Political Punch

"The Democrats are obsessed with playing the race, gender, ethnic cards against each other as well as their opponents."

Not all Democrats, only Mr. O

Doesn't Obama support Tinker. She is just following Obama's lead in using the race card to win!!!

So many comments that are laced with so much ignorance of history...

In my own area of Kansas, various names of various entities from mere creeks to entire counties were changed after the Civil War to reflect the names of American military officers who chose military service in the Union rather than in the Confederacy.

As with many periods of recorded history, accounts and associated activity are not necessarily accurate, but the victors hold the sword and the pen and are able to impose their views rather than accuracy.

Whether or not Nathan Bedford Forrest owned slaves and traded in the slave market is not in question, nor was it in question when the park was named.

What should be remembered is that a great number of capital and agrarian interests in the North owned and traded significant numbers of slaves at one point in American history (prior to the Civil War).

These Northerners, for the most part, did not free their slaves when they decided the "peculiar institution" was no longer acceptable in their moral framework or that of their peers.

Rather, they chose not to lose their capital investments and simply sold their "property" to southern buyers for a profit after which these "honorable" men of the North declared that slavery was abominable and should be outlawed.

Even those who never owned slaves and opposed slavery were sometimes less than genuine in their convictions. It was Abraham Lincoln who first came up with the idea of shipping all blacks out of the United States before he decided on emancipation.

As such, focusing on the honor extended to the "greatest cavalry officer ever produced in the United States," Nathan Bedford Forrest, for the fact that he owned slaves at a time when that ownership was legal represents nothing more than an attempt to rewrite history into a comfortable framework.

Naming a park after Bedford Forrest no more honors the fact that he owned slaves or was a Klan member than it does any other transgression that the man may have committed in his life.

Whether Union or Confederate, black or white, Christian or Jew, man or woman...an accurate of history is appropriate and in order for the proper consideration by posterity and should serve to remind all that slavery imposed on anyone by anyone is not acceptable.

If honoring the military accomplishments of Nathan Bedford Forrest with his name on a park in his home state is viewed by some as an implied approval of slavery, then why do we allow Volkswagens, BMWs, Suzukis, and Yamahas to adorn corporate buildings and the highways of America?

Do these German and Japanese names on vehicles from the countries that committed atrocities against humanity, murdered millions of innocents, and sparked wars that resulted in the deaths of American military personnel somehow produce implied approval of their heinous actions or dishonor the sacrifices that were made to stop their aggression?

No, they do not.

And, in that light, to imply that a Tennessee park being named after CSA Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest is somehow an insult or inappropriate reeks of partisan politics at its worst...

Good on Obama for calling this Tinker woman out. It's bottomfeeder politics. Unbelievable.

tj,
I agree with you when you said:

"Anyone who wants to honor a klansmen at anytime in any place should not be representing a black district. Point blank period. I love the ad. And it's the truth."

But I disagree with you when you said:

"Obama's trying to throw her under the bus... but that's politics. "

Obama's not throwing her under the bus. She thinks one way, he thinks another. Blacks don't group-think just as other races don't group-think. She merely pointed out that her opponent is a racist. Obama merely pointed out that he prefers to beat opponents on 'common issues' as in issues common to all of us.

IOW, Obama is not about "politics".

Obama '08!

Posted by: tj

The politics of Chicago and Illinois are the dirtiest in the nation and that includes Washington DC. This is Obama's home turf and where he learned to lie, distort and cheat. No other politician has so many close associates with so much dirt on them. It certainly make him not presidential material--no integrity, and judgment.
Race, religion, gender and age should not be used to demean.

THIS IS QUITE THE QUANDRY...IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN ON THE ONE HAND IS IT RACE BAITING AND OR FEAR MONGERING TO POINT OUT THAT YOUR OPPONENT IN A HEAVILY POPULATED AFRO-AMERICAN DISTRICT UPCOMING ELECTION VOTED AGAINST RENAMING A PARK THAT BEARS THE NAME OF A HIGHILY DECORATED{CONFEDERATE}WAR HERO WHO ALSO IS KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN AN OBVIOUS BIGOT,RACIST&SLAVE TRADER... ON FIRST GLANCE THE ANSWER IS A NO BRAINER TO ANYONE WITH A HALF A BRAIN||| THE QUANDRY ARISES WHEN MORE THAN HALF A BRAIN IS REQUIRED TO ENABLE A PERSON TO COME TO GRIPS THAT BACK THEN SLAVERY WAS THE LAW OF THE LAND {&UNTIL RECENTILY SO WAS SEGREGATION} AND THAT A SOME OF OUR FOUNDING FATHER'S WERE RACIST,BIGOTS AND OR OWNED AND SOLD SLAVES{ WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE PARKS MOUNUMENTS CITIES ETC.ETC.ETC NAMED IN THEIR HONOR} IN HINDSIGHT WE NOW SEE THAT IT WAS AN INHUMANE{&UNJUSTICE LAW THAT CAUSED PAIN SUFFERING AND DEATH TO A SEGMENT OF IT'S PEOPLE SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF THEIR SKIN COLOR...I KNOW SOME HALF BRAIN THINKER'S MIGHT SAY THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD BRK DCK BUT WHERE IS THE QUANDRY TO WHICH I COULD SAY "IF YOU HAVE TO ASK YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IT ANYWAY" BUT INSTEAD I'LL SAY "THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO REMEMBER THE PAST IS DESTINED TO REPEAT IT WHILE THOSE WHO SEEK TO LIVE IN THE PAST IGNORES THE PRESENT AND SHORT CHANGES THE FUTURE {THIS ALSO APPLYS TO THE WHITE VOTERS IN TENN WHO CANN'T SEE BEYOND THE PAST TO VOTE FOR AN AFRO-AMERICAN EVEN IF THEY'RE MORE QUALIFIED THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPART

What a half-hearted attempt from Obama. We all know that if race benefits him, he's all for it.

He's not colorblind that's for sure!

Obama wants the race card for himself to use!!

What is not made clear is that the Mayor of Memphis, Willie Herrington (who is black) also voted not to remove the Forrest statue.

What disturbs me about this race is the the fact that Obama already thinks he's President and he can tell people how to behave in Tennessee. who does he think he is with the Presidential seal and all. I think he's denouncing the black woman because he's trying to win white voters back after he lost so many of them because of Reverend White and Ludicrous saying he's going to paint the White House black. I was going to vote for Obama but now I am voting for McCain, at least he has some humility.

Frank -

1) We must have seen different speeches by Senator Obama in Berlin. He devoted a good deal of time to talking about the Marshall Plan and the Berlin airlift...two of America's finest moments. I also heard him say that America's "not perfect." Who could suggest otherwise?

2) The Democrats have had a one vote majority in the Senate for a year and a half (that includes Sanctimonious Joe). It takes sixty votes to get anything done. We've had Bush in The White House for the past seven and a half years. I don't think anyone can make a serious case that "we have our party largely to blame."

I knew there was something to this Congressional race, but I didn't understand what the controversy was about. What does the man's religious affliation have to do with him winning or losing the seat?

Is this one of those/one of us or one of them tests? It seems to me that the media kept asking this question in regards to whether poor white voters would vote for Obama in the primary. Is it more ugly in this context because this candidate is trying to engage racial/religious animosity so explicitly?

What are the standards that make it ok for the media to point out racial compositions of the electorate and the candidate?

Amen to that TruthTeller. The primaries revealed Barack's true colors when Hillary starting whoopin' on him, but it was too late.

The arrogance of Barack Hussein Obama is sickening. He might want to look at his own negative ads before condemming a fellow sister.

I'm from N.Y and we had a incident here a little like the one in Tennessee. The community wanted to rename a street after Sonny Carson and the city refused saying he was racist. Is this a case of double standard? If Obama can not be trusted due to affiliation would the same apply for Cohen? I don't agree with the flier that's wrong. I wouldn't give her my vote, if you are running for Office I believe you are to be the better person "Spiritually Righteous Intelligent and have a Righteous Servitude. I'll vote for Obama come November with my right to vote, I can careless who you all vote for it's your right. In the end what happens is meant. I wish you all the best and may the unrighteous find their way to life after this experience on earth. "

History? What's history? Do they still teach that in public schools?

Robert Byrd

Don't fret Nikki, he's "just messin' with ya" to try to wipe the racist residue off his own remarks. Obama really doesn't care what you say or do; he only cares about playing politics with whatever he thinks may help him.

In addition to being a Confederate General Forrest was also a slave trader before the civil war as well as a founder of the Klan afterwards. There is also a belief that he allowed the massacre of Black union troops after the battle of Fort Pillow. He is however a historical figure in Tennessee and I think the same argument can be made against naming things after Robert E Lee or Jeffeson Davis or after Andrew Jackson anywhere near an Indian reservation in view of the Trail of Tears. His most famous quote about winning battles has to be the one about getting their fastest with the mostest which is some what ironic in that it seems to be the theme behind Federal Express which started in and is a big corporate player in Memphis.