What if Jesse Jackson had said that America is ready for a black president as long as he is “light skinned” and has “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

Who would be offended then?

White Americans would be screeching “foul,” denouncing Jackson for implying that they have hang ups about our darker skinned brothers and sisters, especially if they don’t sound like them.

But it was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) who uttered those now-infamous words, according to “Game Change,” a hot-off-the-presses accounting of the 2008 presidential race. And black America is being told we should be furious; furious enough to demand Reid’s resignation, to hear Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele tell it.

For sure, Reid’s statement – and, notably, he not only has not denied having said it, but has apologized to President Obama – was crass, ignorant and revealing.  It showed that Mr. Leader, representing a party that prides itself on being racially sensitive, is unwashed enough to believe there is a dialect that is peculiarly undesirable and that it is not tied to region or education, but to ethnicity. And not just any ethnicity, but the African-American race particularly. And he is not even in touch enough to enunciate his prejudices in the preferred and modern term. No, in Reid’s judgment, it is the “Negro dialect” that the American electorate eschews.

Good grief, man.

To learn that Reid could have been so primitive in his assessment of black presentation is a sore disappointment. But, it is also like discovering that a bear poops in the woods, which is to say, of no surprise. Public opinion, public policy and public practice prove that black Americans are widely viewed as second class, second rate or second string, whose only real hope for success depends on how well we approximate whiteness, abandon our subcultural markers and assimilate (ergo, capitulate) to the fullest extent possible.

Still, Reid’s record shows that he is no Jesse Helms, the late North Carolina senator with a flair for bigotry couched in southern gentlemanliness. In private, Helms might also have used “Negro” instead of “black” or “African-American,” but that would have been on a good day. And, make no mistake; Helms would not have said America was ready for a black president under any circumstances.

I find myself most upset with Reid for his ignorance, and how he said what he did, but not for what he said. His statement, though crudely put, served as an indictment against the American majority, not its new black chief executive.

This is a false controversy. Reid is not as smart as I thought he was, but that’s his burden, not mine.

If anyone should be upset, it should be white America for having been portrayed as superficial and backward enough to count the color of a man’s skin or the tone and cadence of his speech for or against him.

Gasp, gasp, faint.

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On the real, come on folks. Do you really think this Reid thing has anything to do with what he said about Obama's speaking abilities? THINK FOLKS If we focus on dumb stuff, ( they think we will cause for the past we have) we miss the big picture. GET MAD WITH REID, GET RID OF REID, GET RID OF OBAMA'S SUPPORT SYSTEM. Pay attention. It's a GAME. Who is calling for Reid to resign? ;

by   
Vcubain
January 12, 2010, 11:51 am
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Its a ploy to get black folks to stab Reid in the heart. make black folks think it's about one thing but it's rally not. DIABOLICAL PLAN. Reid is gone at the hands of the same black folks he helped .Then the Obama support system is shaken up. WHAT A PLAN. Make them think it's about something else so they WONT FOCUS ON OUR TRUE PLOT TO TAKE OVER HAHAHAHAH

by   
Vcubain
January 12, 2010, 11:47 am
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Part 3
You would then make a choice to support connerly based on his political ideaology and not his skin color.
If you support affimative action, why then would you vote for a candidate that does not?
Skin color should NEVER play a role in how you vote.
You may end up supporting a candidat thae DOES NOT share YOUR political views.

by   
Cnw95
January 12, 2010, 8:04 am
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Part 2
Black people vote for candidates that most reflect their views, be it social views or political views.
If clarence thomas were "light-skinned" would you then support his political philosophy?
Ward connerly is a "light-skinned" african american and yet he has VIGOROUSLY fought AGAINST affirmative action.

by   
Cnw95
January 12, 2010, 7:57 am
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Part 1
Alexis55 said:
The Reid backlash is purely stupid. Black folks need to be honest--Blacks will prefer a lighter complexioned Black candidate over a dark skinned candidate probably moreso than a white voter.

This is incorrect

by   
Cnw95
January 12, 2010, 7:51 am
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too genarlize that one person in a race speak for all is ignorant. every african american did not like dr king or malcolm. every white person did not like john f kenndy or bull connor. the fact remain in the arena of politics which make bad bed fellows things are said. such as jesse jackson who wanted too castrate obama what do you have too say about that. i am not defending mr reid, the old white man but we have issues with ourselves. look at BET why are their not darker personlities on that network, look at your hbcu's greek frat and soro.

by   
Jhinton1964
January 12, 2010, 1:15 am
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Say what ever you all would like. But when it is all said and done, just make sure you know to say PRESIDENT OBAMA. Like it or leave it, however you all may feel it happened. It is what it is. And guess what???? He is a BLACK man. HA!!!

by   
CMMIDFIELD
January 11, 2010, 11:16 pm
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Black people, let us not be ignorant to facts. If we think for a minute, that we are looked upon as equals, just because there were enough people of different races that felt President Obama was the right man for the job, regardless of his race, then we still have far to go. We always have to work twice as hard to prove we are worthy of being below others. There are some of us that think the right thing to do is to submit to what others think of us, in order to be accepted. The devil is a lie. I am who I am and I thank God.

by   
CMMIDFIELD
January 11, 2010, 11:14 pm
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I am going to say this and then I am going to bed. White folks done called Pres. Obama and his wife a monkey. Okay, black folks didn't come all undone about it. When they actually had a president in there that resembled a monkey they wouldn't call him a monkey.... uh, Bush. I thank them people for looking over themselves in helping us to elect President Obama.

by   
Gettogurl
January 11, 2010, 10:35 pm
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Look all white peoples hate black peoples and we all hate white people. IT's the fact jack..who we kidding you all pretend when we should all embrace the hate..we would feel better and more honest all around ..get it out in the open and quit being cowards. You never heard a bro say I love the white man huh,,never happend..neve rwill so what we all hate each other ..if ya haven't figure dout this equatin yet you just plain stupid. Hate is good..or God

by   
Player
January 11, 2010, 10:31 pm
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And y'all know damn well if Pres. Obama took time out of his busy schedule to call Kanye West a jackass... You know what he wants to say about Reid. But we all know he can't say it. You don't get to be where he is by dancing to the music folks put on.

by   
Gettogurl
January 11, 2010, 10:29 pm
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Go head Pres. Obama with your Nobel Prize winning, intelligent, fine wife having, beautiful children raising, handsome self! They can call you whatsenever they want to call you but for the next 3 years they will be calling you president.

by   
Gettogurl
January 11, 2010, 9:41 pm
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Hell, didn't Jesse Jackson say something crazy about his blackness off the cuff right before he was elected? Folks are taking swings at Obama black and white. They want a piece of this man. Now you got crazy**** Blagojevich, ex governor of Illinois talking about he is blacker than Obama. When Obama gave his acceptance speech he talked about how 50 years ago how his father couldn't even dine or live in certain places. What do people want from this man? Nobody should be ashamed of this jealous****ed comment but the author of the comment. Rock on Barack!

by   
Gettogurl
January 11, 2010, 9:36 pm
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Can somebody tell me what is racist about Mr. Reid's statement? I am a Negro an proud.

by   
Dorothyjr
January 11, 2010, 8:12 pm
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White-BOY, can the “our party” & the “our race” YOU are not a part of us & YOUR dumb-azz comments illustrate that point vividly. Go whine to Limbaugh. Now if you are really in favor of condemning & ostracizing a racist, we all condemn your racist azz & your opposition to “OUR” President, based solely upon the fact he is Black. Hit the road Jack!

by   
Sevennotrump
January 11, 2010, 4:03 pm
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Not only is it stupid Alexis, it is embarrassing. The parsing, qualifying and rationalizing is astounding. Reid is a racist. He openly said what he thought of us, he meant it. We currently have a standard in America that politicians that make racist remarks are punished (well that is REPUBLICAN politicians). This prejudice makes us look like fools. Excusing racism in our party while excoriating anyone without when we merely perceive racism convicts of prejudice to reasonable people.

by   
Fj1200
January 11, 2010, 3:51 pm
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The Reid backlash is purely stupid. Black folks need to be honest--Blacks will prefer a lighter complexioned Black candidate over a dark skinned candidate probably moreso than a white voter. Obama's appeal was for BOTH races and especially Black folks was that he was Bi-racial, had good diction, little to no ties to the Black community, in other words, he was clearly "White" like them. Whites nor Blacks would not have universally supported some of our more experienced darker skinned politicians, so let's be for real about our own reasons for not supporting darker skinned candidates.

by   
Alexis55
January 11, 2010, 3:26 pm
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First, I’m not a part of YOUR race, I’m Black, not a klansman, pretending to be Black. Second, an idiot like YOU proclaiming anything, is about as important to me as how many sparrows fly off the roof in the next hour. Obama, a BLACK MAN, is the leader of the free world, get over it klansman!

by   
Sevennotrump
January 11, 2010, 3:25 pm
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sevennotrump. Yu dumb. Fo real. I only seen a few of yo ignint posts yet am confident in proclaiming you a certified dope. You're a disgrace to our race.

by   
Fj1200
January 11, 2010, 3:12 pm
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Besides, Blacks know there are very few –IF ANY-whites who are not at all racist. The yardstick is how they deal with their racism. Are they just opposed to a Black marrying their daughters or sons (to which I am also opposed) or are they opposed to us being educated, employed, receiving health care, etc, etc. If it’s the former, SO WHAT? If it’s the latter, DOWN THAT KLANSMAN. &FYI, I have an MBA; when I make business presentations, I display a phenomenal command of the King’s English, but when I hang with my homies in the projects, “I be spilling dat real-talk & dey be feelin me”!

by   
Sevennotrump
January 11, 2010, 2:51 pm
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So, “Uncletom”, aka, “Realchangeisneeded” aka, “Natetwo”, aka a half-dozen other aks(s). You have decided you exhausted the usefulness of those crappy handles so you developed a new one, “Fj1200”. What does that represent, “foolish-jackazz x 1200”? We ignored your ignorant, jealous, comments in all your other usernames, what makes your dumb-azz think a new name will fair any better? Besides, before we attack racists for their racism, we check their records, Reid’s record gets a C+, ergo, he’s excused for a minor infraction. Trent Lott’s record gets an F-, ergo it’s bombs away on that klansman.

by   
Sevennotrump
January 11, 2010, 2:48 pm
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I am a lice-infected cracker. hi pollypocket

by   
Romann
January 11, 2010, 2:39 pm
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Deborah,

You are painfully dumb. Wanna talk about tortured logic? Don't hurt yourself trying such an advanced contortion. Reid looks like a duck and quacks like a duck. Don't try to tell us he's a cow.

by   
Fj1200
January 11, 2010, 2:20 pm
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White's do not think that light skinned blacks are smarter, in fact, white's feel that very dark skinned blacks born in Africa are the smartest blacks on earth. You dont see them in welfare lines or playing the race card. Most come to the U.S. with nothing, but are smart enough to get an education and move on to the good life and not play the old U.S. black "I'm a Victim" game.

by   
Pollypocket
January 11, 2010, 2:15 pm
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This really makes Obama into a hypocrite. In 2002 he vigorously pushed for Trent Lott's resignation of the leader of the Rep Senate when he said something far less inflamatory than Reid's racist remark.

by   
Fj1200
January 11, 2010, 2:04 pm
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What's the matter with Black dialect? I like the way my Black people rock dat Black dialects and slang. I talk with some Black dialect myself and I post up in here in Black dialect, slang etc.

by   
Chris40
January 11, 2010, 1:37 pm
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True dat on ya post Coling!!!!!

by   
Chris40
January 11, 2010, 1:33 pm
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after reading a few more of the comments posted. I have one more thing to say BLACK PEOPLE QUIT THINKING BECAUSE YOUR ARTICULATE AND YOU GRADUATED FROM HARVARD AND HAVE A LAW DEGREE OR MEDICAL DEGREE OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE THAT WHITE PEOPLE LIKE YOU and think highly of you. THEY DON'T!!! THEY HAVE ACCETPED YOU BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW YOU HAVE TO WAlK THE WAlK AND TALK THE TALK TO GET ANYWHERE ESPECIALLY IN CORPORATE AMERICA! YOU BETTER BELIEVE AT THE END OF THE DAY OPRAH, BILL COSBY, WHOEVER IT IS YOU ARE STILL VIEWED AS A BLACK PERSON THAT WHITE PEOPLE JUST THINK GOT LUCKY. PERIOD

by   
Coling
January 11, 2010, 1:30 pm
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I agree with MrsChrist, no one should be offended!! we all know this this a a very sad truth, even among ourselves. I can't believe anyone is surprised by what he said. The thing that kills me is that why is everyone walking around like racisim doesn't exist. Even the most nicest, friendliest, white person you know would not trade their skin to be black for a day! so these type of comments don't surprise me. What does sirprise me is how we still react to them

by   
Coling
January 11, 2010, 1:17 pm
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Plus, Black people even turned on Bill and Hillary Clinton after calling for the White Vote. But if Sen. Reid; had said he wanted to cut off his balls; like J.J. did; there would indeed be a problem.

by   
MrsChrist
January 11, 2010, 1:01 pm
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