Jimmy's Rhetoric

Jimmy Carter is at it again. If he hates your policy stance, he labels you as evil. First it was the election of GW and his writing of his book on the decline of America. Second, it was his dislike of Israel's prevention of terrorism. Finally, it is people demonstrating against big (authoritarian) government. In each case, the people who disagree with Carter are labeled evil. The GW Bush people disregard the rule law and civility, Israel becomes an apartheid state, and now protesters are evil racists.

Here is this man's quote:

I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man. I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that share the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African Americans.

And that racism inclination still exists. And I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply.

The key to understanding Carter's rhetoric is the first sentence. He (I think purposely) says animosity instead of opposition. Keenly, Carter has now called policy differences hatred. This is a classic progressive left wing tactic. In the more progressive nations, these dissenters are called 'counter revolutionaries' or 'enemies of the people'. Carter just calls them enemies of the (black) President, a definite false witness of who these people are. The intellectual dishonesty of Carter's remarks are founded in the left's belief that the opposition is stupid and unthinking, therefore, no thoughtful policy debate can happen, thus these people must be (insert ad hominem attack here).

The real disservice that Carter does to race relations is to deny the President full access to the arena of ideas. What Carter demonstrates for us is the plantation owner mentality of the left. The left believe that minorities do not have the capacity to compete in America without the direction of government. This is the institutional racism of America, the bigotry of low expectations. I actually think that Carter and the left are afraid of the truly successful Obama, they may start to see an secure voting block think outside the party.