Race card
| The touchy subject of |
| Key concepts |
| Racism and racists |
The "race card" refers to an argumentative tactic in which someone tries exploit racism or anti-racism in order to advance a position.
One may "play the race card" in order to appeal to allies who share antipathy towards a particular group. This can often be done through the use of terms that have a dog whistle effect, allowing the person playing the card to bring race into the argument without directly expressing racist sentiments.
One may also "play the race card" by accusing an opponent of racism without reasonable justification in order to demonize them with ad hominem attacks--though it should be noted that since racial inequality is a foundational element of many social and political systems, assumptions about race and racism are often at play in political debates, even if they are not being clearly articulated at a given moment.
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[edit] Among Democrats/liberals
In America some liberal politicians and pundits may try to play the race card against conservatives to dismiss them all as racist, even though most evidence points towards the majority of Republican voters not being racist, though some racists vote Republican.[1][2] The popularity of Birtherism among the right also gave off the preconception that most Republican voters are racist...which, considering the GOP's power in The South suggests that there may be a problem there.
- Dismissing all criticism of Barack Obama or Attorney General Eric Holder as racist.
- Accusing all Republicans of being racist.
- Chris Matthews calling gun nuts "racist."[3]
- Al Sharpton accusing a prosecutor of being racist because the prosecutor didn't believe Tawana Brawley had been raped after examining the evidence.
- Louisiana State Senator Karen Peterson saying that opposition to Obamacare is caused by racism.
- Calling all opposition to Affirmative Action "racist."
- Claiming that any criticism of Islam is Islamophobia.
- Jesse Jackson criticizing Obama in 2007 for "actin' white."
- Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson flirting with anti-Semitism.
- Saying Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina makes him racist, as opposed to just incompetent.
- Comparing gay marriage bans to interracial marriage bans. Justifiable, depending on the context.
[edit] Among Republicans/conservatives
Hilariously, many right-wing pundits and politicians are even quicker to play the race card when given the opportunity, despite constantly whining about liberals who do it. Cognitive dissonance much?
- Implying or outright saying that food stamps/welfare is a racist Democratic plot to control minority communities. Quote mining LBJ (yes, that LBJ) is usually a favorite for those who make this accusation.
- Similarly, saying liberals are trying to brainwash minorities to feel "victimized" in order to control them. Even crazier right-wingers will compare liberalism in the black community to "plantations" or "slavery."[4] (We'd advise you to search the current white-to-minority ratio in the Congressional GOP, thanks.)
- Calling abortion a "black genocide."[5][6][7][8][9] Innumeracy in statistics, much?
- Dismissing criticism of black conservatives as racist (e.g. Fox News calling Jon Stewart racist for making fun of Herman Cain).[10][11] Many conservative bloggers are quite edgy about this, often saying that it's only a matter of time before liberals attack conservative minorities for "opening their eyes."[12][13] Stewart's response is quite relevant (and funny).[14]
- Calling liberals in general racist.[15]
- Saying liberals created ghettos to control the black community, or because they hate minorities.[16] Lolwut.
- Again, most Birtherism has racist undertones. (It was started by a few bitter Hillary Clinton supporters, but was dragged out for much longer and by far more right wing activists and far-right websites.
- Calling Barack Obama racist against whites,[17] or saying his "loyalties" lie with Kenya and thus he hates "imperialist America."
- Rush Limbaugh blaming Barack Obama for a white student being attacked by a black student on a bus.
- "Barack HUSSEIN Obama"
- Herman Cain comparing the New York Times to the KKK.[18]
- Dismissing any criticism of Israel, or lack of support for Israel, as anti-Semitic. (This effectively means that a majority of Jews are anti-Semites.)
- Jews who are in any way critical of Israel may be referred to as "Self-hating Jews".
- For the pseudo-intellectual wingnut, implying Democrats are racist because the Democratic party of yesteryear supported the KKK is popular.[19][20]
- Alternatively, bringing up the fact that the original Republican Party under Abraham Lincoln was part of an abolishment movement, which somehow still makes the GOP progressive on social issues, or means that the black community should vote for the modern GOP because they "owe" them. Hmm...
- NC Senator Jesse Helms 1990 campaign creating an ad that portrayed a black man taking a white man's job was accused of exploiting racism against blacks. The accusations are probably justified.
- Nixon's Southern Strategy.
- Accusing all liberals of playing the race card or being obsessed with race (Damn, this one's meta).[21]
- Creating paranoia around Muslims. This includes Michelle Bachmann and Frank Gaffney's attempts to label State Department official Huma Abedin (Anthony Weiner's wife) a Muslim radical, or arguments in favor of openly discriminating against Muslims in airports. Being paranoid about Keith Ellison is also popular (his skin colour also helps).
- The Ground Zero Mosque manufactroversy may also count.
- Implying Barack Obama is Muslim to exploit fear of/racism against Muslims.[22]
[edit] Playing the "race card" card
Sometimes actually racist comments being called out for being, well, racist, will be dismissed as the "PC crowd playing the race card where racism isn't an issue." For instance, when Sarah Palin said that Obama was "Shuckin and jivin," or when she gave shoutouts to Birthers, those who called out her comments for being racist were dismissed by some as being "PC libtards playing the race card where racism isn't an issue." The same applies to Birthers who, when called out for pushing a borderline racist conspiracy theory, may claim that they're having the race card played against them where racism supposedly isn't an issue. Ben Carson became Fox News' latest token conservative hero when he whined about "political correctness" at prayer session (with Obama present).
American patriots nationalists may also try to pass off something in American history that was clearly racist as not being racist, accusing historians who disagree with them of "playing the race card where there isn't any racism". Claiming Japanese Internment during World War II wasn't racist is a favorite among these folks, and people also tend to get up in arms if you call the Founding Fathers racist.
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ The evidence you're looking for is on page four of this link
- ↑ A survey shows that Republicans overall are only slightly more likely to be racist against blacks than Democrats
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb-K9iVfGq4
- ↑ You thought that was a joke. It wasn't.
- ↑ http://www.blackgenocide.org/black.html
- ↑ E.W. Jackson strikes. Wingnuts love it.
- ↑ http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/creech/050221
- ↑ http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/mlk-s-dream-and-the-nightmare-of-black-genocide
- ↑ Herman Cain pulled this too, apparently.
- ↑ Bernie Goldberg calls Jon Stewart a racist, while just asking questions
- ↑ http://www.rightwingnews.com/liberalism-in-120-seconds/liberalism-in-120-seconds-liberals-who-criticize-herman-cain-are-racists/] John Hawkins claims liberals are racist against minorities
- ↑ http://conservativeblackchick.com/blog/2013/04/04/why-black-conservatives-are-liberals-worst-nightmare/
- ↑ http://www.theconservativeeagle.com/2013/06/23/the-inherent-racism-of-liberalism/
- ↑ http://lockerz.com/u/20562774/decalz/6365565/daily_show_for_fox_sake_stewart_evisc
- ↑ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/3/dr-ben-carson-white-liberals-most-racist/
- ↑ #19 on the list
- ↑ Glenn Beck
- ↑ http://politicker.com/2012/12/herman-cain-compares-new-york-times-to-the-kkk/
- ↑ http://patriotpost.us/commentary/16837
- ↑ Elbert Guillory pulled this as well
- ↑ It's Jonah Goldberg, so you know it's good.
- ↑ E.W. Jackson strikes again