VIDEO: The GOP's Racial Politics

Written by Tom Perriello, president of Center for American Progress Action Fund

From the subtle to the sickening, this Republican primary season has seen a normalizing of racist and racially-coded language. It was not so long ago that the chairman of the Republican National Committee apologized for his party’s history of “trying to benefit politically from racial polarization,” and told the NAACP, “I am here today as the Republican Chairman to tell you we were wrong.” Such leadership cannot be found now.

Newt Gingrich may be the new master of race politics with his efforts to label Barack Obama the “food-stamp president” and his generous offer to lecture African-Americans at the NAACP on why they should demand paychecks instead of food stamps. We know that Mr. Gingrich’s claims of being a “historian” for Freddie and Fannie are a strain, but would it be that hard for him to check the history of NAACP’s leadership on developing and demanding groundbreaking job creation policies? (Or to note that more food stamp recipients are white than any other race or ethnicity?) But why would a historian let facts get in the way of historical racial prejudice?

ThinkProgress’ Jeff Spross has compiled a recent history of the GOP’s dehumanizing and divisive language that threatens to plague the primary process for weeks to come. Watch it:

This post was originally published by ThinkProgress.

Gingrich: Obama A “Food Stamp” President

Has the GOP Become a Cult?

Photo from Gage Skidmore via flickr

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Elizabeth I.

8:42PM PST on Feb 6, 2012

Hateful people. Beware of the Republicans. They are criminals without guns. What a mess the US has on their hands. Hopefully, the voters will use at least one small part of their brains when they vote in the next election. The lobbyists make millions and give more than we would like to know for the sake of GREED.

send a green star

Martha E.

3:53PM PST on Feb 5, 2012

No surprises here -- pass on by. The repubs have used the southern strategy for decades, and stupid people continue to fall for their lies. It's a sign of the stupidening of American -- believe anything you hear on t.v. or from a politician -- don't bother to check facts.

Beverly C.

10:58PM PST on Jan 31, 2012

The statements from the Republicans on the video are upsetting, maddening, and WRONG. -Bev (I am a caucasian teacher)

Marilyn L.

11:23AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

I have been saying for almost 4 years now that the agenda of the Republicans to have President Obama fail is simply because he is bi-racial. Look at where most of the hatred and obstruction is fueled/lead from…Southern elected officials. Those people just about croaked when President Obama got elected because they knew if he did a good job the Presidency just might go to another minority or woman. They were and are in shock that a bi-racial, intelligent, caring, family man and patriot could be elected.

I believe with every fiber in my being that there are still those who would love to see the old South rise again and along with those believers is the religious-right who is also racist and bigoted. That is why the Republican Party has reached out to Corporations because Corporate CEO's will support any Party no matter their social agenda as long as they get what they want financially; these CEO’s will and have sold this country to the highest bidder.

Those of you that are hard core Republicans and conservative take a good long look at your Party. It is not the Party you once knew, there isn’t one single solid conservative in your Party and those that use to be and are still there sold their truth and yours to the racist, bigots, ultra religious right and anti-Americans. I ask you to be brutally honest with yourself in 2012 before you vote for any Republican, your ideals and those of this country are at stake.
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lee e.

10:12AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

Last week there was a post regarding the fact that racists have less intelligence. I believe that's true - while the "eft" is an exception - there must be a few exceptions to every rule - newt may actually not be so intelligent - bombastic arrogance can frequently pose itself as intelligence - who in their right mind would be so blatantly racist with such cunning as to avoid the "N" word while actually running for office as a "paid by the people" "for the people" position! It is rather astonishing to me that evidently there is an endless supply of dummies in our electorate - of course mostly located in the South, I was therefore shocked to see how far west it has traveled; when I consider the "brewster" of AZ or this brain dead pig from CO - these are new additions to the mentally challenged racists of the country - it's contagious!

Patrick F.

9:56AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

Good luck America, you certainly have your work cut out for ya!

Mark S.

2:44AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

Exactly. You shouldn't vote republican unless you are a rich, white christian male. If you do, you deserve what you get.

Brian F.

2:36AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

Republicans are racist pigs, period. It's long past time that we accept and ackowledge that all republicans care about is money, power, and white people.

Ian F.

2:10AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

Ok Dan B, I know. How do we get just a few right-wingers to consider the facts, is what we try for hope.
I know Obama will deal with this oafish clown much better than most, he hasn't a legal leg to stand on either. Nobody can claim that a few thin food stamps are detrimental to the economy. On the contrary Micro Loans in India help small businesses enormously. Offering security to any poor entity is much sounder and cheaper than bailing out banks or giving tax-breaks to the rich. Per $ used, more jobs are saved.

Economically, legally and ethically Obama wins on every score.

Shawn A.

1:03AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

First of all I think the only people who get to modify their status as Americans are the Native Americans. I do not call myself a Scottish American, even though that is the bulk of my ancestry. The amount of pigmentation in someone's skin does not define who they are. I have always said that I do not have a problem with people, I have a problem with colors. If you want to define by the color of your skin, then you need to be somewhere else. We are all Americans here. We as a people need to take back our government from the 1% and the corporations. Tell them that they are there to serve our will, not the corporations or what ever god they choose to worship. There is no room for racism in this or any other country. Tell them that we want fair taxation. We want term limits. We want a government that protects the people's interests. Cry out for true democracy and call for an end to the Republic. Let the people decide the course of this nation not the few who bribe their way into power.