Monday on CNN’s Election Center with Wolf Blitzer, Time Magazine columnist Joe Klein said,
Well, I just think that the image is kind of hilarious when you think about it: Barack Obama at a country club sipping a martini. It’s kind of a parody of the Republican view of the world. Everybody belongs to — since when do we start letting people like Barack Obama into Republican country clubs?
It’s obvious the implication Klein is making, so let’s cut to the chase….
Since changing my party registration in 1995 from Democrat to Republican, I have been “let” into country clubs. Let me rephrase that: I’ve been invited to speak to people in attendance at Republican country clubs. I have never been patronized as a black Republican, and I must assure you, Mr. Klein, I’m not stupid. If I sensed any condescension, I would’ve been out of there in a heartbeat.
But the Republicans I’ve had the privilege of meeting, from all walks of life and parts of the country, have been courteous, if not treating me like a member of their family. I have been embraced, while being treated like an equal, not an affirmative action acquaintance whose presence need be tolerated.
“Tolerate”. That’s one of your liberal words.
Don’t get me wrong; I have had my disagreements at times with Republicans, but it’s always been civil and NEVER gotten racial.
However, since becoming an outspoken Republican I have not always received such courtesy by some Democrats and liberals.
I have been called a nigger, Uncle Tom, sell out, wannabe white, bootlicker, Sambo, and in some cases, variations and multiples within one message received. As I value free speech as much as many of your fellow liberals, I would never do anything to suppress it. So I invite you to go to my YouTube channel and view some of the comments left me by your fellow tolerant types. I would be willing to bet if Barack Obama got anything close to that, you would have featured those comments in one of your columns by now.
Your implications that Republicans are racist are based on your self-adoring opinion of liberals as tolerant and inclusive. It’s my experience that some are anything but, and they deem black conservatives Public Enemy Number One as we blow your baseless accusations of racism against Republicans out of your dumpster water.
You, as a supposedly-informed employee of Time Magazine must know that the liberally-coronated “first black president” Bill Clinton was the one who initially introduced race into the 2008 DEMOCRAT primary. Before you again accuse Republicans of racism, you’d better have something more than a “parody of the Republican world view”.
You wouldn’t want to see the parody (with documentation) I could come up with about Democrats.
Though I no longer can call myself a Republican (moved on to the Libertarians), I always wondered where ‘deep thinking’ people like Klein get off assuming all Repubs are rich. I never knew any rich Repubs (or Dems either)but I did know many people who indentified themselves with the Republican party. My background was very working class as were almost all my friends and family. Did our background block our ability to think for ourselves and hate Dem patronizing? I never get an answer to that kind of question.
I also think this is an interesting comment by Kline considering that , on average, Republican voters make less than a Democrat. Also Republicans give more; so I think the analysis of liberals as out of touch, calous, and elitist regardless of their rhetoric is actually a rather accurate one.
Still, as a Republican, I think my party has made huge mistakes with the best of intentions and they somewhat deserve the backlash they have gotten from African American voters. Barry Goldwater was no racist, but somehow he let himself get talked into not supporting the legislation that would break the Jim Crow laws cast a shadow on his legacy and on the conservative movement which he led. That I think was the biggest mistake made by a conservative in recent decades. It is a shame to, as it tends to make people forget that Republicans were the ones giving the votes to pass civil rights legislation.
What does the left have if they can’t break down everybody into victim groups. Everybody is divided up nicely: black folk, you go over here; gay folk over here; mistreated workers (unions) over here; folks who vote for a living over there; and let’s lump all the hate-America-firsties (college faculty, celebrities, etc.) over in one pile in the corner; and I’m not sure what they do with the barristers. Everybody in their niche with whatever grievance of the day at the ready. Talk about fear-mongering, the left uses their situational straw men and promises of Republican mistreatment to keep all those folks in line and too afraid to leave the plantation.
Bush talked about the “soft bigotry of low expectations” which was dead-on, and I find it patronizing for many of the victims groups that they are treated like incapable children by the democrats in America.
I’m absolutely convinced that conservative Americans are much more color blind than leftists…without a doubt.
Hmmm. I don’t agree with the whole “let in” to anything based on race. That doesn’t apply to the military and that’s one of the most elite clubs on the planet! I’ve served with some of the most professional blacks, asians, indians, crap race don’t matter. They have advanced through the ranks through merit alone. I’m proud to serve by all my brothers and sisters in arms. And since we are all volunteer, it’s a conscious choice to join…no one forces anyone in anymore. I guess they are trying to say Condi, Colon, and Clarence were let in. Bullshit. They made it on credibilty and qualifications that they earned. I wish the libs would set aside there hate. The country would be so much more. And Bob, I am praying you win, I have relatives out there that need your wisdom and help. Taxachusets can’t take another term of the incumbant.
MTV
Is it just me? Or is my observation that the people most interested in the furtherence of racial discord in this country being liberal and many times black an accurate one?
Why in the hell do these people get any air time on any channel?
Thank you for responding so quickly to that outdated Liberal concept. I’m 70 years old and I’ve been ‘let in’ to some pretty exclusive places and functions in my life and was always treated well. I’m a Black American and I see no reason whatsoever to vote for Obama
Klein should go to the “Club” lounge at Jack Cook Kemp Stadium where the Redskins play.
“Club” seats start at $1500.00 a year & only Club/Suite (skybox)level patrons get a pass to the lounge.
30% of the patrons of the club lounge appeared to be African Americans which means they had the disposable income to purchase the good seats.
Klein wants “The Sixties” back.
Obama would be “Dean Vernon Wormer” at some university “Faculty Club” waxing philosophically about Das Kapital & sneering at those without tenure with his Commie terrorist pals Ayers & Dohrn.