The Always Helpful Bob Herbert

Bob Herbert, the Times AA columnist, chimes in on Barack's "Cling to guns and religion"
gaffe with this utterly predictable view:

One of the main problems, of course, is that [Obama] hasn’t generated as much support as he’d like among white working-class voters.

There is no mystery here. Except for people who have been hiding in caves or living in denial, it’s pretty widely understood that a substantial number of those voters — in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and elsewhere — will not vote for a black candidate for president.

...

Senator Obama has spent his campaign trying to dodge the race issue, which in America is like trying to dodge the wind. So when he fielded the question in San Francisco, he didn’t say: “A lot of folks are not with me because I’m black — but I’m trying to make my case and bring as many around as I can.”

Instead, he fell back on a tortured response that was demonstrably incorrect. Referring to the long-term economic distress of many working-class voters, Mr. Obama said: “It’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or antitrade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

He danced all around the truth. Unless you’re Fred Astaire, if your dance steps get too intricate you’re bound to make a misstep. This was a big one.

Great point - Obama would have put this behind if he just came out and flatly told working class whites they are racist instead of merely implying it by linking their economic frustrations with their "antipathy toward people not like them".  Well, it's not too late!

Oh, well - even Bob realizes he has gone a Herbert too far, later writing this:

No one has an obligation to vote for Mr. Obama, and it’s certainly not racist to vote against him. But the senator can make it clear that it is wrong to dismiss a candidacy out of hand solely because of the race or ethnicity or gender of the candidate.

Rachel Lucas makes one of many good points in response to that - what message, if any, does Mr. Herbert have for "all the people who are voting for Obama because he is black and de facto dismissing the candidacies of Clinton and McCain because of their race"?

Well, let me be clear - I am not dismissing Bob Herbert because of his race.  I am dismissing him because he is predictable and nonsensical.

Comments

[GMax]

TM reading Herbert so I dont have to. The sacrifices he makes, and for that he gets, what? The lukewarm weak tea support of Davod? It aint worth it I tell ya.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Yesterday Michael Medved got a call from Lorraine from San Diego (also Lorraine X on Rush) that demonstrated the mess the Dems have gotten themselves into. She used to be a big Bill Clinton fan, but now that they're being critical of Obama she hates them.

Any criticism of Obama is racist, and she isn't voting for Hillary if she takes the nomination away from Barack.

[clarice]

I step out for a couple of hours and TM is on another madcap race to post. Wheeeeeeeeeee

[Scott Meyer]

Maybe a little off topic, but how many clarifications is Obama allowed on each "flare up" he seems to have?

For Bittergate (or the San Fran Fiasco), he first came out not apologizing, saying that he spoke the truth. Then, he started to hedge that. Then again, he issued his non-apology apology. And in all of that, I've read that privately he still doesn't understand why anyone is upset. He doesn't get it?

Then, yesterday, he told a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board that he "mangled his syntax." What? Does he know what that word means? It means "word order." How would his statement been improved with different word order?

When are Democrats going to come up with a candidate who has some common sense?

[clarice]

He's not much of a decided is he? That's why I don't want that boy*'s finger on the button. (*As in good old)

[clarice]

***decideR*******

[Danube of Thought]

As Geraldine Ferraro would say, no white person as dumb as Bob Herbert could get a job at the Muncie Star-Press, let alone the New York Times.

[bgates]

AA="African American", "affirmative action", or both?

DoT - get a job, nothing - a white guy dumber than Bob Herbert owns the New York Times.

[Buford Gooch]

But remember, the white guy who owns the New York Times probably couldn't have gotten a job there if his family didn't own it.

[ParseThis]

Of course, some people aren't going to vote for that boy* because he's black, and they'll tell you as much. And yes, trying to be charitable about it by linking it to economic issues was the mistake and what was insulting. Nobody needs to hear rationalizations or euphemisms for their racism. It is what it is, and it is condescending to try to explain it away because that would be to try to deny its existence. Effectively, it's telling someone that their perfectly natural racist attitudes are somehow illusory. You know, how about putting some straight talk right there in the express lane?!? And it's not just whites. Blacks weren't going to vote for that boy* either precisely because he was black. It was only after whites led the way that blacks felt confident enough to follow, exactly as the natural order of things dictates. How to explain that your campaign is meeting resistance because you're black or that people believe that you won't use the Holy Bible and got the Muslim beliefs without saying so? I think Herbert is right. Just say it. Gov. Rendell has said it, so let's everyone say it. And you can say it without calling anyone a racist: "Look, that boy* is black." I think people are fed up with political correctness.

*As in good old

[Danube of Thought]

I believe that with sufficient doses of the racism of Reverend Wright and his successor between now and November, the nation will be more than ready to end this "long-overdue converstaion about race" by rejecting Barack Obama out of hand. Neither he nor his wife can utter a paragraph that isn't, in the final analysis, about race. What an absolute drag.

[DGF]

People are fed up with spies and luciferians. A boy should not have his finger on the nuke trigger. I don't think Obama did good at the we're under nuclear attack thing.

The race thing is just done to keep it in the news to get money. The real issue is Obama a commie? I guess he really is.

[MarkJ]

Bob Herbert: One-Trick Racial Pony.

Go back and look, if you dare (or care), at Herbert's so-called "columns" and you'll find an anal-retentive fixation on a handful of topics. To wit:

1. Bush (Eeeeeeevilllll!)

2. Race (Brothers can't get a break!)

3. Taxes (Raise'em!)

4. Democrats (Virtuous!)

5. Iraq (Quagmire!)

6. Bob Herbert (Am I smart or what?!)

Bobby Herbert had better pray the New York Times doesn't fold--he never find a better hustle than what he's got now, covering the same ground over...and over...and over...and getting paid a nice salary to do so. Hell, Herbert could just xerox the same column and fax it in to the Times--the idiots manning the op-ed desk wouldn't know, much less care.

[daveinboca]

The most hateful racist in this campaign so far is one that the Affirmative Action NYT columnist fails to mention---the Rev as in "Revolting" mentor to Obama, obnoxious anti-American Wright.

Although Obama's Omarosa-lite wife isn't far behind. Just how is he going to surmount those two hurdles, especially since Wright is now rejoicing in his new celebritard status and mouthing off about FoxNEWS.

Another reason to look forward to November as another Dem candidate succumbs to the occupational hazard of being a Dem---a total lack of common sense.

[ParseThis]

A boy should not have his finger on the nuke trigger.

What about somebody in the early stages of Alzheimer's? It's 3am and the phone is ringing: can we really afford a senior moment?

[boris]

somebody in the early stages of Alzheimer's ...

... won the cold war and brought down the USSR and the Berlin wall.

[the wolf]

I had trouble getting past "Senator Obama has spent his campaign trying to dodge the race issue". Obama has built the majority of his platform on his "conversation about race." This is a dodge? Or has Herbie been in a coma?

[ParseThis]

... won the cold war and brought down the USSR and the Berlin wall.

To his credit, Reagan ignored the neoconservatives of his day. McCain, it seems, is taking orders from them.

[boris]

Well then say what you really mean ...

What about somebody under the influence of zionists neocons? It's 3am and the phone is ringing: can we really afford an elders of neocon moment?

[ParseThis]

his "conversation about race." This is a dodge?

I just Googled "conversation about race" and it seems to have started last month. This blog is in the top ten results. From the proprietor:

Dare we say it? We are in or on the verge of a recession, folks are worried about keeping their jobs and their homes, and we are at war in Iraq. Maybe voters who are not intent on a conversation about race do not have misplaced priorities:

Take it from this guy: "I'm not voting for that guy. I'm going Republican. There are going to be a lot of people crossing over to the Republicans because he's black."

Or according to an interpretation of this scholarly paper: "voting their own economic interest."

[ParseThis]

Well then say what you really mean ...

Well, I tend to associate neocons with Team B behavior, creating enemies when they need not, and ginning up war generally. But if these Zionists do that same type of stuff, I'll definitely check it out.

[Elroy Jetson]

ParseThis,
Keep trying, and maybe someone will engage you.
Obama is a terrible candidate. That is the bottom line. You can paint him any color you want, but the suit is still empty.

[SPQR]

"even Bob realizes he has gone a Herbert too far" ? That's hilarious.

[ParseThis]

Elroy,
Your comments aren't worth engaging.

[Cecil Turner]

Nobody needs to hear rationalizations or euphemisms for their racism.

Well, this here ol' boy is gettin' pretty tired of the "racist!" B.S. coming out of the Obama campaign (especially whilst his moral mentor is clearly worse than the average bear on the subject). I suspect I'm not the only one. And if that there Obama lad in fact dicked up the nuke exercise, I'm thinkin' that's actual news. ("Look! He said 'boy'" . . . isn't.)

[ParseThis]

("Look! He said 'boy'" . . . isn't.)

It's all a piece with what this blog has been concentrating its efforts on lately. Address your complaints to the proprietor.

[Cecil Turner]

Well, it's not like we can discuss the boy wonder's accomplishments, now is it? And I'm not complaining.

(Look! He said it again!)

[Elroy Jetson]

ParseThis,
I'll engage.
One reason Obama is a terrible candidate because he advocates exactly what Jimmy Carter did the last couple of days. Talking to the enemy. Hamas has killed innocent Americans (as well as innocent Israelis). Folks on both sides of the aisle begged him not to embarass himself. But he laid a wreath at the tomb of Arafat and hugged a Hamas terrorist on the same day.
Carter is a disgrace and Obama wants to follow in his footsteps.
He's not fit for office. That is the bottom line. I don't care what color he is. His soul is empty as well as his suit.

Good night, PT

[Jim M]

Quick, Elroy:

Which U.S. President produced the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation?

Hint: It wasn't Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, any George Bush, or Bill Clinton.

Next question: Once you've identified the President in question correctly, please explain how he did it. Extra points if you can show how he did it without talking to the enemy.