obama is cozening the US's enemies and "apologizing" to them.

144 steve_davis  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:06:30pm

re: #114 Mocking Jay

Please, MSNBC, find someone else to sub for Rachel. An hour of Ezra Klein just puts me to sleep.

What the heck is up with MSNBC? DId all the freaking anchors just decide to go on vacation the same week? I picture Ed and Rachel playing beach volleyball, while Martin looks on between the straw and the umbrella in his Hurricane. They probably smuggled Keith Olbermann onto the beach in the trunk of Rachel's car.

145 Kronocide  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:07:48pm

Tripp Palin uses anti gay slur.

It really is learned.

146 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:08:46pm

re: #144 steve_davis

What the heck is up with MSNBC? DId all the freaking anchors just decide to go on vacation the same week? I picture Ed and Rachel playing beach volleyball, while Martin looks on between the straw and the umbrella in his Hurricane. They probably smuggled Keith Olbermann onto the beach in the trunk of Rachel's car.

...

Never make me imagine Ed Schultz playing beach volleyball again.

Never. Again.

147 freetoken  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:09:14pm

E.g., Romney depends upon the Heritage Foundation for bodies on the policy team. Heritage has a whole category for "Anglo-American Special Relationship":

[Link: www.heritage.org...]

One of whose white papers was authored by Ray Walser, who is on the Obama team.

Why is it surprising that an emphasis on "Anglo-Saxon" then manifests in a statement coming out of the campaign?

148 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:10:24pm

re: #139 goddamnedfrank

You really suck at analogies.

Image: hitchens-razor.jpg

No proof, so sad. Sorry, that's just the way it goes.

149 MittDoesNotCompute  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:11:48pm

re: #142 goddamnedfrank

It's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.

I'll tell ya...MBFs smell like pure gasoline.

150 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:13:43pm

re: #143 The Ghost of a Flea

The problem with "flipping the script" is that the proposed "Obama" version is incoherent with what Obama himself says.

On the other hand, Mitt has talked about how Obama's worldview is strangely "not American" and not pushed back against much stronger and uglier propositions that Obama is somehow The Other.

In addition, The Daily Telegraph is people, my friend.

151 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:14:28pm

re: #61 sattv4u2

Not concerned in the slightest

As a matter of fact, the fetching Mrs Satty is imploring me to join her for a viewing of Rizzoli and Isles followed by Franklin and Bash!

You don't see any connection between the rhetoric used by the unnamed source and the very speeches Romney gives about "Obama not understanding America in his heart and not loving its freedoms?" Really, none whatsoever? Nothing Palinesque ("Obama doesn't love America like WE do") at all, huh?

If so, you're not only boring but dense. On top of that your taste in TV shows is dogshit.

152 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:14:33pm

re: #148 Killgore Trout

Okay, so we can dismiss your assertion that the journalist fabricated these quotes, because you have absolutely no evidence for such a bizarre claim, and the grounds that you made it-- that this was done for the lefties-- makes no sense in the context of the conservative paper it was published in.

153 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:16:27pm

re: #152 Obdicut

Okay, so we can dismiss your assertion that the journalist fabricated these quotes, because you have absolutely no evidence for such a bizarre claim, and the grounds that you made it-- that this was done for the lefties-- makes no sense in the context of the conservative paper it was published in.

Well, yeah, but what's your point?

154 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:16:38pm

re: #131 Killgore Trout

Anonymous sources for an outrageous and unprovable claim is one of the first signs of BS. At the risk of invoking the MBF, let's flip the script. Suppose a news source claims anonymous Obama aides said he's "africanizing and socializing the American economy and experience" as his father instructed. Would you believe it? I wouldn't.

WTF. Romney's loudest mouthpiece (Sununu) recently said that Obama "needs to learn how to be an American."

Is it really that hard to believe that another member of the Romney team would say something quite similar?

155 jamesfirecat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:16:41pm

re: #148 Killgore Trout

Image: hitchens-razor.jpg

No proof, so sad. Sorry, that's just the way it goes.

Here's your evidence.

You make an analogy that compares a story about a Mitt Romney aid saying something that is in line with what Mitt Romney has previously said (Obama is "other"/Foreign in one form or another) to a story about an Obama aid saying something that is in no way in line with what Obama has said public ally.

That is why it is a bad analogy.

156 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:18:11pm

re: #145 Kronocide

Tripp Palin uses anti gay slur.

It really is learned.

You know, I suddenly feel grateful.

Someday I'm going to be sitting in a hotel with my firstborn, and s/he's gonna be whining and crying and acting up, and come out with something like that. Due to my mother's stoic refusal to found a political/reality TV dynasty, there will be no cameras in the room, and one of us will put him/her in a time-out and explain that we do not use language like that in our family.

157 Sheila Broflovski  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:19:07pm

Well, you know that Romney is going to Israel this week, and "Anglo-Saxon" is what they call Jewish immigrants to Israel from English-speaking countries (like the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia...)

//stretching on my tippy tippy toes.

158 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:20:25pm

re: #154 palomino

WTF. Romney's loudest mouthpiece (Sununu) recently said that Obama "needs to learn how to be an American."

Is it really that hard to believe that another member of the Romney team would say something quite similar?

Well, of course! This is the New Mitt™, whose laser focus could not allow anything like this to happen! It must be fake!

Duh, dude.

159 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:21:00pm

re: #65 Charles Johnson

By the way, if you Google "Mormon Anglo-Saxon" you discover that this "Anglo-Saxon heritage" thing is an important part of the Mormon religion, and one of the reasons why they've had big problems with racial issues.

I was going to say this is a bit of piling on over a poorly worded comment since Anglo-Saxon is an accurate term that very specifically refers to Britain and its history. It could be an adviser thinking they were being intellectual by referring to a term that broadly refers to English culture, language, and history.

So I googled the term with Mormon attached....hmmmm. First, if this advisor really was speaking without authorization, they should be canned. Second, Romney should release a statement disowning that comment.

However, if Romney is going to be called a racist himself, something more than guilt by anonymous association would be helpful to convince me.

160 dragonath  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:21:07pm

Why doesn't anyone want Franco-American? Admittedly, that stuff is pretty nasty...

161 ozbloke  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:21:08pm

re: #145 Kronocide

Tripp Palin uses anti gay slur.

It really is learned.

Broken link?

162 Renaissance_Man  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:21:12pm

re: #158 austin_blue

Well, of course! This is the New Mitt™, whose laser focus could not allow anything like this to happen! It must be fake!

Duh, dude.

Well, no, it's obviously fake because lefties like it. And, most importantly, LGF as a whole seems to think it likely.

Proof!

163 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:21:55pm

re: #148 Killgore Trout

Image: hitchens-razor.jpg

No proof, so sad. Sorry, that's just the way it goes.

The man who made the assertion with no proof conjures Hitchens.

Irony, thou art a single-serving pre-packaged Flying Spaghetti Monster.

164 Romantic Heretic  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:22:19pm

re: #77 Fred Galt

REPULSE THE ANGLO SAXON INVADERS! CYMRU RYDD!! CYMRU AM BYTH!!

Youtube Video
165 Big Joe  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:22:28pm

I don't know what's worse, KT's analogies or this cam-grab stream of Dark Knight Rises I'm watching.

166 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:24:38pm

re: #159 BryanS

Actually, most of the British legal and governmental tradition is Norman, not Anglo-Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon England ended in 1066.

167 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:24:52pm

Remember how Deep Throat was dismissed because he was an anonymous source and the whole Watergate affair went nowhere?

That was awesome.

168 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:25:17pm

Pretty big dog whistle. Clearly he's speaking to the Vdare and the Derbyshire audience with this one.

169 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:26:05pm

re: #163 The Ghost of a Flea

The man who made the assertion with no proof conjures Hitchens.

Irony, thou art a single-serving pre-packaged Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Does the FSM really exist? I keep hoping to be raptured by his Noodly Appendages, but so far...

170 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:27:15pm

re: #166 Obdicut

Actually, most of the British legal and governmental tradition is Norman, not Anglo-Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon England ended in 1066.

Yeah...it was a dumb use of the term. Really, an odd choice if not colored by one or both of racism or stupidity. The term Anglo-sphere is still in use today and refers to English speaking countries, specifically Great Britian and its former colonies (which include India where English is a significant second language).

171 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:27:17pm

re: #166 Obdicut

Actually, most of the British legal and governmental tradition is Norman, not Anglo-Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon England ended in 1066.

That is when things started to go downhill.
/

172 Killgore Trout  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:28:23pm

re: #167 goddamnedfrank

Remember how Deep Throat was dismissed because he was an anonymous source and the whole Watergate affair went nowhere?

That was awesome.

The key difference is Deep throat provided evidence that was verifiable. If this dude follows up and proves his claims I'll have absolutely no problem with it.

173 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:28:54pm

re: #165 Big Joe

I don't know what's worse, KT's analogies or this cam-grab stream of Dark Knight Rises I'm watching.

My god, what are you doing to yourself?

Get thee to a 70mm Imax!

174 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:29:04pm

re: #166 Obdicut

Actually, most of the British legal and governmental tradition is Norman, not Anglo-Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon England ended in 1066.

Nah, they just got conquered by the Norman Froggies.

175 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:29:34pm

Oh, hello.

176 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:29:46pm

re: #175 Gus

Oh, hello.

'Sup.

177 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:30:56pm

It is a really weird thing that the English started using Anglo-Saxon at all; I'm fairly sure it started as an inherently racist statement about how the English ruled and everyone else sucked, but even so I can't see where they really got off saying it. The population of the English at the time of the Norman conquest was an Anglo-Romano-Saxon-Jutish-Celto-etc.

It's really a pretty stupid phrase; completely inaccurate, with ugly racial overtones, conveying no meaning.

178 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:31:04pm

re: #176 Mocking Jay

'Sup.

Hot. Was working on some project. Taking a break from the intertoobs. Yourself?

179 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:32:20pm

re: #178 Gus

Hot. Was working on some project. Taking a break from the intertoobs. Yourself?

Saw the light of day briefly to get a haircut. Been wasting the rest of my time sitting in an air-conditioned room. Feelin' a little lazy...

180 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:32:43pm

re: #159 BryanS

Suggestion: pay attention to the things Romney and his top surrogate (Sununu) have been saying. If you don't think there's a xenophobic element to their discourse, then listen more closely.

181 jaunte  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:32:53pm

“Celebrating success instead of attacking it and denigrating making America strong. That’s the right course for the country. His course is extraordinarily foreign.”
--Mitt of the Angles and Saxons

182 MittDoesNotCompute  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:33:09pm

re: #166 Obdicut

Actually, most of the British legal and governmental tradition is Norman, not Anglo-Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon England ended in 1066.

Don't confuse people with facts.

183 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:34:01pm

re: #181 jaunte

“Celebrating success instead of attacking it and denigrating making America strong. That’s the right course for the country. His course is extraordinarily foreign.”
--Mitt of the Angles and Saxons

Not to be confused with Mexican Mitt.

184 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:34:45pm

re: #172 Killgore Trout

The key difference is Deep throat provided evidence that was verifiable. If this dude follows up and proves his claims I'll have absolutely no problem with it.

What, that one of Romney's spindocs said that to a reporter from The Telegraph? Why *wouldn't* he say that to The Telegraph? It's like going on Faux News and saying that "we don't really know anything" about this Prez. It's red meat for that paper's consumers.

185 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:35:07pm

re: #179 Mocking Jay

Saw the light of day briefly to get a haircut. Been wasting the rest of my time sitting in an air-conditioned room. Feelin' a little lazy...

AC is a good thing to have when it gets this hot.

186 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:35:32pm

re: #180 palomino

Suggestion: pay attention to the things Romney and his top surrogate (Sununu) have been saying. If you don't think there's a xenophobic element to their discourse, then listen more closely.

I am listening to Romney at least, and don't hear the racist statements you are referring to. Can you point them out for me? Can't say I've listened to or heard anything Sununu has said lately, but I don't recall him being the racist type.

187 Kronocide  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:35:51pm

Tripp Palin uses gay slur.

188 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:37:03pm

re: #184 austin_blue

No no, Killgore has discerned that the Telegraph is part of the lefty activist media. Don't Jenga his theory, man. It's all tightly knit.

189 dragonath  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:37:05pm

Romney has perfected the Buchanan whistle, a sound loud enough for old white men to hear.

190 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:37:44pm

re: #181 jaunte

“Celebrating success instead of attacking it and denigrating making America strong. That’s the right course for the country. His course is extraordinarily foreign.”
--Mitt of the Angles and Saxons

Also see Daniel Hannan and the "anglosphere" speech at CPAC 2012.

191 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:38:04pm

re: #181 jaunte

“Celebrating success instead of attacking it and denigrating making America strong. That’s the right course for the country. His course is extraordinarily foreign.”
--Mitt of the Angles and Saxons

I don't see that as racist. Was it racist to call John Kerry an un-American Frenchi socialist? That just seems like standard right wing rhetoric. Why is it racist all of a sudden when used against Obama?

192 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:38:05pm

re: #187 Kronocide

Tripp Palin uses gay slur.

Obviously taken out of context.
/

193 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:38:29pm

White culture is big with conservatives and Republicans. Don't let the magical balance fairy tell you otherwise.

194 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:39:44pm

re: #191 BryanS

I don't see that as racist. Was it racist to call John Kerry an un-American Frenchi socialist? That just seems like standard right wing rhetoric. Why is it racist all of a sudden when used against Obama?

Because a majority of GOPers weren't denying that Kerry was born in the US, and claiming he was born in Kenya.

195 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:39:52pm

re: #193 Gus

White culture is big with conservatives and Republicans. Don't let the magical balance fairy tell you otherwise.

I am constantly amazed by the things that Conservatives don't hear.

196 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:41:42pm

re: #189 Fred Galt

Romney has perfected the Buchanan whistle, a sound loud enough for old white men to hear.

Buchanan is definitely a racist--no doubt. Guilt by association isn't an argument--and I haven't seen the association even. Are there kooky ideas particular to Buchanan that Romney is whistling?

197 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:41:52pm

I might just have found my new show to watch

Snuff Box: Brit Matt Berry and Yank Rich Fulcher play a hangman and his assistant, respectively, in this exceedingly dark BBC comedy series. With much of the action taking place at "a gentleman's club for hangmen," the lads run into awkward situations aplenty.

198 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:42:07pm

re: #181 jaunte

“Celebrating success instead of attacking it and denigrating making America strong. That’s the right course for the country. His course is extraordinarily foreign.”
--Mitt of the Angles and Saxons

Hey! That's Sir Mitt of the Angles and Saxons, Knight Templar.

(heh heh. *Templar*, get it?)

slinks away in shame

199 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:42:58pm

re: #195 Mocking Jay

I am constantly amazed by the things that Conservatives don't hear.

What?

200 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:43:46pm

re: #197 Kragar

I might just have found my new show to watch

It is so fucking wrong and awesome. You will love it but be prepared for long bits that are just whacked out nothingness.

201 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:43:50pm

re: #195 Mocking Jay

I am constantly amazed by the things that Conservatives don't hear.

The "anglo-saxon" comment is perfectly compatible with today's reactionary Republican Party. There is no doubt in my mind that it is being applauded by their supporters.

202 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:44:28pm

re: #194 Obdicut

Because a majority of GOPers weren't denying that Kerry was born in the US, and claiming he was born in Kenya.

OK--I can see the sensitivity for the left on this topic, but "otherness" of left wing economic policy is as GOP as it gets in terms of rhetoric. Worked against Dukakis too. The Dems love to paint Romney as 'other' by harping on his wealth. Turnabout is fair game.

203 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:45:00pm

re: #201 Gus

The "anglo-saxon" comment is perfectly compatible with today's reactionary Republican Party. There is no doubt in my mind that it is being applauded by their supporters.

I was referring specifically to Bryan not hearing about Sununu's comments, but in general they seem to be surprised when hearing bad news about their politicians.

204 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:45:13pm

re: #177 Obdicut

It is a really weird thing that the English started using Anglo-Saxon at all; I'm fairly sure it started as an inherently racist statement about how the English ruled and everyone else sucked, but even so I can't see where they really got off saying it. The population of the English at the time of the Norman conquest was an Anglo-Romano-Saxon-Jutish-Celto-etc.

It's really a pretty stupid phrase; completely inaccurate, with ugly racial overtones, conveying no meaning.

In the 19th century the term "Anglo-Saxon" was broadly used in philology, and is sometimes so used at present. In Victorian Britain, some writers such as Robert Knox, James Anthony Froude, Charles Kingsley[19] and Edward A. Freeman[20] used the term "Anglo-Saxon" to justify racism and imperialism, claiming that the "Anglo-Saxon" ancestry of the English made them racially superior to the colonised peoples. Similar racist ideas were advocated in the 19th Century United States by Samuel George Morton and George Fitzhugh.

The article goes on to note that the term is also used to designate occupants of the Anglosphere.

The tricky thing is, when current-day politicos evoke "Anglo-Saxon" tradition, what are they actually incorporating into that set?

205 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:46:14pm

re: #202 BryanS

There is a complete difference in portraying Romney as the other due to his wealth, and repeatedly making the assertion that Obama is unpatriotic, foreign, the other, not connected to American tradition, etc.

If you don't see it, I can't really show it to you.

206 Sophia77  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:47:31pm

FTS. Attacks like this remind me of antisemitism, claiming that Jews aren't "American."

And, with all due respect to Romney and his advisors, "Anglo-Saxon heritage" is code for "white," so give me a damn break.

What next - yellow stars?

207 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:47:34pm

re: #204 The Ghost of a Flea

The tricky thing is, when current-day politicos evoke "Anglo-Saxon" tradition, what are they actually incorporating into that set?

Yeah, exactly. What Anglo-Saxon heritage? The heritage of being conquered by the French?

208 jaunte  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:47:48pm

A Mormon blogger discusses Anglo-Israelism:

Did we Mormons become adherents of Anglo Israelism / British Israelism? I suggest that we didn’t formally adopt the belief as official doctrine/theology. But, for a few decades we repeated and extended the claims of British Israelism in sufficient numbers of church-published books, magazines, lesson texts, and sermons, that it could appear we certainly had accepted British Israelism.

After giving some examples below of Mormons preaching British Israelism in the previous century, the questions I’m going to get to are:

1. When was the last time (if ever) you heard British Israelism passed around within Mormonism as a valid concept?

2. I think our literal Israelism is fading, and that as a church we are taking a more allegorical/symbolic/spiritual view of “Abrahamic lineage.” Do you have counterexamples or related anecdotes? Do you disagree?

[Link: bycommonconsent.com...]

209 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:48:04pm

re: #206 Sophia77

What next - yellow stars?

I think we're still a Hanseatic league away from yellow stars.

210 Sophia77  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:48:08pm

PS if the English want Romney I'll buy the plane ticket.

211 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:49:35pm

re: #210 Sophia77

PS if the English want Romney I'll buy the plane ticket.

I'm sure he'll feel better at home with a few titles of nobility.

212 gwangung  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:50:32pm

re: #205 Obdicut

There is a complete difference in portraying Romney as the other due to his wealth, and repeatedly making the assertion that Obama is unpatriotic, foreign, the other, not connected to American tradition, etc.

If you don't see it, I can't really show it to you.

There is a very very long tradition of using that very same terminology, and, of course, the same concepts to describe visibly nonwhite immigrants and second generation Americans.

Current terminology falls quite neatly into this tradition.

213 jaunte  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:52:13pm

#AngloSaxonHeritage

"1000 SPF sunblock"

Winner.

214 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:53:17pm

re: #202 BryanS

OK--I can see the sensitivity for the left on this topic, but "otherness" of left wing economic policy is as GOP as it gets in terms of rhetoric. Worked against Dukakis too. The Dems love to paint Romney as 'other' by harping on his wealth. Turnabout is fair game.

Yeah...you're the guy who posted the Red State article on how "Bainers are the New Birthers"

Somehow I doubt your "not understanding" is completely sincere, as it is precisely the same "not understanding" you used to justify yourself then.

215 Sophia77  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:53:23pm

Obdicut, don't fall asleep. These constant attempts to cast President Obama as "other" are racist. No form of racism is safe.

And, calling people "un-American" harkens back to some of our darkest days, in which people were punished for their ideas. We're only a few years from institutional, legal racism in America, from a time when blacks and Jews weren't allowed to participate fully in American life, from a time when people suspected of any ties at all to Communism were vilified.

When McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP, it was akin to opening Pandora's box: America's dark side has just come flying out and now it's taken a position in the mainstream.

The fact that Romney, whom I'd previously considered a rational, moderate person, has pandered to the far Right is truly frightening.

216 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:53:48pm

re: #203 Mocking Jay

I was referring specifically to Bryan not hearing about Sununu's comments, but in general they seem to be surprised when hearing bad news about their politicians.

Feel free to point them out...I may take time to look around for them, but I only stop by once in a while. I'm a conservative and like sparring over politics, but my life doesn't revolve around politics. No doubt there may be things I am not up on--don't really ever have time to watch TV and only browse lefty blogs from time to time.

From what I find on a higher ranked google search, Sununu also offered a clear apology for crossing the line:
[Link: content.usatoday.com...]

Romney surrogate John Sununu apologized today for saying he wished President Obama "would learn to be an American."

"I made a mistake. I shouldn't have used those words," the former New Hampshire governor said in an interview on CNN.

Sununu said he was trying to make a point that Obama doesn't understand how jobs are created in America and that he doesn't give credit to entrepreneurs.

Since that apology was in a story dated the same as the other 'outrage' stories, I'm guessing I didn't hear about it because Sununu immediately and unambiguously apologized, so the controversy died down.

217 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:54:03pm

re: #206 Sophia77

FTS. Attacks like this remind me of antisemitism, claiming that Jews aren't "American."

And, with all due respect to Romney and his advisors, "Anglo-Saxon heritage" is code for "white," so give me a damn break.

What next - yellow stars?

Lots of white people in America are not at all Anglo-Saxon, in fact most white people aren't. Even in England, most of the genetic stock of native Englishpeople is actually Celtic, not Anglo-Saxon.

218 austin_blue  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:54:11pm

re: #205 Obdicut

There is a complete difference in portraying Romney as the other due to his wealth, and repeatedly making the assertion that Obama is unpatriotic, foreign, the other, not connected to American tradition, etc.

If you don't see it, I can't really show it to you.

Not to mention that Romney's wealth *does* make him different from the vast majority of Americans. Anybody here have offshore/Swiss accounts?

No? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?

219 Interesting Times  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:55:09pm

re: #205 Obdicut

There is a complete difference in portraying Romney as the other due to his wealth, and repeatedly making the assertion that Obama is unpatriotic, foreign, the other, not connected to American tradition, etc.

If you don't see it, I can't really show it to you.

Black holes ain't got nuthin' on the willfully dense.

220 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:56:22pm

re: #215 Sophia77

Obdicut, don't fall asleep. These constant attempts to cast President Obama as "other" are racist. No form of racism is safe.

Yeah, not asleep, thanks. But we're still a long way from yellow stars. We're a lot closer to poll taxes and literacy tests.

The fact that Romney, whom I'd previously considered a rational, moderate person, has pandered to the far Right is truly frightening.

I don't see any reason to think he's pandering now. I think he was pandering in Massachusetts. I think what he did as Governor and what he's said prior to now is consistent with being very socially conservative. If he has to work with a liberal legislature, as in Massachusetts, that gets blunted, but if were working with the hyper-conservative zealots of the GOP, I don't think he'd have the least qualm about further breaking down the separation of church and state, with axing large portions of the federal government.

221 Reverend Mother Ramallo  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:57:02pm

re: #197 Kragar

Matt Berry is hilarious.
IMHO

222 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:59:33pm

Hmm, debating whether or not to switch back to using Firefox. Seems the lag issues I was having before have been pretty much ironed out.

223 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:00:01pm

re: #217 Dark_Falcon

Lots of white people in America are not at all Anglo-Saxon, in fact most white people aren't. Even in England, most of the genetic stock of native Englishpeople is actually Celtic, not Anglo-Saxon.

And Pictish, Scandanavian, Frankish, and whatever the people on the Faroes are.

Buried in the racial construct of Anglo-Saxon was not only a judgement against the various brown people that the British were dominating, but also a genetic justification of social class, with the higher classes more likely to have Germanic ancestry (or feign to), while the lesser folk were more Celtic and thus limited.

See also the horrible propaganda about the inherent inferiority of the Irish and their likeness to apes.

224 SanFranciscoZionist  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:01:47pm

I think the phrase this guy was groping for was 'Anglo-American common heritage', which has the benefit of being an actual thing.

225 blueraven  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:02:14pm

re: #216 BryanS

Feel free to point them out...I may take time to look around for them, but I only stop by once in a while. I'm a conservative and like sparring over politics, but my life doesn't revolve around politics. No doubt there may be things I am not up on--don't really ever have time to watch TV and only browse lefty blogs from time to time.

From what I find on a higher ranked google search, Sununu also offered a clear apology for crossing the line:
[Link: content.usatoday.com...]

Since that apology was in a story dated the same as the other 'outrage' stories, I'm guessing I didn't hear about it because Sununu immediately and unambiguously apologized, so the controversy died down.

Of course he apologized. What he said is not politically acceptable.
He said it, then got called out and apologized for practical reasons.

226 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:03:29pm

re: #205 Obdicut

There is a complete difference in portraying Romney as the other due to his wealth, and repeatedly making the assertion that Obama is unpatriotic, foreign, the other, not connected to American tradition, etc.

If you don't see it, I can't really show it to you.

It's thin skinned and a cop-out to claim such criticisms are racist when the exact same lineup of criticisms have been used by GOP candidates for decades without regard to the race of their opponent. I could replay your same list for the Kerry v Bush campaign and find not one lick of difference in tactics.

Are you saying we are not allowed to criticize and castigate a candidate when they are the wrong race? The charges may not be nice, they may even be unfair, but so what? Obama's policies are frequently compared by the right wing to European socialism, so does that mean we are calling him white because we make charges that Obama is following the same failed social policies of left dominated Europe?

227 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:03:56pm

re: #224 SanFranciscoZionist

I think the phrase this guy was groping for was 'Anglo-American common heritage', which has the benefit of being an actual thing.

Even with that replacement, it'd be an ugly sentiment being expressed in general. But that would save it from disgusting racism by dint of making it abjectly stupid and insanely undiplomatic.

228 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:05:49pm

re: #223 The Ghost of a Flea

And Pictish, Scandanavian, Frankish, and whatever the people on the Faroes are.

Buried in the racial construct of Anglo-Saxon was not only a judgement against the various brown people that the British were dominating, but also a genetic justification of social class, with the higher classes more likely to have Germanic ancestry (or feign to), while the lesser folk were more Celtic and thus limited.

See also the horrible propaganda about the inherent inferiority of the Irish and their likeness to apes.

Actually many of the people ruled by the British Empire were black or yellow, too. Though black people were treated a good bit worse than say Chinese people were. The writings of the racist John Derbyshire contain that same "racial hierarchy" idea.

229 Charles Johnson  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:06:01pm

Wow.

230 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:06:34pm

re: #214 The Ghost of a Flea

Yeah...you're the guy who posted the Red State article on how "Bainers are the New Birthers"

Somehow I doubt your "not understanding" is completely sincere, as it is precisely the same "not understanding" you used to justify yourself then.

Yeah...I read Instapundit who posted the story. That's what I said in the thread as well. I don't really need you to believe my sincerity--feel free to believe whatever you wish.

231 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:06:42pm

re: #229 Charles Johnson

Wow.

[Embedded content]

Misogyny apparently is in vogue these days.

232 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:06:58pm

re: #226 BryanS

It's thin skinned and a cop-out to claim such criticisms are racist when the exact same lineup of criticisms have been used by GOP candidates for decades without regard to the race of their opponent.

Holy crap, dude. Thin-skinned? When a majority of GOPers actually won't admit that Obama was born in the US, you want to treat this like this is an attack like on any other US president? Why do you want to ignore that context?

233 jaunte  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:08:28pm

re: #229 Charles Johnson

What level of 'worthiness' proves you are worthy of having your life saved?

234 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:08:34pm

re: #221 OhNoZombies!

Matt Berry is hilarious.
IMHO

My daughter has promised to do this at my funeral

Youtube Video
235 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:08:37pm

re: #229 Charles Johnson

That's the stupidest twit I've seen in awhile.

236 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:08:59pm

re: #222 Targetpractice

Hmm, debating whether or not to switch back to using Firefox. Seems the lag issues I was having before have been pretty much ironed out.

From? I'm fine with Safari, but use Firefox from time to time. I really don't get why people like Chrome where all your browsing are belong to google.

237 Gus  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:09:25pm

re: #229 Charles Johnson

Wow.

[Embedded content]

"What? What did I say that was so wrong?" //

Another one. James Taranto has been a wingnut for some time now.

238 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:10:02pm

re: #229 Charles Johnson

Wow.

[Embedded content]

What a fucking douchebag.

239 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:13:36pm

re: #229 Charles Johnson

Wow.

[Embedded content]

240 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:13:45pm

re: #236 BryanS

From? I'm fine with Safari, but use Firefox from time to time. I really don't get why people like Chrome where all your browsing are belong to google.

I switched over to Chrome because, at the time ('round 7.0 or so), LGF lagged when typing up posts or updating the pages. Now both seem to be gone, or at least not bad enough to matter.

241 Kragar  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:14:02pm

re: #233 jaunte

What level of 'worthiness' proves you are worthy of having your life saved?

Vote Republican, love Jesus more than your family, generally act like a total prat. The usual.

242 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:14:10pm

re: #220 Obdicut

Yeah, not asleep, thanks. But we're still a long way from yellow stars. We're a lot closer to poll taxes and literacy tests.

I don't see any reason to think he's pandering now. I think he was pandering in Massachusetts. I think what he did as Governor and what he's said prior to now is consistent with being very socially conservative. If he has to work with a liberal legislature, as in Massachusetts, that gets blunted, but if were working with the hyper-conservative zealots of the GOP, I don't think he'd have the least qualm about further breaking down the separation of church and state, with axing large portions of the federal government.

I think you're probably right about the politics of Romney's pandering. On that count, he's guilty as charged.

243 Reverend Mother Ramallo  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:14:35pm

re: #234 Kragar

That would be the right thing for her to do. :)
I love The IT Crowd !

244 Digital Display  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:14:51pm

re: #236 BryanS

From? I'm fine with Safari, but use Firefox from time to time. I really don't get why people like Chrome where all your browsing are belong to google.

Did you know most of FF was written by programmers on loan from Google?
Google has some real talent over there.

245 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:16:45pm

Louis Black's segment on tonight's Daily Show is worth watching. He's going off on the "didn't build it" bullshit.

246 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:17:05pm

re: #232 Obdicut

Holy crap, dude. Thin-skinned? When a majority of GOPers actually won't admit that Obama was born in the US, you want to treat this like this is an attack like on any other US president? Why do you want to ignore that context?

This GOPer thinks Obama was born in the US. More than enough on the finrges keep the controversy alive, but anyone mainstream doing that?

247 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:17:50pm

re: #186 BryanS

I am listening to Romney at least, and don't hear the racist statements you are referring to. Can you point them out for me? Can't say I've listened to or heard anything Sununu has said lately, but I don't recall him being the racist type.

Sununu: "Obama should learn to be an American."

Romney (echoing Palin): "Obama doesn't understand America in his heart and he doesn't love our freedoms."

Obama didn't speak this way about McCain or Palin, and he hasn't spoken this way about Romney. The above quotes may not meet everyone's test for what is racist, but you've really got to have blinders on to not see a xenophobic element at play here.

248 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:18:20pm

re: #233 jaunte

What level of 'worthiness' proves you are worthy of having your life saved?

Probably something about chastity and virginity--it's always that with the holy roller types.

249 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:19:20pm

The Telegraph article made it all the way to the top of Memeorandum.

250 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:20:02pm

re: #226 BryanS

Are you saying we are not allowed to criticize and castigate a candidate when they are the wrong race?

No, simply that you're not allowed to do it because they're the wrong race. This idiocy has been adopted by major GOP politicians. Trump was welcome at the debates and treated like an actual legitimate candidate by the establishment while denying the facts surrounding Obama's birth. Newt Gingrich accused Obama of having a "Kenyan, anti-colonial worldview." Mike Huckabee falsely claimed that Obama grew up in Kenya. Michelle Bachmann refused to say that Obama is a Christian and a citizen.

Youtube Video
251 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:20:52pm

re: #240 Targetpractice

I switched over to Chrome because, at the time ('round 7.0 or so), LGF lagged when typing up posts or updating the pages. Now both seem to be gone, or at least not bad enough to matter.

Is each window in Chrome still a separate process like the early versions? That was craptastically memory hoggish. I guess if they are up to 7, I've skipped quite a lot since trying Chrome--not that version numbering means anything anymore anyway :)

252 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:21:09pm

re: #246 BryanS

This GOPer thinks Obama was born in the US. More than enough on the finrges keep the controversy alive, but anyone mainstream doing that?

Seriously, you just don't know this? I'm not kidding. Only a minority of people in the GOP say that Obama was born in the US, and birtherism is completely mainstream in the GOP. Trump, ultra-birther, fundraises for Romney. Romney weakly says he disagrees with him on that but otherwise is perfectly happy to accept his money and help.

[Link: www.politico.com...]

253 prairiefire  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:22:09pm

re: #81 engineer cat

nobody ever talks about the part before that where the celts came over from the continent and conquered the tuatha da danae and the firbolgs

The fir trees?

254 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:23:10pm

re: #244 Digital Display

Did you know most of FF was written by programmers on loan from Google?
Google has some real talent over there.

Yeah. Though firefox doesn't have as many big brother google hooks into it. I may be a GOPer, but my faith in the honesty of enterprises does have its limits :)

255 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:23:27pm

re: #166 Obdicut

Actually, most of the British legal and governmental tradition is Norman, not Anglo-Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon England ended in 1066.

Let's be honest about what this is really all about: the fear among older white conservatives that Anglo-Saxon America is an endangered species.

256 Interesting Times  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:24:39pm
257 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:25:27pm

re: #247 palomino

Sununu: "Obama should learn to be an American."

Romney (echoing Palin): "Obama doesn't understand America in his heart and he doesn't love our freedoms."

Obama didn't speak this way about McCain or Palin, and he hasn't spoken this way about Romney. The above quotes may not meet everyone's test for what is racist, but you've really got to have blinders on to not see a xenophobic element at play here.

No, but he did insinuate Romney was a felon--his spokesperson made the statements, his campaign doubled down on the meme after Romney called that over the top. No biggie, right? Politics ain't beanbag as they say.

258 Targetpractice  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:26:18pm

re: #251 BryanS

Is each window in Chrome still a separate process like the early versions? That was craptastically memory hoggish. I guess if they are up to 7, I've skipped quite a lot since trying Chrome--not that version numbering means anything anymore anyway :)

Sorry, meant Firefox 7, which seems like a decade ago these days. And it seems Chrome's cut separate processes down to just running things like Flash (ugh). I'm trying to figure out whether it was something they did with FF memory wise or Charles' recent tweaking of how the pages load that did the trick. But ether way, I'm might migrate back to FF.

259 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:26:36pm

re: #191 BryanS

I don't see that as racist. Was it racist to call John Kerry an un-American Frenchi socialist? That just seems like standard right wing rhetoric. Why is it racist all of a sudden when used against Obama?

Uhh, yes, it was racist (more precisely xenophobic) to trash Kerry because of his French roots or whatever connection he had to France. And, yes, it's become "standard right-wing rhetoric"...that's the problem.

260 engineer cat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:26:38pm

re: #253 prairiefire

The fir trees?

Fir Bolgs

(fixeded teh link)

"fir" is the irish celtic version of latin "vir", man, and "bolg" might have something to do with bags or something or other...

261 engineer cat  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:28:08pm

Sununu: "Obama should learn to be an American."

i think accusing other americans of not being sufficiently american is a very unamerican activity

262 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:30:00pm

re: #252 Obdicut

Seriously, you just don't know this? I'm not kidding. Only a minority of people in the GOP say that Obama was born in the US, and birtherism is completely mainstream in the GOP. Trump, ultra-birther, fundraises for Romney. Romney weakly says he disagrees with him on that but otherwise is perfectly happy to accept his money and help.

[Link: www.politico.com...]

Among those who do not believe Obama was born in the United States, Mike Huckabee is their first choice for president, followed by Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and then Mitt Romney.

I guess the likelihood of GOP nomination is inversely proportional to birtherism. Pretty much turned out that way.

And I just can't take anyone seriously who has hair like Trump while claiming it's natural.

263 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:31:00pm

re: #257 BryanS

No, but he did insinuate Romney was a felon--his spokesperson made the statements, his campaign doubled down on the meme after Romney called that over the top. No biggie, right? Politics ain't beanbag as they say.

You've completely changed the subject. Was there some sort of racist/xenophobic component to the accusation that Romney committed a felony?

It's a longstanding tradition to portray your opponent as dishonest, and both sides do it. But I would suggest that there's a lot more racism and xenophobia coming from the right; the fact that it doesn't trouble you, and indeed you see it as just "politics as usual" is unfortunate.

264 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:31:59pm

re: #262 BryanS

I guess the likelihood of GOP nomination is inversely proportional to birtherism. Pretty much turned out that way.

So what? The question was whether birtherism was mainstream. Why are you suddenly changing it to whether or not the nominee is a birther?

The GOP is infected right now with xenophobia and racism to a very, very high degree. Can you explain otherwise why Romney isn't repudiating the fuck out of Trump and his stupid, racist birtherism?

265 Interesting Times  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:33:12pm

re: #262 BryanS

And I just can't take anyone seriously who has hair like Trump while claiming it's natural.

Romney takes him seriously enough to appear and fundraise with him. The fact you'd vote him despite this sniveling, spineless douchebaggery is all manner of fucked up.

266 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:36:14pm

re: #259 palomino

Uhh, yes, it was racist (more precisely xenophobic) to trash Kerry because of his French roots or whatever connection he had to France. And, yes, it's become "standard right-wing rhetoric"...that's the problem.

Meh..that rhetoric doesn't bother me. American exceptionalism is standard political fair. JFK was pretty good at it too--but then again, today's Democratic party has moved left since then.

267 Mocking Jay  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:41:06pm

re: #266 BryanS

Meh..that rhetoric doesn't bother me. American exceptionalism is standard political fair. JFK was pretty good at it too--but then again, today's Democratic party has moved left since then.

Delusional.

268 sagehen  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:46:20pm

re: #144 steve_davis

What the heck is up with MSNBC? DId all the freaking anchors just decide to go on vacation the same week? I picture Ed and Rachel playing beach volleyball, while Martin looks on between the straw and the umbrella in his Hurricane. They probably smuggled Keith Olbermann onto the beach in the trunk of Rachel's car.

Usually the A-list vacations in August -- there's not a rich person to be found in all of Manhattan or DC in the hottest muggiest month. No doctors or dentists, the Broadway shows are running lots of understudies, some of the fanciest restaurants close and others it's surprisingly easy to get a reservation (although it's the backup chef)...

But there's RNC and DNC conventions in august this year. So they're vacationing in July.

269 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:48:13pm

re: #263 palomino

You've completely changed the subject. Was there some sort of racist/xenophobic component to the accusation that Romney committed a felony?

It's a longstanding tradition to portray your opponent as dishonest, and both sides do it. But I would suggest that there's a lot more racism and xenophobia coming from the right; the fact that it doesn't trouble you, and indeed you see it as just "politics as usual" is unfortunate.

You suggested the comments were out of bounds. Obama campaign comments really were out of bounds. I've suggested in a previous thread that I thought the Bainers are right up there with Birthers--unwilling to let go an obsession about their political foes. They are a related topic, though I'm sure you'll hate me for suggesting it. And I do not think Romney's comments you quoted were racist. The GOP calls Dems un-American all the time.

You decide that GOP attacks are racist. Can you identify hard GOP rhetorical attacks that are not tied by the left to racism? Romney calls out the high unemployment rates in his NAACP --racist, no doubt that Romney calls it out. Romney promises to overhaul Obamacare--racist, no doubt despite the fact he's promised that to all he speaks to. You essentially argue that GOP is not only racist, but singly motivated by racism above all else. Ridiculous.

270 BryanS  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:50:16pm

re: #264 Obdicut

So what? The question was whether birtherism was mainstream. Why are you suddenly changing it to whether or not the nominee is a birther?

The GOP is infected right now with xenophobia and racism to a very, very high degree. Can you explain otherwise why Romney isn't repudiating the fuck out of Trump and his stupid, racist birtherism?

Because Trump doesn't matter except to a hard core fringe? Why should Romney go out and repudiate someone on the fringe, who is not employed as a Romney representative?

271 Obdicut  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 8:57:29pm

re: #270 BryanS

Because Trump doesn't matter except to a hard core fringe? Why should Romney go out and repudiate someone on the fringe, who is not employed as a Romney representative?

He's not on the fringe. He's doing front-page fundraisers for Romney.

272 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 9:03:22pm

re: #266 BryanS

Meh..that rhetoric doesn't bother me. American exceptionalism is standard political fair. JFK was pretty good at it too--but then again, today's Democratic party has moved left since then.

And the GOP hasn't moved to the right?

Actually one could argue that on a whole range of issues the Dems haven't moved left since then. Truman, LBJ, even Clinton supported comprehensive health care coverage far more "liberal" than Obamacare, as did Clinton. Dems were much more pro-welfare in the 60s and 70s (Great Society, War on Poverty). FDR wanted a "maximum wage" as well as a minimum, which is why he proposed a marginal tax rate of 100% on income over $350,000.

273 palomino  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 9:15:04pm

re: #269 BryanS

You suggested the comments were out of bounds. Obama campaign comments really were out of bounds. I've suggested in a previous thread that I thought the Bainers are right up there with Birthers--unwilling to let go an obsession about their political foes. They are a related topic, though I'm sure you'll hate me for suggesting it. And I do not think Romney's comments you quoted were racist. The GOP calls Dems un-American all the time.

You decide that GOP attacks are racist. Can you identify hard GOP rhetorical attacks that are not tied by the left to racism? Romney calls out the high unemployment rates in his NAACP --racist, no doubt that Romney calls it out. Romney promises to overhaul Obamacare--racist, no doubt despite the fact he's promised that to all he speaks to. You essentially argue that GOP is not only racist, but singly motivated by racism above all else. Ridiculous.

You're really off your game tonight--changing the subject in all directions, and putting words in my mouth.

Your Bainers comments are a weak analogy to birtherism. The Bain stuff pertains to Romney's primary qualification for the presidency. The Birther stuff pertains to nothing, other than a RW fantasy that Obama can be thrown out of office.

The gop started all that talk of "vulture capitalism" in their own primaries; then the Dems ran with it. There are undisputed facts there that raise reasonable questions; sorry if those questions aren't nice for your candidate, but this isn't Taitz, Arpaio, Trump, et al. making up racially motivated charges out of thin air (with no factual support whatsoever). So the comparison is absurd.

Your bait and switch on race is weak. I haven't heard any liberal say that criticizing Obama over gas prices is racist...stupid, yes, but not racist.

You sound like you listen to too much Limbaugh: "Blacks are the real racists today!"

274 b_sharp  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 9:21:20pm

re: #237 Gus

"What? What did I say that was so wrong?" //

Another one. James Taranto has been a wingnut for some time now.

He didn't have the brains or the balls to finish high school or college. Nobody should take him seriously, he can't finish what he starts.

275 moderatelyradicalliberal  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 9:23:52pm

re: #269 BryanS

You suggested the comments were out of bounds. Obama campaign comments really were out of bounds. I've suggested in a previous thread that I thought the Bainers are right up there with Birthers--unwilling to let go an obsession about their political foes. They are a related topic, though I'm sure you'll hate me for suggesting it. And I do not think Romney's comments you quoted were racist. The GOP calls Dems un-American all the time.

You decide that GOP attacks are racist. Can you identify hard GOP rhetorical attacks that are not tied by the left to racism? Romney calls out the high unemployment rates in his NAACP --racist, no doubt that Romney calls it out. Romney promises to overhaul Obamacare--racist, no doubt despite the fact he's promised that to all he speaks to. You essentially argue that GOP is not only racist, but singly motivated by racism above all else. Ridiculous.

The GOP has been running on racism and xenophobia for the last 4 decades. It's called the Southern Strategy, and yes, it was rooted in racism above all else. How else do you explain the fact that the GOP is almost all white and getting whiter and the Democratic party is multi-racial? I guess all of us black and brown people have no idea what racism and xenophobia are and are totally irrational in their voting patterns. We also can't tell when it's being used as a political weapon.

BTW we aren't just offended by the GOP's use of racism and xenophobia to win votes, we are also offended by the rank and file GOPers like you who give your silent consent by saying it's no big deal. At least you recognize that the jingosim and xenophobia of the GOP is feature not a bug. We see it too.

276 gwangung  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 9:31:39pm

re: #275 moderatelyradicalliberal

No kidding.

Real easy to say it isn't there when you're not in the crosshairs. (And never had a history of being in the crosshairs).

277 labman57  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 11:08:40pm

Anti-Obama sentiment is a matter of some complexion.

Ever since Obama became the Democratic nominee for POTUS in 2008, most of those who have issues with Obama's ethnic heritage are too cowardly to openly state their bigotry, so they disguise it by using other loaded labels such as elitist (code for "he doesn't know his place"), unpatriotic and/or has unAmerican values, undeserving of a Harvard education, foreign-born, Marxist, socialist, fascist, terrorist-sympathizer, Muslim, … anti-Christ -- all of which are designed to convey the notion that Obama was not legitimately elected POTUS and that he is inherently different than the rest of us and therefore cannot be trusted.

278 HappyWarrior  Tue, Jul 24, 2012 11:13:49pm

I don't see how this can be construed as anything other than a pathetic dog-whistle on Team Romney's part. Really he doesn't understand our "Anglo-Saxon" heritage? This is a pander to those who believe that Obama's this outsider who has been raised to hate the country. Typical crap by Romney's campaign. It would be nice if they just had the balls to say they were panderign to rampant xenophobia that exists in their party's base but of course they will never say that and then cry when minorities want nothing to do with their bitter party.

279 RadicalModerate  Wed, Jul 25, 2012 1:25:10am

re: #1 Kragar

I get the feeling at any minute the official GOP slogan is going to become "Wake up, white people!"

I'm just waiting to see when one of these GOP individuals quotes David Lane's infamous "14 Words". They're already toeing that ugly little line now.

280 socialrepublican  Wed, Jul 25, 2012 4:45:58am

As a "Anglo-Saxon" on the old side of the pond, I'll mention a few things.

The Telegraph is a very conservative and specifically anti-one nation toryism paper, btw the last remaining boardsheet. It's pages are a catologue of scare stories about house prices, asylum seekers (British right wing press code word for non whites), PC gone madness stories and the decadence and "impropiety" (British right wing press code for homosexuality) of modern life set amongst pictures of Liz Hurley along with some very good sport and foreign journalism. It is solidly anti-left.

I would suggest that it and the rest of the RW papers in the UK, the Mail, the Express and the Times are indeed upset about the fact the UK doesn't get patronising little "special relationship" (British right wing press code for a dom-sub dysfunctional yearning) gestures as much as we "used to". I hypothesise that these comments gave a bit to both Romney's PR amongst the larger right wing in the UK (who are still suspicious of Republicans after being burned by GW and inherently anti-American) and to the vainity of British conservatives that "AS culture" is worthy of regaining.

I would add that British dislike of Obama is very much a minority activity

281 William of Orange  Wed, Jul 25, 2012 11:07:20am

Great reply to "Frankenfurter" in the comments on the original link.

Of course, "Frankenfurter" found his information from all the dubious sources you can imagine, but I like the response to "Frankenfurter's" assertion about the social security number of Obama.

If a candidate's record is so vital then why not get the straight story on Obama's social security number, which belongs to a New Englander who died in the 1920's?


to which "Mickyross" answered:

Oh dear me, rather gullible, aren't you? You'll swallow any quantity of KoolAid, right? Did you not know that Social Security only began in 1935?


And he's right.


The rest of the comments, and there are a lot(!), are quite amusing to read.

282 Flavia  Wed, Jul 25, 2012 11:14:20am

re: #10 Varek Raith

Dog foghorn.

That's PERFECT. I wish I had thought of that when I posted this for all my friends to read (Facebook). All I could think to say was "gone beyond dog whistles."


This article has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!

Subscribe now for ad-free access!Register and sign in to a free LGF account before subscribing, and your ad-free access will be automatically enabled.

Donate with
PayPal Cash.app
Recent PagesClick to refresh
The Pandemic Cost 7 Million Lives, but Talks to Prevent a Repeat Stall In late 2021, as the world reeled from the arrival of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus, representatives of almost 200 countries met - some online, some in-person in Geneva - hoping to forestall a future worldwide ...
Cheechako
2 days ago
Views: 102 • Comments: 0 • Rating: 1
Texas County at Center of Border Fight Is Overwhelmed by Migrant Deaths EAGLE PASS, Tex. - The undertaker lighted a cigarette and held it between his latex-gloved fingers as he stood over the bloated body bag lying in the bed of his battered pickup truck. The woman had been fished out ...
Cheechako
2 weeks ago
Views: 266 • Comments: 0 • Rating: 1