There Is No Nobel Prize For Congeniality

When Tiger Woods entered the clubhouse of the Augusta National Golf Club during April of 1997 he was very much aware that he had a very temporary pass. No people of color were allowed to become members. During the next 4 days he pummeled the field and won by 12 strokes. When Fuzzy Zoeller made his unfortunate remarks about Tiger after the tournament he (Fuzzy) was emphatically and immediately silenced. Today there are no signs with Tiger depicted as Hitler or the devil lining the fairways. This is what happens when things are immediately and effectively dealt with.

When Joe Wilson shouts out he is clearly playing to his racist base. This is so evident that even Jimmy Carter can see it. Congressman Wilson appears to not believe it proper to have a man of color running the ship. Yet there is not the same power to respond to him that silenced Fuzzy. When Glenn Beck makes some comments about Van Jones it is Jones that gets thrown under the bus. As a result we lose another marvelously intelligent and articulate voice.

This past weekend in Washington clearly demonstrated the growing racist cancer that the Republican strategy is fostering under the guise of health care reform protest. What was said there and in the town hall fiascos screams how the Republicans are masters at getting people to act and vote in ways that are not in their own self interest. It also demonstrates how pathetic the Democratic party is in mounting any potent response.

When Don Imus made his "nappy haired hoes" comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team he was thrown off the air. It was a rare moment in which decency triumphed. But Imus is an insignificant flea compared to the likes of Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly, and many others who get paid by Rupert Murdoch. To the outside observer it appears that the Obama administration can easily be pushed around. Mr. President, how many times do you have to be spit on before you realize that the answer to your "Can't we be friends pleas?" is a resounding no?

I fear that unless the growing racist tide is stopped we will be heading towards major disaster. I am not advocating any policy that would increase the chances of another civil war. Yet since your adversaries are so fond of Hitler comparisons, the appeasement of the 1930's clearly didn't work. When Vice President Cheney was asked about the growing public dissent about the Iraq war his response was "So?". I am not advocating for his clear indifference and disdain. We may never recover from the Bush administration. But they got their things done! They weren't involved in a beauty pageant or trying to win the Nobel Prize for congeniality.

Your speech to the joint session was eloquent but left me less satiated than a Chinese food dinner. Not only was I hungry 20 minutes later I was disappointed with the chef. What you appear to be advocating for now with health care is a watered down version of what you campaigned on. My fear is that even if you do get a bill passed it will indeed be your Waterloo. Because in the process the message to be learned is not that you won. The message will be that you can be bullied and you can be demeaned. This will embolden your adversaries as they smell the blood of your pyrrhic victory.