The Rude Pundit - Mary Landrieu's "No Shit, Sherlock" Moment: ...

[meegbear]

Obama Unpopular in the South Because of Racism

In an interview with Chuck "Chucky T" Todd, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, in a tight and possibly impossible race for reelection, threw down some truth when asked why President Barack Obama wasn't popular in the South. After talking about the shutdown of Gulf of Mexico oil drilling after the BP accident, Landrieu added, "I'll be very very honest with you. The South has not always been the friendliest place for African-Americans. It's been a difficult time for the president to present himself in a very positive light as a leader. It's not always been a good place for women to present ourselves. It's more of a conservative place. So we've had to work a little bit harder on that."

If we lived in a wiser country during wiser times with wiser politicians, Republicans may have said, "Well, yeah, she's right. There is still a great deal of sexism and racism everywhere, but the South does have a history to deal with. Now vote for the Republican who will make everyone rich enough to not care." And that's that.

But wisdom is scarce in this filthy century we're damned to live in. Instead, Republicans are acting appalled, as if Landrieu is a whistleblower on racist whites. "That Mary Landrieu would ascribe ugly racial motivations to voters’ displeasure with the policies advanced by President Obama and her shows both how out of touch and how desperate she is. Senator Landrieu’s comments are insulting to me and to every other Louisianian," said Roger Villere, chair of the Louisiana Republican Party. It's as if he were really saying, "Oh, shit, Mary, don't tell everyone."

The Rude Pundit can guarantee you that there are very few people in Louisiana who would hear or read Landrieu's comment and not think, "Yeah, sounds about right." Unless you get your prejudices soothed by the dulling rhetoric of talk radio and Fox "news," you know the score. And if it's not you, you know at least a few people who don't like Barack Obama just because he's that uppity Negro. The Rude Pundit has mentioned someone he knows in Louisiana who won't vote Landrieu because "she's a bitch." This ain't brain surgery. Hell, it's barely even Lincoln logs in complexity.

Then again, you have tragically unpopular Gov. Bobby Jindal commenting, "Senator Landrieu's comments are remarkably divisive. She appears to be living in a different century." Are they divisive? Or are they actually shocking because Landrieu said what everyone knows but is afraid to say out loud? Why can't we do that? When it comes to race, it is unutterable unless some right-wing dickhead wants to tar Obama by saying that he's "using" race (no one ever says how white people "use" their race). Hell, the right is already pulling Obama into this. But talk about race as a factor in why so many people are passionately hateful towards Obama? Beyond the pale, man, beyond it.

The fear for Republicans is that Landrieu's remark will jolt the black population in Louisiana to get more engaged in the election. Because if that constituency shows up at the polls, it will fuck with the whole plan to take over the Senate. So you will see denigration of Landrieu and false outrage. Her pretty mild words, which simply recognize that racism and sexism exist and that they affect people's perspectives, will be blown up until it seems as if she said that Louisianians want to lynch Obama and force Landrieu back into the kitchen (although some people surely think that already).

Creepy ass Republican opponent Bill Cassidy responded to Landrieu with "We're not racist, we just have common sense." Others have called on her to apologize. Remember that Landrieu is not a wild and woolly liberal who wants to join hands with Al Sharpton and march through the French Quarter. She is firmly moderate-right, but she also takes no shit when it comes to sexism in politics and in her career. She knows of what she speaks.

Yet, by the time you read this, Landrieu may have apologized. She may have crawfished her remarks, blamed it on campaign exhaustion, or something. But let's hope not. She should end up provoking a conversation about how racism has affected the Obama presidency. In the deranged endgame of this pathetic campaign, don't count on it.

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2014/10/mary-landrieus-no-shit-sherlock-moment.html

[randys1]

1. RP calls racism and misogyny conservative traits, glad to see I am not the only one

[daleanime]

2. K&fuckingR....

[jmondine]

3. "The South has not always been the friendliest place for African Americans"

Also, the Sahara Desert is not the best environment for jellyfish.

The bottom of a running blender is not the most comfortable place for human fingers.

Westeros is not the ideal place to get married.

[vlakitti]

6. YAY!!!!

[Enthusiast]

10. +1!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

11. parents may want to reconsider letting their toddler

Play in the center lane of the Washington Bridge.

Micheal Vick might not be your best choice when you need a dog-sitter.

Chris Christie might not be good at teaching etiquette classes.


Hey, sometimes if you don't laugh, you'll throw yourself off a tall building...

[spanone]

4. k&r...

[jtuck004]

5. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is toying with the idea of a presidential bid, joked in a

private gathering this month...

If she apologizes, perhaps they could play the clip from this after...

Lindsey Graham unfiltered: jokes about white men, Baptists

...
In the recordings, Graham, who is favored in his race for re-election next Tuesday against Democrat Brad Hutto, appears to joke about the possible 2016 presidential bid he recently floated in an interview with the Weekly Standard.

"I'm trying to help you with your tax status," Graham says in the recording. "I'm sorry the government's so f---ed up. If I get to be president, white men in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency." The crowd is then heard laughing.
...

Here.

[zeemike]

7. Apologize for it hell she should double down.

And rachet up the rhetoric not down...that is what any good right winger would do...and that is how they get the dems to apologize for things.

[world wide wally]

8. I can't help but think that some genuine, sincere anger at Republican bullshit would impress a lot

of people.
I wish some Dem politician would try it.

[Enthusiast]

9. Don't apologize, Mary Landrieu! Your remarks were right on target.

K&R! Way to go, Rude!

[WinkyDink]

12. I agree with the piece. Howver, it doesn't sound like the real Rude Pundit AT ALL. And I don't mean

just in lack of curse words (although that's a major part).

It's that it doesn't have the RP's righteously angry tone.