Thursday
Sep172009
EA Soundcheck: Scott Lucas with BBC Scotland on Race and The Attacks on Barack Obama
Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 10:22
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This may be one of the most depressing interviews I have ever heard, let alone been a part of. BBC Radio Scotland, using yesterday's news that former President Jimmy Carter had said race played a large part in attacks on the Obama health care and economic proposals, spoke with former US talk radio host Charlie Wolff and me.
I tried to set out the line that race is not the key issue here; rather it's only one element in the replacement of reasoned discussion of important issues by the shouts, led by talk radio and TV outlets like Fox, of "liberalism","extremism", "Communism", "fascism", and "socialism". All of this is aimed politically at crippling Obama as the Republican Party searches for someone to lead the Presidential challenge in 2021; rhetorically, it's even more damaging, portraying anyone who wants to make significant changes to address issues like health care as "un-American".
Unfortunately Wolff, who is talented enough to avoid issues and throw around labels like acid confetti, got the last few minutes, taking (and proving) my point to new, depressing extremes.
The exchange, which is up for seven days, is at the 1:40:00 mark of the programme.
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
This may be one of the most depressing interviews I have ever heard, let alone been a part of. BBC Radio Scotland, using yesterday's news that former President Jimmy Carter had said race played a large part in attacks on the Obama health care and economic proposals, spoke with former US talk radio host Charlie Wolff and me.I tried to set out the line that race is not the key issue here; rather it's only one element in the replacement of reasoned discussion of important issues by the shouts, led by talk radio and TV outlets like Fox, of "liberalism","extremism", "Communism", "fascism", and "socialism". All of this is aimed politically at crippling Obama as the Republican Party searches for someone to lead the Presidential challenge in 2021; rhetorically, it's even more damaging, portraying anyone who wants to make significant changes to address issues like health care as "un-American".
Unfortunately Wolff, who is talented enough to avoid issues and throw around labels like acid confetti, got the last few minutes, taking (and proving) my point to new, depressing extremes.
The exchange, which is up for seven days, is at the 1:40:00 mark of the programme.