Calling the White Man's "Race Card" Bluff ...

Yes ... I said it, and I intend to say much worse right here and now.

Recently, the Republican ticket, backed by Fox News and all those that have never understood race issues (including many African-Americans who have forgotten what's it's like to be "Black") have intentionally mislead the public by taking on the Obama campaign directly over Vice President Biden's "back in chains" comment, calling it the mark of a "desperate" campaign as President Obama defends his running mate against bipartisan criticism. I, for one, have been appalled that people like Romney and Ryan would actually play "the race card" on behalf of the Black people in attendance at Biden's speech. And what has been worse is that African-Americans have jumped on their bandwagon. As if they weren't enough of a drag on the race with their self-righteous indignation towards those Blacks that remember the White man has not always been a friend, now they are actually co-signing two White's (who couldn't care less about Black people if there weren't still voting rights watchdogs out there making sure we all can still legitimately vote in this election despite their best efforts) ridiculous racial accusations. I have a rant in my heart on this. Would you like to hear it? Here it goes ...

The Fine Print: We're Calling "B.S." will have a real discussion about playing the race card. "Playing the race card" is an idiomatic phrase that refers to exploitation of either racist or anti-racist attitudes by accusing others of racism. The phrase is commonly used in two contexts. In the first and more common context, it alleges that someone has deliberately and falsely accused another person of being a racist in order to gain some sort of advantage. In the second context, it refers to someone exploiting prejudice against another race for political or some other advantage. There will be times when it is inappropriately used; however, there are instances when its use has been very much applicable to the situation. This show will not air until September 1, 2012. In light of this latest incident, I thought it was time that I get the conversation started early on that particular show. Join me as I break down this race card moment, and feel free to give your own input.

The VP sparked the controversy during a campaign rally in Danville, Va., where he was attempting to argue that the House GOP budget, partly written by newly-minted GOP vice presidential running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, gives an indication of the Republican presidential ticket’s values. The VP stated, “Look at what they value and look at their budget and what they’re proposing. Romney wants to let the – he said in the first 100 days he’s going to let the big banks once again write their own rules, ‘unchain Wall Street.’ They’re going to put y’all back in chains."

Immediately following this the news was all abuzz, and the race card was played. The world of fools has gone “all in” on this hand and will not let up, doubling down in fact. In the process they have mislead the gullible public into co-signing the foolishness and publicly calling for an unwarranted apology. They have even taken to pulling Santita Jackson (Jesse Jackson’s daughter) out of her Fox News cubbyhole and paraded around to denounce the comments as if she didn’t know better. Well, it might not be farfetched to say she doesn’t. This one little word, “chains,” has caused an irritating stir in my life because now I have to read about all these people’s stupid reactions to it. There are better things going on in the world besides a phrase taken out of context in the most blatant way.

But this situation has really caused a question to be raised. Lately people are so quick to fault someone for playing the race card—but here this is clearly a false instance of using it—and in a moment when there should be fault, it’s on the person who never made the situation about race. Why are we not attacking Romney and Ryan for taking this comment to a racial point? Who is actually making this a racial issue to distract citizens? Looks like the White devil to me, and I meant it as a racial remark (just so there's no need to clarify later).

What no one wants to admit, especially not Romney/Ryan, is that the VP continued his same dialogue later that day:  “The last time these guys unshackled the economy, to use their term, they put the middle class in shackles. That’s how we got where we are.” Does this clarify things for you? It does for me. In fact, it really just confirms what I already perceived his statements to mean. I unlike some others did not immediately say that because Biden used the term shackles in a rally that was packed with Blacks, he was trying to make a slavery remark. And even if he was making a slavery remark, he made the remark that Romney was pro-slavery … and I’m not convinced that wouldn’t be the truth if Romney had his way. Nothing about Romney’s behavior would suggest he cares about Black people (Kanye, do you agree?), so maybe he’s pro-slavery. I don’t know, and he’s never given much information about his plans for office. There could be a master race plan in his mind for all I know. But the wanna-be slave master in Romney's subconscious is not on the table of discussion right now. Regardless of my trail-off, Biden was not actually making a racial reference. So we can stop with the discussion. Romney and Ryan just need to fold on this one; those two are holding some bad hands.

Romney has really shown himself as a big stack bully, and I for one won’t allow someone so far removed from reality to steer the conversation in a way that steps outside the true issues: what can you really do for the economy? What’s your plan? What will it cost? And where will you get the money from since you will cut taxes and spending at all levels of government (including income-producing agencies)? What’s your experience that is any different than anyone else’s? These are answers I want. Only one of the two candidates has been President before, so only one has presidential experience. And if you are going to convince me you should replace him, you’re going to have to do more than point out his failures, and start showing me what you will do to pull us out of the hole your party previously put us in. Am I the only person who remembers Former President Bush put us in this hole? So far I see Bush version 2.0 but with less war, and more handouts to the wealthy on the backs of the middle and lower classes. I don’t believe for a second that Ryan’s fiscal intentions will happen; his belief in the free market system is so unsupportable by anything but his internal will it borders religion. I don’t like religion in my government; I want it to work for all, not just those that believe. It seems like too much to ask for nowadays.

Does anyone agree with me on this one? Am I the only one that doesn’t find a racial moment in this situation? Talk to me people. Let’s start the conversation now before we air.

--Bryan Babcock