Surely A Charade

Shirley Sherrod says this about Andrew Breitbart:

On Andrew Breitbart: I know I've gotten past black versus white. He's probably the person who's never gotten past it and never attempted to get past it.
I think he would like to get us stuck back in the times of slavery. That's where I think he would like to see all black people end up again.

Well, that doesn't sound much like the post-racial enlightened uniter the MSM has packaged her as, but I'm confident this seemingly damning quote is also perfectly innocuous "in context," no doubt part of an inspiring story in which she learns to overcome hyperbolic accusations of yearning for America's days of slavery, and focuses on the things that bring us together as Americans.
And I think that's why he's so vicious against a black president, you know. He would go after me. I don't think it was even the NAACP he was totally after. I think he was after a black president.

Well, anyone who thought she was obsessed with race certainly ought to apologize.
"It's not so much about white..." (catches herself, says), "It IS about white and black."

I know I'm inspired.

Something else that's been underplayed in all this is that it's extremely unlikely Sherrod was canned because of anything anyone on the right said; I mean, come on, this is the Obama administration. That decision was almost certainly precipitated by the NAACP's denunciation of Sherrod -- and remember, the NAACP always had the full tape, as it was their event.

UPDATE: Glenn has more, including this from Jonah Goldberg: "Shirley Sherrod, who didn't know who Andrew Breitbart was 72 hours ago, now knows him well enough to say that he wants to put all blacks back into slavery. If I were David Axelrod, I'd be calling this woman and beg her to stop talking."

No kidding. Every time she opens her mouth, we get a little more "context."

And remember -- the Obama admin now owns Shirley Sherrod. There's no way for them to look good on this anymore. If they fired her, then apologized and offered her a promotion on a flimsy "context" argument, then found out she was someone whose wildly inflammatory accusations make Reverend Jeremiah Wright look like the soul of racial unity and reasonable dialogue... the already oil-drenched competence myth is now taking a slash to the jugular.

posted by Dave on 07.23.10 at 06:15 PM





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Comments

If she really believes that Andrew Breitbart wants to enslave black people, she isn't merely a racist, she's mentally deranged.

OTOH if she doesn't really believe it, that means she's dishonest and despicable.

Eric Scheie   ·  July 23, 2010 06:45 PM

More of the "You are racist, and I am not."
Except that anyone who thinks that disagreeing with a black means that they want to bring back slavery...

The more she talks, the more Breitbart is right for posting that video.

Gringo   ·  July 23, 2010 08:21 PM

And you'd think maybe Anderson Cooper might ask her whether she's serious.

Eric Scheie   ·  July 23, 2010 08:33 PM

I believe the WH would rather talk about race for the next 3 months than talk about the declining economy. Bigot? Who cares. Jobless? More important

dr kill   ·  July 23, 2010 09:44 PM

Sherrod/Greene in '12!

TallDave   ·  July 23, 2010 09:47 PM

Dave,

Greene/Sherrod - I want the smarter one at the top of the ticket. LULZ.

M. Simon   ·  July 23, 2010 10:34 PM

And it's TallDave, for the win!

mac   ·  July 23, 2010 11:39 PM

In life we always doubt the things we have never experienced and trust what we believe to be true. The reason the NAACP jumped the gun in condemning Shirley Sherrod - without checking their own video - is because they know that too many NAACP gatherings are places where blacks openly express their disdain and contempt for white people. They don't want to be Andrew Brietbart's next ACORN, so they thought if they quickly condemned Sherrod and expressed their "outrage" over her comments, they real story - about how the NAACP foments racism by tacitly approving of it - would quickly go away.

dagney   ·  July 24, 2010 07:58 AM

So is Breitbart out? Or is he biding his time?

What we know is the tape wasn't as bad as the clip made it out to be but the talk was still steeped in racial themes.

That the NAACP and Obama administration were so afraid of the ACORN treatment they went off half-cocked. Breitbart was definitely in their head.

Now they've got Sherrod running around pumping up the race volume.

Oh, anybody remember what the NAACP said about the Tea Party? I didn't think so.

Will they let a wounded Breitbart lie or will the NAACP and the administration screw up their courage and try to kick him while he's down?

Will they find he's playing possum and isn't quite out of ammo yet?

I can't help but remember that ACORN fell not because there was some video but because after the third round of defense with yet another video released, the MSM defenders had to start thinking about protecting their credibility and the administration couldn't play it off as a isolated incident.

JKB   ·  July 24, 2010 09:21 AM

Based on Breitbart's approach to ACORN, I'm thinking he has more to come. And I bet the NAACP is very nervous. I also bet Breitbart had no idea this item had so many tentacles (NAACP, White House, Pigford case), but maybe he did. But he couldn't have known the WH would act this "stupidly".

SAWB   ·  July 24, 2010 10:04 AM

Shirley there are more videos of somebody who has been the activist as long as Obama. The MSM is not going to look for them but when they think talking about defamation suits you know they have to be a little concerned that they're going to look as solid as her if more come out. Stupid is as stupid does.

SenatorMark4   ·  July 24, 2010 10:58 AM

The election of Obama has naturally galvanised Blacks. There are many qualified Blacks who have served America honorably. Like, Colin Powell. Unfortunately, many less-than-qualified Blacks think that they too, by virtue of race, could partake of the national discourse. Too bad for them, Obama doesn't think do.

Sarbo   ·  July 24, 2010 12:56 PM
M. Simon   ·  July 24, 2010 01:42 PM

The Obama Administration is so inept, and they keep illustrating their ineptness to the American public.

Conservative Prof   ·  July 24, 2010 02:56 PM

I don't like Mr. Duffy's (from Time Magazine) exalted laud of Ms. Sherrod from PBS Washington Week.

Why did Sherrod mention even as an after thought, and/or a pondering decision in her US Gov't professional job if she should help or consider to help a white tax paying citizen from her community. The “if” or “maybe” to assist a customer of hers shouldn't be a choice she should consider. Instead she should just act in an impartial and fair way PERIOD......The choice of topic for hers at the NAACP Convention as a paid US Gov't employee was a poor one.

Anonymous   ·  July 25, 2010 06:23 AM

cry bitch, no ones listening

Anonymous   ·  July 25, 2010 12:40 PM

At first I believed the story was not about MS. Sherrod, but about the NAACP audience reaction to her words. Given the organization has just accused the Tea Party of being raciest a expose of the same attitude within their own ranks would have been devastating. The White House and the NAACP where quick to make her the story, thus deflect criticism of their own raciest leanings. I ask why after all the time the White House took to respond the accusations against Van Jones, who they let go in the early hours of a Sunday morning on a long weekend, did they drop this woman in broad daylight and so publicly on the side of the highway,(martyr comes to mind)? Even more curious who here would willing resign their job, if as she said did nothing wrong? More importantly why resign at all? Make someone fire her and in writing, she would then have a name and organization to hold accountable. The whole firing episode looks like a managed counter strike. But now this story and what looks to be a bogus story out of Laredo TX. Sat. night looks to be an attempt to discredit bloggers, and set the stage for some sort of restrictions on the Internet. Think of what has transpired in the last few days, some state have or are enacting laws making it illegal to photograph police performing their jobs. So I ask how does the public film events at public forums involving wrong doings by people there. Police are almost always present. This administration is actively trying to control the message. Think about it police at polling places, no filming allowed, the extent of such laws are mind boggling.

Rock   ·  July 25, 2010 12:43 PM

They call Rush Limbaugh a racist despite the fact that his main assistant (James Golden aka "Bo Snerdley") is black, his previous marriage was performed by Clarence Thomas, he turns his show over to a black substitute host from time to time (Walter Williams), and he's helped make Thomas Sowell a big name on the right. They call Andrew Breitbart a racist despite the fact that he has given a platform to Lloyd Marcus, Alfonzo Rachel, Joseph Phillips, and numerous other black conservatives.

The wonderful thing about the charge of racism is that it's a thought crime and you can never prove the negative that it's not true. No matter how much behavior you can show of acceptance, friendship, assistance, and so on they can always claim that it's just a charade that hides their "true" racism. And psychobabble has given the ad hominem attack the vaneer of legitimacy and science that it doesn't deserve.

John   ·  July 25, 2010 01:55 PM

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