Dan Rather: Racist Or Merely Clueless Liberal.

One thing Conservatives always seem to harp on is the seeming double-standard when "racial" comments are made about Obama by Liberals. There have been many instances, from Hillary Clinton's all out assault on the campaign trail, to Joe Biden's "clean and articulate" soundbyte, to Harry Reid's "Negro dialect" quote.

I tend to treat everything on a case by case basis, as opposed to merely saying "all Republicans are racist". For example, when some poor Kansas Congresswoman told an audience of supporters they needed a "Great White Hope" to beat Obama, I considered this a curious choice of words and little more. Likewise, I don't consider the Tea Baggers to be a uniform band of racists, I just think the group as a whole is despicable because they don't self-police and allow blatantly racist language and imagery to overshadow what presumably are their valid concerns.

Call me many things, but a racism-chaser ain't one. I just call em' like I see em'.

And on that note, sorry, I just can't get all worked up about this Dan Rather "watermelon" comment, not when taken in context.

Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather, speaking on the GOP's expected strategy against Democrats in elections this fall, said Republicans would describe President Obama as "a nice person ... very articulate" but an ineffective leader who "couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic."

Rather prefaced the comments, made Sunday on the "Chris Matthews Show," by saying, "The Republicans will make a case and a lot of independents will buy this argument."

Rather is known for his homespun anecdotes, though his choice of language in this instance already is raising some eyebrows on media blogs, which note the potential "racial minefield."

Racial slurs aimed at Obama have popped up across the country -- and been quickly denounced -- since he became the country's first black president.

Here's the talking pictures.



While I think it's awful curious that I've only heard this comment condemned as racist on Fox News, that bastion of racial harmony, I just can't get too worked up about this. If you wanna read some true racism, just go peep the comments section on this very article at FoxNews.com.

The "articulate" line isn't controversial, Rather is merely using it to state that Obama's done a good job of explaining the HC reform bill. As for the "watermelon" comment, it's just a bad choice of words, and I'm assuming "couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic" is yet another of Rather's trademark folksy Texas sayings.

Let's not read so deeply into this, folks.

Question: Is Dan Rather a hood' wearing racist, or was this merely an odd choice of words?

Dan Rather Makes 'Watermelon' Quip in Depicting GOP Attacks on Obama [Fox News]