Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:00 pm
Rush Limbaugh took a moment on his radio show to as he put it, “clear something up once and for all.” He said, “I, Rush Limbaugh, am not a racist,” which is interesting because I don’t know many non-racists who feel the need to discuss the Obamas’ slave blood, or more importantly feel the urge to differentiate between Obama’s black half and white half, as Limbaugh did.
Here is the audio from Media Matters
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Limbaugh said, “I wanna settle something once and for all, today, on my own program here on the excellence in broadcasting network, behind this the EIB golden microphone. I, Rush Limbaugh, am not a racist. I dislike Mr. Obama’s white half as much as I dislike Mr. Obama’s half.” (By the way, his name is not Mr. Obama, but President Obama, I know it hurts you to say it, but you should at least give the man and the office the respect that it deserves).
I thought about it for a while and I came to the conclusion that maybe Limbaugh was telling the truth. Maybe he isn’t a racist? Perhaps he is something much darker and more cynical? If Rush Limbaugh isn’t a racist, then he is a race baiter who intentionally using the divisive issue of race in an attempt to turn a segment of the American people against their nation’s first black president. How else can his constant references to Obama’s race be explained away? Why else would he be talking about Obama and slave blood on his show? Why would he claim that Democrats target blacks like al-qaeda, or play a song called Barack The Magic Negro on his show?
This doesn’t explain why Limbaugh told Native Americans to stop complaining and enjoy their casinos, or why he told Jews to get over the Holocaust. When these statements are considered it appears that the race baiting explanation doesn’t fit. Rush Limbaugh may very well be engaging in political race baiting in order to delegitimize President Obama everyday, but at the heart of these attacks is a man who seems to have trouble with different races and religions.
Rush Limbaugh’s track record of racially motivated statements is too long to explain away with one declarative proclamation of non racist tint, and this is not an example of an Obama critic being labeled a racist. Limbaugh’s own statements tell a tale of man who possesses a deep irrational hatred for Barack Obama, and it is hard to believe that his hatred isn’t at some level based on the color of Obama’s skin. Limbaugh may be something even worse than an out in the open racist. He is a closet racist who is too afraid to admit his own beliefs.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
