We have a new offense. BPWB. Being President While Black.
The fact is nothing Obama has proposed is any more radical than many things proposed by Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton. But none of them was attacked in the same way. The most they could muster against Clinton (and the rest) was "liberal." But now we have "socialist" "nazi" "fascist" "communist" all rolled together into one.
It's becoming painfully clear. Those terms are convenient substitutes for BPWB.
It's time we made it clear this will not be tolerated. Debate the ideas; that's fair, disagree, that too is fair, but this is something else.
I don't accept and approve of everything Obama has done. But he's human, a politician and I never approve of everything any politician does. Hell, I don't always approve of what I do (after the fact).
But its time to stand firm.
The messenger is being attacked and we elected the messenger. The messenger gets attacked when the message can't be.
Maureen Dowd's very good column makes the point far more eloquently than can I.
I’ve been loath to admit that the shrieking lunacy of the summer — the frantic efforts to paint our first black president as the Other, a foreigner, socialist, fascist, Marxist, racist, Commie, Nazi; a cad who would snuff old people; a snake who would indoctrinate kids — had much to do with race.
Read the rest here.