Senator Biden and the "clean" comment
You've probably heard that Joe Biden has announced his candidacy for President of the United States. His new website is here. For the first time in my life, I have given money to a political candidate. Admitedly, it was a very small amount but I am trying really hard to win a bet with Chris Sears and I figure whatever I spend now, I save in a bar bill later. :O)
It's no suprise to anyone who has visited here before that Biden is my guy, however, I do not work for the Biden campaign. I have some friends that do but I do not.
In the spirit of TwoBabes which, if I remember correctly, is open and honest debate and, I believe, an attempt to find common ground has been a theme that has eeked into our sphere on occasion, I will not be holding back on telling you when I think Biden is an ass. I might devote a whole page to it if I can figure out how to load pictures and sound clips and videos using a Mac. (It's been nine months and I still don't know how.)
If the Bush presidency and being the mother of special needs children has taught me anything, it has taught me that beign verbally retarded does not exclude you from most things. Also, if the Clinton campaign taught me anything is that even if it is bad press getting your guy on the front page it is still press not going to the other guy. So, taking all of that into consideration, I am putting today in the win column for the Biden campaign. :O)
This is the first of many posts that fall under the NEW category of Foot in Mouth Disease.
Today, Joe Biden is being quoted as having said the following:
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
He said it about Barrack Obama. (full article here)
What does the world do? It scurries down the racist hole. The conservative blogs and left wing blogs are all calling Biden a racist. Again, another reason I put this in the win category for Biden--when both fringe elements are upset, you know you've got it right.
Michelle Malkin wants to know:
Who will press Joe Biden to name the names of the inarticulate and dim and dirty and unattractive African-Americans he was thinking about when he, um, complimented Barack Obama?
Let me field that one: Al Sharpton. Al Sharpton looks like a pimp. He looks dirty. I wouldn't shake his hand for fear of what I would catch. Having said that, I wouldn't shake Dennis Hastert's hand because he looks slovenly and everytime I look at him I think he probably doesn't wash his hands after he uses the bathroom. So, at least for me, it's not a race thing.
Now, I am not unfamiliar with the logic behind the racism charge. My grandmother is remembered by my family for many things, one of them being a few "choice" phrases. The one appropriate for this conversation is, "colored but clean." So, I get it. But don't you think we are past all this? I mean really. Get over it.
As for the rest of the quote, Obama put out a statement saying that Jackson, Chisholm, and Sharpton all ran for President and raised important issues. That may be, but it doesn't make them mainstream and it doesn't make them attractive.
Anyone want to talk about the attractive qualities of Shirley Chisholm or Jesse Jackson? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Let's be honest, Obama is a storybook. He is mainstream--or at least sounded it up until yesterday when he introduced his plan for pulling out the troops. He is articulate--the speech he gave at the convention was one that will be remembered forever. He is attractive--the picture of his love handles and all the press that followed proved that.
So, did Biden put his foot in his mouth? Maybe. If it were me and someone accused me of the racism crap based on this quote I'd let them have it; I'd tell them to bite me. Presidential candidates don't say that though and honestly, it's just too bad. So, I hear he has apologized for offending anyone who might be offended and tried to move on.
A couple of notes on this whole thing:
1) until we can talk about race without people hurling accusations of racism and people being afraid that they'll be thought of as racist, we aren't going to get very far.
2) the people who automatically jump to the conclusion that something is racist should probably look within themselves first and asky why those are the first thoughts they had before accusing others
3) presidential candidates should learn to say bite me.
4) my grandmother and her "colored but clean" comment voted for Jesse Jackson in 1988.
Chris
P.S. And for the record, I think Jesse Jackson is inarticulate...can barely understand a word he says. He mumbles.
This picture is for Lee.
