On Tuesday's The Rachel Maddow Show, host Rachel Maddow ran down how racial undertones have once again become an issue in the campaign, in part due to two recently excavated videos of Paul Ryan and President Barack Obama.
The first video, footage of Obama addressing a predominantly black audience in 2007, is being promoted by Fox News' Sean Hannity, the Drudge Report's Matt Drudge, and the Daily Caller's Tucker Carlson. The three prominent conservatives seem to be arguing, Maddow said, that the footage shows Obama "revealing his secret plan to be way more black than he seems to you now."
On Tuesday's edition of his Fox News show, Hannity described the video as a "glimpse into the mind of the real Barack Obama." The Daily Caller called it a “racially charged and at times angry speech” in which Obama talks about “a racist, zero-sum society.”
Maddow said that the implication behind these conservative objections was, "people didn't actually know he was this black, and if they had known he was this black they wouldn't have elected him."
But Steve Schmidt, former advisor to John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign, thinks that the video is "old news," meant to distract from the high expectations for Mitt Romney ahead of the debate. This video "changes the subject a little bit," he told Maddow. "It's a bright shiny object, diverts attention away from the huge expectations."
"I think there's almost zero chance that we're going to be talking about this tape on Thursday," he said.
In another recently released video, recorded in 2011, Paul Ryan echoes Mitt Romney's "47 percent" attack, criticizing the 30 percent of the population that he says is perfectly happy to continue living off of the government.
"Today, 70 percent of Americans get more benefits from the federal government in dollar value than they pay back in taxes," Ryan said. "So you could argue that we're already past that tipping point. The good news is survey after survey, poll after poll, still shows that we are a center-right 70-30 country. Seventy percent of Americans want the American dream. They believe in the American idea. Only 30 percent want their welfare state. What that tells us is at least half of those people who are currently in that category are there not of their wish or their will."
The video was uncovered by Ryan Grim of the Huffington Post, and shows a speech Ryan gave at an American Spectator gala. Grim told Maddow that "the idea that that is your preferred state of being just shows the lack of understanding that people like Ryan and Romney have for people in that situation."
As Maddow pointed out, though the video is from 2011, the Romney campaign has repeatedly used a similarly-themed line of attack against Obama, erroneously claiming that he tried to gut welfare reform by getting rid of the work requirement.
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GOP is desperate,they continue to hash up old stuff, get over it, its old stuff.
HHmmmm, let's see -- 47%, 47%; the unemployment rate is right around 8%, which would mean that 39% OF THE NATION is in one of the following: a.)un-employable, not even being counted; or b.)underemployed, working at a job beneath their skills, and therefore not paying taxes (due to low income); or c.) retired, not tax-obligated. Yet ALL OF THESE are government "mooches", suckling off the welfare teat. Disabled folks, MANY OF WHOM BECAME DISABLED WHILE SERVING OUR COUNTRY IN UNIFORM, people who are supporting extended families on a too-small income, people who have ALREADY DONE the whole job/career thing, and are 'enjoying' the fruits of that labor -- they are all deadwood, beneath Romney's notice or concern.
I feel SO loved by the GOP. Guess I'll go count my food stamps and welfare dollars -- oh, wait, I don't GET food stamps, I make too much money, on my JOB. (Yet I'm still below the poverty line....)
AMEN!!!!
What happened to unbiased news? The left wing media should get off this idiot home boyz
koolaid. MSNBC sucks
I even went so far as to watch the FOX coverage of the videos. Seriously - Obama said _nothing_! Nothing at all. I mean come on - it is bad now to ask for relief for Katrina-victims? It's bad to ask for public transport so people can go to work?
The moral compass of the right is completely broken. That lies at the heart of why they're losing the election.
Unless they fix this, they'll be moving towards political oblivion.
It is quite fascinating to go to Fox and see the coverage - I agree with your comment...
Rachel Maddow-I thought it was a great job of reporting, but I saw you did not report on the (to me and others here) the part where he says we do not care about those affected in New Orleans (From Katrina) because they were black and the Southern dialect slang and is overly used by Obama here..(that is not the way we talk..it is obvious an attempt to though)...and the big thing that got my attention was. Black, White, Asian etc came together and invited the refugees in our homes here in Louisiana and we were all affected. It was not about races as Obama points out....I am not a reporter but I can say you missed out on this fact.
If I changed my dialect and slang to fit the crowd i was talking to..I would be called a racists. Obama is not from down south and he has NO RIGHT to attempt to mock us....to me it was mocking as his slang was so bad.
I saw that you commented on Fox News several times...and have done it many times since I started watching. I finally started getting cable TV...yes some of us down here still have dial up internet and no cable yet..but it is slowly improving. I added several news programs 3 days ago. I thought I was watching Fox news as you keep bringing them up...so I went to view several of Fox's programs and not once did I see them mention you.
I am disappointed I wanted to get some news and entertained as I am just now finally enjoying cable, that you would as it seems mock, insult or hate an opposing news organization. I had someone help me log in to make my feelings known.
I was upset that I was going to have take you off my list of news shows I wanted to watch as I am uncomfortable with someone who shows so much hatred...there is so much hate around the world the last place I need it is in my relaxation time and catching up on the news and events.
I was kinda embarrassed till I saw that only 3 people commented....then I realized that you along with Chris Matthews will never be a debate moderator...ever.
What I am finding is that of the 5 that I watch, that I have taken 2 off already...That being the Rachel Maddow show and the Chris Matthews show...I took him off right after I saw his first show and he seems to have a caffeine hatred flowing through his face.
I had been without cable for 3 years and only saw it on at a few friends houses that lived in the city. I don't mind opposing views but not in a hateful way even if the other side is wrong as it is fun to see professional conversation.
What has TV come to....I don't see any politeness...just hatred...I am trying to catch up on current information on Mr. Obama and Mr Mitt as I have been news starved . I am also an independent voter. If you would have said some nice things about Mr. Mitt and those at Fox..surely they ain't all bad and they bound to have at least something right, if you would have not had so much what seemed to be self righteous anger in your voice then I would be entertained.
Its ok to disagree but my concern was that during my relaxation time I am seeing people upset..all the time about someone or something that they don't like or agree with. After watch Chris Matthews I felt that I had been watching a stuttering chicken on crack...I had to turn off my new TV and go for a walk..then I watch your show and I see..maybe not as much hatred...but enough to make me uncomfortable...I am here to listen to reason and look for peace makers. It is my me-time. I don't want to stick around to find out what you and Chris are so upset about but I don't think I would understand you anyways because all I see is you being sarcastically upset and Chris vibrating meanness in his lips.
This has been a eye-opener for me...it was the first time I was able to find a full video by myself when only a part of it has been played..now I see what people are talking about..bias.
I am not sure what some people will do after the election...I am sure after talking to several of my friends about my experience with my new cable TV and 2 of MSNBC new show that it probably reflect MSNBC's frustration at not being a news leader...if you are...sorry as I am not up to par yet.
I really hope that you are not as unhappy as you seem to be in your real life as all people here in the USA have a right to be happy. Being hateful is not a good thing for the soul..even if you don't believe in God..it is still not healthy.
It is not healthy for me to watch anymore and I am sorry if I only watched a few shows which seemed to be basically all the same...like you are defending Obama while I need to know issues about what he is going to do to lower gas prices and food prices....
This is the first time I felt that I needed to login and send a message to someone I do not know but it seems has a lot of potential. I am sorry but I get to uncomfortable watching all this nastiness and if anyone else does this I will stop watching. If I hear good things about your show on future broadcasts from others News Co. I might come back and watch..but now I am just not comfortable and this has saddened me.
Please don't take anything personally as I think you are probably a nice person who is going thru a very difficult time. I just read an article about how they chose moderators as i got my cable just in time for the debates....I don't think you will ever be one when you insult so many.
MY advice I will leave you with as I will not visit this station again is that being nice can get much more accomplished and attract more people to positive energy. Sadly I did not find it here on your show. Please don't send me any e-mails as it takes to long for my dial up to download. I hope whatever it is that is bothering you works out...
sorry
ops
tapko02..what a most wonderful post. I'm glad to hear you finally have t.v. I thank you for posting. I have been watching MSNBC , FOX, NBC, etc. so I can be up to date on what I had hoped would be good reporting, which is NOT the case. Of all the stations, I find FOX to be the fairest, and yes, they do lean to the right, but still give us NEWS! I just finished watching the video (link below) yesterday, and it's a must see. It is long, but, in my opinion, well worth watching.
It is a shame that so many think Fox tells the truth, because they don't. Sometimes there is a bit of truth but by the time they get through twisting and spinning it is lost. I really have never seen so many lies and out of context stories on a news station as Fox. They are using a 5 year old tape like it was made today. If any of you care to fact check you can find the truth about all the political news, but go to a neutral group not a conservative blog.The President does not control the price of gas, the OPEC does. And the inflated prices are the product of over zealous wall street gurus...a fire at a refinery...good old mother nature(hurricane) and various other reasons, just not the President. I am sure he would like to lower the prices if he could. Maybe you could ask the oil billionaires to lower it... Oh that's right they already think we don't pay enough and live off the goverment!!!Like they don't? If they had their way we would loose all out benefits and pay them all our money in taxes!!!
Maddow isn't showing the video in it's entirety. I saw it, and one of Obama in a video about a year later. You had to hear them side by side. This one, in it's entirety, you can hear how Obama is talking "differently"...kind of a "Southern" accent. The other video, which I cannot find, you can hear Obama talking to America, his voice "normal" as we know it.
I would bet that everyone has two voices....I'm from Eastern North Carolina and have a distinct accent, but after living in Charlotte , NC for almost 40 years I speak differently now. The funny thing is when I'm home visiting I can feel myself dropping right into my Eastern accent - nothing abnormal about it ....
Hey Bush Haters and Blamers read this and weep. Read it all. Bush lovers please repost so we can finally discredit the idiots who blame all our economic woos on Bush. Its long but well worth the read and pass along. Great stuff. And FACTS AGAIN LIBERALS
Your history lesson for today. Some people have short memories….. I’ve been saying this for years, but this email probably explains it better and more clearly. This is NOT a political message, but rather a clarification to remind us all of the correct facts.
Remember that on October 9, 2007, 11 months before our “economic crisis” occurred (that was actually created), the Dow hit its highest point ever, closing at 14,164.53 and reaching 14,198.10 intra-day level 2 days later. Unemployment was steady at 4.7%. But things were already being put in place to create the havoc we’ve all been experiencing since then. And it all started, as this email explains, on January 3, 2007.
I'm sending this to each of you regardless of your party preferences because I believe it is something you may not have considered.
This tells the story, why Bush was so “bad” at the end of his term.
Don't just skim over this, it's not very long, read it slowly and let it sink in. If in doubt, check it out!!!
The day the Democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009, it was actually January 3rd 2007, which was the day the Democrats took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the 110th Congress.
The Democrat Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.
For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is "Bush's Fault", think about this: January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress.
At the time: The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77 The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5% The Unemployment rate was 4.6% George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB GROWTH
Remember the day... January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee. The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy? BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!
Unemployment... to this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOES!
Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie - starting in 2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy.
And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac? OBAMA And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie? OBAMA and the Democrat Congress.
So when someone tries to blame Bush. REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007.... THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!"
Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democrat Party.
Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for 2008 & 2009 as well as 2010 & 2011.
In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.
For 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the 2009 budgets.
And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete 2009.
If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.
If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.
There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!
very informative thanks....having trouble finding link...but help is coming...thanks
Thanks for the info. Dems don't want to hear any of that. They won't even admit that the econony has gotten much worse under Obama. Some economists are seeing another recession on the not too distant horizon. Everything is pointing that way. But the media won't discuss that now. It's too close to the election. Might affect Obama's chances of being reelected. It is sad that the media now elects our presidents. I hope the Amerian people can see the propoganda for what it is and will vote against the media Obama machine. In my view, chances are slim for any candidate to swim the tides that are so much against them.
This link is a video of the movie about Obama 2016. It's 1 1/2 hours long, but well worth watching. You can always pause it, save it, go back to it, but EVERYONE should watch it.
STOP, STOP, STOP blaming the rich. NOT all rich people are thieves. Let's talk about Oprah, she's richer than Romney, and supports Obama...all those Hollywooder's support Obama. We are NOT talking about rich or poor, we're talking about FIXING it so the poor aren't poor. And Obama is NOT the one to get that done. He's too busy campaigning so he can continue ruining America. WAKE UP AMERICA...he's really a racist bigot. Watch the video I posted above. If you're concerned about where our country is heading, then you will watch the video....and LISTEN to it. I was frightened after watching it. I am not being overly dramatic, I am truly frightened for my children and grandchildren and ALL of America. I do agree that both sides bend the truth, and some outright lie, but with all it's faults, FOX is the one station that tells it like it is. They don't hand pick bits and parts of videos like MSNBC does. You watch the major stations, they won't show the parts of the video that are so far to the left that it would give anyone thought to think carefully about voting for Obama again. I am SICK, SICK, SICK of Obama's tearing this country apart. Vote for Obama if you must, but at least watch the video. You can also watch the video that Maddow is discussing. I am inserting the link from the Daily Caller. There are 3 pages with 3 parts of the video. Watch and LISTEN.
I forgot to insert the link Obama 2016 (sorry)
Regardless of party affiliations,(independent and still deciding here) it's pretty obvious to anyone who watches the video, that the content of that speech was very divisive, at the least.. Certainly wasn't a unity speech like he spoke of after the Rev. Wright controversy lol...
Now I know Fox has their own conservative agenda, just like the liberals do theirs, but I was particularly concerned with the two videos that Hannity put up side by side. (they were taped maybe a month or two apart.. maybe it was a year, forget now..)
so anyways I went and dug up both unedited speeches and listened to them both side by side again for myself... It really does, to me at least, look very much like two completely different personalities, perspectives, and ideologues.. never mind his speech is completely different too lol (sorry, but all of a sudden he reminded me of the reverend).. As an independent, I really have to at least question his integrity on this one.. trust is a fragile thing.. and mines a little shaken...
Whether it's old news or not, the Rev. Wright thing has always bothered me, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt like I think most of us did at the time.. Hope we weren't mistaken to do that.. because those two speeches side by side are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.. So what does he really believe? To each his own, but those kinds of views are not my own nor what I believe should govern this great nation..
So go find them both, unedited, and play them side by side and make up your own minds...
This is the most important day for our nation. If you love America, do your own research. Make up your own minds..
I do huge amounts of research and have come to the conclusion long ago that the Republicans are living in a parallel universe sucking the corporate specialist interest teet. The non-OECD countries consumed more oil than the OECD countries just this year. The GOP keeps saying "drilling baby drill" despite the fact that America only has 2% of known oil reserves. The age of cheap oil is gone forever but the GOP keeps suffering from cultural lag on green energy promotion. We need WW II type mobilization on green energy building solar, wind, geothermal, and smart grids. We need bullet trains that connect all our major cities. We need excellent mass transit with electric hybrid buses, commuter rail, all connected in a network excellent transport centers.
The country that is doing all of this is Germany. The Germans have excellent mass transit with bullet trains, commuter rail, and highly efficient bus systems in all cities. A German can go anywhere in Germany quickly and efficiently without having to drive or fly. Germany has excellent solar and wind industry programs with long term subsidies. Germany even got 50% of its electricity from solar this May, 2012. Americans spent $7.3 trillion on aircraft carrier task force groups from 1976-2007 to keep a carrier permanently stationed in the Persian Gulf. Many times we have had up to six carriers in the Persian Gulf. We spent $4 trillion long term in Afghanistan and Iraq. We subsidize fuel up to $11 to $15 per gallon once environmental, health, and military costs are all added up.
We need an Apollo energy plan in America with WW II type mobilization. We need to follow the German model for green energy, bullet trains, and mass transit. The French TGV set a land speed record of over 350 MPH. You can go from Paris to Marseille to Strassbourg or Brussels on the French TGV or the Eurostar bullet trains. The German ICE bullet trains interconnect with the French system. So the Europeans are smart and American conservatives are suffering from cultural lag while the Asian countries pull ahead of America in business and economic development. The conservatives are setting America up to fail. Vote Obama/Biden in 2012.
Rex
You come to a conclusion first, then do research only to support that conclusion.
You've never ever said one thing positive about any Republican policy. That proves my point.
I'm as far right as anyone on this blog but I do see some positives in a few of Obama's ideas.
btw
Oil is down 4 bucks a barrel today.
I would like to meet the folks who ever got a job from a poor person. And why does MSNBC continuously display the Obama slogan "Lean Forward" on its tv banner and website. No bias here is there? Maybe it should read "Bend Over" cause if Obama gets in againg it will be the mandatory position for all of us and out children and grandchildren. It's time to wake up America and really see what's going on here. (As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions) I've been told so this comment will probably not appear.
What we are seeing here are the last desperate gasps of the GOP before their political deaths in November. Whatever happened to the GOP's "jobs, jobs, and more jobs" agenda? All we got instead from the GOP were the worst obstructionist Congress in our history. 12 major spending bills have not been passed because of GOP obstructionism. GOP in the House failed to take up the American Jobs Act that would have created or saved two million jobs. The GOP in the Senate blocked the small business tax credit bill that would have created one million jobs. The GOP in the Senate filibustered the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans Job Corps bill. Other veterans bills have been filibustered by the GOP. The Republicans have a deep hole inside their bodies and no amount of kickbacks from corporate special interests, no amount tax shelters in the Cayman Islands and no amount of tax payer corporate subsidies can fill their greedy souls or the avarice in their hearts. Vote Obama/Biden and a straight Democratic ticket in November because the country you save will be your own.
Rex
Remember something. Millions of Americans don't know much about Romney. All they've seen is 30 sec. political commercials. Obama has had the bully pulpit for years. Tonight Romney will get to introduce himself. My guess is the he's going to throw the last 4 years right in Obama's face.
The polls only have Obama up by a couple of points. That's not good considering he's running against a relatively unknown opponent.
It's great being right..................again.
Newt is a fool and very ignorant..What does he mean Barack Obama does not do what presidents do. What does that mean??
Newt is a fool and very ignorant
LOL
He's a fool but he's not ignorant.
...It is SAD that "Shi#top Mountain Fox News" has nothing NEW to throw on the "Crap Wall"....YES... President Obama was correct 5-YEARS ago...It did appear the Government did not give a DAMN about our Citizens in New Orleans... THAT was Displaced by Hurricane Katrina!!!...And then, the Audacity of that "Sh#iTop Mountain Fox News and other "Media Nuts" calling our U.S. Citizens.... "REFUGEE" ...That TITLE did not sit well with ANY Black person...Just that Word Refugee" ...Simply implies those people were sort of "Second Class"...OR seeking a SAFE place in this "FOREIGN COUNTRY...Spare Me Please!!!...Less WE forget that... 98% of residents in that Lower Ninth Ward, which FLOODED were.... Blacks...AND 51% of residents KILLED was...BLACKS!!! And these No-News Reporters are calling "OUT" President Obama on what - how he spoke on this Devastating Tragedy??? BULLSH#T... Hannity, Drudge, and your other G.O.P. "GANGSTAS ON POT"...Bring Something New to the Party...Or stay off the STAGE...With the Big Boys!!
Barry accused the government of being racist. Of course there is absolutely no proof of that. Barry and his minions blame all their shortcomings on racism. Over the last 4 years Obamatoids have beaten the term "racism" to death. Now the term is nothing more than a punchline to hundreds of political jokes.
After the hurricane struck both Mayor Nagin (democrat) and Gov Blanco (democrat) told the feds that everything was under control. They didn't want a Republican president to have to come to their aid.
The rest is history.