I'm a white guy

[CRF450]

As white as it comes (well, part Irish because of my dad's family history) but even I can tell that most of the health reform protesting wingnuts are white people (seriously thats all I see!) who are for the most part, scared of a black man in power. Am I right?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Scared, angry, resentful, all of the above.

[muffin1]

2. Yes.

:)

[Booster]

3. Their main fear is that he will "get "er done". That really scares them.

[endless october]

4. i'm a white guy, too.

can't really answer your question, because i can't see in their hearts over the TV.

what i can tell you is that they don't understand per capita spending on health care vs life expectancy.

otherwise, they'd be holding signs that say "if you won't give us single payer, at least give us Japan's health care, because they have the highest life expectancy and spend a fraction of what we spend."

you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him read statistics.

[Rocky Sullivan]

5. Most are white people, yes

but so is most of America. I can't help but think they'd be just as aggressive if Edwards or Kerry or any other leader with liberal bona fides was attempting this. No one ever said it would be easy, that's why it hasn't been done thus far...

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. You may think they'd be just as agressive, but I don't.

There was surely craziness, accusations of murder etc. against the Clintons, but there weren't people openly talking about wishing them dead, secession, revolution.

They would hate and oppose any Democrat, but don't be thinking there isn't extra racial flavor simmering in this stew.

[Rocky Sullivan]

11. I can only speak for myself and my own opinion

That vitriol is typical of modern American politics. Let's not forget that Obama did win the election, so in that sense it seems people had less of a problem with him than all the white people who were running...

[Skittles]

12. it hasn't been done thus far because of ignorant rightwing America

and the corporate media that lies to them

[muffin1]

15. These same protesters likely would not be holding signs that say, among other things,

"What'chu talkin' 'bout Willis?" Or signs depicting him as Hitler. Or a thug. Or a crack addict.

My guess is it's at least 90% racism.

[virgogal]

6. No,color has nothing to do with it (and Obama is half white too)

[Raineyb]

29. Right that's why the racist verbage has been used. No racism here! Spare me!

Let's be straight here, these people would rather go without and suffer than allow everyone to benefit so long as they can keep black and brown people underfoot.

It's never a coincidence that things in this country that used to be free or low cost suddenly have to be charged for when they see more people of color taking advantage of it.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Then why'd they fight 'Clintoncare' so hard? nt

[Salviati]

9. Because they're the type of people whom fear can motivate to work against themselves.

Whether it's fear of a black man in the white house, fear of "big guv'ment", fear of "furriners", fear of "teh gay", really fear of anything different.

Fear of change in any way is what mobilizes these people to get out into the streets, pull out their big guns, and then shoot their own bloody feet off.

[CRF450]

13. Well, its been a thought that just lodged itself in my head over time.

I see the demographic in the protester videos, I see the same thing on Fox. My aunt is a total right winger, religious and watches Huckaby RELIGIOUSLY. The studio audience are mostly middle-age to elderly white folks.

Just saying.

[Captain Hilts]

14. They're the same ones that hated the Clintons. Their parents hated the Roosevelts and listened to

Father Coughlin.

[Skittles]

10. I believe you are correct

especially when they go on and on about COST when there was nary a peep from them about the excesses of GWB

[Historic NY]

16. They support wealth-care as opposed to Obama-care...

amazing but they will continue to malign their health insurance as being too expensive.

[RufusTFirefly]

17. Corporate elites are using all the tools in their toolbox to hold on to power

Whatever works.

"Divide and conquer" has almost always worked. It uses fear, ignorance, outright lies, and yes, racism to create division. Pres. Obama's race is helpful for them but they'd be wreaking havoc regardless.

[obliviously]

18. I hope you enjoy your self flagellation

but when you are finished you might consider it may be because they are conservative and we are liberal. Not everything is about of race.

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. "Not everything is about race." Thank You!

:thumbsup:

[Raineyb]

34. If you don't think race has anything to do with this I'd suggest you check your vision. n/t

[obliviously]

37. I see people

Perhaps you should learn to do the same!

[anigbrowl]

19. Meh...if Hillary were Prez you think they'd be all for it? I don't.

[XemaSab]

20. They view black/white relations as a zero-sum game

so they assume black people like Obama do too. :banghead:

[notesdev]

21. Don't be stupid

Blaming shit on racism is an old, hackneyed canard that doesn't explain anything.

Why would a country that just elected a half-black President suddenly turn into a nation of racists? The actual evidence and statistical data say this isn't this case.

What I believe to be the case is that no one trusts the government. That's why they threw out the last one (emphatically) and don't trust this one either. Blaming this on racism is a sign of extremely limited intellect and/or observational ability.

[madokie]

22. Yep

[Autumn]

23. The problem isn't that he is a black man in power,

the problem is he is a Democrat in power.

[graywarrior]

25. A black man who has empowered non-wealthy citizens.

They are going out of their minds.

[guitar man]

26. not just white

A lot of them I see are old and white. They are scared to death that "their" America is slipping away.

[subcomhd]

27. hello my fellow white man

they hate having a Dem. in the White House, they went pretty buggy on Clinton too. But the fact that President Obama is Black pushes them right over the crazy ledge. (edited for spelling)

[woo me with science]

28. facile nt

[bullwinkle428]

30. Some aren't the least bit subtle when it comes to their racist motivations -

there was an NPR interview with a guy in a small town in Virginia, where the President was holding a town hall, with a guy they identified as white. He happened to be unemployed and on disability, and his kids' health insurance was being covered by the state's version of Medicaid.

He claimed he was opposed to any kind of health care reform, because he saw it as a secret plot by Obama to take money away from white people and give it to minorities...

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[baldguy]

31. Adult black men with power scare them to death.

Especially when he's demonstrably smarter & better than they are.

[Rocky Sullivan]

33. Smarter perhaps...

but better? I don't think so. Saying one human being is better than another just rubs me the wrong way...

[Overseas]

32. Professional right wing PR firms are stirring those sentiments up for cash.

Yes, those are the dangerous sentiments being stirred up for profit by amoral right wing PR firms.

They say they're just "supporting genuine grass roots groups" that have "been around for years" (just coincidentally dormant during the rampant war profiteering of the Bush Cheney years).

They've been wildly successful. They've managed to get people on Medicare to storm town halls to protest government interference in healthcare. Pretty cool from an amoral PR person's perspective; quite an achievement.

They realize that by ginning up "grass roots" sentiment into a generalized anti-government feeling and letting the fear and prejudice add to the mix, they can serve a whole posse of corporations and reap the rewards. Even if stirring up fear and hatred damages our country, it serves their funders so they are happy, and they'll disavow what happens as a result of their support-- "We're just helping ordinary citizens speak up."

They're already getting "genuine grass roots" people to band together as Energy Citizens to protest that pesky cutting of U.S. carbon emissions, thanks to generous funding from Old Energy corporations.

While some folks may say that we can just stand by and watch the ridiculous Republicans hang themselves, the experts on dangerous fear and hatred, the Southern Poverty Law Center, have reported on an alarming rise in the number of right wing militia groups again.

[asdjrocky]

35. Whatever you do, don't say they are old.

Trust me on this.

[JI7]

36. yes, it is mostly about racism , and it's good for other white people to call them out on it

[Tim01]

38. It is nothing but extreme racism. They can't stand a black man as president.

If it was a white person like Bill or Hilary Clinton trying for health care reform it would be a cake walk because they are white.

[BlooInBloo]

39. We all know it's true. We're just not supposed to say it.

[ipfilter]

40. I see my older

relatives who sent me RW propaganda emails during the election making vague inferences that Obama was a Muslim terrorist ready to take down America. They lost the election and this is their revenge.