Please make this stop:
The veteran Washington journalist was discussing the recent comments from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was caught last week by an open microphone on Fox News saying the Illinois senator is “talking down to black people” as he campaigns for the White House. Those remarks were largely seen in reference to Obama’s recent admonishment at a Chicago church of some black men who he said were not living up to their responsibilities as parents.
Referencing Jackson’s comments, McLaughlin said Obama “fits the stereotype blacks once labeled as an Oreo — a black on the outside, a white on the inside.”
“Does it frost Jackson, Jesse Jackson, that…an Oreo should be the beneficiary of the long civil rights struggle which Jesse Jackson spent his lifetime fighting for?” McLaughlin asked his panelists.
The term “Oreo” is often viewed as a derogatory term toward some African-Americans who appear not to exhibit certain stereotypes of their race.
Just make this all stop, please.
justin
this election is going to show ppl coming out of the woodwork.
btw, john mccain said obama wants to lose the war in iraq and nobody is going to call him on it. FUCKIGN disgrace. i can’t take it anymore and it’s only july.
4tehlulz
I’m not sure my liver’s going to survive til November.
Dennis - SGMM
Eighty-one-year-old white man John McLaughlin is certainly the go-to guy on matters of race.
McLaughlin also said this in June:
And McLaughlin has a television because why exactly?
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
Randy Scheunemann? Randy Fucking Scheunemann?
Why does McCain get to have folks like Scheunemann, Phil Gramm and Carly Fiorina advising him? What the hell?
Jim Pharo
Hey, John? Unless there are armed gunmen in your home, you can always just not watch Mr. McLaughlin’s little program. That’s worked for me and many millions of others.
One day things like McLaughlin Group will be limited to community access and low-subscriber podcasts. You can help achieve their irrelevancy by ignoring them now.
mantis
I’m sure all the right-wingers who were spewing outrage over the fake story about Michael Steele being “pelted” with Oreos will be up in arms over this.
Dork
Your relatively diverse college-town atmosphere experience has really shielded you from the pretty persistent and baseline levels of racism in this country, IMO.
Now, I’m pretty sure Mac didn’t say this to be racist, but you’d better believe that others will, will full intent for malice and dogwhistling. This thing will be full-fledged racist by September. The right cannot help themselves. It’s all they know.
Dennis - SGMM
Because shut up is why. And anyone who accuses McCain of running for Bush’s third term is just an ageist who is besmirching the record of a hero.
Jake
The video of the exchange is a perfect example of just how bad these shows have become.
Anyone else remember when Saturday Night Live used to parody the McLaughlin group? They never had to work very hard at that, the guy’s style is such a joke.
Bob In Pacifica
4tehlulz, I bought a little bottle of absinthe the last time I was in BevMo so everyone in the house could have a taste. Everyone had a taste, a small taste, and I killed the bottle last night. Jeez. This was the first hangover I’ve had in a long time. No hallucinations, though.
Regarding Jesse Jackson, there was a passage in ORDERS TO KILL, a book on Martin Luther King’s assassination, where one of the guys in the military unit that had been tailing MLK said they were told not to shoot the guy wearing the tie, that he was one of them. I’d always presumed it was Marrell McCollough, the Memphis cop who ended up being a CIA agent. However, I’ve also suspected that Jackson, who has managed to be a most incompetent “leader” of the black community, may be a long-time toiler for some shadow faction. Long story short, I don’t trust Jackson.
myiq2xu
You asked for it John.
Remember when you gave your reasons for choosing to support Obama?
You said something to the effect that you were tired of all the old Clinton sleaziness. You said that at least with Obama it would be all new crap.
You got your wish!
cyntax
Oh yeah, silly season just keeps on keeping on.
It’s interesting how having a presidential candidate who is not 100% in the mold of all our previous candidates provides the perfect lens through which we can see how completely trivialized our political discourse has become.
Jackson feels that Obama is talking down to black people, and rather than have a conversation about that, we get a conversation about whether Obama is an oreo. With that as the terms of conversation, obviously we’ll hear something substantive about race, and not just a bunch of trivial BS. Thank Jeebus the networks are granted the use of our airwaves–the public interest is being well served.
DFD
Maclaughlin needs to go play a good game of bingo.
srv
Boy, when you’re railing against one of the most liberal news shows on TV – I mean, 3 liberals (John is practically a Che lover now, and hates Hillary), one Bush-hating paleocon (Pat Buchanan) and a token wingnut, I’m not sure where you think mainstream is, but it isn’t BJ either.
McLaughlin makes the News Hour look like the Chris Wallace hour.
Ella in NM
Hey!!!!! Lay off John McL!!!
The hubby and I look forward to our precious “TGIF-LGDALOAOAMG”* couple’s time. Especially now that gas prices are so high and we can’t go anywhere.
*Thank God It’s Friday-Let’s get drunk and laugh our asses off at McLaughlin Group.
Actually, has no one told him that the “Oreo” line is as old as the crust in his underwear?
mapaghimagsik
Thank heavens we have McLaughlin. Now I don’t have to use the Urban Dictionary anymore.
Hey McLaughlin, what’s the definition of cracker?
Glocksman
Personally I think Jackson resents the talk because he’s a fucking deadbeat who cheated on his wife and got the mistress pregnant.
Hypocrites tend not to like their hypocrisy thrown in their face, especially by someone who’s ‘walking the walk’.
HyperIon
Maclaughlin is not even watchable on Maclaughlin One on One. His timing and his questions are terrible although he sometimes wastes the time interesting guests. Whenever I inadvertently pause on The Maclaughlin Group shows, I often wonder how his guests put up with his shouting and frequently completely misunderstanding stuff. Maclaughlin is another PBS tradition that needs to go…
Phoenix Woman
Ah, the McCain supporter myiq2xu’s checked in, I see. How much are you getting paid by the campaign, Mikey?
Meanwhile, back with the grownups —
Dennis, Johnny Mac’s referencing this rumor:
Joshua Norton
Oreo? Are we quoting re-runs of “The Jefferson’s” now? Next someone needs to be called “zebra”, just to finish the script off.
Just when you think things can’t get any sillier, they do.
John S.
Ya, because we’re all secretly wishing that instead of vacuous nonsense about Obama we had vacuous nonsense about Hillary.
By ‘all’ I mean ratfuckers like you.
Dennis - SGMM
Thanks, Phoenix Woman. I guess that being around near the time helped McLaughlin pull that one up.
The Moar You Know
I’m up for finding out what color filling McLaughlin has on the inside.
I’m betting that much like a jelly donut, it’s red, but would just like to be sure.
TenguPhule
Newspeak is Deadalive. Hunger makes you Happy.
Rejoice America, Republicans just want to make you happy.
NewUnansweredQuestions
Just because he is incoherent (to say nothing of incontinent) is no reason to ….
Oh wait. Yes it is.
Dreggas
that’s because the absinthe allowed for sale in the U.S. does not contain much, if any, of the key ingredient. This is why I import mine, even then it’s not so much a hallucinatory experience.
Jay
I remember when McLaughlin directly asked Clarence Page if he thought Michelle Obama was a “black militant” (Mc’s words).
On the upside, Charles Pierce once compared the McLaughlin Group to the ’72 Dolphins; funny stuff for this Pats fan.
Richardson
When did Archie Bunker get a new show?
Incertus
Shut up, honky.
I have to admit, I feel a little for myblumpkin2xu. Here he was hoping for the “Hillary is a lesbian” schtick to wank off to for the next five months, and all he has instead is “Obama is blackblackblackblackblack!” Must be disheartening.
CapMidnight
I’m deciding whether to buy the latest New Yorker issue. Does it contain Cindy McCain‘s patented Oreo cookie recipe?
Dreggas
so many different routes to go with that one…
cyntax
Maybe it says something about the state of TV today that that show qualifies as “one of the most liberal”?
Republican frame of reference?
You’re soaking in it.
Tim (The Other One)
“The hubby and I look forward to our precious “TGIF-LGDALOAOAMG”* couple’s time. Especially now that gas prices are so high and we can’t go anywhere.”
Same deal out here. We love the “Scream Fest” W/ COCKTAILS
on a Sat.evening.
nightjar
Mclaughlin is only pointing out that it’s still early and there are many more tasteless racial stereotypes yet to be exploited.
LA Confidential Pantload
I don’t get it. How could Jesse Jackson be frosted? If he were frosted, wouldn’t he be an Oreo himself? Or at least a Keebler elf?
Phoenix Woman
It just makes me think of what Atrios said about the New Yorker cover: It fails as satire because satire and humor are supposed to be about exaggeration, yet you cannot exaggerate how vile the wingnuts are. Seriously.
mantis
It fails as satire because satire and humor are supposed to be about exaggeration, yet you cannot exaggerate how vile the wingnuts are.
Nothing is too vile to satirize. Anyone who thinks so wants the terrorists to win.
Sarcastro
Just make this all stop, please.
Are you berzerk, can’t you see that man is a ni?
cleek
if you throw a frog into a pot of Republican frame of reference, he’ll jump right out. but if you slowly increase the Republicanism, he’ll sit there happily as his country turns to shit.
MNPundit
Heh, well my mother calls me a coconut (brown outside, white inside).
I’ve gotten used to it, it’s no big deal believe me. It’s just a short-hand way of saying “black/not black enough.”
jake
Wow. I haven’t heard Oreo in ages. I was kind of hoping to make it to the grave without hearing that crap again. Thanks Mr. McCrankyOldPerson.
Yes. Because Dr. King clearly meant for only “real” black people to benefit from the civil rights movement. All that content of their hearts/march to end poverty stuff was just code for crush whitey and half-whitey!
WTFF?!
Zifnab
I’ve hung out with a number of Bananas, but I’ve honestly never heard Oreo heard in context.
srv
Jim Webb explains why y’all are just simpletons.
4tehlulz
He’ll turn into Nicolas Sarkozy?
srv
So is Obama.
srv
Phil Carter leaves Intel-Dump to work for Barack.
slag
I know that it “frosts” me that McLaughlin and other stale old ‘Nilla Wafers like him get to regularly espouse their views to millions of Americans.
Scrutinizer
Should we bring him a…shrubbery?
Zifnab
Yup.
Jim Says: I wish people wouldn’t lock into issues so quickly as legislation is complex and often gets boiled down in blog form.
Srv Hears: Bloggers are stupid.
I think you just proved Jim’s point, dude.
I don’t agree with Webb’s position in FISA, and I don’t think he’s given the blogs a truly fair shake – if Senator Webb had to wade through even one of Greenwald’s FISA rants, he’d be eating crow on the “boiled down” remark – but I hardly think he’s insulting anybody.
srv
You agreed with him on Greenwald/FISA before you disagreed with him.
Thanks for clearing that topic up.
You have not begun to surrender.
Grumpy Code Monkey
As more people begin to realize that no, really, the United States of America is about elect a black President, the more unhinged the response is going to be. Things will reach a fevered pitch until Nov. 1, when Bush declares martial law, nukes the fuck out of Iran, and then extraordinarily renders Obama, Dean, and every other Democrat that they don’t have incriminating evidence on to parts unknown, all in the name of “preserving order.”
Stalin would be proud.
Zifnab
Bush and what army? I don’t see Mr 28% exactly galvanizing the country with popular support. He’ll tuck tail and run, and his sponsors will wallow in their wealth until they can swing another plutocrat to high office.
Bill Clinton managed to take the White House without a military coup like the 41 Presidents before him. Barack won’t be hindered by any such dramatics.
Punchy
/admires what must be The Mother Of All Tinfoil Hats(TM)
dbrown
People, NINE American soldiers (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9) died at the hands of the Taliban (in one day!) because ass-suck bushwhack the puppet king having bloody-hands cheney’s hand up his ass (hey, words fail) didn’t send enough troops to win the real war and these soldiers are paying the real price for these actions (bushwhack the puppet king is getting his wish again of bring it on) and some stupid words said by an unimportant black man fills the airwaves, blogs, newspapers … great. This is what we should be shoving down the asshole repubics throats day in and day out!
Our economy is a wreck, fuel is climbing, the dollar is sinking, the war is being lost, tens of thousands of Americans are being horribly maimed in the wars, the VA is not funded to help these kids the proper way, health care is so costly even the Feds can’t pay all the bills for a shitty system that offers poor coverage and leaves 40+ million uncovered and the list goes on, all we can talk about is this dumb shit!? No wonder the shit eating asshole republics win so often! GET REAL!
Natascha
He made the mistake of reminding folks that Obama his half-white. Oops.
Dennis - SGMM
Speaking of our fine media, the Washington Post is devoting space and resources to a twelve-part series on the seven years past murder of Congressional intern Chandra Levy. Three reporters, two of them from WaPo’s six-person investigative unit, spent a year on this important piece of journalism. With so little going on in the economy, politics or foreign affairs, WaPo deserves kudos for taking the time to bring us this hard-hitting and relevant series. I am waiting with bated breath for their nineteen-part series “The Hindenburg Crash: Accident or Sabotage?”
srv
Ah, so a surge in Afghanistan (and by proxy, actually Pakistan) is what is needed. Maybe Obama should talk to the Russians before sending two more brigades into places like the Korengal Valley.
And the Democrats solutions, in detail, are… Let me predict the future: bail out Wall Street, drill ANWR for some pithy green subsidies and beg China (to no avail) to do something about the Yuan while joining republicans in denouncing any direct Chinese investment into our corrupt commercial and financial institutions.
Personally, I think the fluffer- and wankosphere will stick to oreos. It’s really all they have.
PaulW
We can’t. It’s out of our hands.
As long as there are stupid people committing acts of Teh Stupid, it will never stop.
John Cole
I think it proves what dorks you all are that no one has even had to ask what the title of this post means.
srv
No, those of us who beat up D&D’ers back in the day are used to dorks shouting all sorts of incantations. We tolerate your faith without needing to understand it.
DFD
D&D pales in dorkness when compared to LARPs. I stun thee! I stun thee! I stun thee!
VidaLoca
Funny you should bring this up. Because I am not aware of all internet traditions ‘nall I was just sitting here mumbling to myself, “Now WTFF does he mean by that?”. Not that this doesn’t make me a dork.
Care to enlighten?
John Cole
Warcraft thing. Mace stuns are a rng proc that incapacitate your opponent, are random, unpredictable, skillless, and suck when you receive one. They do, however, have the habit of getting people killed because it procs and you can not heal or react because you are stunned. Thus, when it procs and you kill someone through sheer luck, people say ‘a well-timed mace stun’ to mock how much BS it is.
Much like Mclaughlin- unpredictable, skillless, and full of suck.
VidaLoca
Alllrighty, then. Thanks, John.
sistermoon
This must be true. After all, we all know that John McLaughlin has had his finger firmly on the pulse of the African American community for decades…
Memo to race-baiters: STOP USING ’70’S TERMINOLOGY FROM BLAXPLOITATION MOVIES!!! NO ONE USES TERMS LIKE “WHITEY” OR “OREO” ANYMORE!!!
cyntax
Funny thing that. Apparently blogs are inherently democratic: you get the readership you deserve.
: )
Brachiator
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.
It’s become beyond tiresome to watch sad, obsolete fools like McLaughlin or Bill O’Reilly attempt to explain the supposed ways of black folk to the supposedly ignorant mainstream.
It just underscores the fact that many pundits are too old and too out-of-touch to merit any attention. It’s kinda like the social commentators trying to explain away the Beatles before the 60s change in music swept away all the squares.
As an aside, McLaughlin and his ilk are peeing in their pants over the possibility that Obama’s upcoming European and Middle East tour will be like Beatlemania in reverse, with Obama charming the world like few political figures outside of Sarkosy’s wife. Their only response is to try to bring attention to Obama’s blackness.
Emma Anne
Has anyone read “Little Brother”? My 13 year old finished and came in and told me she wanted to learn C++
4jkb4ia
Like, OMG, almost any white person does not get to say that, much less John McLaughlin. It is the equivalent of all the sneering which Chris Matthews did at Hillary Clinton in its racism and general condescension.
Meg
I’ve been lurking on this blog since the primary and it has easily become one of my favorites. However, I’m conflicted. I’ve decided to come out publicly (okay, as public as a blog comment can get) and say that I listen to the Mclaughlin podcast. I think I have an unhealthy obsession with the bravado of the dated theme music and the charming futility of his PREDICTIONS segment. Hell, I even laughed at Andrew WK’s song devoted to the show. So I ask you: can I be a fan of this blog AND McLaughlin? Or will listening to McLaughlin while reading this blog make the universe collapse in on itself?
cain
What is this devil book that makes 13 year old girls want to learn C++? Did you tell her, “yes, after you learn C.”? :-)
cain
Grumpy Code Monkey
Teaching either C or C++ to a 13-year-old should count as child abuse.