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Subscribe to RSSBloggers on the left and right responded to Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s statement today walking back his comments on the Civil Rights era.
NRO’s Jim Geraghty linked back to a 1982 New York Times article that quoted Barbour making a racially-charged joke:
But the racial sensitivity at Barbour headquarters was suggested by an exchange between the candidate and an aide who complained that there would be ''coons'' at a campaign stop at the state fair. Embarrassed that a reporter heard this, Mr. Barbour warned that if the aide persisted in racist remarks, he would be reincarnated as a watermelon and placed at the mercy of blacks.
Geraghty considered Barbour’s recent comments in the Weekly Standard along with the “watermelon” statement, as well as several other comments made throughout his career.
Will this settle the issue? Perhaps it ought to, at least for the holiday season, and until Barbour makes a decision on a presidential bid.
But if Barbour runs, we will hear a great deal about the word "watermelon" and how it was used and why. He and his campaign had better be ready to handle the inevitable questions, fair and unfair, and predictable media firestorm. No presidential candidate wants to deal with this sort of thing when there are major, pressing issues facing the nation that they would rather discuss. But then again, most presidential candidates aren't quoted using the term in the New York Times.
On the liberal end, Daily Kos’ Joan McCarter noted that bloggers on the right seem to have dialed back their own defense of Barbour, suggesting that his comments may be enough to prevent mainstream Republicans from gathering behind a Barbour presidential bid.
Oh, right. African Americans were persecuted (but that was then, right? Mississippi is a bastion of equality, now). He almost forgot that part in his rewriting the history of Yazoo City in the 1950s. Will it wipe away Barbour's long history of glorifying the South's racist past? Probably not. Judging by how the Right ended up turning on him, and turning fast, they're apparently not ready for such blatant racism becoming the face of the GOP. They prefer a much quieter dog whistle.
Balloon Juice’s John Cole is “stunned” by the following Barbour commnent:
In interviews Barbour doesn’t have much to say about growing up in the midst of the civil rights revolution. “I just don’t remember it as being that bad,” he said.
Wrote Cole:
Everyone seems to be focusing on the Citizen Council and the other race hate groups of the day, but for me, but when I hear him say it wasn’t that bad, I just can’t get past wanting to scream “BECAUSE YOU’RE F***ING WHITE, A**HOLE.”
Sweet jeebus. The Holocaust wasn’t that bad for Hitler, either. Until the very end.
The Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen said the statement smelled purely of damage control, as the remarks were “wholly at odds with what he told the Weekly Standard, which, as a prominent Republican magazine, doesn't have any reason to misquote him or twist his words out of context.”
The second is that Barbour's chief spokesperson, hoping to defend his boss, took a slightly different line than the governor did yesterday. This makes today's statement look more like spin and crisis management than a sincere clarification.
And finally, let's also not forget that the published remarks became so instantly inflammatory this week precisely because of Barbour's atrocious record on racial issues. Today's statement more or less makes the right points, but it's not as if the governor has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to diversity and respect for minority groups.
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He's just a fat racist punk that wants to be president.... dwelling on what this fool says is even more crazy. So I say I'm OKAY with him talking trash just as long as he's not the governor of my state or the president of this country. His racist endeavors will soon catch up to him.
Tunde Akins
He's just a fat racist punk that wants to be president.... dwelling on what this fool says is even more crazy.
Tunde
I find it strange.
If he almost forgot that part in his rewriting the history of Yazoo City in the 1950s. f glorifying the South's racist past. The Right ended up turning on him, and turning fast, they're apparently not ready for such blatant racism becoming the face of the GOP. They prefer a much quieter dog whistle.
They should turn on Palin tpp.
But not here at First Read! Strange...
Then again... look what represents the right around here. (with the exception of Grimey of course).. LOL
Let's wait and count how many times we see the name Robert Byrd.. shall we?
For all appearances the whale has been harpooned and is sinking rapidly... lmao!
But, But, But, he was elected Mr. Yazoo Student President.
That'll be the Only Title of President in his Lifetime.
But now, Robert Byrd has left a legacy that Joe Manchin can't even come close too.
I had to mention him Fiesty, you dared me. When things calm down around here, i'll get some Pics out.
LOL Rick!
Can't wait to see em!
Let's wait and count how many times we see the name Robert Byrd.. shall we?
Robert Byrd. Robert Byrd. Robert Byrd. Robert Byrd. Robe.....
Who is he again?
Never mind. Doesn't matter. Long as it irritates you. lmao....
Robert Byrd. Robert Byrd. Robert byrd. Robert.....
Never mind. Doesn't matter. Long as it irritates you. lmao....
I rest my case! LMAO!
Growing up in the south and hearing all of the racial slurs and connotations it is easy to absorb those into your vocabulary. As a person grows and learns and truely feels different than those they grew up with, then the old vocabulary changes with the person. Apparently, you can take Haley out of the old south, but you can not take the old south out of Haley and his cronies.
That's the best you've got?
Not too good with the comebacks are we?
But judging by the intelligence level of your other"retorts" it's easy to see why. lol
Well, life is getting more difficult for Governor Barbour but words are like boomerangs, they'll come back to haunt you once spoken in front of others.
You'd think they would realize by now that everything is videotaped and sooner or later someone will find the video.
I don't know Mr. Barbour so I don't know what is in his heart, but these statements in 2010 do not speak to his "genius" as touted by those on the right who think he is presidential material.
Civil Rights activists like Goodman, Chaney ,Schwerner and Medgar Evers fought and died in Missisippi for African-Americans to have equal rights and Barbour can say with a straight face "it wasn't so bad".
That man is not credible.
"That man is not credible."
Sheila- that man is a repub.
Sheila, MD
I always wondered why my father who grew up in McComb Mississippi, was so fearfull of the civil rights movement. he always told me that MLK was doing noting but sturring up trouble for the people still living in MS. he and my mother would have heated arguement about this, my mother was born in chicago and never could understand why my father was the way he was toward whites in the south.
My dad was scared to death of southern whites, his mom & dad came here in 1949 with 9 kids. my grandfathers brother was already here, he came here after the war. right away my dad was in love with chicago particially the north. he could go to shows with out being segerated. he could have a general conforsation with a white woman with out being lynched. it was not till they went back down south to visit, my mother who was pergant with me in 1962, that my mother understood. my dad did not want to make the trip, he never wanted to go south ever again once he left but wanted to show my mother how jim crow was, and after that she completely understood,
Barbour can say it was not that bad, but he was white, he may or may not have been a racist I'm not here to judge him, but he was white. southern whites back then blamed blacks for the civil war, they blamed black and northern liberal for ruinning there way of life as my dad use to say, the code of MS was to keep your Ni**ers in line. they had a deep hatred for MLK causing trouble, as my dad use to say, MLK can come there, make speaches, and then go back to alabama, alabama was not near as bad for black as MS, its bad enough.
it took me years to understand my dad, and what Barbour has said explains why so many black left the south, its was not so much the jobs, but what it was, being treated like human beings.
i went there about 15 years ago, and even them the still hate northern black, & whites, to them we are all the same, i was there for a family reunion, my dad had passed and i wanted to see his upbringing, i wanted to try and under stand for my self why he was so scraed of southern whites, i was only there 1 day and i was stopped for no reason because i had illinois plates, the cop went out of his way to make me feel as unwelcome as possible. It worked. I will never ever go back to MS.
IntheMiddle say what you want, but and please don't take this the wrong way, but you are programed to accept treatment like this from whites in the south or former slave states, just like my dad way. so instread of blasting black in the large citys understand why we came here.
i was watching a doc about MS and they still have segerated proms.
Jeff:
I lived in the south as a child until I was 16 years old. I left in the 60"s and it was segregated and Jim Crow was alive and well. I moved to Massachusettes and it was like being in a foreign country.
Haley will never understand why his words are so hurtful. It was not his reality but it was mine and I was blessed to be able to escape.
Well said, Sheila.
Shelia,
what i don't understand is some of these post, i bet 90% of these people have never been south of the mason dixon, but they can give these rude off hand remarks as if living in the south before 1970 is all good, it was not, this is not about Barbour’s comments its about how incencitive some of these people are given they have never seen this for them selves.
Alright DBO, this is a New Thread, so I know you've found That Bong!
Stop Bogartin!
hear, hear! good ol' haley may want to forget history; but many of still do and will continue to remind people. for those too young to remember, rent "mississippi burning." the spirit of medgar evers lives!
Jeff. Your comment was terrific, thanks for sharing the story of your dad. What your dad felt is exactly what Haley Barbour fails to grasp or doesn't want to admit.
Jody, for years i was embarrassed by my dad. once i went down south, i was so proud of him, why, i found out that it takes a real man to put up with what he HAD to growing up in MS. and i understood completely why he wanted to never go back there. 3 of his sisters moved back to McComb MS to retire on land our family still owns.
What some times makes me laugh is that if he were here today to see that 2 of his grandsons have white wives and my daughter is Engaged to a white man, and my son has a white girl friend, i know if its possible he is spinning in his grave. As he use to say, messing with the other races is nothing by trouble, he would say that O J got what he deserved marring a white woman, i though he felt this way because he was a racist, but it was the fear of whites that made him feel that way.
But i know he would be proud that we as American have come so far to have a black president, whites and black marry with out being out casts, people can get together and agree to disagree on race issues with out a race riot. when Goodman, Chaney ,Schwerner disapried in MS and the feds were searching to find them alive, she said that my dad knew they were dead. that was the MS way, you get rid of out siders that are trying to ruin there way of life.
That crashing sound you just heard was Governor Barbour's 2012 Presidential Campaign crashing into a guard rail.
Next he'll be telling us that a Confederate flag is just a symbol of States Rights. Yeah, and a swastika is just a Tibetan good luck charm!
Gov. Barbour also declared April to be "Confederacy Month" in Mississippi. There is clearly an insensitivity to issues that are important to many, many people, and perhaps a lack of intellectual curiosity. Having grown up during such an historic period, why has he never sought to reconcile his own "memories" with those of others living at the same time and in the same place?
 Well, well, well, this will let me see the hypocrisy of the American electorate. Why would this be a big deal now? Wasn't racism overtly expressed during the midterms? Didn't a bunch of racists get elected on the back of the black Muslim in the White House? Oh, come on now! We're going to take it on Haley Barbour now? I certainly hope not. Didn't the republican leadership embrace racism in order to gain the majority? Obviously, I have no idea how many of them are racists. But you can't tell me that a mere racist statement is any longer serving as a disqualifier. Cut the crap!
OK, Doles- the guy's a bunghole.
That better?
Sorry, Doles, but to black Americans and other minorities, it raises the question of Barbour's real values, his beliefs, his prejudices whether real or not. It is relevant.
Different time, different place. What will those brought up in the 90's and later say about their ideas on illegal immigration or the growth/death of islam in the US 60 years from now??
"Barbour walks back comments".....
(MSNBC's intended meaning)... Start hating him, America !!!... Hurry, we're planting the early seed for you to start hating him, now !!!.... Goodness, Mr Barbour could NEVER be qualified to be president because he's walking back his comment... and heaven knows ANYONE who walks back his/her comments IS DEFINITELY NOT presidential material....
THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO NEVER WALKS BACK ANYTHING !
America would like to know if MSNBC has ever made a specific comment emphatically demanding that Barack Obama 'RULE AS A DICTATOR !"
(see the Ed Shultz show on Jun 15, 2010).... Let's see if MSNBC "walks that back".....
America is sickened by your constant double-standards, deceit and viscious hatred, MSNBC !
This story is about MSNBC, then, and not Mr Barbour?
drive-by...
This story is simply more undeniable proof of MSNBC's relentless double-standard of promoting hatred and their futile attempt to demand that America should HATE who MSNBC tells them to HATE.... plain and simple.
And, America knows it.
May I offer a suggestion?
Next time just write, "I hate MSNBC." It'll save you some time.
So then, the story IS about MSNBC, and hate. I wondered why Barbour's name appeared in the headline, though.
Then, what the hell are you doing here?
Actually, my point is- every time one of the rigties tries to redirect or MIS- direct attention from a subject, someone needs to sharply pull them back to the subject at hand, and not let them get away with it.
In this case, when the subject is MSNBC, then post comments- good OR bad, about MSNBC, and don't wander off into "yeah, but GM should have been allowed to fail" or some goofy, non-related crap. They do it ALL THE TIME, and get away with it. And it's getting R E A L old.
America - The BOSS of Politicians .... Lets all give the Boss a hanky..Cry me a river why don't you. Your the opposite of common sense and simple logic. Gullible, take the blinders off and quit blaming MSNBC for your weakness's. MSNBC is a legitimate news outlet, if they error, it is corrected. Unlike the folks over their at fair and balanced entertainment. I see this is your main rant at newsvine. Useless, unproductive Kornball, twisted psycho excuse for a human being. Be your own person and stick to the facts and politely, go away.
.
Careful Boss,
Your white hood is showing.
Borbour is dumb enough to say what many republicans think, and what the "liberal media" plays down. Keep it up conservatives and you will be swept out of office like you were in 06 and 08. Next time the "liberal media" will not be able to save you.
Better, then, that we should go to FOX News and hate who Hannity, O'Reilly and Beck tell us to hate, right?
I hate fried liver and onions. And beets. Those awful, purple-reddish, pickled beets.
And light beer. Everything you hated in a beer, and less.
And who doens't hate the hell out of those horrid orange circus peanut candies?
Or getting caught in your zipper?
GAWWWD!
I hate Necco Wafers!
I hate "Veggie Burgers"...damn it, I crave animal flesh!
I hate non-alcoholic beer...I mean, what's the point?
I hate Justin Bieber...I'll make a deal with God...if we give you Bieber will you give us back Jimi Hendrix?
I hate the Buick Roadmaster...I mean, seriously, who thought that vinyl fake woodgrain sticker was a good look?
Now even the Weekly Standard is learning that if you print facts that are negative on a Repbulican you are either lying or "leberal media". But the Republican is always right.
He is going to have to learn from Palin and not give interviews.
Yikes...fair or not, comments like these are hard to overcome. They distract from any message that the candidate is trying to get across. And in the end, they can make it such that a candidate is no longer elect-able. See Allen, George for reference. Honestly, in this day and age, you need a pretty scandal free politician, particularly in a run for the White House. I think most people are willing to give a pass to incidents or words spoken in college and earlier. I'm willing to give him a pass on some of the comments he made concerning Mr. King's speech...after all, Mr. Barbour was 15 years old at the time. I'm pretty sure my view of the world back when I was 15 wasn't exactly grounded in reality. But...the 1982 comment...he was 35 then. (Hope I'm not way off on my math there).
And Feisty...just for you...Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Byrd Robert Byrd.
Was that enough? ;-)
Why thank you Grimey, can I have another! ;0)
BTW: I saw where you were crowned the Boiler Room winner... again!
Congrats & Cheers!
Governor Barbour For President?
I grew up pretty removed from what was happening in the south. It wasn't talked about. Meanwhile children my own age were going to Church only to see their Churches bombed. With little children dying. I had no idea. Neither my Church nor grammar school ever mentioned it. The condition of their schools in the south was horrible. Horrible. They had to walk miles to go to their own school, in all kinds of weather. Little 5, 6, 7 year olds. Their educations were not deemed as important as the white childrens' educations. How clueless I was as I look back at the innocence of my childhood. I had no idea. This was their everyday life, before the civil rights movement took hold. Look at the old movies. Blacks were cooks, butlers, chauffeurs. And none of us thought anything of it. None of us were racists (that I knew of). It was just accepted. And it's sad. Very sad.
And then came Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP and quietly and without fanfare, began breaking down barriers and discrimination. By changing the laws.Thurgood Marshall. I have never been one to have a hero, but if I had to pick one, just one - it would be Thurgood Marshall. And I didn't realize it until this year.
Any person who runs for the office of President cannot only go by their own personal experiences. They need to learn about history. And learn from it. They have to be able to walk in another man's shoes in order to fully grasp what was happening. Because there is no way one can justify what the blacks experienced in their history. How many times have we heard people talking about "regular joe's" and their problems? Who are regular joe's? Why are their problems more important than anyone else's? They shouldn't be.
And to me, the Latinos with the DREAM Act are being prejudiced against now in a similar fashion. Yet again by our U.S. Government.
I want a presidential candidate who can accept the past, be honest about it and show leadership. Be candid. Not give excuses. Most of what I have learned, I took the time to teach myself. And as much as I like to read all history, no subject moves me more than reading about the history of blacks in our nation. Nothing. It makes me who I am today. Facing the cruelty that we as a nation put up with ought to be a lesson for all of us.
Presidential candidates need to read. Thoroughly. Not wing it to try and sound knowledgeable. Knowledge is not something you can fake. And Governor Barbour unfortunately does not sound like he fully comprehends what blacks had to endure. He sounds clueless.
That's not leadership.
When the blacks were freed during the Civil War, they asked for one thing, and one thing only.
They wanted to learn how to read.
David Foster/Natalie Cole - My Grown Up Christmas List
Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown up now
Can you still help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up
Christmas list
What is this illusion called
The innocence of youth
Maybe only in their blind belief
Can we ever find the truth
There'd be no more lives torn apart
And wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOic7t1kZog
Me liberal....Wouldnt get too worked up by Barbour statements...Dont understand Why Mississipians are into people like him...Its like the Dukes voting for boss hog.....Just do not understand the logic...Missippians are better and deserve better.
why not separate the parts of the usa into independent countries as the rest of the world political parties are doing? the current electoral map clearly shows the division, so confirm it by separation.
This coming from Boss Hogg,one of the leaders of The American Taliban(GOP/Tea Party) does not surprise me. If he did not believe this crap he would not have said it, just his true side slipping out.
With our 24/7, all access, liberal/conservative cable news networks, we will never have another completely squeaky clean political candidate. So as voters or party members, we will have to decide what we can swallow. Racism is probably not one of those traits that many people will be able to forgive.
Everyone has some type of skeleton in their closet and this is the reason that we do not have a very good list of candidates. Sometimes those skeletons go back to our high school days (Christine McDonnell's witchcraft). Some go back even further (Obama and his "muslim" upbringing). For this reason, many people will not throw their hats into the ring for political service. They don't want to be picked apart for things like underaged drinking or who they boned in college.
I agree that we need and have a right to know as much as possible about a persons past. It helped to shape their ideals but...as voters, we need to decide for ourselves, what to hold against candidates and what to let roll off our backs.
the difference between this and "the police acted stupidly"?
MSNDC
Barbour said that he didn't remember it being that bad...probably because he was white.
My concern is that many in the south are trying to re-write history and that life before Civil Rights wasn't "that bad". Again, for "them" it wasn't.
No one told Barbour to say it wasn't that bad. He said it. Presidential material? I don't think so. I just hope in 6 years we are not saying "Palin wasn't that bad"
don't count haley out just yet! the party faithful can produce the spin to justify and nominate anyone, and the voting public has a short collective memory. barbour has a couple of years to develop his answer to any question about what he "really" meant to say way back in 2010. The only way he can win though in 2012 is if Obama doesn't run and he faces a white politician: that would make his obnoxious statements even more removed and irrelevent to the voting public. If he runs against Obama, the statements will always be in the minds of the public, and I think that would result in another large African-American voter turnout.
EMMITT TILL- 14 year old African American from Chicago who was lynched on August 28, 1955 in Glendora, MS for purportedly whistling at a White Woman. Subsequent trial ended in an acquittal.
MEDGAR EVERS-WWII Army Sergeant (European Theatre of Operations) and Civil Rights Leader who was assassinated in Jackson, MS by Byron De La Beckwith. First trial in 1964 ended in a deadlock; second trial ended in a "GUILTY" verdict. He later died in prison.
JAMES CHANEY, ANDREW GOODMAN, MICHAEL SCHWERNER-Three Civil Rights Workers who were murdered in Neshoba/Philadelphia, MS on June 21, 1964 by Cecil Price, Samuel Bowers, Alton Wayne Roberts, Jimmy Snowden, Billey Wayne Posey, Horace Barnett, Jimmy Arledge, E.G Barnett, Lawrence A. Rainey, and Edgar Ray Killen. All involved received sentences raging from 3-10 years, with the exception of Rainey, who was aquitted, and Killen, who in 2004 was re-tried,convicted and is serving a 60 year stretch at the Mississippi State Penitentiary. It is also noted that some of the defendants were law enforcement officers and had memberships in the UKA (United Klans of America) and the White Citizens Council, which is NOW calling itself the Council of Conservative Citizens.
AND YOU WANT TO STATE THAT, IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED DURING THAT TURBULENT TIME, "I DON'T REMEMBER IT AS BEING THAT BAD"? WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY THAT THE HOLOCAUST NEVER HAPPENED?!?!?!?!?
And I don't know how many times I have to say this until Conservatives/GOTPers GET IT:
In order to be a racist, you need three things:
1. You need an overwhelming majority.
2. You need to be in a position of power.
3. The majority must be able to exert that power over the minority.
Well said Kevin... .kudos for your memory.
BUT WAIT, HOLD ON FOLKS!!!!! THERE'S MORE!!!!!!!!!!
If you thought that Haley Barbour's remarks were bad enough, then hold on to your hats folks, because, to modify the old adage, "YOU AIN'T HEARD NOTHING YET!!!
Consider the remarks from his brother, Jeppe, regarding the Civil Rights Movement.
"Maybe five years ago,you could've appointed a colored man yourself. Now you simply can't get away with it."
"They're goin' to have to pick their own leaders. You could've gotten on radio five years ago using these very words, 'George Collins is this ni**er we've appointed,' and could've gotten away with it."
Now, here's the one you have got to REALLY LOVE. I mean, seriously, this one just hits the core.
"I guess they're just goin' through a state of being rebellious and hard-nosed and not listenin' to white people like they used to."
The People rest their case, Your Honor.