Baseball Great Hank Aaron: Obama's GOP Critics Are Like The KKK

[DonViejo]

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Last edited Wed Apr 9, 2014, 01:47 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: TPM

TOM KLUDT – APRIL 9, 2014, 12:53 PM EDT

Baseball legend Hank Aaron doesn't think President Obama's political rivals are that much different than the racists who threatened Aaron with death as he approached Babe Ruth's home run milestone.

Aaron told USA Today in an interview published Tuesday that he still has the hateful letters he received as he closed in on Ruth's career home run record 40 years ago this week. He said he keeps them as a reminder "that we are not that far removed from when I was chasing the record."

"If you think that, you are fooling yourself," he said. "A lot of things have happened in this country, but we have so far to go. There's not a whole lot that has changed."

According to Aaron, things aren't that much different today — the country's first black president notwithstanding.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/hank-aaron-obama-republicans-kkk

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[geretogo]

1. Exactly right .

[zonkers]

2. Fuckin A. A beautiful man. Here's a pic of him w/Clemente & Mays probably from the 60's.

[rurallib]

11. side note:Clemente dies bringing humanitarian aid

also a great man.

Aaron's been one of my big heroes since I was a wee one.

[StevieM]

14. This must be from an All Star game (eom)

[Brother Buzz]

16. 1961 All-Star Game

5-4 victory over the American league in eleven innings

[billhicks76]

28. Without A Doubt True

These racists cannot stand that a Black man is in such a position of power above them. When I visited the wealthy Detroit suburbs a few years ago many of the republicans there were calling Obama the N-word. And they were the same upper muddle class people who kept spewing that "Support Our Troops" garbage.

[brucefan]

3. Hammer them!

Hank!

[KamaAina]

4. Believe it or not, a few of the people who threatened Hank weren't racists

they were die-hard Yankee fans who didn't want to see him break Ruth's record!

But yeah, most of 'em were. And they're probably teabaggers now.

[hue]

5. Great to hear Hank speak out!!

[freshwest]

6. +1

[Hoyt]

7. My favorite ball player from 1957 to today. Keep Hammerin Hank.

"We have moved in the right direction, and there have been improvements, but we still have a long ways to go in the country. The bigger difference is that back then they had hoods. Now they have neckties and starched shirts."

[The Wizard]

8. To which of the two major political parties

is the KKK more closely aligned, and why?

[jaysunb]

10. Actually, it has mostly been the Democrats until the 60's

and the advent of the civil rights movement. Since then, it is the Repulicans turn, as they have fled the Democratic party. Nixons "southern strategy" has paid big dividends for his party.

[Doctor_J]

12. Yes, went LBJ's initiatives sent the Dixiecrats over to the GOP,

the Klan went with them.

[The Wizard]

19. The question asked

was is not was more closely aligned. Nice try though.
And one more thing: Robert Byrd was in the Klan in 1948, a comment made by Republican defenders of bigotry. They fail to mention that Byrd was in the Klan in that era because that's how you got elected in 48 in West Virginia. Shortly after election Byrd denounced the Klan, never to associated with them again excepting Republicans trying to defend their own bigotry.

[noiretextatique]

24. the poster was correct

Currently it is the GOP, before the civil rights movement, it was the democratic party. All the dixicrats defected to the GOP.

[LanternWaste]

22. I think you're confusing Democrats and Dixiecrats.

I think you're confusing Democrats and Dixiecrats.

[jaysunb]

26. No...I'm not.

The Dixiecrats were much the same to the Democratic Party as the current gang called the Tea Party is to todays Republicans. Extremely stupid but necessary to keep power.

The South---which is where the largest part of the Klan was/is based-- was solidly Democrat until 1964 when the voting rights act was enacted. They loved every social program put forth by liberal government but that stopped when one of their most cherished cultural ideology --oppression of Blacks-- was challenged and overthrown.

Read up on the 68 and 80 Presidential campaigns. They will certainly explain how this total shift in political allegiance came about.

[Hekate]

9. KnR

[7962]

13. Then there must be several Klansmen here on DU, from some of the comments I've read! nt

[Kingofalldems]

20. That's quite an accusation.

Any links?

[Kingofalldems]

23. So I'll ask you once more. Let's see the proof of your accusation.

[7962]

27. I dont spend all day on DU. You cant wait 45 min? Just use your search bar at the top of the page.

I can easily pull up OPs with responses that are very critical of him.
Here, look at this whole thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1660369
They talk about Obama being a 1 termer, running a primary opponent, etc.
Or this one, http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024759826#post8
None that I'm talking about call him any bad names or anything like that, but are quite harsh.

Look at the anti-hillary comments; are those people all misogynists? Those threads are REAL easy to find. I dont know what some of those folks are gonna do when she walks away with it in '16.

[noiretextatique]

25. he is talking about the vicious, racist rw assault

On Obama because he is black. He is not saying that disagreeing with him means you are a racist. I agree: the RW assault on Obama is racist to the core.

[underpants]

15. A class act. He made more money on a TV show "Home Run Derby"

Than he made on his baseball contract. This was not uncommon at the time.

[handmade34]

17. K&R n/t

[joe_stampingbull]

18. Of course he is right!

It is obvious to everyone but the trashy haters.

[alp227]

21. It's now James Crow, Esq. not Jim Crow.

In the modern era, racists have been able to cloak bigotry in more subtle terms, otherwise known as microaggressions.

[rug]

29. DUpe.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014775837