Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Oh You Dirty Liberal Racists. . .

The New York Democratic Party and its allies in the media are dirty racists who can’t stomach the idea of a black man sitting in the Governor’s chair, or so says New York Democratic Governor David Paterson. No so, respond his liberal critics: the problem is you’re blind. So much for the usual political correctness.

For those who don’t know, David Paterson, who is both black and blind, has been dubbed the “Accidental Governor.” He took over the post when crusading “white-knight” Governor Eliot Spitzer flamed out after consorting with a hooker named Ashley Dupre. (The term “white-knight” was not mine, by the way, it came from the racist New York media.)

And the liberals did cheer when Paterson took over. According to one liberal columnist, “People wanted Paterson to succeed, people wanted to get behind . . . a black, sight-challenged New Yorker.” Because that’s how we move beyond race, by supporting a candidate because of his race.

But since those heady days, the cheering has stopped. Paterson’s approval ratings have fallen as low as 18%, and Democrats have begun to call for him to declare that he will not run for re-election, lest the seat fall into Republican hands. And this doesn’t sit well with the good Governor. Why? Because his critics are racists. That’s right, the New York Democratic Party and their media allies are racists.

Last Friday, Paterson told Daily News columnist (and African American) Errol Louis in a radio interview that a “racist media” is trying to kill his chances of running for a full term next year. According to Paterson, the campaign against him is being “orchestrated” by reporters who would rather make the news than report it: “The whole idea is to get me not to run in the primary. We’re not in a post-racial period.”

Apparently, some people are uncomfortable with too many black politicians in power, Paterson warns us. Said Paterson, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick also is under fire in racist Massachusetts because of his race. Moreover, “the reality is the next victim on the list -- and you can see it coming -- is President Barack Obama, who did nothing more than trying to reform a health care system.”

Yes, we can see it coming David. And all because Obama tried to reform health care. . . and the $9 trillion debt, the $1 trillion deficit, the seizure of GM and the political closing of Republican dealerships, the insulting of America and Americans to Muslims on foreign shores, the commission of the same “war crimes” Dick Cheney used to whip out for fun, the demonization of average Americans, the fishy snitch, calling cops stupid, and a whole host of other non-things.

Paterson’s warning did not sit too well with Team Obama. White House political director Patrick Gaspard called Paterson aide Larry Schwartz to tell him that Obama wants no part of this mess (whew, I almost used the word "tar baby" but then I remember that's now racist). Said Obama spokesman Bill Burton:
“In terms of media coverage of the President, he thinks that there are a lot of people who agree with him in the media, there are a lot people who disagree with him in the media, and there are a lot of folks who play it straight. . . Whether or not race plays into that. . . the President doesn't think it is the case. What he thinks is that there area lot of people with different opinions, and one of the great parts about the American tradition is that people are able to do that freely.”
Obama then “wee wee’d” himself.

With the left wing media going insane, not being as accustomed to false allegations of racism as the right is, and with Team Obama trying to unload this albatross, Paterson tried to downplay his comments.

“I don't think the media has acted in a racist way, but I have felt stereotyped at times. . . At no point did I claim that this media piling-on effect was due to race,” he said, before adding, “What I did point out was that certain media outlets have engaged in coverage that exploits racial stereotypes. The media is trying to control the politics, not reporting it. They're trying to control it. There are some folks in the media who think that it's all right to racially stereotype.” Thus, they aren’t racist, they just make racist attacks.

Surprisingly, this didn’t stem the criticism, particularly as the allegation of racism did not sit well with a Democratic Party that believes that it cannot, by definition, be racist.

Said state Senator Kevin Parker: “He’s given the media more than enough to feed on with the incompetence shown in his administration. To quote Michael Jackson, he should start with the man in the mirror.” Michael Jackson? Some Republican will have to try that line on Obama and see how much blood flows at Huffpo.

Paterson was quick to respond by doubling down on stupid. Indeed, noting that despite New York’s financial crisis, he had not had to write IOUs like liberal California, and the state was not nearly as bad off as Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Massachusetts. Strangely, no comparison was made to Republican run states. He also complained that he was held to a higher standard. “I played by the rules. It was a very difficult position to find myself in and I've given it my best. I've done the best I can under the very trying circumstances the state is facing. It seems I have to work twice as hard as others.”

Then he added the coup de grace: “I have been quiet for 17 months on this issue. . . . Part of what I feel is that one very successful minority is permissible, but when you see too many success stories, then some people get nervous.

He also pointed out that it bothers him that people refer to him as the “accidental governor.” Whines Paterson: “It was not an accident. It is a constitutional mandate. I became governor by a constitutional mandate.” He then noted that the honkus maximus successors to disgraced governors Jim McGreevy of New Jersey and John Rowland of Connecticut were not dubbed “accidental governors.”

The racists in the media haven’t take this too well. After comparing Paterson to black athletes and suggesting that he should raise the “white flag”, they described his complaints as “self-pitying,” even though we know that allegations of racism cannot be self-pity.

But don’t worry, it may turn out that this isn’t about racism at all. . . it’s about disablism. At least, that’s what Democratic state Senator Diane Savino claimed, when she said:
“We live in a digital age now, with e-mailing and BlackBerrying. He is not able to do that because of his visual impairment. David cannot do those things. Also, he does not read Braille. He has people reading newspapers to him. He listens to tapes of staffers briefing him. All that takes an enormous amount of time. . . In some ways I think that has hindered him, in spite of everything he has accomplished in life. David is one of those people who tends to rely on the staff around him to set policy and make decisions, and then he turns around and undoes things. The messaging and the policy development comes out in various conflicting forms.”
Paterson aide, Larry Schwartz called those comments “insensitive and totally inappropriate.” He then stated that “Diane Savino owes a public apology to Governor Paterson and every visually impaired New Yorker.” He then insulted the non-blind by claiming that Paterson functions “as well, if not better than people without a handicap.”

Thus, we are left with a riddle. Is the New York liberal media and the New York Democratic Party (and their Massachusetts equivalents) a bunch of racists who can’t handle seeing too many black men in power? Are they just biased against blind people? Or has a black governor made false claims of racism to cover his own incompetence?

The ironies here are rich. New York should impose an “irony tax.”

33 comments:

  1. --According to one liberal columnist, “People wanted Paterson to succeed, people wanted to get behind . . . a black, sight-challenged New Yorker.” Because that’s how we move beyond race, by supporting a candidate because of his race.--

    Ha! Good one. In any case, this all seems like one big PR mess though I think he was onto something with "The media is trying to control the politics, not reporting it. They're trying to control it." And this article made me wonder, if I were black, would I blame racism anytime something went wrong? (The answer is probably not.) :-)

    And while everyone was talking about Fey's Palin impression on SNL, the real humor was to be found in Fred Armisen's Paterson impression, one of the most self-deprecating, ridiculous things the show has done in a while. I'd post a link to a video but I'm at work right now.

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  2. Scott, one of the points I left out of the article was that Paterson apparently got really, really angry over SNL's impersonation of him.

    I think that Paterson is in deep trouble, and he's done what so many politicians have done before him -- he reached for the easiest boogey man he could find to try to shift blame for his failures.

    On the issue of the media trying to control events, I completely believe that is true. I think that change happened years ago when they decided they were journalists instead of reporters. The reason Paterson hasn't seen it before (if he hasn't) is that they've been on his side until now.

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  3. "was that Paterson apparently got really, really angry over SNL's impersonation of him"

    Yet he had no problem with Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin.

    Liberals are nothing if not hypocritical.

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  4. LoneWolfArcher, You're 100% right on that. Though they always try to explain this away by saying that "this time, it's different."

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  5. Andrew: Party Paterson is dead meat. The best service he can do for America is to keep up his fake racism charge. He's just saying publicly what the Democrats have been whispering in the ears of liberals for years. "Chickens coming home to roost don't make me sad, it makes me glad." I never thought I'd find myself quoting Malcolm X, but there it is. The Obamacrats are going to need big hoses to put this wildfire out.

    I'm dying to hear BevfromNYC's comments on this, particularly what the buzz is on Rudy Giuliani considering running for the post. Cuomo will be a tough opponent, but I think Rudy can take him. Meanwhile, Paterson will provide comic-relief.

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  6. If I recall, Paterson took the personal insult in jest but he still felt it wasn't funny (making fun of blind people in general).

    From the NY Post (12/08):

    But Paterson and advocates for the visually impaired didn't appreciate stock blind jokes that had Armisen pretending to be disoriented and wandering aimlessly.

    "I can take a joke," Paterson told reporters.

    But he called the SNL spoof a "third-grade depiction of people and the way they look" that could lead others to believe that "disability goes hand-in-hand with an inability to run a government or business."

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  7. Scott, If you’re right, then the racist media is lying. But I think you’re looking at the wrong quotes. You’re looking at his initial reaction, which was much more charitable. Below are quotes from an ABCNews article a few months later (2/09):

    -----------------------------------------------

    After a town hall meeting in Morrisville, NY, Thursday, Empire State Gov. David Paterson unloaded on how Saturday Night Live has been mocking his blindness.

    Asked by a reporter if he has any thoughts on how he's being portrayed on SNL, the governor said, "yes, but I can't repeat them."

    They seem to be mocking your disability, the reporter said to Paterson, who had just held a town hall meeting with students at SUNY Morrisville.

    "They SEEM to be mocking my disability?" Paterson asked incredulously. "I would say that decidedly they ARE mocking my disability. And that apparently who is blind or deaf or has an ambulatory disability or any kind of physical affect that gets to a leadership position in this country is going to be portrayed as if a bunch of third graders are still ridiculing them, on Saturday Night Live."

    Paterson said "one of the biggest problems finding work for the disabled are attitudes. And these programs which present themselves as comic relief in many ways are degrading people."

    Paterson said, "I'll bet you that SNL would think twice if they did the same kind of routine and made fun of someone's race, religion or national origin right now.

    So really, they're picking on those they think are least able to fight back."

    Finally, he said, "I think they need to bring back Sarah Palin because they've obviously run out of material."

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  8. Lawhawk, I can't see how he's not toast, and I think that playing the racism card isn't going to help him. If anything, it will blow up in his face.

    And if the left was honest, they would learn from this that it's irresponsible to blindly accept allegations of racism. But they won't learn that lesson. Instead, they will, as always, forget that lesson once allegations are made against a Republican.

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  9. I think the quote I used was from an interview done after the FIRST impression. Obviously by the third or fourth, he'd had enough.

    I stand corrected, sir. :-)

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  10. I love the fact Commentarama covers everything. This Paterson thing makes me laugh. They've turned on each other. Doesn't this seem like a preview of what Obama is going to claim when his poll numbers go lower than Bush?

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  11. What a bunch of wussies we've got in power in this country. I tell ya, the Democrats and the Republicans in cahoots with the alphabet media are sure fertilizing the Independent field! 2010/12 You're Fired!!

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  12. Andrew: Surely you didn't really say "they would learn from this that it's irresponsible to blindly accept allegations of racism." I always suspected you were a secret mocker of differently-abled persons. LOL

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  13. Surely you didn't really say "they would learn from this that it's irresponsible to blindly accept allegations of racism." I always suspected you were a secret mocker of differently-abled persons. LOL

    ...and don't call me 'surely'
    ROFLOL...Andrew and Hawk - you two continue to make my day!

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  14. "If at first you don't succeed, cry racism." That seems to be the strategy du jour.

    It's so rich listening to Paterson call the liberal NY media a bunch of racists. This is even better than watching the Fred Armisen impersonation on SNL.

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  15. Scott, I should have said in my comment that the SNL thing came from the recent articles on Paterson's race claims -- it wasn't my own observation.

    Lawhawk, I never said that, and the only reason you have proof that I was misquoted is that you're a sightist.

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  16. DCAlleyKat, It will be an interesting election, though third parties simply have no chance in our system. The best they can hope for is to become big enough that the Dems or Repubs adopt their positions. I don't think this election will do that. I think people are so upset at Obama that they will vote for the Repubs to make sure that the Dems go down. I don't think this will be an election where people make a statement by voting for independents.

    Mega, I suspect that we will see the same thing out of Team Obama as we get nearer to 2012 if his numbers remain low.

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  17. DCAlleyKat, we aim to please. :-)

    Writer X, Like I said, the irony is so rich, they should tax it.

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  18. I don't think it'll happen anytime soon but I wouldn't mind having a third party candidate to vote for.

    And ya know, I went to Yahoo to check my e-mail and I read this news headline:

    "Eyeless creature discovered in undersea lava tunnel off Africa"

    Bad, I know. But all I could do was smile.

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  19. To define anyone's worth as a person based on how they fit in a specific category is ludicrous. What we are shapes who we are, but it's never the whole story. Usually it's just the introductory description.

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  20. Careful Scott, the left has no sense of humor, although I should mention that the article on Savino was headlined "Paterson Blindsided by Savino Criticism." Tsk tsk.

    Monica, I agree. If you derive your worth from others then you have no worth yourself.

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  21. Andrew: DCAlleyKat, It will be an interesting election, though third parties simply have no chance in our system. The best they can hope for is to become big enough that the Dems or Repubs adopt their positions. I don't think this election will do that. I think people are so upset at Obama that they will vote for the Repubs to make sure that the Dems go down. I don't think this will be an election where people make a statement by voting for independents.

    Again I agree, and didn't mean to imply that Independents as a third party would bring the change. I think the political climate is still reeling from the obvious - the country is not as left of center as thought - especially so in reference to Independents. I believe the people are going to continue to inform themselves and confront their elected officials, now that they have been shaken out of their apathy. And I believe they are going to make it a point to remove as many liberals from office as they can on all levels of government.

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  22. Oh, dear! I have been out of town and out of touch until I found a copy of the NY Times in the seat pocket on my flight this morning. All I can say is that if Patterson was actively trying not to get elected, he is doing a fabulous job! Otherwise he's at the very least ineffectual. And to have David Dinkins admonish him is truly ironic. Dinkins used the same excuse when Guiliani beat him in 1993.

    Andrew - I think that Guiliani could beat Patterson without much trouble. I think just about anyone running against Patterson could beat him right now. The problem is if Andrew Cuomo (our attorney general and son of Mario Cuomo, ex-husband of Kathleen Kennedy) decides to challenge Patterson. As it stands right now, Cuomo says he won't, but that may change.

    Can Guiliani beat Cuomo? I am not sure. Both are very popular. I am afraid that Rudy may have "jumped the shark" running for President and that may cripple him. He is due to announce if he will run in the next 30 days. He is in a great position though because he has a choice. If not Gov then he can run for Senator. I would LOVE to see him run for Senate against Chuckles the Schumer or Gillibrand!

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  23. Bev,

    Not living anywhere near NY, I don't know how popular the various politicians are, though I can guess. I would love to see Guiliani (or anyone really) take down Shumer.

    I understand they are worried about Gillibrandt, because she's vulnerable and that would end the 60 seat super-majority. Of course, if the polling is right, they should be worried about the 51 seat majority.

    It's going to be an interesting election cycle, that's for sure.

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  24. Andrew - Unfortunately for NY Republicans, Rudy seems to be the only ammunition we have. It was apparent when Rudy was going to run against Hillary for Senate and had to drop out. There wasn't another popular Republican to step in.

    Michael Bloomberg is not an option because he's determined to appoint himself Mayor for Life of NYC. But don't get me started on Mayor Bloomberg...

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  25. Gov. Peterson is a politician that is definitely grasping at straws, when they start screaming racism, you know there is real trouble in the politburo. This guy’s toast it’s just a matter of time, and not living in New York my impression is that Rudy slaughters this guy.

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  26. Andrew: "The reason Paterson hasn't seen it before (if he hasn't)..."

    I'm guessing he hasn't.

    This illustrates the fact that as soon as people stop viewing everything through the prism of race, they begin to be accused of racism.

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  27. Bev, I've seen enough of Bloomberg from a distance to know that I want no part of him. I'm guessing Pataki isn't popular enough to take down Shumer?


    Stan, "real trouble in the politburo" -- LOL!


    Mike, LOL! As long we let people get away with making excuses, they will. I just hope that people start to catch on that not everything dealing with minorities is about race. It's highly destructive to our society to let this continue.

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  28. Pataki has been silent lately, but I also forgot about Betsy McCaughey, Pataki's Lieutenant Governor. She's making a big name for herself as Ezekiel Emanuel's nememis in the Healthcare Wars. She could easily take on Gillibrand and maybe even Schumer. I am hoping that our much more conservative Upstaters are getting tired of NYC-centric leadership and will kick Schumer out the door no matter who runs.

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  29. Bev, I started in college in upstate NY (Troy). They really seemed like a different world compared to NYC, but they also seemed powerless to stop NYC from getting anything they wanted.

    I hope NY can come up with some Republicans to take some of these seats.

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  30. have mercy. they don't get it, do they?! note to paterson: you don't suck cause of your race or lack of vision, you suck for other, non-racial, reasons. we aren't nervous because of your skin color, we're pissed because of your policies. huge difference, bub.

    and paterson, pardon me, but you are throwing around the word "success" as if it's true. not so much.

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  31. maybe the Dems could nominate Caroline, like, Kennedy to, you know, run in his place

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  32. Patti, I concur. I sincerely doubt that any of the criticism was the result of race.

    Jed, didn't someone already try that in New York? I think they're hoping Cuomo will run instead.

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