Bob Shrum has made an addition to the growing list of things you can't say about Obama, because it's racist: don't you dare suggest Obama's never done anything hard.
Dem Shrum issued his diktat while debating Ed Rogers, a veteran of the Reagan and Bush 41 White Houses, on today's Hardball. Shrum seized on and distorted Rogers' statement, manifestly made in the political sense, that Obama had "never done one hard thing," to play the race card.
View video here.
Matthews lit the fuse with a seemingly innocuous question to Shrum about how Obama would govern.
BOB SHRUM: I think he'll be a pragmatist if he wins. I think he will have Republicans in the cabinet. I think he'll propose national health care reform, and I think he'll give tax cuts to the middle class. And I think people will say "that's pretty much what we want." And then he's going to have to go on and face some of the big challenges that we have, which is how do we prepare to compete with China, India, educate our kids: stuff like that.ED ROGERS: Everything that's easy to be done in Washington has been done. We need a president who can do hard things. He's never done one hard thing in his life, he's --
SHRUM: Oh, that's not true. Let me tell you something. Somebody from the South [Rogers has Alabama roots] shouldn't say that a black person running for president has never done a hard thing in his life.
ROGERS: Don't you ever go there. Obama's never done one hard thing in his life.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Alright, I'll do this, Bob. Let's drop this.
Even Matthews was evidently abashed by Shrum's crude race baiting, cutting Shrum off as he did. Rogers's statement speaks for itself: it is obvious he was saying that Obama has no history of demonstrating political courage, of bucking his party on anything important. This is a point the McCain campaign has been hammering for months.
Note: This was actually the second run-in between Rogers and Shrum in the course of the segment. Earlier [I've reversed the segments in the video clip to follow the line of discussion here], when Rogers was describing Obama's redistributionist agenda, the suave Shrum accused Rogers of uttering a "lie" no fewer than seven, count 'em, times in eleven seconds.
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.





















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I think it shows how cheap
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 17:33 ET by Chris NormanI think it shows how cheap and easy the accusation of "racism" has become when old white men start throwing it out.
From the picture, it looks like they were arguing while Chris Matthews passed a kidney stone...
McNotObama '08
Normal look
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 17:50 ET by FOXFANI have noticed that most liberals have that passing a kidney stone or constipated look on their face. I saw this and couldn't believe it, it wasn't racism.
That race card
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 18:13 ET by 10ksnookerIsn't going to make it past the election. It's totally outlived it's usefulness.
Good thing
Wed, 10/29/2008 - 10:01 ET by cvgbuckeyeI guess thats why I am not in politics because after that exchange, I would have gotten on a plane and flew to the city that Shrumm(?) was in, taken a cab to his office and kicked his a$$ and then bailed myself out of the hoosegow afetr having been arrested for assault.
Woe to the man that decides to look me in the face and call me a racist OR a liar. That will bring consequences that he did not expect.
Easy for Shrum to counter-
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 18:10 ET by BDEasy for Shrum to counter- Just list the great non-campaigning related accomplishments of Barack Obama.
When we see that mighty list as constituted by Shrum we will all fall quiet from a respectful awe... (sarc off)
where the frack has this
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:14 ET by TruthMongerwhere the frack has this lack fo experience attack been the past month?!?!?!
dammit the GD MSM pondscum actually has people questioning Palin's experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WTF?!?!?!?
conservative pundits are either way too little way too late, or completely incompetent dolts
infuriating as hell
We are getting BARACKED!.
Wed, 10/29/2008 - 09:46 ET by BDWe are getting BARACKED!. That meaning any criticism is written off as racism by the left.
the problem is...
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 03:43 ET by dr_devil_dogthe conservative pundits didnt have a nail to hang their hat on with obama. have you read the nonsense they have tried to pass off as fact? america saw through the right wing media blitzkrieg and said "whoa, we got duped by these guys last time and we wound up with eight years of complete incompetence, why don't we go with the guy who seems like he knows what he's talking about." sorry guys, you can keep talking about the evil MSM but the reality is that until republicans stop voting for "people they'd like to have a beer with" instead of "people who can do their jobs", your gonna be a bunch of sniveling losers.
You are being sarcastic?
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 10:06 ET by BDYou are being sarcastic?
Nope I dont think so
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 10:15 ET by general companyThey win the election and we are the snivling losers.
But then they were the one above the frey the last 8 years. {now that is sarcasim}
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
News Flash Chrissy... It
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 18:16 ET by Clear thinkerNews Flash Chrissy...
It is starting to dawn on people that it's Obama that is the racist. No, I am NOT kidding!
Obama Is A Racist
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
hmm
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 03:43 ET by dr_devil_dogits starting to dawn on me that you are a complete moron.
Racist-Racist-Racist-Racist-Racist-Racist-Racist
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 18:44 ET by Gary HallRacist-Racist-Racist-Racist-Racist-Racist-Racist
Hey Mark. This is getting so ridiculous. Do we have a list of all of the folks (I suspect mostly journalists and/or Obama team members) who have pulled out the racist charges now?
I suspose that is a racist question, eh? (;~> gary
i am not racism but i
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 18:48 ET by hirogen73i am not racism but i refuse to veto for barack obama at this time. and it not because he is black at this time. it because he pals around with terorits and lunches his campagn for president in the living room of that terorits revered wright.
besdies you are not racism if you dont veto for barack obama at this time. if you veto for john maccain you are not racism. you are racism if you dont like those black people but i like lot of them at this time and i am not racism at this time because i veto for maverick right.
i am tried of racism talk
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 18:51 ET by hirogen73i am tried of racism talk because if you veto for john maccain you are racism at this time. that stupid because i would veto for john maccain if he was black at this time because we need maverick and i would veto for a black maverick so i am not racism and i veto for sarah palin and she is a lady at this time so i am not prejidiced so the should tell chris matthew to stop talking racism at this time and it not right.
Bob Shrum?!
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 19:29 ET by TexndocIsn't he the poster boy for losing Democratic campaigns? I thought his national record was 0-for-8 as people like Sean Hannity always reminded him to his face. Not watching MSNBC, I had no idea where he, like a slimy film on old running water, drifted to.
If they keep throwing out
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 20:24 ET by mostlymoderateIf they keep throwing out accusations of "racist" where it isn't deserved, I assume people will just start considering it a compliment because they will know they won the debate.
It is racist to mention the holy sacred name of Obama
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 20:51 ET by jefflebowskiLet's face it...the "racism" card has been played out and no longer has any meaning whatsoever. What is a racist? Depends on who you ask. To Lebowski, I have always believed that a racist is a white person who doesn't do or say what the Old Media or blacks want them to do or say. I know I've mentioned this before but it just keeps coming back.
I'm a racist, you're a racist!
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.com
sacred name?
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 20:58 ET by LionKingBarry Soetoro???
We can't say Uh-uh-uhbama's name ?
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:01 ET by Free StinkerWe can't say Uh-uh-uhbama's name ?
"Dewey defeats Truman!" --Chicago Tribune, 1948
In his name
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:08 ET by LionKingIn his name, Obamessiah, we PAY !!!
[ i crack myself up sometimes ]
Free, you KNOW you're a racist!
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:23 ET by jefflebowskiIt's comments like that..ridiculing the Messiah's holy name....that will keep you in trouble!
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.com
I thought Bill Clinton would turn out to be The Anti-Christ
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:26 ET by Free StinkerAnd all this time I thought Bill Clinton would turn out to be The Anti-Christ. That was before I heard about "The One"
i dont think you are a
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 22:10 ET by hirogen73i dont think you are a racism because you do not veto for barack obama at this time. i think you are a racism if you say racism thing to black people or something racism to them sometime but not if you dont veto for him. it just meant that you like somebody else better at this time and because you like a maverick at this time and wan john maccain at this time to be president because he will move to washington and clean up washington and get rid of pork project and make them famous like when i saw him on the news. so dont be called a racism at this time because i will veto for john maccain if he is black but he is not he is white but that not why i veto for him, right.
god save us
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 03:34 ET by dr_devil_dogdo you think this guy could ace that pop quiz that the republicans sprung on voters in their effort to 'prove' that people who voted for obama were ignorant? doubtful.
I assume english is his
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 10:07 ET by BDI assume english is his second language. What is your excuse?
Somebody should keep a
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:36 ET by TN MomSomebody should keep a daily list how many times the word racist is uttered the next seven days.
Whenever someone uses the word 'racist', it should be automatically assumed that they are a COWARD. The very word, 'racist' is ment to stop a person dead-cold in their tracks (like shooting someone in the back), to whollap a heavy dose of guilt to denounce anyone who would disagree with them. Cowards indeed.
Solution!
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:38 ET by jaywlThe Obama Man is, after all, half white. I claim him to be like me, that is white, not black. It is commonly said that all whites are racists, in some respect, and no black can be a racist. That applies if a racist is being a racist opposite the other race. Therefore, since no black can be a racist against his own, no white can be a racist against his own, the whites. So, since I claim Obama as a white, I cannot say racial things about him, because he is the same as I. He is a pig sucking, scalded dog chasing Socialist money redistributing Democrat. So there!
When, oh when will people
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 21:48 ET by HockeyKidWhen, oh when will people realize that Shrum is a low-life hack whose guidance has lost every presidential race he's ever touched? Maybe this little exchange will finally take him off the MSM's favored invites list.
Or maybe he can land the role of Boss Hogg in the next "Dukes of Hazzard" remake. Personality, intellect, and tact seem to match up. Tellingly, though, Sorell Booke was acting when exhibiting those traits. Shrum? It's all Bob, baby.
Sure he's done something
Wed, 10/29/2008 - 10:59 ET by wiwfSure he's done something hard! He married Michelle!That deserves a freakin' medal.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
hmmm
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 03:28 ET by dr_devil_dogeveryone on this site seems to be blissfully unaware of how ignorant they sound. i feel like im in a diving bell of stupidity. it would be funny if i didnt think you morons were serious.
We have just elected an intelligent and capable man to govern our country, something that has been severely lacking for the last eight years (no thanks to all you imbeciles). This man has promised to be what a majority of americans want in a president, he has provided an exit strategy from the morass of simplicity that people on this site seem to crave.
The concept of a dumb president has been shuttled up to the attic for another eight years because in times of crises people want someone smart and capable, therefore mccain/palin became a laughingstock and the people quickly turned back to the left for a way out of the wet paper bag that the republican party has stuck them in.
obama will of course shred this paper bag and release america back into prosperity and in eight years we will most likely be visited by another republican asshole. its a very predictable cycle. i wish you luck in eight years, your party will have another chance to pull on the reigns of freedom, peace and prosperity, setting us back god knows how far. then of course, another democrat will be elected and another slight gain toward the future and on and on.
if you are still republican after eight years of dubya then you are a traitor to your country. you are NO american. you should be embarrassed to show your face in public with the things you say in these comments. you are literally traitorous to the constitution, to your fellow americans, to your country. i will pray for you poor, blind, lost, benedict arnolds tonight