“If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re gonna punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,’ if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it’s gonna be harder and that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2.”
Anyone care to defend?
7 comments:
Doesn't strike me as something that needs defending. Standard campaign rhetoric.
From a sitting President? I don't think so...
And what about the assumption that "Latinos" have a common enemy? Racism?
Thinking you're making more out of it than is there. It's just shorthand, part of a bigger conversation.
The fact that it may be part of a bigger conversation or shorthand does absolutely nothing to either of my points.
Against ‘Enemies’
October 26, 2010 4:48 P.M.
By John J. Pitney
It is sad to see that President Obama is urging Hispanic voters to “punish our enemies.” On June 3, 2008, then-Senator Obama said:
But what you don’t deserve is another election that’s governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon – that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize.
— John J. Pitney Jr. is the Roy P. Crocker professor of American politics at Claremont McKenna College.
Would appear to be nothing more from you than an opportunistic pounce on a rather unfortunate choice of words. Which may be all that's left of political discourse in 2010.
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