Juan Williams is a whore....read today's NYT editorial page

[ikojo]

Here's the blurb...If What he says about the Kerry campaign is true then Kerry and his handlers had best not take the black community for granted and assume they will vote for him only because he has a D after his name. Many blacks are socially very conservative and regular churchgoers and a natural constituent for the social conservatives.


OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
Bush Shouldn't Write Off the Black Vote
By JUAN WILLIAMS
With a direct appeal, President Bush could win at least 20 percent of the black vote — and the White House.

WASHINGTON — With the presidential election only a few months away, it is time for President Bush to unleash his secret weapon — his relationship with black and Hispanic voters.

The president is already winning a third of the popular vote among Hispanics, according to a Zogby International poll taken this spring. With advertisements and outreach focused on reforms to allow easier immigration for workers, the president has a good chance to add to his numbers among Hispanics.

snip

First, the field is open. Compared with previous Democratic campaigns, Mr. Kerry's has done a poor job of reaching out to black voters. As Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager in 2000, said recently, "Don't expect me to go out and say John Kerry is a great man and a visionary if you're not running ads on African-American or Hispanic cable networks. Fair is fair. So send my dad a postcard, send my sisters a bumper sticker." The Kerry campaign has also been notable for its lack of blacks and Hispanics among the candidate's top advisers. And Mr. Kerry has rarely been identified with issues that compel black voters — notably affirmative action.

snip

Third, Mr. Bush has a network to make a pitch to black voters — the black church. Despite some bumps along the way, black churches remain generally enthusiastic about the president's faith-based initiative. The president has used his appearances before faith-based groups as a way to communicate with black Americans. It was no surprise that Mr. Bush used a speech to ministers to condemn Senator Trent Lott for expressing kind words about Strom Thurmond's segregationist past.

[REP]

1. That's Not News

He's a thoroughly annoying gasbag, and I was so glad when he finally left NPR so I didn't have to listen to his simpering any more.

[punpirate]

3. When did Williams leave NPR?

I don't recall any announcement of that. He did leave "Talk of the Nation" but only to become an interviewer on "Morning Edition."

As I recall, he's still at both Fox and NPR.

Happy to be wrong--I'd love to see the idiot gone from NPR. Might renew my small amount of faith in them.

Cheers.

[REP]

5. Why Did You Have To Tell Me That?!?!?!?

Argh! I guess I've just managed to not hear him on ME. I had to stop listening to TOTN when he was hosting it - he's just so LAME.

[punpirate]

6. Uh, sorry....

The truth's a bitch....

[Redhead488]

8. You know, if we are the party of Minorities and Women

Why the HELL am I not hearing about any Blacks (or Women) being touted as Vice Presidential candidates? Isn't it about effing time???

[punpirate]

10. Yes, it's time...

... but, how do think that will play with the current very slim white majority?

Apply the converse: what would Bush's elections chances have been if he'd made Powell his VP running mate? He'd never have had a chance.

The presidential election outweighs interest in all other races. There, all the subjective racism and sexism gets balled up into one question: is the president (or his presumptive heir to power, the VP) tough enough to stand up to the heathens trying to overthrow us? White voters, largely, don't give any credence to minorities or women being capable of that challenge.

It's a spurious assumption, yes. But, it's still a reality, in this country.

But, let's back up a bit. Carol Moseley Braun made a mess of her time in the Senate. Like her or not, she was disorganized and her remarks scattershot. Al Sharpton? Quick with a quip, but still, he's being investigated by the FEC because his campaign's paperwork isn't in order. What does that say about his ability to run a country?

The sharp people haven't come forward, for reasons I don't know. Andrew Young has too many connections to unsavory people. I wish Julian Bond would step in the ring, but I don't think people want him, but I don't know why. Jesse Jackson's appeal is too regional. Ten years from now, his son might be a force in presidential politics.

For any minority or female candidate to gain credence with the electorate, they will have to be squeaky clean and, by record, tough on defense (might get them elected, but won't get them loved--if they're hawks by nature, they'll get into trouble in some way or another--Condoleezza Rice is a perfect example of the syndrome).

In short, the electorate will have to abandon belief in all the lies that they have absorbed over the years before they embrace a candidate from either the female side of the rostrum or a minority, or both. For that to happen, there will have to be great disillusionment in the electorate. They will have to have demonstrated to them a great deal of pain because of their past choices.

[Redhead488]

12. If all you say is true,

Then why haven't the Democrats been grooming women and minority candidates? What about Feinstein or Boxer or Landreau? What about Rangel or Ford? Don't tell me there aren't qualified women and minority candidates. I'm tired of that same lame excuse.

[punpirate]

14. Okay, more plainly....

What happened to Carol Moseley Braun? What happened to Al Sharpton? What happened to Jesse Jackson? Why won't Andrew Young or Julian Bond run?

What happened to Geraldine Ferraro?

Landrieu (and, yes, that's the correct spelling) is a Repug in democratic wool. Rangel apparently has no interest. Ford? Dunno. Feinstein? Boxer? Eaten alive by the right wing as California liberals before you get a chance to tear off the top of the cereal box in the morning--neither have any endearing qualities appealing to a national electorate.

You're tired of the same old excuses. Talk to your local politicians why they won't support minorities or women for president or VP. They'll give you an earful--if they're honest.

I'm not saying it's right. I'm saying that that's the situation right now. If the best we can get out of the system against Bush is a hawk like Kerry and wishes for a bigger hawk such as McCain for VP to counteract the biggest hawk, Bush, what does that say about where we are now, nationally?

Sorry, don't mean to be harsh, but America ain't exactly pretty right now, politically. The Democrats aren't entirely inclusive, but they're more so than the Repugs. The Democrats take far too much money from the corporate world, but a little less than the Repugs.

It's just not pretty. It's not right. I agree. But being tired of it won't cure it. The Repugs have been working on complete control of the country for over thirty years. You (and a lot of others) may have to work tirelessly for thirty years or more to wrench it away from them and get what you believe is right.

Cheers.

[digno dave]

19. i know it's years away, but i like that Ford dude from Tennessee (nt)

[BevHarris]

25. A point on the other side, please

The congressional Black Caucus has been at the forefront of many issues that others are finally coming around to.

It was the Black Caucus, during Gore's recount, who stepped forward on CNN and said via Maxine Waters, "No! We will NOT 'get over it!'" (I know, because I wrote much of that statement as a PR assignment for a political operative, and was amazed to see it on CNN 12 hours later). Yes, folks, that was the Black Caucus while the white party members sat mute.

If you looked at the press conference on the budget, held about a year ago, where Nancy Pelosi, Charles Rangel, and others spoke -- it was about 80% minority congresspersons. Again, they led the way while most of the white folks sat mute.

I realize your point is that you feel a black or Latino won't sell in a high position. He's controversial, but many feel that New Mexico's Bill Richardson (a Latino) is marketable.

I just feel it was time to step in and debunk this business you about people of color being screw-ups. They get much heavier scrutiny, always have, than their equally flawed white counterparts. And the most visionary leaders are still coming, disproportionately, from the minority communities.

Bev Harris

[punpirate]

2. Meaning...

... Kerry has to move further to the right to satisfy all black constituents.

Move to the right, move to the right, move to the right. It's the right's mantra. If Kerry listens to it, he's stupid.

Juan Williams would fall down crying in the gutter if he were hungry and twenty minutes on foot to a McDonalds....

[papau]

4. Donna Brazile has a point about advertising to black/brown folks

but Juan is full of it.

his piece reads like a Fox wish list of how they might cause trouble for the Dems - indeed it is so Fox like that it has the usual Fox big lie -

"Kerry campaign has also been notable for its lack of blacks and Hispanics among the candidate's top advisers"

- a bit of bull already shown as a lie in a few threads on DU.

Juan is a GOP/fOX mediawhore - and nothing more.

:-)

[acmavm]

7. Yeah right, bush* has done so much for minorities so far. His brother

is trying to disenfranchise thousands as we speak, like he did in 2000. And he had help from Rove and the rest of the republican thugs that showed up to disrupt and stop the recall.

I doubt that a lot a black people will believe this, especially since the rate of umemployment for blacks his many times higher than it is for whites. Williams should give minorities some credit for being able to see the real picture, not more republican party probaganda.

[Q]

9. Juan must think Blacks are stupid...a common mistake...

...made by conservatives. While I agree that Kerry hasn't done a great job in communicating with the Black community...they're NOT going to vote for Bush* and his insane policies.

- Blacks may not like the 'third wayers' of the 'new' Democratic party...but they know that the Bush* administration is full of racists who would rather send them off to Iraq to die than open a dialogue about equal opportunity and civil rights.

[ithacan]

11. this is NOT about blacks voting for Bush

the Repubs know that will NOT happen.

This kind of propaganda is aiming at 2 different goals:

1. Get blacks to stay home and NOT vote. Very unlikely to get votes for Bush given his absolutely abysmal record. But much more likely to get people to NOT vote, which could put a dent in Kerry's totals.

2. White suburban moderates. This makes it seem like Bush and the Repubs really are nice, that they are not racists, and so it's okay for the white moderates who don't want to think of themselves as racists to vote for Bush.

Williams is playing right into these right-wing strategies.

[Tellurian]

13. The author lost me at the Zogby poll this spring...

Like broken glass, Bush's credibility has been fractured never to recover again. Bush's poll numbers are irretrievable.

The field is wide open for Kerry.

[KittyWampus]

15. It Was Infuriating To Read This This Morning

steamed :kick:

[Kahuna]

16. Juan Williams is very disassociated with the black community....

Most blacks don't even know who he is. And as a beltway insider he is out of touch with what regular people think.

[candy331]

17. It's just downright amazing what one will do and say

for the almighty dollar now a days. If there is such a thing as selling ones soul to the devil Wm's is definitely in the line.

[Carolina]

18. Juan and his article are utter bull-

shit. Blacks will nearly universally support the Democrats whether we like Kerry or not. We see through these Bush bastards and their token turds like Juan, Colin, Condi, Rod (Paige), etc. We recognize the importance of this election and we want Bush in the ductbin of history ASAP.

[senseandsensibility]

20. Juan Williams is a total

sell out. But more than that, he thinks blacks and everyone else are stupid enough to believe his b.s. I have nothing but respect for blacks. How could I not when the black senators walked out as Al Gore was swearing in * after he stole the election. Everyone else was making nice, pretending that * had won. Ted f*ing Kennedy was gettiing ready to eat popcorn and watch movies with the * at the White House, and everyone was being so careful to treat the thief with respect. It was nauseating. Only the black senators had enough respect to stand up to the *. This was in January, 2001. I cheered them on as I watched them walk out on c-span. Does anyone remember? One white guy walked out with them in a show of solidarity. I was asking myself why only the black senators seemed to understand the crime that had happened. They, of course, were completely right, and courageous. And so, I don't doubt that they will NEVER vote for *. I have faith in them alone, I'm afraid.

[buycitgo]

22. EXCELLENT words, Jane.....very sensible! and moving

nothing but shamed embarrassement for what those achordata did after the polls suddenly reversed themselves in November

and Gore should have listened to the sage advice he got: RECOUNT EVERY county, ALL the votes, unders and overs, alike

had he done that, there would have been NO doubt, unless the SCOTUS REALLY stepped in earlier and stuck their crooked noses in at the beginning

[senseandsensibility]

23. Thanks!

:-) I've noticed from previous posts, that like me, you refuse to "get over it." Do you happen to remember who the white guy was who walked out with the black senators?

[BevHarris]

21. Touch screens went FIRST to minority areas

Perhaps this is part of the special "relationship" with blacks and hispanics.

Touch screens:

Miami-Dade FL
Broward FL
Palm Beach County FL
Riverside County CA
Alameda County CA
Bernallillo County NM
Denver County CO
Dallas County TX
Harris County TX
Atlanta GA

and I could go on. It is a myth that the more expensive voting systems have been sitting in white suburbia while black and hispanic voters have had punch cards. They got the touch screens first. Think about it.

Bev Harris

[senseandsensibility]

24. Wow.

A person could get discouraged thinking about that list too much. We need you to keep pointing these things out, Bev.