Reid apologises to Obama for making racist remarks

[The Minx]

Link

Washington (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid apologized Saturday for making racially insensitive remarks about Barack Obama during the presidential campaign.

Journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann reported the remarks in their new book "Game Change," which is scheduled to be in bookstores Tuesday.

The authors quote Reid as saying privately that Obama, as a black candidate, could be successful thanks, in part, to his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

"He [Reid] was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' " Halperin and Heilemann say.

"Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination," they write.

In a statement to CNN, Reid said, "I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words."

"I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.

"I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda," the senator from Nevada said.

Reid pointed to his efforts to integrate the Las Vegas Strip and the gaming industry, among other legislation favored by African-American voters.

"I have worked hard to advance issues important to the African American community."

The senator called Obama Saturday afternoon to apologize for the racially insensitive remarks.

"Harry Reid called me today and apologized for an unfortunate comment reported today," Obama said in a statement.

"I accepted Harry's apology without question because I've known him for years, I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice and I know what's in his heart. As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."

Reid, who waited to formally endorse Obama until after the tough presidential primary battle ended in 2008, is facing an uphill re-election fight this year in his home state.

I hadn't heard about this before now. It only reduces my opinion of Reid even further.

[frigidmagi]

Negro dialect? How old is Reid again?

If he meant Ebonics, then bluntly he was right on that score, no black person who spoke primarily in that dialect would get elected. That's simply the truth. Fuck, no white person who spoke primarily in that dialect would get elected.

The light skinned bit, I honestly don't think it helped him at all. Considering how much flak he draw anyways.

[Hadrianvs]

Honestly I don't see much that's racist about what he said, but rather in the way he said it.

"Negro dialect" doesn't necessarily mean ebonics, Obama wouldn't have made it past "community organizer" if that was the case. I think Reid meant that he doesn't talk like he was raised in a predominantly black community. The people of such communities will usually speak slightly differently than people of communities dominated by another racial group in the same region. In the US it's sometimes possible to guess someone's race just by listening to them speak. Of course, sometimes it's not. I think that's what Reid was clumsily trying to say, Obama simply doesn't sound like a black person, and that made him more electable.

I agree on that point, not necessarily for directly racist reasons, but just because the forms of speech associated with black people are generally considered lower class, due to the simple fact that most blacks in the US are lower class. To put it another way, I don't think a white guy who sounded like hillbilly could get elected either. George Bush got away with the folksy thing in part because it's from Texas, which is full of rich oilmen and cattle ranchers who also talk that way. Also, people forget but during the 2000 election he actually didn't sound much different from his opponent.

As for the comment as to Obama being relatively lightskinned being an advantage. Well, all this tells us Reid's opinion of the average American racist. Whether his assessment was true or not, it does not seem to reflect much on his opinion of Obama himself.

All that said, none of this rules out that Reid may be a racist. Certainly the less than tactful way in which he said it does suggest at least certain insensibility toward racial issues.

[LadyTevar]

Unfortunately, the light-skinned black is a racist thing even amongst the black community. To say someone has 'good skin' means they're a lighter shade, more creole or mulatto. Good hair is the same way, less nappy, in less need of straightening and care.

still, doesn't stop the fact that Reid is just another GOP racist fuck who needs to sit down and shut up.

[Mayabird]

Actually, Reid is a Democrat. Senate majority leader which makes things worse. Though most of the time he's considered, at best mind you, a spineless corporate whore.

[rhoenix]

still, doesn't stop the fact that Reid is just another GOP racist fuck who needs to sit down and shut up.

Not to nitpick, but he's the Democratic Senate Majority Leader right now.

That said, he has the dubious distinction of being one of the rare mutations of homo sapien in that he has a backbone made entirely of money. Without regular doses of money, his backbone simply dissolves indiscriminately, instead of just in directions opposite to the direction money bends him.

EDIT: It amuses me that Mayabird and I pretty much just said the same thing.

[The Minx]

That said, he has the dubious distinction of being one of the rare mutations of homo sapien in that he has a backbone made entirely of money.

Unfortunately, that mutation isn't all that rare.

[SirNitram]

It's hard to tell Reid from a GOPer, more and more...

ANYWAY. Astonishingly boneheaded. On the other fork of the tongue, this is normal for Reid.