A conservative friend asked me the other day why liberals are always playing the race card when it comes to Obama. If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit we do question whether or not racism plays a part in the unprecedented hatred directed towards Obama.
The problem is that as soon as we do, we get accused of being THE RACISTS ourselves, as you can see in the example from my friend, below:
WHY is it that if those who support President Obama automatically go to “race” when they disagree with someone who does not support the political leanings of this President? It seems to me that those who do that are more prejudiced than the ones they accuse. Think about it. Why is it that their reasoning automatically takes them to “race” . . . as if there can not be ANY other possible reason to differ. It’s amazing to me that so many, including Mindy, will use that race card on people who so strongly support people like Dr. Ben Carson, Herman Cain, Mia Love, and a HUGE list I could go on with. Kind of negates that “race” issue to me. Maybe their thought process should continue on a bit farther.
So why is it that liberals “play the race card” and how do we address questions/accusations like the example, noted above?
I have come up with four reasons why liberals accuse conservatives of being racists. And I want to be crystal clear on this next point: we are not accusing all conservatives of being racist. But after careful consideration and after having countless conversations with liberals where we are tearing our hair out trying to come up with some alternate reason for conservatives’ vitriolic hatred of Obama, no other explanation seems to make any sense.
Four Reasons Why Liberals Play The Race Card
1. Conservatives refuse to give Obama credit for anything
Example 1: The capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, something George W. Bush couldn’t accomplish with over 7 years in office but Obama accomplished midway through his first term. Most conservatives either say Obama could not have accomplished getting bin Laden were it not for the “groundwork” laid by George W. Bush, or they point out that it was not Obama who capture Osama bin Laden, rather it was SEAL Team Six.
Example 2: The capture of one of the masterminds of the Benghazi attacks, Ahmed Abu Khatallah. Many conservatives claim we are still “down four terrorists” if you deduct Ahmed Abu Khatallah from the five who were traded for Sergeant Bowe Robert Bergdahl.
Example 3: Anytime anything good happens, conservatives claim the administration, liberals, and/or the media are lying.
2. Conservatives are willing to flip-flop on key issues to make Obama look bad.
Example 1: The return of Sergeant Bowe Robert Bergdahl. For years leading conservatives such as John McCain and Sarah Palin have been more or less calling for Obama’s impeachment for failing to bring Bergdahl home by “any means possible.” Then he does get him home and those very same people are crying out for impeachment. [click here for 5 prime examples of conservative flip-flops on Bergdahl]
Example 2: The automotive industry. Republicans initially supported the bailout of the automobile industry as it supports literally millions of American jobs, but once President Obama called for it they backed down, hoping it would fail so they could use it as a campaign issue against Obama. Who can forget Mitt Romney’s now infamous flip-flop on the issue when he went from “Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.” to “I’ll take a lot of credit for the fact that this industry’s come back.”
Examples 3-8: Briefly, we can include the individual mandate, which was actually created by the Republican Party back in 1993 as a response to President Clinton’s attempt to overhaul the existing healthcare system. They venomously promoted and defended the concept for the next 17-18 years until Obama included it in the Affordable Care Act.
They have also flip-flopped on abortion, cap and trade, child labor, civil rights, deficit spending, the Dream Act, education… the list goes on an on – all to make Obama look bad, to diminish the importance of his accomplishments, and to weaken the office of the president (something they will regret if they ever manage to get another conservative into that office).
3. Conservatives are ready, willing and able to block government
Example 1: Obama appointments. Conservatives have made unprecedented efforts to block any and all presidential appointments during Obama’s term in office. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid put it best when he stated: “In the history of the United States, 168 presidential nominees have been filibustered, 82 blocked under President Obama, 86 blocked under all the other presidents.”
Example 2: The debt-ceiling, deficit spending, and the recent government shutdown. As the Critical Aye reported back in 2011: “What’s really amusing is how Boehner, McConnell, Cantor and Kyl who are so staunchly indignant and resolute against any debt ceiling increase that includes any tax increase whatsoever under Obama, all had a thoroughly different viewpoint when George W. Bush raised the debt ceiling five times (with Republicans in Congress voting a total of 19 times to increase the debt limit under Bush).”
- June 2002: Congress approves a $450 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $6.4 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor voted “yea”, Kyl voted “nay.”
- May 2003: Congress approves a $900 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $7.384 trillion. All four voted in favor with no demand for spending cuts.
- November 2004: Congress approves an $800 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.1 trillion. All four voted in favor with no demand for spending cuts.
- March 2006: Congress approves a $781 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.965 trillion. All four voted in favor with no demand for spending cuts.
- September 2007: Congress approves an $850 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $9.815 trillion. All four voted in favor with no demand for spending cuts.
Examples 3 – who knows: Conservatives (primarily in the Republican controlled House) have managed to block legislation on immigration, student loans, veterans’ benefits, jobs initiatives, etc. Bernie Sanders has a great list on his website of bills blocked in the Senate by Republican fillibuster to include: Manchin-Toomey Background Checks, Student Loan Affordability Act, Bring Jobs Home Act, Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act, Paycheck Fairness Act, DREAM Act of 2010, Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act, Creating American Jobs and Ending Offshoring Act.
4. The increased incidents of flagrant racist attacks on Obama
[you can go to Def Shepherd to see more examples]
Example 1: A San Bernadino Republican group distributed Obama Bucks.
Example 2: A N.J. clothing store’s window display shows Obama as a witch doctor.
Example 3: Georgia Bar owner calls Obama “N*gger” on business sign but claims he isn’t a racist.
Example 4: Florida pastor Terry Jones hangs Obama effigy outside church.
Example 5: Altered Obama yard signs in Texas.
How About You?
Do you ever “play the race card” or question whether some conservatives are racist because of the way they treat Obama? Why? Let us know your reasons in the comments below. We would like to know in hopes of better understanding the reason why this particular president is so uniquely loathed by conservative Americans.
p.s. I feel like I need to bleach my brain after seeing those horrible photos again. How about you?
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