Jack & Jill Politics

Despite ample proof to the contrary, there are a lot of people in America convinced that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. and is therefore ineligible to be president. AND that there’s some sort of a conspiracy afoot to deceive the American people. Rick Sanchez tried hard to educate the ignorant, the dazed and the confused earlier today (video above.)

The birther argument that Obama is actually not a natural born citizen qualifies for my undercover racist attack matrix which is, as you will recall:

1) Is it unique to Obama, i.e. is it a phrase we’ve never heard before applied to any other president or is it something we haven’t heard in recent memory? For example: he’s not an American citizen or he’s a socialist who’s planning re-education camps for young people.

2) Is it illogical or impossible – does the assertion plainly contradict the facts? For example: not an American citizen, socialist, tax raiser, re-education camps for young people.

3) Is it repeated, over and over, by a desperate person whose team lost badly in the last election & who adopts a wide-eyed, credulous, nodding stare pronouncing the lie slowly and precisely with a watchful eye to see if the listeners are buying it. For example: not an American citizen, socialist, elitist, drug seller, tax raiser or terrorist.

Optional: Does the assertion cause nervousness, embarrassment or confusion among non-blacks? When other white people such as Chris Matthews or John Stewart sense something wrong and start to ask questions like “Do you really believe that?”, you know for sure you’re in the racist attack zone.

Look white people — I know it’s uncomfortable to listen to people like the “birthers”. It’s too easy to shake your head and call them crazy. They ain’t crazy. They are mad as hell and scared to death because America has a nigger president and they can’t figure out how on God’s green earth that happened, chile! It must be a trick or conspiracy of some kind. Certainly can’t be that their assumptions about America and opportunity and class and race might not be true. Because nigras ain’t ‘Murican!

Bravo for Sanchez and Matthews. It’s time to start asking people like the birthers much harder questions. Stop dismissing them as crazy. Start pushing back on what’s really blatant, poorly veiled racism.