No Black Face on A Greenback?

No Black Face on A Greenback?

By Tim Graham (Bio | Archive)
August 1, 2008 - 11:15 ET

Sometimes, when the MRC makes up artificial quotes from media mouths for our April Fools edition of Notable Quotables, we're just a little ahead of our time. With Obama's racial remarks about how his face doesn't look like all the white faces on the currency, it matches what we imagined Bryant Gumbel asking the Treasury Secretary on NBC's Today in 1996. (Remember, this is a fake. It's fake but perhaps accurate):

"With the new one-hundred-dollar note coming out this week, many in the African-American community wonder why Franklin, one of the architects of a Constitution that institutionalized slavery and set the framework for the excesses of the Reagan years, is still being honored. With billions in currency transferring hands, much of it passing through African-American hands, there has never been a black face on a greenback. Why?"

Gumbel could be Obama's running mate. Gumbel's sing-song "Why" was one of his trademark questioning tics. Hat tip to former MRC staffer Jim Forbes, who "coined" this question at the time.

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I've got another "why" for ya, Bryant...

August 1, 2008 - 11:29 ET by sarcasmo

Why do lefties like you (and most of the political right, too, come to think of it) seem to care so damn much about what's printed on the piece of paper, and so incredibly little, despite the plain words of our Founders & Constitution, about what's actually behind it?
JMR

The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.

Mr. Graham:

August 1, 2008 - 13:04 ET by j. frank wilson

You wrote: "With Obama's racial remarks about how his face doesn't look like all the white faces on the currency..."

Sen. Obama did not say his face doesn't look like all the white faces. "White" is your word - not his.

How do you know Sen. Obama's remarks (sic) were "racial?" Perhaps he was speaking about his age vs. those on our one and five dollar bills.

You put a good spin on that one....

August 1, 2008 - 13:44 ET by ForeverOnTheRight

I am feeling dizzy. It's a nuanced statement that can be denied with, "I didn't say that, I meant this." But what he meant was that I don't have a white face like all those on the currency, he just didn't come out and say it that way. He'd be in deep, if he had. A lot of racial statements are nuanced, face it, most racists know they are wrong and they nuance their statements so that it can be denied.

ForeverOnTheRight:

August 1, 2008 - 16:51 ET by j. frank wilson

While I would agree with much of what you wrote, it does not change the fact that Mr. Graham added the word "white" and entirely on his own hook deemed Sen. Obama's statement to be racist.

hmm... he might also have

August 1, 2008 - 14:23 ET by SickofLibs

hmm... he might also have been referring to the old-fashioned clothing or hair styles.

One doesn't always have to

August 1, 2008 - 20:43 ET by GregE

One doesn't always have to say it directly. Obama knew that if he said "white" he removes any benefit of any doubt anyone would want to give him and his supporters when they claim it's not what he meant, but instead he meant this or that. He meant their race, plain and simple. Similar to his statement a couple months ago regarding how he said something along the lines of "We know what the Republicans are gonna be saying" then mentioned his "funny name" and finishing off with "did I mention he's black?"

In that situation, he said it directly. This time, he worked around race in direct wording, by simply using a comparison that nearly everyone would see as talking about the "white" faces on our currency, yet allows a small opening for an excuse or spin if the reception would have turned out to be overwhelmingly negative on him. If one says it directly, there is no opening to make an excuse. If almost directly but not quite, there is that "just in case" opening. I believe even those trying to spin for him actually know too, but are still spinning for him. Some don't know it and are genuine in their defense of it. But I think most people know it.

frank

August 2, 2008 - 14:13 ET by candance

Let's get some reality here. Obama routinely accuses Republicans of attacking his ethnic name and insinuating he's Muslim. That's exactly what he said in that *full quote* from the other day...

They're gonna try to say 'well, you know, he's got a funny name and he dudn't look like all the presidents on the dollar bills'

First off McCain hasn't said anything close to that and wasn't planning on saying that, so Obama is flat out lying about "Republican scare tactics" in order to scare people himself.

Secondly he said nothing about being "younger" or "more unconventional" than presidents passed. He specifically drew attention to his ethnicity and then admitted that he looks different. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to connect those dots.

Your explanation requires a willing suspension of simple logic.

Blustering and Strutting

August 1, 2008 - 13:38 ET by Cella

This guy reminds me of the "rooster who thought he brought the dawn."

Obama's face doesn't belong on any currency because he is as phony as a two dollar bill.

Cella, don't mean to be too

August 1, 2008 - 13:47 ET by MassConserv

Cella, don't mean to be too nit-picky, but the phrase is "phony as a three dollar bill."

There is a real two dollar bill.

LINK: For reference.

Name Your Poison

August 1, 2008 - 14:02 ET by Cella

Okay, let's try it again.

Obama is as phony as a ------------------(fill in the blank)

LOL, Cella. Naw, that

August 1, 2008 - 14:16 ET by MassConserv

LOL, Cella.

Naw, that doesn't work either. I don't have the imagination. ;-)

Possibly there is an

August 1, 2008 - 13:45 ET by BuffNBone

Possibly there is an opening on a Ruble note, Cuban Peso, or the Yuan.

"Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"

Didn't THE ONE say his

August 1, 2008 - 13:52 ET by Jack Bauer

Didn't THE ONE say his face...

"doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.''

Just wondering.. how many Presidents' faces have appeared on dollar bills?

Vote 4 change. Vote 4 anything. See Jack & Mr Shy's first campaign ad for the ONLY viable 3rd party candidate.

If you assume the one

August 1, 2008 - 14:04 ET by sarcasmo

Then "only Washington" is the answer. But TJ appears on the $2, Lincoln on the $5, Hamilton on the $10, Jackson on the $20, Grant on the $50, McKinley on the $500, Cleveland on the $1000, Madison on the $5000, and (ugh!) Woodrow Wilson, America's worst President ever in many ways, on the $10,000. That makes a total of 10, unless I'm missing something [Edit: Hamilton never quite made it to President because he had an affair!].
JMR

The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.