Outrageous. That's explicitly racist.
Posted by andgarden at June 11, 2008 06:06 PMIf conservatives have any hope at all come November, they will have to go racist early, stay racist, and let the racist votes add to their column.
Posted by obelus at June 11, 2008 06:48 PMFox news is racist. It is made up of greedy, narcissistic, men.
When America regains it's consciousness, this swill will no longer pass. But we're still drugged.
First we have to wake up. Then, fight the bastards. This will be challenging stolen all the money and rewritten the laws.
Posted by suzanne at June 11, 2008 06:50 PMi have a hunch this type of racism will cause a major backlash.
Posted by Turkana at June 11, 2008 06:50 PMI agree Turkana
Posted by suzanne at June 11, 2008 06:52 PMSo, E.D. Hill is gone. Well that was fast. I guess Media Matters pressure worked.
Michelle, an accomplished woman, is treated with absolutely no respect. I would venture to say that she is more accomplished than half of the nitwits on Fox. The problem with Fox is going to be in keeping their hatred for blacks and women in check. Their license should be pulled immediately. Remember what happened to Imus for thinking he was cute.
I feel utter contempt and disgust for these people.
Posted by Judith#1 at June 11, 2008 06:52 PMShuster on MSNBC said Hillary had Chelsea out pimping for her.
He's still around. But it's good to see the outrage after twelve months of silence.
Posted by jmac at June 11, 2008 07:02 PMWell, it is easy to see that there will be a zero tolerance policy of disrespect towards Michelle Obama in contrast to what was allowed, nay cheered on, towards Hillary Clinton on MSNBC and CNN and elsewhere.
Hmmmm. Wonder why the difference?
Posted by Anon at June 11, 2008 07:03 PMHow is "Obama's Baby Mama" racist? I don't even understand what it means. But it doesn't have racial connotations to me.
Posted by at June 11, 2008 07:05 PMJust ... holy farkin wow.
I think it's clear this campaign is gonna both unhinge and expose Fox "News" like nothing ever has or could. Mark my words, before this is over Rupert's Shack o' Lies will have self-destructed even as a wingnut brand.
Yay.
Posted by Sharkbabe at June 11, 2008 07:07 PMwell, i and some others have written quite a bit about the misogyny directed at clinton. this is every bit as despicable and unacceptable, but you're right- now even the obamablogs might decide misogyny is bad. but this is pure fox- sexist and racist all at once.
Posted by Turkana at June 11, 2008 07:08 PMI almost croaked when Media Matters sent me an email after Obama was hit with the Wright scandal (yelling it was started by Fox). The first hit he had to take - he was wrapped in velvet up to that point.
THAT'S WHY HILLARY SUPPORTERS ARE SO UPSET!!!! Get it?Nothing, nothing from Media Matters when Hillary was being slaughtered.
And now the race card played yet again. Don't touch Obama or you're as racist as Bill and Hillary Clinton.
jmac,
media matters was all over msnbc for their misogyny against hillary, and eric boehlert, in particular, was sharply critical of those who took her words out of context to create dishonest smears. media matters has been great!
Posted by Turkana at June 11, 2008 07:13 PMI can't believe that screen grab. What are they, Us Magazine? The Enquirer?
Then again, I can't believe this thread.
Posted by idiosynchronic at June 11, 2008 07:19 PMTurkana, I don't know what email list you're on, but I NEVER got an email from them until Obama was hit.
Posted by jmac at June 11, 2008 07:21 PMi'm not on any email list, but i regularly visit their site.
Posted by Turkana at June 11, 2008 07:24 PMWhere were you guys? The captions under CNN and MSNBC with Hillary slurs were constant. NOW you're upset?
This is too funny.
Posted by jmac at June 11, 2008 07:28 PMjmac,
i have written plenty about the media's treatment of hillary- it's been one of my constant themes.
Posted by Turkana at June 11, 2008 07:32 PMHello, I work at Media Matters and Media Matters was among the most prominent of voices discussing the coverage - particularly at MSNBC - attacking Sen. Clinton. See here or here. Also numerous action alerts were sent out. It was largely because of Media Matters why Chris Matthews apologized on air.
Posted by Oliver Willis at June 11, 2008 07:36 PMOliver, I just signed a Media Matters petition only yesterday about the "terrorist fist job" comment. What occurred to force E. D. Hill off Fox so fast?
Posted by Judith#1 at June 11, 2008 07:46 PMI can't even begin to write just how inappropriate and offensive that is.
Posted by Lawyer Mama at June 11, 2008 07:46 PMBy-the-way, your organization has and continues to be of great value to this Country.
Posted by Judith#1 at June 11, 2008 07:48 PMOliver from Media Matters - do you recall the email sent out when the MSM picked up the Wright controversy from Fox? Media Matters sent me an email and asked for my help.
I never ever received an email from Media Matters on media coverage about Clinton and asking for my help in stopping the outrage.
Posted by jmac at June 11, 2008 07:48 PMSome people still have their integrity. Turkana is one of those people
Posted by andgarden at June 11, 2008 08:06 PMMichelle Obama is hot! Living in last month is not!
Get on the damn train, grudgers. Your candidate herself has requested it.
Posted by Sharkbabe at June 11, 2008 08:08 PMjmac, you want Oliver Willis to go through the Media Matters email system and investigate why you get some emails and not others? Shall he have a look at your spam folder settings if that doesn't turn up the answers you're looking for?
Posted by Lawnguylander at June 11, 2008 08:09 PMRacism is not a characteristic of individuals; it is a characteristic of communities. Racism can only flourish with the (at least tacit) approval of the community. In the presidential election, the community is the entire country, and a large part of the Republican campaign will hinge on finding acceptable ways for people to be racist. That's what the Rev. Wright flap was all about, and it's what the coming assault from Floyd Brown over Obama's record on crime will be about.
We need to throw this crap back in their faces and expose it for what it is.
Posted by NR at June 11, 2008 08:11 PMYes, Turkana is fair. No, I don't want media mattes to search for a blanket email that they sent out on Hillary because I don't think there was one.
But someone on CNN called Hillary a bitch. She was called a racist by Herbert at the NY Times when she pointed out Obama had lost the white middle class after the Wright scandal. She used the term 'white' because when a reporter mentioned to Obama he had lost the middile class he replied "I get the black middle class". When she made her statement Herbert wrote she might as well have said, "Don't vote for him, he's black black black. That's ridiculous.
I don't know if Turkana posted the video of Axelrod (?) calling Hilary a bitch on CNN, but it seems a whole lot harsher than calling Michelle baby mama.
Posted by jmac at June 11, 2008 08:29 PMJmac--
I don't know anyone who denies that there was sexism in the coverage of Hillary. In fact there were PLENTY of people who complained about Hillary's mistreatment as well as the racism that Obama's campaign faced. (Although if memory serves correctly Hillary herself did deny that there was any racism against Obama in the campaign.) Hillary herself has said that sexism isn't responsible for her loss. Do you or do you not agree with Hillary?
Although I'd also argue that what you're seeing on the screen grab above isn't sexism against the Obamas-- it's RACISM.
Posted by zoe from pittsburgh at June 11, 2008 08:32 PMA while back, there was a story going around the right wing sites that told of Michelle Obama introducing BO as her baby's daddy. I have no idea what, if any, foundation there was for that. Maybe these folks thing they're being cute by referring to MO as the baby's mama.
That said, I don't see how it's racist. It seems disrepectful and crude, but I don't get the racism charge.
Posted by at June 11, 2008 08:38 PMJmac--
This isn't about Hillary anymore. Sounds like you're not ready to venture beyond NoQuarter or Hillaryis44 yet. Why don't you go and hang out there until you're ready to move onto discussing the general election?
Posted by zoe from pittsburgh at June 11, 2008 08:39 PMNo, I don't want media mattes to search for a blanket email that they sent out on Hillary because I don't think there was one.
Someone from Media Matters has just told us they did action alerts about the media's coverage of Hillary. Why should we believe you over him?
Posted by NR at June 11, 2008 09:10 PMJmac, totally agree. Anon, hmmmmmm is right.
Seems like in the struggle for universal suffrage of the 1800's race trumped gender....the sexism against Hillary, WHICH STILL CONTINUES, has NOT been address to the point that any correction will be made...and already we are back to race.
Posted by roberta at June 11, 2008 09:32 PMMedia Matters sent out alerts
-- When Chris Matthews said Sen. Clinton won her seat because her husband cheated on her
-- When David Shuster said Chelsea was being pimped out
-- When Alex Castellanos called HRC a "white bitch" on CNN
This attack from Fox News is calling a successful mother of two the same as a loose woman who lets herself get pregnant from a street hustler. I can't imagine why someone might consider that racist.
Posted by Oliver Willis at June 11, 2008 09:34 PMRoberta,
AMEN!
The misogyny towards Hillary continues unchecked despite the fact that she's out, while even the sniff of racism sends all us liberals over the top screaming.
Also, - I'll ask again since the question upthread was never answered: what is racist about this?
Posted by Anon at June 12, 2008 03:58 AMAfter this disgusting primary season, filled with more sexism than I ever thought would be possible and constant, baseless smears of racism calculated to kill the bitch, my liberal white guilt is totally gone. I never thought I'd see that day, but I am 100% cured. I don't give a shit what they say about Michelle Obama or anyone else anymore.
Posted by at June 12, 2008 04:00 AMNice try troll boy. Fox is a racist pig. Turkana brings rationale to this thread. Hillary supporters, let it go ,vote for McSame if you have to, but quit destroying the party for revenge sake. We have a tough GE coming up. Either join McSames team or get off Democratic websites. Hillary got beat because she is a poor politician,Mark Penn, and Obama's organization swamped hers. THATS HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED.
Posted by Joe at June 12, 2008 04:19 AMHas FOX referred to Cindy McCain as John's "Sugar Mama"? I doubt it.
Posted by snark at June 12, 2008 04:28 AM"Baby mama" is both racist and sexist. Racist because no one refers to white women as "baby mamas" except in jest or an attempt at being hip. Sexist because Michelle Obama is so much more than a "baby mama." And certainly disrespectful as well. Fox News is pathetic.
Posted by ann at June 12, 2008 05:27 AMAnn,
I still don't see the racism. Is 'baby mama' a black thing?
Posted by at June 12, 2008 06:06 AMJoe,
I don't think you control who gets to post on this site, so screw off, thank you very much.
Posted by at June 12, 2008 06:07 AMWell, that's refreshing--there are still people out there who act as though Fox's racism is in some sense a deserved comeuppance for the sexism and misogyny that some of hillary's supporters feel she faced. That's a kind of weird outlook, isn't it? I mean as a white woman I don't feel that the sexism that is aimed at me on a daily basis gets "paid back" appropriately if I get a chance to act like an out and out racist to someone else. Like, when I hit the glass ceiling at work is it really supposed to make me feel better if I can turn on fox news and see some mexican worker called a "wetback" or see Michelle Obama referred to by a term commonly used for a trollop? So why are these fake hillary trolls--because I can't believe any serious person who ever supported Senator Clinton is continuing to smear and attack fellow democrats and the nominee after Senator Clinton herself has graciously thrown all of her support (naturally) behind the party and the people and the nominee--still trying to stir stuff up?
I honestly don't get it. I will say this for Fox, though--I think their whole style is, in fact, very "Us" magazine and they are always looking for a kind of trendy, catchy, hip way of presenting what they clearly feel is pretty boring (political news) and they have a penchant for the kinds of headlines and phrasing that comes straight out of tabloids. Remember "headless body in topless bar?" The whole point is to be eyecatching and to drag the object of the viewers attention (in this case Michelle Obama or any democrat) down a notch in *class* and *race* or class/race so the no neck viewers can absorb Murdoch's studied contempt for the democrats. This is about class *and* race. The republicans always have a two pronged strategy--attack Democrats as liberals/elitists/wealthy jews/hollywood freaks *or* as low class. Obama is actually getting this from both sides and Michelle is too. One minute they are accusing her, rhetorically speaking, of being a lower class, unwed mother/welfare cheat (these are the associations of "babymama" even if "anon" up above is marvellously ignorant of them) and the next they focus on her fake pearls and her princeton education and imply she's an elitist bitch who has gotten above herself and thinks she's above the american people. They did this already to Kerry and Theresa Heinz Kerry, they did this to Dean and Dean's wife (anyone remember how she was made fun of for having long hippie hair and being kind of granola and earnest as a doctor?).
This whole debate--is it sexism or is it racism, or which is worse, just gives me hives. This is about the right wing attacking democrats from the fake perspective that all democrats are both elitists and poor losers, both white and effete upper crust types and also black welfare cheats. The actual qualifications and qualities of the nominee and his family don't matter at all except as kind of launching points for the attack. We could all have predicted every single attack in advance because that is the job that fox is paid to do by a very conservative corporate boss.
aimai
Posted by aimai at June 12, 2008 06:27 AM"Has FOX referred to Cindy McCain as John's "Sugar Mama"? I doubt it."
"John's sugar Mama." Has a nice ring, and true.
Posted by Judith#1 at June 12, 2008 06:29 AMHas FOX referred to Cindy McCain as John's "Sugar Mama"? I doubt it.
Posted by snark at June 12, 2008 04:28 AM
It would be an interesting experiment to have a relatively obscure progressive blog start referring to cindy Lou Who as 'Johnathon Sidney Mccain the Third (esq.)*'s sugar mama', and compare thereaction to that in the mainstream media to their reaction to Fox's comments about Michelle Obama.
A while back, there was a story going around the right wing sites that told of Michelle Obama introducing BO as her baby's daddy. I have no idea what, if any, foundation there was for that. Maybe these folks thing they're being cute by referring to MO as the baby's mama.
I believe I read somewhere that Michelle used that phrase to introduce BO, once, at a Democratic event.
* - yes, that is McClueless's full name.
Posted by (: Tom :) at June 12, 2008 06:31 AMDo a quick google search for "Theresa Heinz Kerry" and "sugar Mama" and you will be amazed (not) with what comes up. They hammered kerry on this calling him everything from a tool to a gigolo and hinting that she would have vast and corrupt financial interests that would affect him as president. Turnabout is fair play but I can guarantee that you will never see it on the Chyron at Fox.
aimai
Posted by aimai at June 12, 2008 07:03 AMAll the last comments show that no one has a problem with these supposedly racist/sexist slurs aimed at white women (hillary, cindy), only when they're used against michelle.
hmmmmm. very interesting. she's oh so special i guess. it's not bad at all when sexist slurs are aimed at white women?
Posted by at June 12, 2008 07:42 AMi wonder if CNN will have a roundtable discussion on if it's okay to call her a "Black B*tch" - and then nod in consensus that it is.
sorry- i'm not optimistic in the least that this will cause Dems to rally or the nation to turn against it- viewers revel in this.
Posted by misfitina at June 12, 2008 08:21 AMMEGAFAIL ALERT
FOX NEWS: the most potent weapon the Democrats have from now to November. Keep it up, FNN, you're bringing more votes to Obama every time you pull retarded garbage like this.
The screencap you showed is as close as I'll ever get to watching FOX.
Bad network is bad.
Posted by jim at June 12, 2008 08:40 AMThis attack from Fox News is calling a successful mother of two the same as a loose woman who lets herself get pregnant from a street hustler. I can't imagine why someone might consider that racist.
You could have made that same point without the slut-shaming and the classism, Oliver. Not to mention pushing the idea that women get *themselves* pregnant.
It does no good to raise Michelle by tearing down other women.
Posted by zuzu at June 12, 2008 08:46 AMWow, nice job by some folks here turning this into another excuse to take swipes at Barack Obama. And this may be worth a look.
Posted by joel dan walls at June 12, 2008 08:58 AMre "Obama's baby mama", this has been on McCain's website long before it made FOX. Originally, from a CNN transcript from 2 November 2004, it has been modified, changed, distorted,--whatever--to fit into the internet sewer outlets. Obama now has a web site devoted to responses to a number of these character assassination tidbits: www.fightthesmears.com Unfortunately, a site sponsored by the candidate has little traction with the truth.
Posted by jackalope at June 12, 2008 09:07 AMas usual, zuzu has a great comment.
my own comment? Democrats on chat boards can be whopping great hypocrites.
Posted by the young Judith at June 12, 2008 09:29 AM"They hammered kerry on this calling him everything from a tool to a gigolo and hinting that she would have vast and corrupt financial interests that would affect him as president."
aimai, they also insisted Teresa Heinz release her tax returns, which she complied. However, Mrs. McCain has refused to release her tax returns, except for the first page. No outrage from the media on that either.
Tom, I love the idea of calling Cindy 'McCain's sugar mama,' and then sitting back and watch the fire works. Maybe Olbermann could drop that line during one of his rants.
Posted by Judith#1 at June 12, 2008 09:33 AMI'm old, and not in, so I looked it up on the Urban Dictionary. Yeah, racist:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=+baby+mama
Posted by tomato_freak at June 12, 2008 10:21 AM"Sugar Mama" is not racist or sexist in the same way that "baby mama" is, although it is crude in that it reduces the nature of a couple's relationship to a sort of economic arrangement. It carries no racial signifier that I am aware of, and if anything it subverts traditional gender roles in that it is derived from the much more common term "sugar daddy."
I'm not saying that Clinton didn't get plenty of sexist shit thrown at her, but good grief, let's step back for a minute and look at who we're really fighting here.
Posted by buskertype at June 12, 2008 11:50 AMWait, stop—how can this be racist? I watched when Obama won his Senate seat and was amazed when his wife introduced him as your new Senator from Illinois, “My baby Daddy, Barack Obama!”
Is Michelle Obama a racist or is this one of those PC things that only she can say?
Posted by LifeTrek at June 12, 2008 02:58 PMUh oh! lifetrek offers us troll special number 3--accusations that talking about white racism in a specific case is the same as preventing white people from talking about race at all! Oh no! its one of those incredible priviliges that Michelle Obama and all black people have that they can make jokes about black culture or dialect and its, you know, a joke. Just like women can make jokes about women's lives and its a joke but when McCain calls his wife a "cunt" its *not funny*. See how that works? And by the way, jews get to make jew jokes, and wasps get to make wasp jokes. Most of the time sensible and courteous people know not to make jokes at other people's expense.
aimai
Posted by aimai at June 12, 2008 03:23 PMIf I were Cinday McCain and somebody called me my husband's sugar momma, I would laugh all the way to Neiman Marcus. And something tells me she does that A LOT!
Urban Dictionary:
"We wonder if fox news read this definition for "baby mama". - Editor
baby mama June 13
The mother of your child(ren), whom you did not marry and with whom you are not currently involved.
Oh her? She ain't nothing to me now, girl, she just my baby mama. So, can I get your number?
Yes folks, speaks volumes about Fox.