When Republican's start calling something "Racist" you just gotta laugh!

The recent revelation that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the comment that, then Sen. Barack Obama, had an advantage because of his "light-skinned" and lack of a "Negro dialect" has sent many of the GOP and far right into a tizzy calling for his resignation as Senate Majority Leader. (pause 5 sec for laugh track) They are attempting to use the example of former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott as justification. (pause for as long as you need here as well).

Let's just look at Trent Lott's comments for a moment. He said that, if Strom Thurmond has been elected president, we wouldn't have had all these problems over the years. FYI, Strom Thurmond ran his campaign based largely on strict racial segregation. But at the same time fathered a child by an African American woman. I guess Thurmond wanted his segregation and ate it too. (Ok, bad joke moving on) To make the statement that if a segregationist president would have avoided "today's problems" is in no uncertain terms, a racist statement. There was no getting around it, period. When you build your political track record on opposition of a National MLK Holiday and vote against the continuation of the Civil Rights Act, you're foundation is pretty clear.

Now let's look at what current Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said. In context, his comments are reflective on our nation as a whole more so than him as an individual. Now we can debate all you want about his choice of words, but comparing him to Lott is a joke. How many older Black folks do you know still use the word "Negro"? For me, quite a few. Hell, it's still on the US census as a choice for that fact alone. "Negro Dialect", I would argue that it's probably as good a way as any to describe the ebonics / ghetto slang / Hood-speak, that he was referring to. And who can really argue against what he was saying in the first place? Of course Obama was tremendously by being a very gifted speaker. His fair complexion was surely more palatable to main stream America. His beautiful Black wife and children fit the image of Black people in America that White America finds acceptable. (Note: if Obama had married a White woman and had a daughter who was knocked up by the local hockey stud, he wouldn't be on the local school board). So as a matter of context, Reid spoke the truth.

Aside from the obvious hypocrisy, the GOP is shrinking due to it's lack of inclusive language, ideals, and ability to include a broad range of opinions and values. Seriously? An old White man uses the term "Negro" and the "Negro" that it's directed towards doesn't even blink, end of story. But Noooooo, they want to cry foul and scream to high heaven that "Liberal Elites" (continue laugh track here) have a double standard. The fact of the matter is when you have a positive track record and a big tent party that is much more accepting of diverse people, values, and viewpoints, you're able to get past a poor choice of words for what they are. But when you have no diversity in your party, it's easy for ignorance and hypocrisy to prevail because no one is around to tell you, "Whooooaaaa Whooooaaaa hang on a sec....."

Comparing the comments of Lott and Reid is like comparing Steak and Tofu. You can try to make them both look and taste alike, but one bite, and it's not even the Pepsi Challenge. If I was a republican, the LAST thing I'd want to do is start calling someone else a racist, but that's just me.