Margo Howard | 09/16/2009 5:30 pm
Margo Howard: The Origins of Obama Rage?
Our Dear Margo shares what she fears to be the truth behind the growing dissent for President Barack Obama and his policies.
Editor’s Note: A longtime journalist, Margo Howard went into the family business (her mother was the fabled Ann Landers) in the 1990s as Dear Prudence. Her broad experience and understanding of human nature provide answers for the troubled — and entertainment for everyone else. Margo’s advice column, Dear Margo, appears twice a week — on Thursdays and Fridays — on wowOwow.com.
I wrote this a few days ago, but with my editor decided it might be too incendiary. After former President Carter’s interview, however, I decided to join the still-thin chorus expressing this viewpoint. I think Obama and his supporters have been too willing to turn the other cheek – an admirable impulse in normal times. But when the debate becomes as coarse as it has, rebuttal is needed.
I find what is abroad in the land, as Henry James would have said, simply repellent — forget frightening. An elected official hollers out "You lie!" during a presidential address, yahoos are wearing firearms wherever they go, even at events where the president is, not to mention bars … certainly a great place to have a drunk with a pistol. The desperate lunatic fringe, with some help from the Fox guys, have people (well, OK, the gullible, dim ones) believing that old age is reason enough for execution, Obama was born in Kenya, dissenters will be locked up á la the Nazis and the true mission of this administration is to turn us into a Socialist — if not a Communist — country. Even a true-blue conservative author and speechwriter for George W. Bush, David Frum, is concerned about "the wild accusations and paranoid delusions from the fever swamps." The Los Angeles Times called the increasing number of head case Republicans "the party of the paranoid."
Maureen Dowd wrote what I had been thinking: All this insanity is simply the bigots acting out. I am afraid it may really be true that the loudest naysayers cannot stand it that we have a black president. In what psychiatrists would call "displacement," the anger of some at having an African-American leader has been dolled up with scare tactic complaints and projections. They just can’t live with it, so they’re trying to upend it. Divide and conquer. Read it and weep.
Read more about: Healthcare, Los Angeles Times, Margo Howard, Maureen Dowd, Media, News, Politics, President Barack Obama, World News
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1252 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
Margo, I have enjoyed your articles for years but, on this issue, I think you (and others) have renounced all reason. Political dissent does not equate to racism. Were those who thought President Bush was behind 9/11 racist? Stupid…yes; bigots…no. Bigotry and race are being unnecessarily injected into the political conversation by the Democrats, not the Republicans.
What do you expect from a state (South Carolina) where it is a felony to fight chickens, (mascot of USC, btw), yet only a misdemeanor to beat your wife? A lot of priorities seem to be out of whack, if you ask me.
I firmly believe a lot of the dissent with President Obama is thinly veiled racism, as Margo stated. Racism does exist in all forms, and it simply isn’t white on black, nor is it an American problem. However, South Carolina is well known for its racist leanings, as evidenced by the NAACP boycotting them on a regular basis.
If the dissenters, racist or not, would sit back and button their lips, this presidency could do so much more. Instead, there is a constant rebuttal of lies and slander, which only serves to distract us from the real agendas at hand.
Thank you, Margo, for posting the truth as you see it. I happen to agree with you. As soon as I heard the phrase "a post-racial America," I knew we were in for it. Though I had no idea it would look like this. I’m continually stunned by the overtly Orwellian strategies of the conservative leadership. And by their followers who continue to brazenly insist it is night when the sun is still high in the sky. What exactly do they think will come of this? It won’t just be a "failed presidency," which is purported to be their goal. There’s a monster at the center of the labyrinthe of illogic and hate that they have created, and I’m afraid they may have loosed it on us all.
No one seems to remember that hate begets hate. Or better said: "hatred bounces" ~e.e. cummings
Margo,
If Americans were as racist as you and Jimmy Carter claim then we would not have any elected black officials in all areas of local, state and federal government, let alone in the White House. Blacks do not get elected by only blacks. If. whites don’t vote for black candidates they don’t have a chance. Your racist claims lack merit
It is a pathetic cop out to blame true disagreement with Obama’s policies on his color. It is the weakest argument there is. If his policies are so wonderful and in the best interests of current and future Americans then there should be no problem selling them. But the policies stink and we don’t want them. Obama could be pink, purple, have two heads or gasp! be white, and the policies would still reek to high heaven. You folks don’t seem to grasp that his color does not affect our lives. His color cannot do anything. His policies are what affect our lives.
As far as Count Snarkula’s comment on fear, there is plenty of fear. Fear of abandoning our founding principles, fear of those who ignore the constitution, fear of censorship, fear of the average family’s energy costs rising $1,700 (according to this administration’s Treasury report which was only released upon a Freedom of Information Act request), fear of debt that will crush our children and grandchildren. Those are our our fears.
Jimmy Carter, like Reid and Pelosi think that they can continue to denigrate every day American citizens by calling them the "unwashed masses", "Nazis" and racists. A constitutent told Congressman Pete Stark "Congressman, don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining" to which the Congressman replied that he would not dignify the man by peeing on his leg as it would be a waste of urine.
These people are completely out of touch with the American citizen. The arrogance and disdain for the people they "serve" is on display as never before.
Racism is not the issue at all. How sad that you don’t understand what Americans really care about.
I tip my hat to you Count …. there are people from many walks of life joining the tea party movement and I hope you will give it further research and thought …. I am glad that the left wing media focuses on those they percieve to be as ‘nut bars’. It is good cover for those from EVERY walk of life who have joined us. It is hard to be African America or Gay in America today and not support Obama’s policies …. very hard so I hope the poor excuse of what we call a media in America continues to do this so that we can offer protection to those fellow citizens who are now fed up with government as a whole.
Count, I’m of the libertarian mindset so I want the government to do it’s very limited job and stay out of our private lives. That includes you being able to marry your partner. As far as not tolerating racism, well I never have. I was brought up to be color blind although my life experiences have proven certain stereotypes I’m afraid. That said, I judge everyone by who they are as a person because my life has been enriched from knowing people of all colors, races, religions, country and state of origin. If the occasional person wants to live as a stereotype that is their choice, not mine.
All...and I mean it…ALL of my conservative friends feel the same way.
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None of my conservative friends do. I got tired of hearing the "N" word. And hearing how the Democratic Party is the party of the "N"s. And so they are now my former conservative friends. I personally have had enough of people using the word conservative to cover up their racism.
Just as the word Republican has become a synonym for evil, the word conservative has become a synonym for the racism that fuels the evil.
I used to hear about how the "N"s were all welfare cheats. The biggest welfare cheats, it seems, are on Wall Street. And most if not all of them are Republicans. What was the bailout of Bush but welfare?