Is the Romney/Ryan campaign trying to "niggerize" Obama?
 

A black reporter on MSNBC used the word "Niggerize" to describe the incessant characterization of the President as "angry & divisive." This brought the expected howls of outrage from the right. The reporter gave a qualified apology in response to the Romney/Ryan ticket's demand for a retraction and an apology. He regreted the choice of the word niggerize but not for his contention that the Romney campaign is using coded race hate speech.
I agree with this contention in case you were wondering. The use of the descriptive angry plays into that common narrative that blacks are angry and to be feared. Flame away.

Meh. If the right is trying to do it then the message hasn't hit the mainstream. I certainly have never detected Romney playing a race card. I think he is above that with his Michigan roots.

It might be that political drum beaters on the right are trying to play a crazy nigger song but even if they are it will only be good music to the radical right. The Republican party already has their vote so no gain there.

The black reporter might have lost swing voters by appearing paranoid.

I think it was more that reporter's own sensitivity to racial issues (or the desire to make a splash) than it was Romney playing the angry, uppity Negro card. That said, it's a bit humorous/ironic to watch the GOP candidate decry gutter politics.

Would you think his religious roots would trump his geographic roots?

I wrote about six replies and realized that I don't understand the question. Please clarify.

Mormons believed that blacks of African decent were cursed by God and given black skin so whites would know who not to "mix" with. Some say that early Mormons believe black were black and cursed because they are the products of white men having intercourse with animals.

It's also well documented that the church would not let black men in the priesthood right up until '78. I better add to this that for a Mormon man the priesthood is everything. It is nothing akin to what one who is not familiar with Mormonism would think of when they hear the word "priesthood". It has nothing to do with leading the services like one would envision a catholic priest doing. Mormon males start into the priesthood at the age of 12. There are several levels of priesthood. As you get older and are active and paying your tithe you get more and more secrets of the priesthood.........

Having not seen the interview or remember hearing anything from the 2RR's I would place a race label on. But can't say that about their supporters though.



Barney

My exposure to Mormon thought is limited to Heather Armstrong's blog at Dooce.com. Given that, I believe that being raised in the Mormon faith does not equate to liking it or buying into all of the tenets.

With Romney's experience in governance I also believe that he has been exposed to different angles of the intersection of faith and lawmaking and has learned to round off most hard edges that might exist in Mormon extremes. A simple reading of Martin Luther King, Jr's letter from a Birmingham jail would be enough to do most of the heavy grinding. I would like to think he has read it.

It would be interesting to ask whether he has read the letter and his take on its wisdom.

Here is the letter for curious readers:
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles...irmingham.html

Mitt and Ryan have been contending and complaining all this week about how Obama is being "angry, hateful, divisive and a robber" in their every speech. Mitt even called for the President to take it back to Chicago.WTF?

The "angry black man" epithet is commonly used as a dismissive and/or crass attempt at marginalization. Blacks see it as coded hate speech or as this reporter succinctly put it, "niggerization."

I don't see the "angry" label being applicable to the President at all, so what else is left? It isn't my imagination running away with me.;)

Rex is making a good point about Mitt being a Mormon, it doesn't sit well at all with the right wing evangelical base of the Republican Party and a black man in the White House also does not sit well with that faction. I believe Mitt is very worried that the evangelicals are going to sit this one out and is pandering to their baser instincts.

Maybe it's all of those angry Dixiecrats that joined the Repubs after LBJ signed the Equal Rights act?