HDNet's Dan Rather stepped on one mine after another in the racial minefield that exists when talking about the nation's first black President as the former CBS anchor, on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show over the weekend, uttered the following take on the President's ability to get health care passed and how the GOP and independents would view it. [audio available here]
DAN RATHER: Part of the undertow in the coming election is going to be President Obama's leadership. And the Republicans will make a case and a lot of independents will buy this argument. "Listen he just hasn't been, look at the health care bill. It was his number one priority. It took him forever to get it through and he had to compromise it to death." And a version of, "Listen he's a nice person, he's very articulate" this is what's been used against him, "but he couldn't sell watermelons if it, you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic."
While Rather may not have been being intentionally racist one has to wonder what the reaction would be if a conservative had used similar language on the show. (Thanks to the MRC's Bob Parks for alerting us to the remark and creating the video.)
UPDATE: Rather Apologizes for "Watermelons" Comment
Earlier Rather called the current legislation a "Republican health care bill" as seen in the following exchange as it was aired on the March 8th Chris Matthews Show:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Will health care, the health care bill of Barack Obama, the one he roughly is for now, coming out of the Senate and coming out of the House. Will it become law? Will he win?
...DAN RATHER: Yes because what we have now is basically a Republican health care bill, if it gets through. It's, it's got a lot...but I think the President finally putting his whole sack in on it, yes he wins but it's not a certain thing.
MATTHEWS: Andrea?
ANDREA MITCHELL: I think close call it has to win or else this presidency is in serious...
MATTHEWS: So in other words they'll make it happen.
MITCHELL: They've got to make it happen.
MATTHEWS: Joe Klein?
JOE KLEIN, TIME: Congressional Democrats are dreadful but they're not entirely stupid. They have to pass it.
MATTHEWS: And Nancy Pelosi will have her greatest triumph.
KLEIN: Sort of.
RATHER: When you talk about a triumph though. One, part of the undertow in the coming election is going to be President Obama's leadership. And the Republicans will make a case and a lot of independents will buy this argument. "Listen he just hasn't been, look at the health care bill. It was his number one priority. It took him forever to get it through and he had to compromise it to death." And a version of, "Listen he's a nice person, he's very articulate" this is what's been used against him, "but he couldn't sell watermelons if it, you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic."Before that exchange Rather and Andrea Mitchell, as noted by NB's Noel Sheppard, agreed that Obama made a big mistake by pushing health care.
—Geoffrey Dickens is the Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. You can follow him on Twitter here
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Rush highlighted this on his radio show today. The MSM...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:49 ET by jawebster1media will not be reporting this story today. Thank God for "Talk Radio" where we can find out what's going on in the world. Jim Webster
jaw1 It's been hilarious
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:08 ET by bigtimerjaw1
It's been hilarious all morning on the net...they thought they had it scrubbed all over earlier...found it on Iowntheworld easily..let alone just Chris Matthews Show site.
I'm loving it...got a kick out of it...of course the msm remain mum...doesn't get any better than this...nothing like blatant hypocrisy and double-standards eh?
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:23 ET by EugeniaTheir hypocrisy never ceases to amaze...Thanks for the "iowntheworld" tip. :) Checked it out. The Barney Frank photo -- don't know what's going to get that horrific image out of my head!
"When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing -- they believe in anything."
-- GK Chesterton
Iowntheworld
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 06:57 ET by Kingfish17Thanks so much for the tip on Iowntheworld. Their comic strip, "The Obamas" is hilarious, particularly when they run "The Douchemans". I'm going to check that out everyday.
There is only one goddess Gaia and Al Gore is her prophet.
O'Bama mentioned in the same sentence with "watermelon"
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:48 ET by CO2MakerSomebody better be crucified for that racial slur! Dan "TANG" Rather? Even him. Remember just last month when in the Congressional cafeteria, the head cook (a person of gender and of diversity) included fried chicken and other "Southern" dishes, and was promptly thrashed in public?
Dan, Dan, Dan, what can we do with you?
NBC?
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:17 ET by okiehawk44Wasn't that Black History Month honoring menu at the NBC cafeteria?
Yep, that's what it was
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:41 ET by CO2MakerCorrupt memory.
Col. Rather
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:22 ET by MadRatI wish there was just a little more of the transcript from this interview. I'd love to hear what Matthews, who sees himself as guardian of all things African-America, had to say when a white, Southern gentleman used the words "articulate", "watermelon" and "state troopers" when describing an African-American. Can you imagine what might have happened if Rather had been a Conservative?
Imagine if Rush had said
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 02:48 ET by rbosqueImagine if Rush had said that? They're labeling him a racist just because.
If Rush...
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 12:23 ET by unkeeafIf Rush had even uttered the word watermelon on the context of talking about Russian ICBM's, he would have been branded a racist. He'd have no chance on this one.
-----------------------------------------
Best political yard sign ever:
http://bit.ly/a8MB6A
Ubama the Magic Negro
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 16:00 ET by Sergeant ROCKRemember that one? And that wasn't even HIS words or phrase! So, using that logic... it is YOU that must be the racist, not the source - Dan Rather.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Is there a racial slur in
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:51 ET by Another Dead KennedyIs there a racial slur in his comments? What am I missing here?
-Dead Ted
Dan...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:52 ET by Army BratEngage brain...THEN open mouth.
If it can be construed to be racist, it will be.
islam is a lie and Truth is killing it.
R U SERIOUS???
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:54 ET by jacktheripperObama "couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him a State Trooper to flag down traffic " Dan Rather 3/7/2010
ADK
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:55 ET by jacktheripperwhat if he added fried chicken too, that help ya any?
Obama "couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him a State Trooper to flag down traffic " Dan Rather 3/7/2010
Is there something
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:58 ET by Another Dead KennedyIs there something inherently black about watermelons? I eat watermelon all the time. They're delicious.
-Dead Ted
Playing the Innocent and Ignorant Card, eh Ted?
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:01 ET by TenebrousKeep it going, Ted. I believe you to be even more ignorant than I did yesterday.
-----
Tingles, Fat Ed, and Horseface Rachael: the Rogues Gallery of American politics.
Politics: http://Random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com
He does know it, he's just
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:05 ET by bretzysdudeHe does know it, he's just using the same stupid troll tactics again.
Even in a episode of M*A*S*H
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:02 ET by bretzysdudeEven in a episode of M*A*S*H it was shown as a stereotype. Hollywood knows it. The media knows it. The colleges know it. The politicians know it. Newsbusters knows it. The only one who doesn't know it is you.
~Here are some sources..
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:09 ET by choselife3xHere
Here
Here
One of the intriguing sidelights to Bamboozled was The New
York Times's refusal to run one of Lee's ads for the movie.
Reportedly, it portrayed a man in blackface eating watermelon. For many
blacks, there is nothing like the watermelon joke to rush the
adrenaline. Cartoonists in the 1930s often depicted some grand
activity--a parade, a march--and in the background had Negroes sitting
on fence posts, chomping on watermelon.
"my solution is to destroy children"--mamabear's cure for poverty 12/08/09
Jesus, Ted...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:18 ET by B-townGiantAre you really this dense, or do you just play dumb on TV?
Be nice, B-town. -Dead
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:17 ET by Another Dead KennedyBe nice, B-town.
-Dead Ted
Come on!
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:35 ET by B-townGiantThat was nice!
I find it impossible to believe you have never heard the watermelon/black connection! It has appeared in all forms of media as long as I can remember! Mostly as a "stereotype" joke, but you would have to be blind to have not seen it!
I KNOW you are way smarter than that! Don't play the fool...it is not becoming of you.
Stereotype my eye, I was
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:34 ET by RowaneStereotype my eye, I was one of the chefs for the 1996 NAACP convention in Little rock, on the menu (ordered by the NAACP) was, fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, stewed potatoes, and melon salad for desert. They didn't need 5 chefs for this kind of fare, it was a waste of money. They could have had it catered by Flo's Soul Food Diner and saved a bundle, chefs aren't cheap.
Just goes to show you, all stereotypes have a basis in truth.
*******************************
"That boy'll lie when the truth will do"
- Mrs. Johnson, 8th grade teacher (ca. 1970)
Still pretty good
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:51 ET by general companyEating,
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
ADK
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:16 ET by ahusserAKA- Always Drinking Kool-Aid. Hijacking another blog. Don't feed the trolls.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Yes!
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:21 ET by okiehawk44As a fellow Texan of about Rather's age the saying Dan was trying for is similar to the one about "selling ice to eskimos" -- Dan is still mentally quick enough to understand how his famous sayings are going to sound in time to change them in mid-sentence.
Yeah, or my personal fave:
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 09:12 ET by RESTLESS 1"He couldn't sell whiskey to an Indian".
I think that Dan might have caught himself in mid-sentence, as the "state trooper" part is not how I remember it. Or maybe he self edited beforehand, and honsestly thought this was an okay version.
Jer, care to delight us with how racist notions couldn't possibly come upon a liberal?
"If the man, with the power, can't keep it under control...some heads are gonna roll." -Judas Priest
No, there isn't anything inherently "black"...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:13 ET by stage9about watermelons, but this imagery is very familiar in the South as a racist designation; along the lines of saying "all blacks eat fried chicken".
Liberals are a bunch of hypocrites.
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner." — Malcolm Muggeridge
So do I. And fried chicken
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:55 ET by mattmSo do I. And fried chicken and buckwheat cakes, too....
Dead Ted
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:38 ET by MightyMouthYou have to be joking... you actually typed that? Good Lord man Rather is in up-to-his neck this time! ROFL!
"I'm madder than a midget with a yo-yo" -- Larry the cable guy.
Congratulations
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 03:24 ET by Indiana JoeYou just earned the latest "Insensitive to Racial Bigotry" award.
Don't let it go to your head. Almost everyone who's anyone has one.
I mean, are you really this out-of-touch? Try this: Fuzzy Zoeller suggested, after Tiger Woods' first Master's win, that the celebratory banquet would include fried chicken. He was ripped to shreds for that remark. Can you guess why?
Out-source Congress... back to the People!
~Ted
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:02 ET by choselife3xYou Yankee, you!
Here in the South, there used to be lots of jokes about black people and their affinity for watermelons. So much so, that I'm aware of it even though I've never heard anyone make one. All older Americans are certainly aware of it, regardless of where they're from. I can't imagine what Rather was thinking of.
"my solution is to destroy children"--mamabear's cure for poverty 12/08/09
It's really only racist
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:10 ET by Tugboat Philif it's said by a white, non-democrat. Perfectly acceptable if said by white liberals or light skinned blacks with no detectable negro dialect, unless they want one.
Gun Control - The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her own pantyhose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound.
~Sometimes I wonder
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:29 ET by choselife3xIf some liberals let this sort of thing drop out of the sheer sense of power that comes with knowing they can get away with it. Meanwhile, Republicans get crucified for much less.
"my solution is to destroy children"--mamabear's cure for poverty 12/08/09
Well, okay. I concede.
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:10 ET by Another Dead KennedyWell, okay. I concede. It must be an east coast thing. ; )
-Dead Ted
It would be interesting to
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:36 ET by balboaIt would be interesting to see where it first came from, but it's generally seen as a no-no to put the two together. (See, "Zoeller, Fuzzy")
Watching you guys spin is funnier
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:42 ET by MightyMouththan a flea circus...a barrel-o-monkey's. Like 10 clowns getting out of a little car. ROFL!
"I'm madder than a midget with a yo-yo" -- Larry the cable guy.
MM
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:59 ET by balboaWho's spinning? I haven't defended anything Rather said.
Balboa
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 23:04 ET by MightyMouthPuleeze.. You are always spinning! Rather aside. You spin, admit it Mr. Top!
"I'm madder than a midget with a yo-yo" -- Larry the cable guy.
Interesting?
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 03:30 ET by Indiana JoeWhere it first came from? Bal, you're still a card.
I'll take $200 on "The South," Alex.
Out-source Congress... back to the People!
Indiana Joe
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 12:02 ET by balboaWell I assume it's from the south, but I love finding out the history of slang.
Ted...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:24 ET by okiehawk44Some other things you may not quite understand as an easterner:
1. Eating chicken gizzards & necks was not something publicly done in polite white society
2. Greens (collard, mustard and/or turnip) were easy to find in the side yard so they were thought to be lower class fare
3. Watermelons were a particular favorite of blacks (whites ate them with delight but it was widely thought that blacks couldn't pass one up -- hence Dan Rather's "almost" remark)
There are more but you get the drift? Eh? Now my Canadian is kicking in.
Eating Crow Instead of Watermelons
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 15:56 ET by Sergeant ROCKI think it's cute how you liberal pablum pukers like to play the court jester rather than address your double-standards and hypocrisy.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
I think it's cute how you
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 15:59 ET by Another Dead KennedyI think it's cute how you conservatives resurrect a 10 day old thread just to act like a child and call people names. Very grown up, man.
-Jack
How original...
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 16:11 ET by Sergeant ROCK.. the ol' 'I know you are, what am I?' defense.. lol. What a comeback.. lol.. what are you like.. 12 years old or something?
Nice dodge and parry though, jester.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
More name calling. -Jack
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 17:20 ET by Another Dead KennedyMore name calling.
-Jack
For all of the ridiculous stuff you say
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 17:25 ET by general companyYou sure do have thin skin.
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
I know you are...
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 17:32 ET by Sergeant ROCK.. but what am I???
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Really? Try and justify
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 17:33 ET by Another Dead KennedyReally? Try and justify the name calling here. Was it deserved? Was it adult on any level? Resurrecting a 10 day old thread just to call someone names exemplifies immaturity.
-Jack
Court Jester Comes Unglued!
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 17:41 ET by Sergeant ROCKWhether it was 10 or 100 days ago, your hypocrisy (or is avoidance a better term?) on the issue of this thread is always relevant.
If you don't want to address it, just shut-up and move on to something else. Don't start whining and try to make it an 'all about your hurt feelings' thread. Hijacker..
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
More name calling, from the
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 17:59 ET by Another Dead KennedyMore name calling, from the self proclaimed king of name calling. Keep it up.
-Jack
By the way, I've been called
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 18:02 ET by Another Dead KennedyBy the way, I've been called more names on this site than you would ever know. You of all people can't do jack to hurt my feelings, but it's nice that you're trying. I'm simply pointing out in front of everyone that you're acting childish.
Keep it up.
-Jack
BOO HOO! Declares Court Jester!
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 18:10 ET by Sergeant ROCKAnd I'm just merely pointing out your dodge and parry's.
*sniff!*
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
More name calling. Keep it
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 18:16 ET by Another Dead KennedyMore name calling.
Keep it up.
-Jack
In defense of what?
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 22:04 ET by general companyTo pretend, who's buying it?
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Be careful,
Fri, 03/19/2010 - 11:16 ET by BO STINKSgc. Blonde might come back and jerk your leash for daring to touch her darling. It's hilarious that you wait til she's gone to go after ADK, though. Absolutely hilarious.
"Liberals have managed to eliminate the idea of manly honor. Instead, all they have is womanly indignation." ~Ann Coulter
Name calling---
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 17:29 ET by matthewdeanConsider it far more civilized than "sticks and stones".
Many of the remarks here at NBs', coming from whichever side of whatever issue, would, in a face-to-face situation, not end nicely.
Unfortunate, but true.
MD
Chose
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:53 ET by well99It was also used in Boston back in the 60s at least.So was fried chicken.Good thing there are no liberals in Boston.
I hope your parole officer does not hear about this
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:22 ET by SickofLibs;)
Who said anything about
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:29 ET by Another Dead KennedyWho said anything about parole? Miss Tessmacher simply dropped a rope ladder from a hot air balloon into the courtyard, and we just flew away...
-Dead Ted
→ Drupunzel
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:34 ET by Cool ArrowI think I've heard this story before.
Shhhhh... If it gets out
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:38 ET by Another Dead KennedyShhhhh... If it gets out that we drifted off to the arctic together, we might be in trouble...
-Dead Ted
I thought you had been banned ADK
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 23:19 ET by Free StinkerI thought you had been banned ADK ?
خال
And the liberals call us racist
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:52 ET by Tom in NCAnd the liberals call us racist. I guarantee this will be hushed up by the MSM. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will gladly bite their tongues.
Speaking of Jesse. The
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:01 ET by nicksmith112Speaking of Jesse.
The rest of that Fox tape never did leak out. How is that possible in this day and age??
I'm a refugee from the Democratic Party.
Didn't Jesse want to cut off
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 00:51 ET by RedNeckinaBlueStateDidn't Jesse want to cut off Obama's cojones?
This has got to be an April
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:54 ET by NattyGreeneThis has got to be an April Fool's joke. Is it April 1 already?
The whole MSNBC lineup
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:56 ET by nicksmith112The whole MSNBC lineup constantly says what an amazing speaker Obama is.
Chrissy does it every show.
I'm a refugee from the Democratic Party.
If Jesus walked across the lake to the nearly swamped boat
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:36 ET by CO2Makerwith Chris the Wide Mouth Frog in it, and then said, "Be still! Amen, amen, I say to you,..." Chris would still talk over him.
Chris is like "Radar" O'Reilly: he can hear the other person's pause coming up before anybody else, and he jumps right into the conversation ... prematurely, like Radar and Colonel Potter.
Second M*A*S*H reference in
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:38 ET by bretzysdudeSecond M*A*S*H reference in these comments here.
Yeah, but they will never
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:57 ET by bretzysdudeYeah, but they will never describe themselves as racists. It only matter what the media thinks in their own minds.
Lucy (at psychiatric booth): The problem with you is that you're too wishy-washy.
Charlie Brown: What's the difference between being wishy-washy and being humble?
Lucy (fiercely pointing at him): YOU are wishy-washy... (stops pointing, then closes her eyes in a smug manner) I am humble. (Charlie Brown rolls eyes)
Ease up on Rather. He is right!
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:02 ET by NewsbubbaObama couldn't sell watermelons or any other product from a roadside fruit stand. That is a "small business." He doesn't have a clue how to run ANY business much less a watermelon stand.
Between the union dues, health care, housing allowance, free lunch, etc, etc, etc, that he would "give" to his employees, he would have to charge $583 per watermelon! Nobody could buy watermelons for that but the government!
Wait a minute ... maybe he ain't so stupid after all?
Will that require a watermelon czar?
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:31 ET by CO2MakerMaybe a "green food" cabinet-level, tax equivocating, unconfirmed advisor?
Van Jones...
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 00:48 ET by RedNeckinaBlueStatewas the watermelon czar, green on the outside, commie red on the inside.
Bingo, we have a bingo here.
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:30 ET by TomoramaGreat posting and factually accurate. I love the sarcasm and truth being told.
This just in, Dan Rather wanted to explain that he meant to say, "Barack Obama couldn't sell Ripple to Fred Sanford even if Grady spotted him the ten spot".
Story NOT AT 11....................
A great man once said, YOU only get out of life what YOU put into it, he obviously wasn't a liberal.
Yeah........true story!!!
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 23:04 ET by killa37Yeah........true story!!! And don't forget the workman's comp, the state and federal unemployment benefits, the paid holidays, sick leave, vacation pay............and the rest of those perks that most of us 'little people' aren't privy to..............and that watermelon would have a price tag!!! And you're right.......they would be grown by the government, paid for by the government, and bought by the government..........and probably thrown away by the government...all on OUR dollar!!!!! FUBO!!!!!!
Chris Matthews completely
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:02 ET by mitchfloridaChris Matthews completely freaks out and starts talking over Dan Rather as soon as Dan says the word "watermelons". Ouch.
Good line Dan, no harm meant. But Matthews couldn't deal with it.
but but but
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:07 ET by jacktheripper"he was saying what the Republicans would say" RIGHT ADK ????
Obama "couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him a State Trooper to flag down traffic " Dan Rather 3/7/2010
→ Watermelons
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:07 ET by Cool ArrowSo now we know what Rather was really thinking.
Lemonade Stand
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:10 ET by miss911ninjaMaybe he meant to say "sell lemonade" and then had a racist brain fart. I mean, what's up with the state troopers flagging down traffic? All I could think of was a roadside stand with Obama sitting in a lawn chair under an umbrella.
State Troopers =
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:17 ET by IgnatzJFahrquartrying to tie in Sarah Palin and "Troopergate".
Just sayin'
"You should always tell the truth, because if you tell the truth you make it the other person's problem." Sean Connery
State troopers directing customers to the Waermelon Man?
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:40 ET by CO2MakerI'm not thinking of Palin and the brother-in-law affair. I'm thinking of Clinton, Paula Jones, and his use of troopers as procurers.
CO2maker
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:29 ET by ahusserA close relative of mine, during that affair (no pun intended), said the troopers were lying about Clinton. I blew it right there I interjected "Why in hell would they lie!!! Just like Kerry and the Swift Boaters: Why would they lie!!? The clues showing the truth behind these dysfunctional presidents/candidates the dems continue to foist on us or try to foist on us are always there but glossed, omitted or discounted away by the MSM until we are saddled with the clowns and wouldn't you know it, voila, bimbo eruptions, marxist eruptions or whatever the dysfunction of the week is eruption.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Dan, Dan
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:12 ET by StarAZConnect brain to mouth. A little less country, pls.
Rather not
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:15 ET by TerryWestBesides the obvious reaction to the remark I don't really want a president who can sell, I want one that can produce product that is good for my country, This presdient has failed in that miserably.
So, when libs are old and decrepit-
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:18 ET by BO STINKSthey become more HONEST about their racism - got it!
"If Democrats ever dared speak coherently about what they believe, the American people would lynch them." ~Ann Coulter
*gasp* Ageist! ;)
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:22 ET by bretzysdude*gasp* Ageist!
;)
LOL! bretzy-
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:34 ET by BO STINKSJust don't call me a retard! That might hurt my widdle feelings.
"If Democrats ever dared speak coherently about what they believe, the American people would lynch them." ~Ann Coulter
Shuster?
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:37 ET by Caringwhiteguy. . . . and David Shuster will find these watermelon references . . . ????
Good point...in the same
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:42 ET by shannon76Good point...in the same news cycle that Shuster links the "Harlem Democrat" to racism, he'll put his head in the sand for an Obama watermelon reference.
Dan Rather is Dan Rather.
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:39 ET by shannon76Dan Rather is Dan Rather. And liberals are liberals, and they're just going to pretend this didn't happen.
The hilarious part is the way Chris Matthews stepped on Dan Rather's joke (wasn't Dan Rather known for his colorful quips and colloquial sayings?). I'm actually impressed that Chris Matthews was so quick on the draw there: he heard watermelon and he interjected immediately. It makes me think that maybe Matthews wasn't cutting off Rather to stop him from embarrassing himself, but he didn't want to hear Rather say something mean about his hero.
I dunno. Maybe a little
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 16:44 ET by bretzysdudeI dunno. Maybe a little both. Liberals have to play damage control and CYA all the time.
Wait a second!
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:07 ET by stage9Isn't that a racist epithet???
"Listen he's a nice person, he's very articulate" this is what's been
used against him, "but he couldn't sell watermelons if it, you gave him
the state troopers to flag down the traffic."
Where's the outcry?
All Conservatives have done is oppose his health care bill and we're labeled racists. Dan Rather uses a racist "watermelon" illustration and nothing?
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner." — Malcolm Muggeridge
Dementia
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:16 ET by BeukeboomI honestly believe Rather is suffering from early to mid stages of dementia and no one has the nerve to diagnose it properly.
Kind of a "seedy" remark...................
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:33 ET by TomoramaBiden chimed in that he was not only "articulate, but he was clean as well" right before stepping into the 7-11 for a Squishy.
Wait,
This just in, Dan Rather wanted to explain that he meant to say, "Barack Obama couldn't sell Ripple to Fred Sanford even if Grady spotted him the ten spot".
Story NOT AT 11....................
A great man once said, YOU only get out of life what YOU put into it, he obviously wasn't a liberal.
PC Runs Wild
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:36 ET by okiehawk44Good food is good food! A good cold watermelon is a gift from God! If liking foods other cultures also like or introduced to us is racist paint me with the brush bubba.
I also like okra and greens (all of them and I'll pick my own along side the highway thank you all the same), fried chicken, and well prepared carp.
Rather is a leftist idiot of epic proportions but his reference to watermelons and blacks is no more racist than a reference to pasta and Italians or butter and the French.
~I think the point
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:43 ET by choselife3xis that if a Republican had said that, he'd be lynched by the media.
"my solution is to destroy children"--mamabear's cure for poverty 12/08/09
I Don't Like Watermelon - Well, it's okay...
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 22:19 ET by DoktorFrankenWatermelon is not only Good Food, it's Fun Food. Just think of all of the great times people have had spitting seeds at each other - perhaps even 'putting out someone's eye' just to make your mother's warning come true. Ah, memories.
Sarah Palin: The Most Dangerous Conservative In America
Actually, Obama couldn't sell virgins on a troop ship...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 18:08 ET by R D Helm...but that isn't the point.
If a conservative commentator had said what Dan said, it would be all we would be hearing about for the next three days.
-Dave
Dan Rather
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 19:52 ET by QueenMumA musical tribute
Seriously. Why does this story remind of "The Gong Show"?
God loves us; God is in control; God knows better than we do!
NB is getting Drudge punched by this one!
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 20:19 ET by MightyMouth"I'm madder than a midget with a yo-yo" -- Larry the cable guy.
No kidding, MM
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 20:38 ET by BlondePoor Dan Blather, his untoward watermelon remark will be all over the regular media tomorrow, LOL.
ChuckyT can whine all he likes, but it starts here, and goes to there.
I hope he fails, too.
Which Story Will Liberals Pounce On....
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 21:02 ET by countmein5050Republican state Sen. Roy Ashburn said Monday he is gay, ending days of speculation that began after his arrest last week for investigation of driving under the influence.
Five Wisconsin residents, including two who worked for community organizing group ACORN, were charged Monday with election fraud relating to the 2008 presidential election.
I think we need a Watermelon
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 21:05 ET by Dan DiegoI think we need a Watermelon Summit.
The point is that everyone
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 21:06 ET by CountryslimThe point is that everyone usually likes watermelon and we have a genuine Liberal saying Obama is as usless as tits on a tomcat, which is obvious to a fencepost by now.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it..
Republican Bill?
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 21:11 ET by ent"...what we have now is basically a Republican health care bill,"
Say WHAT? This is the most ludicrous thing I've read today, and I read a lot of political blogs.
Forget about the stupid
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:24 ET by killa37Forget about the stupid watermellon statement........what about the observation by Rather that this is now 'basically a Republican health care bill'...................isn't this guy supposed to know SOMETHING????? FUBO!!!!!!!
Liberal racists
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 22:33 ET by Al TealFurther proof that liberals are inherently racist. They claim to want to help the underclass black folks but all they really want to do is hold them down and herd them to the government trough.
You never hear conservatives making racist comments like these liberals: Senator Harry Reid (D-NV,) former grand wizard of the KKK, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV,) VP Joe Biden (D-DE.)
If anyone thought Dan Rather (B'lather') was not a racist pig...
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 23:02 ET by acaiguanaLet it be known, he is not only stupid, but also he is a racist.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)
It's more and more obvious
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 23:09 ET by astralweeksIt's more and more obvious who is obsessed with race---just look at which liberals have made racist comments about Obama: Harry "Negro Dialect" Reid, Bill "Just A Few Years Ago He'd Be Serving Us Coffee" Clinton, Joe "Clean And Articulate" Biden, and now Dan "Watermelon" Rather.
SilverFox Of course the
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 23:15 ET by SilverFoxSilverFox
Of course the mainstream news media will never post this comment. Good Lord!! A liberal saying something like this is just never seen on ABC or CBS or NBC.
Good job NewsBuster.........keep up informed so we can know who to vote for in November.
With Dan Rather putting his
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 23:28 ET by BeukeboomWith Dan Rather putting his foot firmly in his mouth can Mary Mapes be far behind?
Unverified, but accurate
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 00:40 ET by Scottyb4292If this cowpie that Rather has stepped into doesn't teach him that he should stay retired, nothing will.
The fact that a person is capable of uttering such an offensive comment on the air is indicative that he must talk that way all the time, and think that way all the time. Let the record show that Dan Rather is a racist.
But what is so delicious about this is that he'd said it on Chris Matthews' show. Matthews is the moron who recently said that he was struck at how for a moment there, he'd realized that he forgot the president is black. Maybe Matthews needs Rather to stick around to remind him. After all, it seems as though it's important to Matthews to be mindful of it. Why else does he think he has to keep talking about it?
Matthews has also gone to great lengths to try and make the case that Tea Partiers are racists.
These people are drowning in their own vomit.
Rather Going Rogue or Vagrant Media
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 01:09 ET by BarkerDan Rather should be fired immediately from his current position as the top Media Vagrant.
Oh wait. Nevermind.
Scourage.....
Dear Dan,
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 01:34 ET by TeamcheeserDear Dan,
You're scu-rooohed!
Sincerely,
Fuzzy
If it was Rush
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 01:44 ET by hbnolikeeegood old Al would be knocking on his door now.
Just for the record....
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 02:02 ET by BarkerI like watermelon. :^}--
Ice cold
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 02:14 ET by general companyIn the 95deg shade!
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Rathers comments and soul food menu
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 02:19 ET by Lusty InfantWhat is the big deal over the school "menu"? I am a white guy and grew up in the rural south. I grew up eating chicken, watermelon, collard greens, grits, cornbread, black eyed peas and everything else "black" folks ate. White folks like watermelon too. So you are sterotyped. So what. Who isn't. White southerners are sterotyped with a straw hat, chewing on a cattail weed, wearing short cut off overalls with a fishing pole over your shoulder or driving an old mufferless truck with a dixie battle flag plastered on the rear window and sporting a gun rack.
"Not that there's anything wrong with that..."
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 10:58 ET by RedNeckinaBlueStateBorn and raised in NYC, I love traveling south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Love the food, love the people (even though they talk kind of funny ;)
You forgot the moonshine, six-pack and daisy-dukes
Last and certainly not least there is BBQ, be it Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, bring it on!
Forgot
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:32 ET by ahusserthe grits.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Watermelon In Easter Hay
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 03:12 ET by balinPlease don't be ignorant.
This symbol has been used for years.
The left is racist. Always has been, always will be.
They just never see it in themselves.
http://img137.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18230_watermelon_man_123_766l...
http://img186.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18232_460px_Whar_de_watermelo...
http://img247.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18233_95177_123_451lo.jpg
http://img142.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18238_darkey_in_a_watermelon1...
http://img45.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18238_watermelon2_123_657lo.jp...
http://img247.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18239_watermelonA_123_491lo.j...
Cleanup on aisle 4 - quick
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 08:33 ET by SickofLibsCleanup on aisle 4 - quick
Oh, there's MUCH more to mine here!
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 03:45 ET by Indiana JoeForget the "racist" comment that some (hello, ADK!) don't seem to "get."
"Yes because what we have now is basically a Republican health care bill... "
WHAT??? Did he say... but he can't possibly.... What's that frequency again?
"...but I think the President finally putting his whole sack in on it... "
His what? He said what? Shouldn't a (former) network news anchor be more ... <ahem>... articulate? And when wasn't BO putting his whole... weight... behind the HC bill? I missed that part.
And Mitchell finally admits it in so many words: "...it has to win or else this presidency is in serious..." and "They've got to make it happen."
It's about legacy, folks. In his first term. Less than 2 years into his first term. It's about making history. Just like his election. Doesn't matter if it's good or bad, right or wrong. Just, "we're gonna make history!" Of course, most of us like-minded people here knew this, but here's the admission.
Screw you. Screw me. Screw America. They have to "make it happen."
Out-source Congress... back to the People!
He may not be able to sell watermelons......
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 08:10 ET by Ozconservativebut at least he is "clean" and "articulate" with "no "discernable dialect"
Truth is absolute, truth is supreme, truth is never disposable in national political life - John Howard, Australian Prime Minister
Chris Who?
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 08:47 ET by Mikeyh0The only time I hear about Chris Mathews - and I am really tired of hearing from him - is when some article picks up a sliver of his show and makes something out of it. Ordinarily, the guy is a dolt. I think that paring down some of the noise is a good idea and starting with Mathews is a good idea, too. Let's just not pay him any mind - maybe he will go away. Seriously, what does he add to the publice debate that isn't copied over and over by better newscasters and phony journalists?
Not a good idea.
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:40 ET by ahusserConstant monitoring of these dolts who do have media airtime no matter how small an audience is a must. They need to be ridiculed as the jerks they and air out their insane/inane comments for all to see. Matthews was angling for a position in the current administration. Ed Schultz was considering running for office. These guys are on a national TV "news" media outlet. They aren't on a 1 station AM radio circuit.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Time for a meeting with the
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 09:02 ET by bse5150Time for a meeting with the race-baiting, poverty pimps - Sharpton, Jackson, all the rest of them. He needs reeducation, penance, public service - maybe it would help if he walked through Harlem on his knees. God knows if anyone but a Democrat had said this, the media would be trying to start a race war.
Rascism
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 09:23 ET by 10ksnookerhas a long and storied history in the Democrat party. I wonder why the blacks all vote for Democrats. One of life's many mysteries.
Is Rathe a Republican?
It's Over Dan
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 09:45 ET by richardLook in the mirror, see a loser - It's over Dan. GoodBye
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:01 ET by jessieHThat's the first time I have ever agreed with Rather. Maybe there is hope for him, yet.
Rather odd~
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 12:03 ET by Georgia GirlIt seems like one of those comments where he was trying to think of something clever to say, and it was the first thing that came to mind. Why that example came to mind (especially in the dead of winter) is a little puzzling.
But I certainly agree with his overall meaning. ^_^
Dan Rather: "This race [ist] is humming along like Ray Charles"
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 12:08 ET by StewartIIIChickaBOOMer -- Dan Rather: "This race [ist] is humming along like Ray Charles"
http://chickaboomer.blogspot.com/2010/03/dan-rather-this-race-ist-is-humming.html
Dan Rather's been washed up
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 12:35 ET by wiwfDan Rather's been washed up for 6 years. Why should we keep listening to him?
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
More than 6
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 16:55 ET by BeukeboomMore than 6 years.
What's the frequency, Kenneth?
Dan "O.J." Rather
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 14:42 ET by j17ghsRather should have been arrested for his vicious and false attack on Bush's National Guard record just prior to the 2004 election. But we no longer enforce laws on treason, do we? If we did, his cellmates should be Jane Fonda, John Kerry, Obama and most bureaucrats in D.C. and Cronkite would be convicted posthumously. They should be deep in the bowels of a prison in Cuba so he could experience the politics he supports.
Democrats have always been racists, they just pretend to support blacks so they can continue their covert agenda to destroy this country, in part, as revenge for losing the Civil War. (And what better way to ruin the country than to have blacks run the government, as Sen. Robert "Sheets" Byrd and his good buddies and Confederate racists LBJ and Bill Moyer would say secretly.)
But What Better Cover for Racists
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 17:11 ET by countmein5050than to hide within the liberal party that supposedly 'hunts racists' with such passion?
What about those who secretly covet and embrace the homosexual lifestyle while making such a public stand against gays? These people aren't in trouble for being in the wrong place at the wrong time....they're in trouble for being liars and hypocrites about it. Choices are made...don't lie about it and don't blame others because you did it. Liberals ARE hiding racists...but they protect their liars and hypocrites..excuse the lies and hypocrisy and allow them passes for all of it. The same liberals will assault and destroy Republicans for the very same thing.
The bias is deadly...I know while liberals are quick to throw another liberal under the bus the minute they cease to be of value to them (and pray turning from liberalism never becomes grounds for treason and punishable by death)...Republicans don't bury their sick and injured.