I normally don't take much of a liking to watching another black man get taken to the woodshed so thoroughly.
In the case of Herman Cain I will suspend said decision rule. Moreover, to watch a "Morehouse man" get schooled by a white interviewer on his failure to live up the great tradition of that historically black college was priceless.
A few thoughts on Lawrence O'Donnell's ownage of Herman Cain.
A few thoughts on Lawrence O'Donnell's ownage of Herman Cain.
1. What was up with the Amen corner for Herman Cain? I know that he has suspended his campaign to go shill for his book, but that was truly odd. Why didn't Herman Cain go to a studio or a quiet room and do the interview. Was Cain's peanut gallery a condition for appearing on the The Last Word tonight?
2. Only some black people are brainwashed. They are apparently not alone given that the majority of people who vote for Democrats are brainwashed. Did you know, anyone who wants to raise taxes on the super rich is also brainwashed? Curiously, Herman Cain offers no comment on if poor and working class white people who vote for the Republican Party are also brainwashed. And of course he repeats the "class warfare" meme and furthers the propaganda line that 50 percent of tax payers now pay 97 percent of the taxes...this newest "fact" was new to me.
3. Herman Cain truly was a self-interested free rider during the Civil Rights Movement. I particularly enjoyed how he, in typical faux populist Conservative fashion, rewrote history so that in his version of events High School students, other young people, and college students were not involved with the sit-ins and freedom rides. This is utter balderdash. Herman Cain chose to be a bystander to history. There is no courage or honor there.
4. Never fear! Herman Cain ain't one of them pesky negro agitators!
Herman Cain's admission that he passively and obediently went to the back of the bus when a white driver told him to was especially telling. The Tea Party audience, and those who fondly remember Jim and Jane Crow will love that little fact. That allusion was a doubling down of Cain's benign memories of segregated water fountains which weren't that bad "because the water tastes the same." The Conservative White Soul with its fondness for the good old days of yee old South was certainly quite pleased with Herman Cain tonight.
He, like many black conservatives benefit from the Black Freedom Struggle, but are professional hit-men and assassins for white Conservatives, only on the bankroll as racism shields and human chaff for the Tea Party GOP. Cain's interview further demonstrated that fact.
5. When confronted on the questionable math that under-girds his grotesque and regressive "9-9-9" plan (a gangster capitalist ploy, one that would make our economy far worse and further increase wealth and income inequality); challenged on saying that the unemployed who are not rich should blame themselves because its their own fault; that gay people choose their sexuality; on the quack science he pledges allegiance to; his avoidance of service in Vietnam; and his backtracking on Rick Perry's "Niggerhead" debacle, Herman Cain shuffled, jived, buck-danced, bobbed, weaved, cakewalked, and banjo played like a traveling carnival performer on a 1 foot by 2 foot sized wooden box right next to the dog faced boy and the man with a shrunken head.
Herman Cain was dancing for food; He knew that if he fell off that box he wouldn't be gettin' no vittles tonight. Cain teetered a few times, and the box shook, but the tap dancing shoes didn't fall off and touch the ground.
6. Am I the only one who noticed Herman Cain's extremely rapid eye blinking, obvious agitation, and on the edge of overt fluster demeanor which suggested that he was about to go Samuel L. Jackson all over Lawrence O'Donnell?
In all, tonight my friend Herman Cain was one part Jim from Huck Finn, mixed with a bit of The Old Negro Space Program, and some George S. Schulyer for flavor. For the racially reactionary White Conservative Tea Party crowd, Cain's performance was their magical negro moment as he is right out of central casting.
Ultimately it is all toot sweet! Herman Cain ain't snuffin' no seeds as he keeps the train rolling and gains more momentum from the rapturous love that emanates from the dark heart of the White Conservative imagination which fuels his presidential campaign.
The inevitable derailment will be fun to watch.
12 comments:
I'm sorry CD but I honestly do not see any major differences bwtween President Obama and Cain when it comes to their reactions and actions towards the GOP/Tea Party. Both of them are spineless and bend over without being told. You are constantly excusing Pres Obama beacuse of them; why not do the same toward Cain?
@Anon. I go after Obama. I find much to be disappointed in with him. But to compare Obama and Cain as being similar in policy or performance. Totally different characters.
Now that is separate from talking about how both are various degrees of corporatists. Cain is naked and grotesque in his shilling for the kleptocracy. Obama is at least trying to be a moderate who is anything but a radical.
Cain is indeed a shuffling (or as he would say it shufflin' )opportunist. No question about it.
However to be fair, most black people weren't involved in the movement, some out of fear, some out of indifference, some b/c they were indeed "brainwashed". Although it's a fair question to ask the would-be President of a certain age, where he was during those days, it's not necessarily fair to immediately assume that if someone wasn't involved they were a buck-dancing Tom.
Cain IS a buck-dancing Tom, but whether he was back then or not is unknown or at least wasn't shown last night. The majority of people faced with oppression hunker down and try to deal with it the best they can. Heroes are precisely that because they are so rare.
"Totally different"
Very much alike. The difference is that Cain is more honest about his agenda. Obama? Feint left, go right.
Derailment? That inspires me to create the "How Will Lawn Jocky Cain Self Destruct," Game. He will have to say something really way stupid. More stupid then the insane racist things he has said already, or his Meth Addict Math. Or Palin-esque ignorance of the world beyond 'Merica. Or his the banking crisis that led to the corporate to the economic crisis is not the banker's or the corp's fault perversity.
Add all that up and in a rational world he'd be pulled off the street and put in a hospital for a pre committment hearing psych eval. Hate to say it but I think he will have to say something heretical to really derail. Ya know. Break with Tea Party Gospel?
Thought actually occurred to me that Cain might represent the Anti Obama in a weird way for the redneck right wing hordes. He might get votes from folk just so salve their innate racism. I think that's more likely to happen, than White Dems were accused of doing with Obama.
Anyway back to derailment (or as I think more likely end with a whimper.) I really do not expect him to go all apostate. So the main choices for a spectular melt down are (a) bad old news/scandal. (I mean has anyone even botherd to check his closets yet?) (b) new scandal, campaign finances, affair, losing his temper on mic/cam, or (c) he says on mic or cam something that is so beyond the pale that even wing nuts back off. I mean something worse than what Hank Williams said. He has to say something way universally racist or sexist or insane or perverse, and it has to be a jaw dropper.
@CD
I'm a relative newcomer here. I've yet to see you go after Obama. Point me to something in the archives.
@y'all, I think any criticism of Obama will soon be outweighed [by copious amounts] by the inability of 'hateraid' drinking fools to write him off as a fluke. Sure they will always claim him illegitimate, as I do them, but they won't be able to say his presidency was an anomaly.
Four more years of torture for these racist cowards. Yes he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, for nothing more than being the first African American President, and the shock wave of mental anguish it caused for the "ruling class" of white might!
Maybe I try too hard to see the bigger picture, maybe I'm naive. I think Obama strategy will prevail in the end and become clarified [butter] in the minds of us devoted masses. He sure plays possum well, but imagine a presidential debate with any of the GOP wanabees: it will be like watching a child scolded by a loving parent. I can't wait.
OC
Another newcomer here, and I must say, this post earned you a new fan and follower. Thumbs up nomad's comment (Obama= feint left, go right!) Politics is a sewer, cant blame anybody for jumpin in there and getting dirty.
Asad (http://unitedblackamerica.com)
I don't know that I would have been able to be there up close and personal and had not taken part, or at the very least have not been incensed about experiencing that period of time. He seems to give no indication that it had an effect on him emotionally. He in fact seems to want to not acknowledge that it even happened. He went from too young, then when that was discredited, to blaming his father, to having a sick family member/ friend. Shut up. Keep your head down. Don't cause trouble. Accept your position in life in order to get along in an America where many don't see you as valuable. That's the kind of America Mr. Cain wants for blacks. Well, he got it honestly.
Cain does not hold up well to scrutiny.
@anon. Obama is going to run a "he is the adult in the room strategy." The problem is the lunatics are running the asylum. With the economy a wreck, I am not sure his reasonable approach is enough.
@Asad. Thanks. Will check your site.
@Sabrina. That is what irks me too. The movement was a generation defining event. His affect is totally flat when talking about it. He is a good negro who doesn't want to upset his white masters...there is nothing more upsetting to a conservative than a person who stands up to power.
@Batocchio. In normal politics that would matter. In 2011 does it?
Cain revealed himself with his answer. O'Donnell's initial question was "do you regret not participating." Someone who truly had behaved as he claimed he did - too young, distracted by sick family - would have said, "You know, I look back and I do regret somewhat that all that was going on around me and I didn't register it, didn't realize how historical a moment it was." Then O'Donnell might have moved on to the next topic.
But Cain clearly has internal turmoil about it - has probably had past arguments about it. Probably feels extremely defensive and has tortured rationalizations for his choice not to participate.
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