An important point about the Perry "Niggerhead" issue

[EffieBlack]

Not surprisingly, Perry's defenders are trying to deflect criticism with cries of "Rick Perry's NOT A RACIST!" and pointing to incidents that ostensibly prove that he doesn't hate black people.

But don't be distracted by this strawman.

The issue is not whether Perry is a racist or whether he hates black people or whether he believes that he's superior to people of color.

The issue is whether Perry has even the remotest idea of how people who aren't like him feel. The issue is how Perry would govern a nation that is substantially nonwhite if he doesn't seem to notice or care that notions of white supremacy can be hurtful to people who are not white. The issue is whether Perry has the insight, judgment, empathy, compassion and common sense to to lead a country that's more diverse than his close circle of friends and advisers. The issue is whether Perry knows how to be President of the UNITED States of America.

The issue is whether Perry has a clue.

[hlthe2b]

1. Maybe that's the issue for those rare "moderate" Rethugs....

But as for the rest of us, I can't imagine we ever thought "Perry had a clue." That he has racist notions and guffaws with his "good ole redneck" buddies in a highly racist manner and totally assumes he is superior to people of color... that has long been my assumption.

Now, if someone could show otherwise, (unfortunately) I would be quite surprised. :shrug:

[Arugula Latte]

13. Yep. Sadly, this is probably giving him good Bigot Cred with the Klan, er, I mean GOP primary voters

[Name removed]

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[YellowCosmicSun]

3. Those who tolerate racists are almost as bad as the racists.

Whether Perry put up the sign or not, he tolerated it for too long.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. Prove MHP's point to a "T". I'm hearing so-called liberals defending this racist bullshit!

[EffieBlack]

5. Amazing, isn't it?

And even the Republicans who are defending is sound eerily like some Democrats who defend racism and bigotry. The arguments that this doesn't prove that Rick Perry is a racist and accusing those criticizing him of "playing the race card" could very well have been lifted almost verbatim from some posts right here.

[Skittles]

6. come on, Effie

Perry is a repuke - repukes don't have a clue "how people who aren't like him feel" - nor do they care. And take it from me (I have lived in Texas 35 years) - Perry may even be dumber than Dubya.

[Beacool]

14. Oh boy, that's saying a lot............

:(

[Honeycombe8]

7. Very well put. A good point. nt

[Scairp]

8. Is that rhetorical?

I'll answer even if it is. He is clueless and it's blatantly obvious he's even dumber than that other idiot governor from this particular state who ended up squatting in the White House for 8 years. Don't mess with Texas. They'll send us jerkoff assholes to be president.

[lunatica]

9. Jeez! Did anyone need this name to think Rick Perry was a good old white boy?

I saw it in his poses for the camera. Holding the big ass gun and pointing it into the air as a photo op. Propping one foot on a stool for the the uber-manliness visual for the cameras. Swaggering in his imitation of what a real he man he is.

Still, in the background is the drip drip of his faux pas as it emerges.

[Beacool]

10. I didn't get all the details about this incident.

But the gist was that the Perrys used to rent a cabin and that the property went by that name and that the word was written on a rock, right? At some point in time Perry's father had the rock painted white and turned over. Well, how long did the rock sit there before it was painted?

I don't know if Perry is a racist, I don't know much of anything about the guy, but everyone knows how offensive and hurtful that word is to AA.

[Empowerer]

12. Whether or not he's a racist is irrelevant

One need not be a racist to be insensitive, offensive and hurtful, as you note.

But Perry's defenders are trying to deflect criticism by claiming that he's not a racist and therefore that should be the end of the discussion - when whether he's a racist or not is wholly irrelevant.

[Beacool]

15. Well, racist or not, he sure is insensitive.

The same goes for the rest of the family. How many of them passed by that stone daily while staying at the cabin? Did any of them object to the stone?

:(

[Cigar11]

11. Sure ... maybe not ... but

He may not be a racist, but he’s a Texan and he’ll be the first to tell you … Texans can always get-r-done!

So if there was a ROCK that berated Texans … I guarantee you that ROCK would have been shot to pieces or blown completely to the moon.