Another clip from Bellavia
The David Bellavia people have sent us a clip which they say is “is proof of the point David Bellavia was trying to make about sports figures versus real heroes” (when he made that strange “they can have their Tiger Woods” remark). They ask us “why don’t you cowards put this up?” I’m not completely sure what has been cowardly about our coverage of this, but here’s the clip.
I’m not that convinced that a single clip of Bellavia talking about how athletes are more revered than war heroes proves that he wasn’t trying to compare Barack Obama to Tiger Woods. Â Â I also don’t understand his point about the naming of airports, since I can’t think of any airports that are named after sports figures.
Don’t you understand conservative logic?
Let me explain it to you. Bellavia obviously has made a correct and non-racist remark on the subject of athletes are more revered than war heroes. Therefore, under conservative logic rules, any other remark by Bellavia involving either war heroes or athletes or both is automatically considered correct and non-racist, and any questioning on this issue is totally out of bounds because he was correct and non-racist that one time. The one proves the many.
Another example is Senator McCain. Because he once made a remark about war that was clearly correct, therefore under the rules of conservative logic, he now has infinite cred on the issue of war, and even when he repeatedly confuses Sunni for Shia, or vice versa, he is presumed to be correct and serious and it is presumed that he knows what he is talking about and how dare you question him. The one proves the many.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20080409/cm_ucru/bigotryapologyrepeatasnecessary
Also in 2000, McCain insulted Asians. “I hate the gooks,” John McCain hissed, “and I will hate them for as long as I live…and you can quote me.” After a few days of negative press attention, he took it back: “I apologize and renounce all language that is bigoted and offensive, which is contrary to all that I represent and believe.”
Nothing racist or incorrect there. I’m sensing a theme.
I fail to see what’s so terrible about his initial remark. Tiger Woods is a multiracial sports hero who is at the top of his sport because he’s insanely talented and is doing things no other golfer has ever done. Barack Obama is a multiracial politician who’s winning because he’s insanely talented and doing things no politician has ever done. Woods and Obama both take a very low-key approach to race. White people who are uncomfortable with sports figures or politicians who put their race front-and-center are comfortable with Obama and Woods.
Clearly, there are parallels between Tiger Woods and Barack Obama, reasonable people see them, and it should not be a taboo to mention them. A sneering comparison between Obama and Woods, as this guy made, is as likely to be jealousy as it is racism. He’s jealous that Democrats have such a charismatic, powerful candidate who’s busting limits. We should say, “Yes — Obama is a superstar, thanks for noticing. He’s insanely talented. He’s not a Washington insider like McCain who wants us to stay in Iraq for 100 years. He will beat McCain soundly this Fall, and he’s going to have coattails, so we understand why you’re jealous.”
Wasn’t Obama’s point in his speech about Wright and race that we need to open up the conversation a little bit, that we need to give people the room to mis-speak, to say something “forbidden”, to think the best of them rather than the worst?
And, yeah, I get it that Fox News and a lot of Republicans don’t allow Obama this same courtesy. For example, “typical white person” was beaten to death by them. But that’s no justification for stooping to their level. And — this is important — the blanks and disaffected Republicans in NY-26, NY-25 and NY-29 don’t like Fox News tactics, either, so we shouldn’t use them.
I don’t see how I stooped to their level by running the clip they asked me to run. This is news about the race, regardless of whether or not I personally find it offensive.
Well, said, Rotten.
Exile - I think he meant in general that demagoguing an issue like this can turn off the voters in the middle - not that you were Fox-Newsy by posting the video. Anyways - you’re the antithesis of Fox.
Sorry, let me clarify. Your post is fine. The DCCC press release rhetoric — “divisive comment” “racist” — is what’s over-the-top. My comment was a general one on the whole controversy, not particular to this post.
If someone makes a mistake a says something “forbidden”, or a mistake, our news media today assume the best if he’s a Rethuglican (see: McCain or Bellavia) and thinks the worst if he’s a Democratic candidate or supporter. Under those circumstances, and based upon recent history, I have no problem reversing the paradigm  when a Rethuglican says something mistaken or forbidden, I interpret it in the worst possible way.
There is no reason to give Rethuglicans the benefit of the doubt, either. Their recent and not-so-recent history makes this very clear. They are masters at using code words and having their comments play exactly the way they want to their base, but also denying that it meant anything, with a straight face.
And just in case anyone wants to misinterpret the above, there certainly are times when Dems and their supporters deserve scorn too for things they say that are hateful (see: Rev Wright for example), or downright wrong statements (HRC dodging bullets in Bosnia). But there are many other times where the outrage of the media and of Conservatives has been completely unjustified at a comment by a Democratic candidate or supporter.
The issue isn’t giving Republicans benefit of the doubt — it is appealing to voters who are sick of “outrage du jour” politics. The hair-trigger used for taking offense, and the kabuki theater around these offenses (”take it back” “no!”, etc) is dull and stupid. It turns people off. Part of Obama’s appeal is that he’s showing a way out of this kind of stupidity.
I think voters should be outraged by what has happened to this country since Bush was granted the Presidency. I am outraged. There are daily outrages, violations of the law and of the constitution, and new ones appear each day. These outrages are not what the media seems to think are outrages, but they exist nonetheless. I for one don’t want these outrages to be smoothed away and forgotten. Our country doesn’t benefit if people destroy the constitution and then get off with no penalty.
So yes, Obama could and should not play the media’s game making a big deal of Obama’s request for orange juice instead of coffee. He should not avoid addressing the outrages of the Bush “administration”.
I agree 100% with the last paragraph. Another way of saying it is: Democrats should save their anger and outrage for something worth being angry and outraged about.
Like for example Paige, mailers from your fearless GOP leader depicting Muslims as gun-toting, welfare sucking, benefit mongering, illegally licensed drivers?
Get real - then get on with it.
This is YOUR party - YOUR parties actions - and too bad if they reflect YOU.
It’s always your subliminal messages you try to squeak out of after the fact.
You’re all just pissed that the public AND the media no longer buy it. Be careful what you say - knowledge is power.
Ballavia wasn’t doing another commercial for Freedom Fighters or Ari Fleisher…he was representing the office of congress as a candidate. Do you think your puppeteer can get a better grasp on his “strings” next time?
…well that’s if there will BE a next time.
I already know the game plan, and it’s miserably set to failure. Have a nice day.
Who is running this guy’s campaign? It’s like watching a dying fish flopping around on the beach; the only humane thing to do is put it out of its misery.
I suspect he was referring to the airport named after famous golfer, Bob Hope.
“What other airport have we named after anyone since WW2?”
Uhh… JFK in NYC, Ronald Reagan in DC… hell, John Wayne in Orange County
Gee, three war heroes too (well,if you count the two 2 movie stars playing soldiers).
I found his entire rationale awkward at best.
He’d be best to check out this Wikipedia page.
Y’all have fun with it.
That’s an interesting excuse. Even if it was a sports hero comment… why go after Tiger Woods and finish with the audacity of hope comment? Let’s say it is just sports related. Tiger is one of the best, squeeky clean athletes who gives so much back and overcame so much adversity. I’d be proud if my kids called him a hero. Of course I’d want them to have other heros (military, politically, business people).
David Bellavia is a not terribly adept speaker, and “his” book was ghost written. His father’s editorials to the Batavia Daily News show the fetid soil from where he’s sprung. In the excerpt of “his” book on his website, he explains that the reason he joined the Army is because he was sued by Stephen Sondheim for plagiarizing and misrepresenting Sondheim’s work.
Seriously, that’s the reason he gives. From there, his activities and statements are in better context.