Ryan to meet with Congressional Black Caucus after botched poverty remarks

[Joshgreen]

Paul Ryan does not have a clear history of making racist remarks so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.  That said, I've seen right-wing politicians make these dog whistles for two decades now.  We'll have to watch his behavior more carefully in the future.

It is both amusing and infuriating how myopic some conservatives on this site are about this issue.  Why do you suppose so few blacks, Asians and Latinos vote for your party?  Are we all just "brainwashed?"

Because we look at people as people and not their race. There are a lot of reason why Asians, Latino's and Blacks vote for the Dems. I have listed those in the past but I don't have time to re-list those reasons now.

Sadly, the opportunities that people in this country are given/are born into are largely dependent on race. If you ignore this or don't realize it, you clearly aren't aware of the world we live in. Please stop commenting on that which you don't understand.

[CountryClassSF]

I just don't get why it seems like everything anyone says is a "dog whistle" in the minds of liberals. Especially when losing a substantial share of the minority vote hurts Republicans -- why, logically, would they do a racial dog whistle?

Other than in Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle, the Democrats would cease to exist as a national party if they did not win a substantial number of black and latino voters on a regular basis.  There's an incentive for them to keep crying racism to bring these people to the polls by trying to instill fear.

Example A... Some tough truths - Had Obama not played the race card in the Democrat primary in 2008, you'd have President Clinton right now.  It was positively disgraceful that the Clintons were labeled as racist, after all they did for blacks in America.  Democrats should consider themselves lucky that the Clintons didn't attempt to throw the whole party overboard after what was done to them.

[CountryClassSF]

Paul Ryan does not have a clear history of making racist remarks so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.  That said, I've seen right-wing politicians make these dog whistles for two decades now.  We'll have to watch his behavior more carefully in the future.

It is both amusing and infuriating how myopic some conservatives on this site are about this issue.  Why do you suppose so few blacks, Asians and Latinos vote for your party?  Are we all just "brainwashed?"

I'm going to give you due praise for not being kneejerk with the Paul Ryan stuff. So since you asked a serious question I'll give you a serious answer.

To start, I think there are low info voters from every segment of the population, every ideology, every urban/rural area et al. 

I believe that if we had a conservative media, it would be easier for liberals to see what we mean when we talk about people being blindsided by the media.

Black and Latino groups have their own megaphones in the media: BET and Univision.  I'm offended by them as I would be by a "white" TV network. But, in todays society, some things are acceptable and some not.

Democrats have successfully painted Republicans as a racist party because many of us oppose illegal immigration, which has nothing to do with the skin color of an individual, but have to do with illegal vs legal moving into our nation.

Republicans have been less than stellar in combating this --- but the bottom line is, while it may sound silly to a liberal, the media and the "culture" has a lot to influence people's thinking, if they are getting all of their information from networks that are essentially based on the race of an individual viewer.

[All Along The Watchtower]

I just don't get why it seems like everything anyone says is a "dog whistle" in the minds of liberals. Especially when losing a substantial share of the minority vote hurts Republicans -- why, logically, would they do a racial dog whistle?

Because it brings out the types of people who do vote Republican on a regular basis, particularly nowadays?

[Cory]

I disagree with Ryan's statements about "laziness" but to be fair black youth culture does uniquely lend itself to keeping people in poverty/jail/ect.

[Randy Bobandy]

Paul Ryan does not have a clear history of making racist remarks so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.  That said, I've seen right-wing politicians make these dog whistles for two decades now.  We'll have to watch his behavior more carefully in the future.

It is both amusing and infuriating how myopic some conservatives on this site are about this issue.  Why do you suppose so few blacks, Asians and Latinos vote for your party?  Are we all just "brainwashed?"

I'm going to give you due praise for not being kneejerk with the Paul Ryan stuff. So since you asked a serious question I'll give you a serious answer.

To start, I think there are low info voters from every segment of the population, every ideology, every urban/rural area et al. 

I believe that if we had a conservative media, it would be easier for liberals to see what we mean when we talk about people being blindsided by the media.

Black and Latino groups have their own megaphones in the media: BET and Univision.  I'm offended by them as I would be by a "white" TV network. But, in todays society, some things are acceptable and some not.

Democrats have successfully painted Republicans as a racist party because many of us oppose illegal immigration, which has nothing to do with the skin color of an individual, but have to do with illegal vs legal moving into our nation.

Republicans have been less than stellar in combating this --- but the bottom line is, while it may sound silly to a liberal, the media and the "culture" has a lot to influence people's thinking, if they are getting all of their information from networks that are essentially based on the race of an individual viewer.

You're offended by BET?

[Ogre Mage]

Paul Ryan does not have a clear history of making racist remarks so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.  That said, I've seen right-wing politicians make these dog whistles for two decades now.  We'll have to watch his behavior more carefully in the future.

It is both amusing and infuriating how myopic some conservatives on this site are about this issue.  Why do you suppose so few blacks, Asians and Latinos vote for your party?  Are we all just "brainwashed?"

Because we look at people as people and not their race. There are a lot of reason why Asians, Latino's and Blacks vote for the Dems. I have listed those in the past but I don't have time to re-list those reasons now.

This is false.  Just a few examples from the top of my head:

The Heritage Foundation put out a report saying that immigrants have a lower IQ than the "white native population," and "the difference is likely to persist over several generations."

Gov. Paul LePage, Glenn Beck and many other right-wing commentators have said Obama "hates white people."

Tom Tancredo called Sonia Sotomayor "a member of the Latino KKK."

Rep. Steve King said that for every young undocumented immigrant who is a valedictorian there are 100 drug runners with "calves the size of cantaloupes."

Remember Pete Hoekstra's "Debbie Spenditnow" ad?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkQAalcsg5E

Don't even get me started about the GOP's policies on civil rights, voting rights and racial discrimination laws.

The party of Nixon's Southern Strategy doesn't get a pass on racial issues because it doesn't deserve one.

[CountryClassSF]

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As I'd be offended by WET if it existed. Sure. Why does everything have to be racial?

[Joshgreen]

You act like Dems are so great^

They aren't at all and most educated people admit that. However, the opposition is a bunch of clowns who I wouldn't trust to sharpen a pencil.

[Sbane]

Was Hillary a racist when she discussed "inner city Chicago" in 08 SC debate with Obama/Rezko?

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Maybe.......the inner city?

Ryan told the truth and we just can't have that.

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So...you're seriously suggesting black people are incarcerated for being black? Why do Detroit and Oakland and St Louis have high crime rates? Is that all racist too, or is it a culture problem? I know facts are stubborn.

Yes, that is what I am suggesting. This isn't controversial.





African-Americans are arrested at six time the rate of Whites. If you think this is due to socio-economic factors which affect behavior, I have a bridge to sell you.

Hillary Clinton was certainly making a racist claim in that debate. There's a reason why her campaign was widely derided as using racist dogwhistles to appeal to white working class voters after the 08 SC debate and it certainly wasn't due to whatever inane conservative trope you believe about the media...

Those graphs don't show that they are arrested for being black, they show that blacks commit these crimes at a higher rate than whites.

Wow, wouldn't expect such an idiotic comment from a red avatar.

[hopper]

Paul Ryan does not have a clear history of making racist remarks so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.  That said, I've seen right-wing politicians make these dog whistles for two decades now.  We'll have to watch his behavior more carefully in the future.

It is both amusing and infuriating how myopic some conservatives on this site are about this issue.  Why do you suppose so few blacks, Asians and Latinos vote for your party?  Are we all just "brainwashed?"

Because we look at people as people and not their race. There are a lot of reason why Asians, Latino's and Blacks vote for the Dems. I have listed those in the past but I don't have time to re-list those reasons now.

This is false.  Just a few examples from the top of my head:

The Heritage Foundation put out a report saying that immigrants have a lower IQ than the "white native population," and "the difference is likely to persist over several generations."

Gov. Paul LePage, Glenn Beck and many other right-wing commentators have said Obama "hates white people."

Tom Tancredo called Sonia Sotomayor "a member of the Latino KKK."

Rep. Steve King said that for every young undocumented immigrant who is a valedictorian there are 100 drug runners with "calves the size of cantaloupes."

Remember Pete Hoekstra's "Debbie Spenditnow" ad?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkQAalcsg5E

Don't even get me started about the GOP's policies on civil rights, voting rights and racial discrimination laws.

The party of Nixon's Southern Strategy doesn't get a pass on racial issues because it doesn't deserve one.

Your still on Steve King's comments: John Boehner and Eric Cantor even said King is on his own about his comments. I know you guys on the Dem side love to bring that comment up over and over.

The party of Nixon: Nixon died about 20 years ago and he was last President in 1974. That was a long time ago. Never heard "The Party of Nixon" though. That's a first.

Oh wow the Heritage Foundation. One study caught your attention. Why?

Tancredo always says stupid things. If you want to criticize him feel free.

Obama hates white people? Obama is half-white himself and had a white mom growing up. It is true though if you look minority's approve of the job he is doing where as Whites don't.

[hopper]

Paul Ryan does not have a clear history of making racist remarks so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.  That said, I've seen right-wing politicians make these dog whistles for two decades now.  We'll have to watch his behavior more carefully in the future.

It is both amusing and infuriating how myopic some conservatives on this site are about this issue.  Why do you suppose so few blacks, Asians and Latinos vote for your party?  Are we all just "brainwashed?"

Because we look at people as people and not their race. There are a lot of reason why Asians, Latino's and Blacks vote for the Dems. I have listed those in the past but I don't have time to re-list those reasons now.

Sadly, the opportunities that people in this country are given/are born into are largely dependent on race. If you ignore this or don't realize it, you clearly aren't aware of the world we live in. Please stop commenting on that which you don't understand.

No you don't understand. I can comment all I want you can't tell me to be quiet.

[fartboy]

We've seen this before and it ends with being nationally humiliated on BET. He's best just staying away from them.