In reading current articles on Palin this evening, I came across this article on Forbes.com. In case there was any question in your mind about criticisms of Obama being racially motivated, Forbes.com has provided the proof necessary. Forbes.com reports:
“Without Hillary’s prima donna performance as the greater-of-two-evils SPEAR CATCHER, Obama’s flaws might have gotten enough scrutiny to trip him up on his way to the coronation. . This type of journalism is outrageous and offensive. Please go to the site and share your feelings about the use of these racist words. Thanks, Malia
malialitman
MaliaLitman.com 
they can’t help it. journasts like that think it’s their job to be assholes.
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Lars,
The have done a fine job of that! Malia
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I just don’t see that expression as racist. It reads, to me, that Hillary caught the spears of assault from the fractured Democratic Party, just as Palin and Gingrich are taking the spears for the GOP. Because I am always on your side, Malia, I’ve tried to see it your way, but I think you are too sensitive in this case.
That is not to say that race isn’t an enormous factor in the reluctance of some to see President Obama for the outstanding leader he is for America. Their ignorance is no excuse for being stupid, is it?
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Malia is right and you are too wackdoodle to see this is obvious racist slur. Please reframe from your ignorance on this blog. You are at the wrong place if you can’t see the obivous which Malia has no problem seeing.
I’m going to keep it civil because I don’t want to be kicked off this blog.
BTW — Which article are you referring because the page list content?
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I posted a comment at Forbes.com about the article, and I will repeat it here.
Calm down folks, there’s nothing racist in the article — you’re misinterpreting the phrase “spear catcher”. Most commonly, the term refers to someone designated to be the face of a company or organization whose job is to face the public, press or whatever and absorb all the barbs and arrows that may be flung at them. Nothing more.
The racist term, which is very similar, is “spear chucker”, and I won’t go into the meaning; Google it.
Stuff happens! 🙂
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Oh Gawd. What I said about the other dipptydoole applies to you.
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Bottom line is for someone to be a “spear catcher” someone has to be the “spear chucker”. Who did he imply was that person, by using the term he used?
As the great Judge Judy would say, “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining!”
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DontHatethe Game
thank for the wonderful comment! Malia
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It may be a dog-whistle.
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I wrote a great letter to Hannity, but ti was returned…his mailbox is FULL!
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Don’t play footsie
with me you condescending twat, J.J.Angleton.
Any editor worth their salt wouldn’t leave that sentence in there, unless they’re racist toadies like yourself, Amirite?
You may think everyone is a fool, but the joke is in your hands.
You probably think it’s a well written article. It’s not. It’s an op-ed piece with too many strawmen, like assholes, everyone has one.
Shit happens? In your depends, I presume.
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Just went on the site and did not see the phrase. Was it removed?
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DontHatethe Game
I don’t know. Just got up. Will check! Malia
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DontHatethe Game
Here is the paragraph and the link: Hillary Clinton played a similar role for the Democrats four years ago. Bearing the brunt of attacks from the vast right-wing conspiracy still suffering from Clinton derangement syndrome, she was poorly defended by a Democratic base thoroughly divided on her candidacy. This opened the door for an unknown but charismatic senator who became a tabula rasa for a frightened and disaffected electorate. Without Hillary’s prima donna performance as the greater-of-two-evils spear catcher, Obama’s flaws might have gotten enough scrutiny to trip him up on his way to the coronation.
http://www.forbes.com/2011/03/24/gop-elections-sarah-palin-opinions-contributors-bill-frezza.html
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Thank you. I have a bad habit these days of reading something disturbing and dismissing it immediately. After 2010, my vigilance has been in hibernation, perhaps preparing for the big fight that is coming… the propaganda is only going to get worse. I am grateful for sites such as this where I can come and get the truth, knowing you are the eyes and ears reporting the vitriol that is being passed as journalism.
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DontHate the Game
Thanks for your vote of confidence. I recognize the I have a point of view, but I try to be sure that if I tell you what I think, I back up what I’m saying. I wish more people in the political debate would do the same. It seems like all too often people on the “right” simply cite God as their authority. Malia
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Well, it’s hell to get slammed by a tsunami of ignorance from those who are too damned dumb to accept facts, but I did get it from some folks here and from some dipshit on Forbes.com who is so obviously pissed at the world he’s foaming at the mouth. I was described as a racist and a racist apologist, neither of which is true.
The paragraph Malia pointed out to all has absolutely NOTHING racist in it. The two words “spear catcher” mean just exactly what they mean. A simple Google search will turn that up for the disbelievers who won’t or can’t admit they are so wrong on this one. Even the White House Press Secretary, regardless of who holds the job, is referred to as a “spear catcher”.
Now on to better things: there IS in the article another set of two words which seem to have escaped everyone here as being racist, and those two words are “tar baby”. Again, a Google search will prove that yes, they can be considered racist, but as in most word use they must be taken in context.
In the article, the sentence was “Who knows, turning Sarah and Newt into culture war tar babies might help the ultimate candidate stay on message.”
In that context I find it hard to fathom that it could be considered racist because a second definition of the term is “Tar baby is an expression used to describe a sticky situation. It is “a situation or problem from which it is virtually impossible to disentangle oneself”.
And that is just what exists for the Republican Party — a sticky situation.
Now one last thing before you pick up your verbal spears and start throwing them at me: I am extremely old, and all of my life I never, ever donated money to a politician of any stripe. Yet when I first heard Barack Obama speak, I immediately knew he was the man to lead this country and I wanted him to be our President. So he is the only political candidate I ever donated money to, multiple times, and I still consider it money well spent even though he’s made his share of mistakes. I will vote for him again if he’s up to running again.
So you can call me any name you wish, have at it — because I know the truth. You won’t hurt my feelings if you want to stay uninformed. I really thought I was being helpful by pointing out the truth about the allegations of racism in this instance.
Malia, would you mind commenting on this since it was your post that brought it to light? Anything you might say would be most appreciated.
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JJ,
I may be wrong, but I felt it was pretty clearly a racist remark. I don’t think any journalist or editor would use the word “spear-catcher” next to Obama’s name without thinking that many people would think “spear-chucker.” Even if they did not originally think it was a racist remark, they would realize that some people would view it that way, and they went ahead and used the term. It’s like Palin saying “Blood-Libel.” “Spear-catcher” and “Blood Libel” are not words commonly used, so to choose to use them we can presume that anyone making the choice to use them had a motive. Especially with all that has been written about the racist attitudes in the country right now, I would think that any journalist would be especially sensitive to the perception that anything written was racially motivated. I respect your point of view, and that’s why I posted your comment. The fact that I didn’t reply initially was because I wanted to let others respond and let you get their impressions without my comments. The fact that so many people responded to your comment is an indication that they …like me…reacted to the use of the language. It was a predictable response,and thus I attribute blame to the author and the editor, because even if they didn’t mean it the way I took it, my reaction was predictable. I always appreciate a different point of view, and I appreciate yours. Malia
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Malia, thank you for your comments. Now we can merely agree that we disagree on this issue and be done with it without a lot of name-calling, which is how it should be among civil peoples.
I agree with you about the editor’s lack of judgment in allowing the words to go through. Given the way the world works today, with everyone being exposed to everything much of their waking hours, insignificant remarks too often hit a flash point for no good reason.
One situation that comes to mind — and was intentional on the part of the offended party — was a case where a speaker in a public forum used the astronomy term “black hole” to refer to the workings of a particular politician’s office — and that set off the firestorm, the charges of racism — all hurled by the black politician.
The politician in question is well known to be an in-your-face person who will slam the race card on the table so fast your head will spin — when it suits his agenda. His is no stranger to confrontation and dirty dealing. He knows quite well what the term “black hole” means and that it has become accepted in normal use to apply to situations that have become out of control. He is not stupid, but he is extremely manipulative.
The speaker ended up apologizing publicly in order to defuse the situation although personally I feel he should not have — I realized his intent and it was not racist at all.
Such is life in the big city.
Everyone smile and have a great day! I’m going outside to mow the lawn while the weather is still nice. 🙂
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JJ,
Thanks for your understanding and perspective. Malia
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“a tsunami of ignorance…”
Maybe your comments aren’t racist, but just insensitive.
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I may not have been polite, but neither was that op-ed screed. I stand by my point, the author sees humans as not being equal, no matter the color of their stripe.
He obfuscates. ‘Eats, shoots and leaves’ – Lynn Truss
Not only is the comma placement important, but the words you choose to use.
His shit doesn’t taste like ice cream either.
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