And This is Why I’m Glad I’ve Never Voted for Ralph Nader

by Cara on November 7, 2008

in 2008 election, assholes, Barack Obama, bigotry, discrimination, politics, race and racism

Because even Fox News is smart enough to call him out on being an ignorant, racist ass for saying Barack Obama is an “Uncle Tom.”

For more, see Bint. And hey Nader? Fuck you.

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{ 17 comments }

1 SarahSimone November 7, 2008 at 8:31 pm

I have no patience for this crap. Screw him, and anybody else who would try to dampen this moment in history.

And to add insult to injury, he made me side with Fox News.

2 Ryan November 7, 2008 at 11:00 pm

Nader kind of lost me before that comment. I thought his criticisms of Obama’s speech in march were crass and baseless, essentially being, “yeah, liberals full of white guilt love that kind of oratory.”

Anyway, yeah, fuck Nader.

3 Annie November 8, 2008 at 4:51 pm

I don’t get it. Is ‘uncle tom’ some american thing? I’m not american and I’ve never heard it before. Where does it come from and what are its racist connotations?

4 Cara November 8, 2008 at 5:04 pm

Annie, Wikipedia has a good overview. You can also click the link at the end of the post to go to Feministe, where there’s another conversation going on. There’s some good discussion of the phrase itself in there.

5 Annie November 9, 2008 at 6:08 pm

Thanks Cara, I looked it up. I’ve only vaguely heard of Nader till now. I know even some progressives thought he was a good candidate. Not any more, I bet.

6 Paul November 10, 2008 at 6:35 am

If anyone wants more depression there is this – http://www.wapt.com/video/17928161/index.html

7 Thealogian November 10, 2008 at 10:55 am

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Mr. Nadar, thank you for seat belts–but shut the fuck up and stop grandstanding for your own ego pleasing.”

8 Cara November 10, 2008 at 11:40 am

Thealogian nailed it!

9 Melissa November 10, 2008 at 2:36 pm

Wow – that video that Paul put up the link to…WTF?
As far as Nadar goes…there was a time when I felt he was the better option, in previous elections, not this one. But then you have to look at what our options were at that time.

Theologian definately nailed it.

10 Neon November 13, 2008 at 1:58 pm

I supported Nader, I voted for Nader and even after these comments I still support him. Obama mania has swept across this country and people fell for the empty rhetoric of change and hope. Nader simply pointed out that this “historic” election isn’t a game changer because it’s likely he’ll become a sell out. People can talk on and on about how great it is that they elected a black president but when you look at his policies you’ll see he’s just another short sighted corrupt politician. He’s for deficit spending, he’s against universal single payer health care and peace in the middle east. His fiscal policies will continue this country along the downward spiral it’s already in.

11 Cara November 13, 2008 at 2:01 pm

Nice way to not address the situation Neon.

12 Neon November 13, 2008 at 2:06 pm

yeah, I get kind of ADDish sometimes. His choice of words could have been better but I think his comments illustrated his point well. Throughout the above rant I did address the situation. In short, if he sells out then this election was meaningless.

13 Cara November 13, 2008 at 2:11 pm

That’s the thing that people keep bringing up here and at Feministe. I agree with that. If Obama sells out, he’s a major asshole, and he has betrayed us. That does not excuse Nader’s language whatsoever. And Nader turned this into his language when he decided to use it, and then when he refused to retract it and apologize. He said something racist. It was unnecessary to illustrate his point. And he relinquished the right for us to address his actual point (at least now in this discussion in relation to him) when he used that language.

14 Neon November 13, 2008 at 2:22 pm

As soon as you get offended you dismiss him as a racist. “Uncle Tom” is not that offensive, over time the term has lost much of it’s stigma and now it’s become synonymous with sellout. To tell you the truth nothing offends me and I don’t get the outrage people feel over individual words.

15 Cara November 13, 2008 at 2:42 pm

So it sounds like you’re not the person to talk about it then.

16 Neon November 13, 2008 at 2:48 pm

No, not really. Being offended has always been an alien concept to me. I don’t get why people can be offended by individual word. I understand how people could be offended by an overall message though. I just see this as unwarranted anger by thin skinned people.

17 bint alshamsa November 15, 2008 at 7:00 pm

Neon, here’s why your theory doesn’t work. I’m not angry at Nader. I simply see this as him exposing himself as someone who has chosen to side with those who reinforce institutional racism. Some things offend me but Nader isn’t someone I ever thought highly of, so I don’t really have any of the feelings of betrayal that others may (rightly) have.

The reality is that, even if no one was offended, Nader’s comments were racist. We’d be dismissing him if we just ignored what he said. Instead, plenty of us are calling for folks to actually pay attention to it because it is definitely helpful to know who Nader is choosing to side with on issues of race.

Here’s another problem with your theory. I’m not an Obama supporter. Plenty of other people of color (who have called Nader out on this) weren’t/aren’t either. This has nothing to do with whether Obama is a great guy or a corporate shill–which is what Nader could have called him if he wanted to make the point you’re claiming. This is about Nader’s comments.

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