Joe the racist plumber?

re: Joe the racist plumber?

Ken — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:03:04 GMT

Mind numbing...call a politician a tap dancer and everyone agrees. Compare him to one of the best tap dancers ever...your a racist?

Obama has been race baiting his entire campaign. Democratic Senators have called whole portions of the country racist, Biden has suggested that if you don't vote for Obama your just not ready for a black candidate.

Wonder if anyone will be willing to point out that when 95% of blacks vote for Obama that it was based on race? Won't that be racist? To vote or not vote for someone because of their skin color is racists.

I'm so sick of bloggers who probably aren't even qualifed to write about tips for Daddy's calling people racists.

re: Joe the racist plumber?

Rebecca — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:56:44 GMT

I saw this article as well, and thought the same thing. It seemed like the tap-dance comment carried a connotation of the minstrel show.

re: Joe the racist plumber?

Lila — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:14:17 GMT

I agree with Brett, there does seem to be racist undertones to the comparison.

re: Joe the racist plumber?

Brandon — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:36:08 GMT

So because a white man compared one black man to another black man, then he is branded a racist? You're telling me that by that ONE COMMENT ALONE that you can tell that Joe the Plumber thinks the entire white race is inherently superior to the entire black race? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????

Will someone please give this writer a dictionary??????

Prejudiced, Bigotry, and Racism. They are 3 ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS. Please pick up a Webster's before you start writing mindless sprattle like this.

re: Joe the racist plumber?

Huffybike — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:29:28 GMT

Maybe a little media coaching is in order: http://tinyurl.com/5nrhmn

re: Joe the racist plumber?

babmi — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:14:11 GMT

It's impossible to say if either comment (SDJr or the fast food) are racist. They certainly could be, but the intent is unclear.

I have no idea if this Joe is a racist but he certainly seems like a plant and I do not understand why he's getting so much press. This redirection from the issues at hand has me worried.

re: Joe the racist plumber?

BaxterJ — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:37:23 GMT

There are a lot of reasons I have problems with the media's fascination with Joe the Plumber, but this isn't one of them. Try to think of a famous tap dancer. Are any of them white? Gregory Hines? Savion Glover? Sammy Davis Jr? I would say the most famous of them are black, so this isn't a big deal. There are way bigger issues to nitpick.

www.entertonement.com/.../I-Should-Have-A-Choice-Ad

re: Joe the racist plumber?

Eric — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:36:58 GMT

I agree with the other comment that simply because one is critical of a person who is of a different race doesn't necessarily make them a racist. If I had to name a famous tap dancer off the top of my head, I can think of Sammy Davis, Jr; Fred Astaire; and Gergory Hines. Two out of three happen to be black. And, frankly, I've been in plenty of fast food restaurants where "those people" (i.e., fast food cashiers) are darn slow. Is it possible that you may be seeing color where others are not? I find it to be a far stretch for you to label this guy a racist, simply because in a tap dance metaphor, he came up with Sammy Davis, Jr. He did NOT say, "You can't trust any black candidate."

re: Joe the racist plumber?

E to the A — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:28:47 GMT

I agree with Allison. Just comparing a black man to another black man doesn't make him a racist. I can't think of too many *other* famous tap dancers.

re: Joe the racist plumber?

Allison — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:10:11 GMT

It sounds like he was refering to politicians, (specifically the presidential candidates) who I believe are well known for not truly answering a question. This is also referred to as "tap dancing". Sammy Davis Jr. was a talented and very famous tap dancer who was black. It seems like a big stretch to call this comment racist. Just because a white person questions Obama's economic policies, it does not make them a racist.