Racism Watch: Presidential “Candidate” Edition

In celebration of the end of Donald Trump’s fake campaign here’s some racism from some other white dudes sort of running for president. That’s right, it’s time to play racist shit white man presidential candidates say! We had a Sexism Watch series in the last election so it might be time to revive it for 2012. The next year and a half’s gonna be magic.

We’ll start with Ron Paul, who’s DC rally last year may have actually looked more like an Aryan nation reunion than the Tea Party rally.

From Think Progress, Paul went on TV Sunday to spout his bizarre view that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are unconstitutional:

Transcript via Fox News after the jump.

So, as even Chris freakin’ Wallace points out, that’s just wrong. There are plenty of wingnuts who don’t even go so far on this one, cause it just makes no. freaking. sense. But ah, Ron Paul, I see what you did there with the “welfare state” thing. When you say “welfare” your followers hear “welfare queen.” Ya know, that scary black spectre leeching of the state who politicians like Paul keep not-so-subtly referring too, even when the economy’s in the tanker. Welfare=the government wasting money on poor people of color, which is sadly the line getting fed to poor white folks.

Ron Paul also went on Chris Matthews’ show Friday to say he would have opposed the Civil Rights Act. His “logic” was some sort of bullshit about property rights – totally not about racism at all. I’m paying less attention to this one since he stole the line from his son, Senator Rand Paul.

Now let’s move on to Newt Gingrich, who is apparently still alive. In a speech in Georgia, Gingrich called President Obama the “food stamp president.” By which he meant poor black guy. He went on Meet the Press Sunday and defended the comments:

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Transcript via Jack and Jill Politics after the jump.

The lovely thing about this brand of I’m not racist I don’t see race and I’m not really talking about race racism is that Gingrich can totally say he wasn’t being racist, while the kind of people who would support him (OK, seriously, is there anyone who would support Gingrich in 2011? For actual?) totally know what he means. Food stamps! Poor black people! Obama is the president for the black people leaching off the state! Panic!

And don’t worry, I’m sure Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann will each say something super racist soon so I can correct the gender imbalance of this post.

Video Transcripts:
WALLACE: You talk a lot about the Constitution. You say Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, are all unconstitutional.

PAUL: Technically they are.

WALLACE: Why? Why?

PAUL: There’s no authority. Article 1, Section 8 doesn’t say I can set up insurance program for people. What part of the Constitution —

WALLACE: OK. All right. Well, I don’t know that I’m a liberal, but let’s put it up on the screen, because that’s exactly the point. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution: “The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes — to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.” Doesn’t Social Security come under promoting —

PAUL: No. Absolutely —

WALLACE: — promoting the general welfare?

PAUL: Absolutely not.

WALLACE: Why not?

PAUL: General welfare is a general condition — maybe sound currency is general welfare, maybe markets, maybe judicial system, maybe a national defense, but this is specific welfare. This justifies the whole welfare state — the military industrial complex, the welfare to foreigners, the welfare state that imprisons our people and impoverishes our people and gives us our recession.

So, no. Why would you have Article 1, Section 8? And why would you have the Amendment number 9 and 10? That means there is no reason for article 1, number 10 if you believe that? Revenue clause?

That is such an extreme liberal view point that has been mis-taught in our schools for so long. And that’s what we have to reverse, that very notion that you’re presenting.

WALLACE: Congressman, it’s not just a liberal view. It was the decision of the Supreme Court in 1937 when they said that Social Security was constitutional under Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution.

PAUL: Yes. And the Constitution and the court said slavery was legal, too. And we had to reverse that.

So, I’ll tell you, just because a court in ’37 went very liberal on us and expanded the role of government — no, I think the original intent is not a bad idea. I think limitation of government power.

DAVID GREGORY: You gave a speech in Georgia with language that a lot of people think could be coded, racially-tinged language, calling the President, the first black president, a food stamp president.

NEWT GINGRICH:
Oh come on, David.

DAVID GREGORY:
What did you mean and what was the point?

NEWT GINGRICH:
That’s– that’s bizarre. That– this kind of automatic reference to racism. This is the President of the United States. The President of the United States has to be held accountable. Now the idea that– and I– and what I said is factually true. 47 million Americans are on food stamps. One out of every six– Americans are on food stamps. And to hide behind the charge of racism? I have– I have never said anything about President Obama which is racist.

DAVID GREGORY:
Well, what did you mean?

NEWT GINGRICH:
I’m– it’s very simple. His policies– and I– I used the very direct analogy. He follows the same destructive political model that destroyed the city of Detroit. I follow the model that Rick Perry and others have used to create more jobs in Texas. You know, Texas, two out of the last four years, created more jobs than the other 49 states combined. … I’m suggesting we know how to create jobs. … The Obama system is going to lead us down the path to Detroit and destruction. I think we need a brand new path. It’s a path of job creation. And one of the central themes of this campaign is going to be paychecks versus food stamps.

Boston, MA

Jos Truitt is Executive Director of Development at Feministing. She joined the team in July 2009, became an Editor in August 2011, and Executive Director in September 2013. She writes about a range of topics including transgender issues, abortion access, and media representation. Jos first got involved with organizing when she led a walk out against the Iraq war at her high school, the Boston Arts Academy. She was introduced to the reproductive justice movement while at Hampshire College, where she organized the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program’s annual reproductive justice conference. She has worked on the National Abortion Federation’s hotline, was a Field Organizer at Choice USA, and has volunteered as a Pro-Choice Clinic Escort. Jos has written for publications including The Guardian, Bilerico, RH Reality Check, Metro Weekly, and the Columbia Journalism Review. She has spoken and trained at numerous national conferences and college campuses about trans issues, reproductive justice, blogging, feminism, and grassroots organizing. Jos completed her MFA in Printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in Spring 2013. In her "spare time" she likes to bake and work on projects about mermaids.

Jos Truitt is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Development.

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