Rep. Walsh: Obama Was Only Elected Because He’s An ‘Articulate’ ‘Black Man’

[kpete]

Rep. Walsh: Obama Was Only Elected Because He’s An ‘Articulate’ ‘Black Man’

In an interview this week with Slate’s Dave Weigel, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) confirmed his reputation as a lightning rod for controversy and for being, as Weigel puts it, “the biggest media hound in the freshman class.” In the past week, Walsh has made a number of outrageous statements, most infamously his admonishment that American Jews “aren’t as pro-Israel as they should be.”

But even that seems to pale in comparison to what Walsh tells Weigel — that Barack Obama would not have been elected president if he wasn’t black. Walsh dismisses Obama’s meteoric rise as essentially a form of affirmative action and a manifestation of “white guilt” in which the media was complicit:

*****“Why was he elected? Again, it comes back to who he was. He was black, he was historic. And there’s nothing racist about this. It is what it is. If he had been a dynamic, white, state senator elected to Congress he wouldn’t have gotten in the game this fast. This is what made him different. That, combined with the fact that your profession”—another friendly tap of the bumper sticker—”not you, but your profession, was just absolutely compliant. They made up their minds early that they were in love with him. They were in love with him because they thought he was a good liberal guy and they were in love with him because he pushed that magical button: a black man who was articulate, liberal, the whole white guilt, all of that.”

MORE & VIDEO:
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/27/walsh-obama-articulate/

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. But it's totally not about race.

Totally. Not. About Race.

[Zynx]

2. That's not a safe district for him. We can easily knock him off.

[sasha031]

4. he is one of the most mean spirited and arrogant repubs in Washington

I hope they knock him off

[nebenaube]

3. I love how idiots use the word 'articulate'...

It means flexible. Obama is fluent, not 'articulate'.

[PatSeg]

7. Compared to Bush, he IS articulate

but then compared to Bush, most people are articulate.

According to Dictionary.com:

Adjective: (of a person or a person's words) Having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.
Verb: Express (an idea or feeling) fluently and coherently: "they were unable to articulate their emotions"


President Obama most definitely is "fluent" and "coherent" and if he were a different race, he would still be a formidable candidate. Also charming and handsome helps too.

[littlewolf]

10. Didn't Biden say the same thing ....

Clean, articulate black man ...?

[EstimatedProphet]

5. He's fallen a long way since he left The Eagles

[City Lights]

6. And Teabag Joe only won because the vote on the left was split.

He barely squeaked past Bean, while the Green candidate got about 3% of the vote. The district is not as right-wing as Teabag Joe seems to think it is. Listen up, Teabag Joe, you're goin' down in '12!

But thanks, Teabag Joe, for clearly articulating your racism.

[Gold Metal Flake]

8. I guess that's slightly better than "inadequate black male".

Still racist as hell, though.

[tularetom]

9. Nah, I voted for Obama because

I knew if we elected a black president it would piss off ignorant pieces of crap like Rep Joe Walsh.

[dmallind]

11. Yeah that worked great for Alan Keyes too...... nt

[VWolf]

12. When someone says "there's nothing racist about this"

you can be sure there's something racist about it.

[wilt the stilt]

15. Like "It's the principle not the money"

you can bet it's the money.

[VWolf]

17. Or "Its the articles, not the pictorials"

:evilgrin:

[RZM]

13. Race played a role, but it sure wasn't the only thing

After 8 years of Bush the country was ready to elect a Democrat. Plus, the McCain/Palin ticket didn't do the Republicans a lot of favors . . . McCain's days as a 'maverick' who could maybe grab a good share of the center were already over. And Palin, well, we all know what was wrong there.

But that's certainly not to say that race wasn't very important in the Obama campaign. I do think that it was a big factor in the emergence of the Obama 'phenomenon,' especially during the primaries. The higher than normal levels of enthusiasm and excitement for candidate Obama were very much tied in with his heritage, though of course that wasn't the only thing.

[wilt the stilt]

14. they are always so mad

when they perceive a "black man" got an advantage. I just bet Mr. Walsh and his family were on the front lines of the civil rights movement. i am sure that they just fretted when African Americans were virtual slaves in the South. I hate these assholes.

I was in Washington DC this last week and met an African American cab driver who left South Carolina in 1956. We talked about the fifties and sixties. He worked on a "farm" in the fields I got the impression he was a virtual slave. He said he had to leave and get out. He remebered the whites only and colored bathrooms, theaters etc. It was fascinating. I jsut wish i had more time with him.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Bush was elected because he's an inarticulte white man and a complete boob.

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” - H.L. Mencken

[brooklynite]

18. ...and John McCain wasn't elected because he's an inarticulate senile coot.

[tritsofme]

19. dupe nt

[tritsofme]

20. I wonder if the Blue Dog haters are glad we got rid Melissa Bean for this guy?

This is the actual consequence of Blue Dogs losing.

My new congressman by about 500 votes.