Jeff Winbush: Cain is a useful shield for conservatives accused of racial insensitivity""

[Empowerer]

Jeff Winbush's take on Herman Cain's claim that blacks have been "brainwashed" into voting Democratic:

While white conservatives have fallen all over themselves out of gratitude for the opening that Cain provided, NPR blogger Frank James isn't getting the same sort of tingle from Cain's critique. "Cain makes it sound like African Americans are too weak-minded or stupid to recognize what's in their own self-interest." James said. "Again, not the best way to win over voters."

James is right that Cain's game is to make African Americans sound weak-minded or stupid. James is wrong that it's not the best way to win over voters. That depends on which group of voters you're gunning for. While black voters aren't likely to find insults to their intelligence an effective sales pitch, the support that Cain really hopes to gain will come from people who think pretty much the same thing . . . Insulting blacks by calling them brainwashed gains Cain no pull with them, but it certainly plays well with whites who believe the same thing and are happy that they have Cain to say out loud what they mutter under their breath.

Cain is playing a cynical game. He's willing to insult black Democrats to attract white Republicans. There won't be enough of them to put Cain on the ballot, but Cain was never running for president in the first place. His is a vanity campaign with the goal of selling books and cranking up his speaking fees.

On that score, he should be wildly successful. If stabbing black folks in the back and climbing over the corpses is what it takes to get over, hey, a hustler's got to do what a hustler's got to do. It's hard out here for a pimp. Black people may do some crazy things, but voting for Herman Cain ain't one of them.

Cain is a useful shield for conservatives accused of racial insensitivity. "To all of those people who say that the Tea Party is a racist organization, eat your words," Cain said when he entered the presidential race. The Tea Party eagerly seizes upon the handful of blacks, like Cain, who agree with them to proclaim, "See, we can't be racists. Herman Cain says we aren't!"

http://www.theroot.com/views/resurrection-herman-cain?page=0,1&wpisrc=root_lightbox

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Maybe it's not racial.

Maybe his ideas are ridiculous.

:shrug:

[uponit7771]

2. Yeap, these are PRIMARY voters also...not general election voters that are pickin Cain.

...it's also condescending of them

[Supersedeas]

24. RW Primary voters would be the gravely concerned about racial imagery

and the need for a racial shield.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. "but voting for Herman Cain ain't one of them."

:applause:

[Supersedeas]

4. "He's willing to insult black Democrats to attract white Republicans."

So, who's interests are served when white Liberals are insulted? If the above theory follows, then someone must find it politically attractive to label white liberals are racists.

Another side of the same coin?

[EffieBlack]

5. Great article - he nails it

[Number23]

6. The Root nails it again

It has been said time and again that Cain is not seriously running for president. This is why he has the freedom to say shit like "black people are brainwashed" into being Democrats.

The author is right on the money. The only folks receptive to this message are non-blacks who think this way themselves.

[Empowerer]

7. True.

This point is often missed in the shallow political "analysis" and commentary.

This also extends to those Republican candidates who engage in superficial "reaching out" to minorities. For example, remember back in 2000 when the Republican Convention featured break dancers, gospel choirs, rappers, etc.? Lots of people asked, "Do they really think they're going to attract black people with that?" But that wasn't the point. They weren't interested in gaining black voters. This was intended to provide comfort and cover to moderate white Republicans who were uncomfortable with the party's hostility toward minorities. They knew that blacks wouldn't fall for this minstrel show, but plenty of well-meaning white folk who didn't know much about blacks would be fooled into thinking the party was more diverse and open than it actually was.

That's part of what Cain's candidacy is all about: he appeals to bigots by trashing his fellow blacks and he appeals to more moderate Republicans by making them feel good about supporting a black candidate.

[Worship Money]

16. QFT

The Republicans are more than willing to have you, a minority, as a member as long as you remember a few rules. You don't talk about race, you claim to "transcend" race, and you do not speak about meta-policies and ideology that do tremendous (often intentional) harm to minorities as a WHOLE. Your role will be that of providing useful cover, mainly to more moderate Republicans who can thus feel reassured that their party is not racist, and only in a secondary fashion to actually attract further minority support. The second is simply bonus, but the Republicans aren't relying on it. It's a show for white voter retention and attraction.

I like to think of the right wing as being Neo-Racist. They're an interesting, newer form of racists...but they are indeed still racists.

[Empowerer]

17. You are so right

However, this is not limited to Republicans. Some Democrats - including liberals - engage in some of this behavior, as well. For example, we regularly see some liberals proclaim to be progressive and open-minded on race, yet attempt to dictate whether, how and when race is to be discussed by and with minorities - and it is only to be discussed if bringing it up does not make them uncomfortable in any way. Failure to adhere to these rules leaves minorities open to attacks and charges of "playing the race card," "making a big deal about race," "calling ALL whites (or, depending on the venue and context, ALL liberal whites) racists," etc.

Everyone who engages in this is not racist, of course, but this behavior does speak to a certain degree of insensitivity and sense of entitlement.

[Worship Money]

18. I agree

Very much so.

I will say though, and I think you'd agree, that the problem is far far worse and on a grander scale with the right wing.

As leftists we don't always approach the issue as we should. I think we should be talking about race MORE, as it still matters and we still need to be having a very open and ongoing dialogue together about it. However racism on the right is almost systemic and something that they have no intention of dealing with.

[Empowerer]

19. You are DEFINITELY right

The problem is exponentially worse and much more ingrained on the other side of the aisle.

[Tom Ripley]

8. That is his job description

[Hutzpa]

9. Ain't that the truth

"It's hard out here for a pimp"

This mofo is willing to screw up everything Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and others have fought hard for just so he can get
educated for some lousy book that no one will remember, if so, the black community has failed miserable, I think those guys
did not foresee an uncle *** coming out of the doldrums that has surely benefited from their hard work to utter such tasteless
comments regarding their hard work.

It is people like Herman Cain that makes life that much more difficult for black folks, it is his selfishness of 'I've got mine, now
you must get yours' or 'I've got mine now eff you' that has helped slowed down the process of advancement in this country.

His kind helps no one, and I mean HELPS NO ONE.

[treestar]

10. Yep, he knows his righties

To them every question is simple. Cain is a Republican, therefore, we can't be racists, can we? Clarence Thomas, too.

[Empowerer]

12. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is not limited to Republicans.

[Hutzpa]

15. Absolutely.

damn shame to see this mongrel being propped up on the black community faces.

"See, us whitey told you, you didn't believe us, now one of them is saying it."

This is not going to be pretty, he needs to keep digging.

[Supersedeas]

26. the black community has been a cheap date for democrats for too long?

and the beat goes on.

[democracy1st]

11. great post Empowerer I'll repost in GD

[Name removed]

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[Empowerer]

14. It's quite possible for people who are bigoted to vote for someone of another race

People vote for politicians for all sorts of reasons and often those reasons trump their racial biases.

I know a number of black people who can't stand white people, but they still vote for white politicians all of the time. I know white people who have all kinds of biases against minorities - often biases they don't even realize they have - yet they vote for black candidates if they think that those candidates will best serve their interests.

Having racial biases, bigotry or even outright racism does not mean that one won't support a black person or even that they don't like them. Just look at America's own history. For example, during Reconstruction, blacks were elected to Congress and the Senate on the votes of many whites who were much more backward thinking on race than most people are today.

Racial bias is very, very complicated - it's not as cut and dried as some people think.

And yes, Cain DOES knowingly promote policies that are harmful to black Americans. I don't know why he does it - there are many reasons why some African Americans turn on their own folks and Cain would not be the first one to do so. That is a very complicated situation, as well.

This article isn't "playing the race card." It simply analyzes a very real situation that has a historical and political context and that has a great deal of study and research to back it up.

[r0nr0ntaiwan]

21. A bit of a disagreement

It sounds like your friends who hate white people put their feelings of racism aside when voting. Isn't it possible, then, that any racist whites would be putting their feelings aside while voting for Cain? People should vote for their best interests, or the country's best interests, or both (hopefully both). If a white votes for a black man because the black man is best for his/her interests, who cares about that voter's true feelings on race? That voter put those feelings (if any negative feelings existed) aside... which is what should be done.

"For example, during Reconstruction, blacks were elected to Congress and the Senate on the votes of many whites who were much more backward thinking on race than most people are today."

Proof?

"And yes, Cain DOES knowingly promote policies that are harmful to black Americans."

Proof? You'd have to prove that 1) his policies are harmful to blacks and... 2) he's intentionally promoting policies that he knows are harmful to blacks.

During the presidential election of 2008, race rarely came up in conversations with my friends, other than to say that the country has come a long way in potentially electing a black man. But of the people mentioning race regarding their decisions on whom to vote for, they were white liberals saying, "I just don't want another white man as president."

If one is to say that Republicans support Cain because they're racist, trying to prove that they're not, one would have to say that white Democrats voted for Obama (over Hillary) because they're racist, trying to prove that they're not.

[AngkorWot]

20. "I'm not racist, I have lots of black friends."

"I'm not racist, I voted for a black guy."

Same thing.

[r0nr0ntaiwan]

22. 2008

Is this what white Democrats thought to themselves as they voted for Obama in 2008?

It's one thing to be critical of one's policies. It's another to believe in the inferiority/superiority of an entire race.

[Empowerer]

23. Sometimes bigots will vote for (hire/live next door to/sleep with, etc) someone of another race

even if they think that race is inferior, based on a justification that this particular individual is "not like the rest of them."

Racism and bigotry are very, very complicated.

[Name removed]

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