‘I’m tired.’

Posted on 06/25/2008 at 10:25 am by Bob Cesca

bancini.jpg

Ralph Nader was a great man before he went all Bancini from Cuckoo’s Nest on us. Now he’s saying that Senator Obama is deliberately trying to talk and act “white”. Seriously…

“Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn’t want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We’ll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards.”

The Obama campaign had only a brief response, calling the remarks disappointing.

Asked to clarify whether he thought Obama does try to “talk white,” Nader said: “Of course.”

He continued by repeating over and over, “I’m tired. I’m tired.” Seriously, I don’t know if he’s crazy or exhausted or narcissistic or all three.

(h/t Paddy)

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  • AlaskanCelt

    It’s official.Ralph Nader is batshit crazy.

  • http://thepoliticalcarnival.blogspot.com/ Paddy

    Oh my Cesca. Oh my. I think they should all go, “The Salmon Yoga” party myself. http://thepoliticalcarnival.blogspot.com/2008/06/washington-state-republicans-wont.html

  • http://unrelatedcontent.com Travis Disaster

    For the life of me, I can’t see a legitimate reason for the major media outlets to give Nader any more coverage than the Larouche crowd at this point. In 2004 he was a non entity, and current polling shows no change in that trend.

  • http://loudouncountyforobama.blogspot.com/ natashacrk

    That is completely disgusting!

  • http://dansolomon.com dansolomon

    Yow.He’s actually polling quite well, according to the AP, though. He won’t maintain anywhere near his numbers- which the AP reported at 6% nationally- come November (I predict about 1.5%) but he’s not LaRouche, and he’s not insignificant.The “talk white” thing is embarrassing; generally speaking, I welcome him in the race, because Obama’s at his best when he’s got someone who forces him to run to his left keeping him honest. With stuff like FISA breaking hearts over and over again (which he’d never have promised to vote for, even if immunity were still in, during the primary), I want someone reminding Obama that he’s not just going to be able to triangulate toward the center. If that’s Nader, that’s Nader. If he stops race-baiting, I hope he sticks around.–d

  • nippersdad

    How is this race baiting by Nader? Hasn’t Bill Cosby been discussing this dynamic within the African American community for years? Nader has never shied away from controversy, but equally, I can think of no circumstance wherein he has utilized race based politics to gain his ends.This sounds more like a smear to me. It has the convenient effect of putting conformative pressures on a wavering left flank and a (lower income) African American base demographic by demonizing a perennial thorn in the DNC’s side. We saw the same thing in the past three elections, with varying effect. How many times can one visit that well before the question is asked: How different are the Parties’, really? Particularly in light of the spectacular lack of spinal fortitude shown by Congressional Dems since being put in the majority.I’m with Dan, here; I think we need Nader far more than he needs the crap continually flung in his face. Absent Edwards’ input, we are lucky to have Nader whispering in Obama’s ear that he is not a god. Every emperor worth his salt requires a Nader to keep him grounded. Our empire, apparently, is no different from Rome’s in that respect.

  • bajasteve

    The racism in Nader’s statement (and it’s very blatant, by the way) is in the idea that a black person who is able to speak articulately and intelligently is trying to deny his/her blackness. It’s implying that black folks are incapable of speaking proper English; as if that is a purely white ability.

  • http://dansolomon.com dansolomon

    Exactly, Steve. It’s a white guy creating a false definition of “blackness” and an absurd dichotomy- either Obama talks the way Nader thinks a black person should talk (by which I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he means “like Jesse Jackson” and not “like Omar from ‘The Wire’”, not that it matters much) or he’s trying to “act white”.It’s really disappointing from Nader, who you would think would know much better- rather than attack a racist society, he’s attacking Obama for existing in one.–d

  • bajasteve

    I remember when my former step-son, who was mixed-race, was in HS. Because he hung around with a lot of white kids and didn’t like rap music (and got good grades), he was accused (by black kids) of wanting to be white. Actually, all he wanted was to qualify for a good college, so he could make something of his life.Seems that, at least in the late 90′s, the attitude was that if you were black, and you wanted to do well in school, you were somehow a race traitor.

  • nippersdad

    My understanding of the “speaking white” concept is that it has less to do with how one speaks than with what one does; though the former tends to aid the latter. It is not so much a racial as a sociological concept. That many in the African American community view those that have escaped the bonds of poverty and have been absorbed into the uberculture without a backward glance has left a degree of bitterness. Has tended to underscore the unfainess of a system which actively puts roadblocks in the way of others who seek to follow or have simply given up trying. Who wouldn’t consider those who have benefited from liberal policies (and now seek to tear them down after them a la Clarence Thomas) race traitors? I believe that this dynamic is what Nader was trying (in his usual abrasive way) to get across. Nader is no racist, ask Bill Cosby who is saying the same thing. Nader is just being smeared by the DLC…again.

  • bajasteve

    Just one question, nippersdad: how much time have you spent living in the black community, that you would be so knowledgeable about the meaning of “speaking white”? Until you have first-hand experience, I think you should be careful about assigning meanings to sayings.What Nader said was racist, pure and simple, and no amount of psychobabble analysis can change that.

  • nippersdad

    Baja:I have volunteered with an adult literacy program for years which primarily works with the black community. We have a 27% illiteracy rate in this county and I have always been interested in finding out why it is so disproportionately black. I routinely hear about this sort of thing in the course of my work there.