Eugene Robinson:What's behind the Tea Party's ire?

[cal04]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/01/AR2010110105086.html

The first African American president takes office, and almost immediately we see the birth of a big, passionate national movement - overwhelmingly white and lavishly funded - that tries its best to delegitimize that president, seeks to thwart his every initiative, and manages to bring the discredited and moribund opposition party roaring back to life. Coincidence?

Not a chance. But also not that simple.

First, I'll state the obvious: It's not racist to criticize President Obama, it's not racist to have conservative views, and it's not racist to join the Tea Party. But there's something about the nature and tone of the most vitriolic attacks on the president that I believe is distinctive - and difficult to explain without asking whether race is playing a role.

(snip)
Underlying all the Tea Party's issues and complaints, it appears to me, is the entirely legitimate issue of the relationship between the individual and the federal government. But why would this concern about oppressive, intrusive government become so acute now? Why didn't, say, government surveillance of domestic phone calls and e-mails get the constitutional fundamentalists all worked up?

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. Eugene. Dude. Some true things....

...must not be said.

And certainly not in the Post.

[Skittles]

2. saying it like it is

here in Texas, when a teabagger declared to me, "WE'RE GOING TO TAKE BACK OUR GOVERNMENT" - I responded, "From what? A black president?" He turned beet red and started spluttering. Fuck yes, that is EXACTLY what "fuels their ire".

[Poll_Blind]

3. So true... n/t

PB

[Kurovski]

4. I often wish that people OUTSIDE of the Teaslogger movement

hadn't demanded they do something about all the racist signs they brought to their rallys.

The signs were quite instructive, they let you knew what they were all about right up front.

[awoke_in_2003]

5. "What's behind the Tea Party's ire?"

racism- nothing more, nothing less. "Take our country back"=uppity "negro" needs to know his place.

[jmondine]

6. They're not so much afraid of the first black president

as they are that he will be the first of many.
They want him to fail, and in failing become the "token" black in the otherwise all-white cast.

[Stuckinthebush]

7. Yeah, well, Robinson is black

so his comments don't mean anything.

:sarcasm: