Ty (Con't): Betty and Marcia addressed the idiotic move by a White Anglo in "Kiss my Black ass, Matthew Rothschild" and "Matthew Rothschild patronizes Black people." Let me quote from White boy on why no one must challenge St. Barack, the Big Sissy, in a Democratic Party primary in 2012, "First of all, it would be extremely divisive within the Democratic Party, and it would drive a wedge between the largely white left and the overwhelming majority of African-Americans at the grassroots, who constitute the party's most loyal constituency. The last thing we need is to incite racial animosity on the left." Isaiah, in another roundtable we're doing this edition, it's noted that you don't speak much in roundtables so let me start with you. Your reaction?
Isaiah: Betty and Marcia made great points. I'd prefer to add on after they summarize.
Ty: Okay. Marcia, you start.
Marcia: Okay. As I wrote, I love it how we -- Black people -- are reduced to the non-left. We aren't the left, we're around the grassroots. We're the servants, the slaves, in Matthew Rothschild's world view. But we're not smart enough to be part of the left. In his view. I guess we just aren't smart enough? I doubt The Progessive has many Black readers -- it's really an old people's magazine and nothing but opinion pieces that, by the time it's on the magazine racks, have all gone stale -- but if there are any who actually pay for that magazine, I hope they will consider using their money more effectively. I'm glad to see that Jim Hightower was hired by The Progressive so that I know that Matthew doesn't hire just Jews -- Dave Zirin, for example -- but they don't have Black writers at The Progressive. A woman dies -- Molly Ivins -- and The Progressive adds three writers -- all male, not one was African-American. Betty?
Betty: Thank you, Marcia. She raised the issue of women at the end of her response and that's what I focused on. Rothschild is concerned with a split? But he wasn't concerned in 2008. In 2008, Hillary received more votes than Barack did. That's the reality and Matthew Rothschild's never told that. The party was split in half and Matthew wasn't concerned. But now he's concerned? Half the party was f**ked over in 2008 and he didn't give a damn because he'd already sided with Barack Obama -- and also because he's a not a Democrat, he's a Socialist. But now he's concerned that a minor segment might be upset. And that's what we are, Black people, we are a minor segment of the party. Women are over half of it, well over half. But Matthew wasn't concerned about women in 2008. Or men who supported Hillary. Now he wants to show up with his insulting garbage and we're supposed to go along with it. The notion that we're just too stupid to understand the need for a challenge to Barack? It boggles the mind.
Stan: It does. And it's insulting and he needs to issue an apology. Now there are some in the Black community who are just idiots. There are some in the White community, in every community. But the bulk of Black America is not unable to absorb reality. This notion that we're bonded with Barack has a lot to do with the fact that the media gave Barack a free ride. Marcia and my grandmother regularly gets called in a news outlet's survey. And she made the 'mistake' recently of telling the White woman doing the call, "No, I don't support Barack Obama." The pollster -- and this isn't the first time it's happened -- immediately went to, "But you're Black." What? That's what's supposed to be said in a poll? I don't think so. But we're being told we have to love-love Barry. Well we don't. And what you're slowly seeing is some cheerleaders getting the guts -- finally -- to do what we've done all along. So now Cornell West finally feels he can criticize Barack. And he's only one example. As more and more come forward, you're going to see the Black community hear these critiques. But they've absorbed the same media everyone else has and it has been cheerleading Barack forever.
Cedric: Yes. I'm jumping in, Isaiah, I don't mean to step on your toes. But the press has given Barack a free ride forever. And they have stressed and created the myth that all of Black American is behind him. He's not Black. Let's get really honest here, "zebra" is still used in the Black community. There are still people within our community who do not believe races intermingle. The idea that all of Black America -- which does include separatists -- would get on board with a bi-racial or mixed man is beyond insane. It's a media myth. Now with few exceptions, the MSM has dictated that Barack is Black. But that's a myth. His mother was a White woman. I don't buy those polls. Long, long ago, Marcia spoke of her grandmother and how she just gave the answer she thought the White pollsters wanted. I think a lot are and I'd point out that none of us have ever been surveyed -- which is that case for most of Black America. It's ridiculous. And if you are Black, you know what we're speaking of. You know that the polls are not reflective, you know that Black men have been harder hit by this recession than anyone and, no, we're not cheering Barry on. That's reality.
Ann: I. I'm going to stop. I'm sorry. Isaiah was waiting. Go ahead.
Isaiah: Well, thank you, okay. My point here is that I'm so insulted by what Matthew Rothschild wrote. I want you to think about Marcia's point that it's really saying we're all stupid if we're Black, we're too dumb to care about anything other than skin color. And I want you to think about Betty's point which was Matthew didn't give a damn about women in 2008. Now put it together, what Matthew Rothschild is saying: "Black people are stupid, they don't care about any women -- even Black women don't care -- we just care about Black men." When you provide the context, that's what it's saying.
Ann: Good points, Isaiah. Yeah, no reason to worry in 2008 about how the attacks on women -- supporters of Hillary and Hillary herself -- and how that might divide the party but now we all need to worry. And that does transfer Matthew's own sexism onto us as a people. I refuse to receive that, Matthew Rothschild.
Ty: And going back to the point you were going to make, Ann? You just commented on Isaiah's observations which are strong but you had wanted to say something before that.
Ann: Thank you, I forgot. Ty, set me up here. Tell me what Matthew Rothschild is writing in his column.
Ty: Okay. Well he's writing that, in 2012, when the presidential election season starts, there should be no Democratic Party challenge to Barack Obama.
Ann: Who's saying that?
Ty: Matthew Rothschild is saying that there should be no Democratic Party challenge to Barack Obama.
Ann: Why the hell is that bastard -- that lying bastard -- saying a damn thing?
Ty: Okay, you're mad. And why?
Ann: Betty inserted it earlier.
Betty: Good Lord, it just sailed right over me. Ann, thank you. I can't believe I missed that.
Ty: Anybody want to share with the rest of us.
Betty: What Ann's saying -- Ann, do you want to go?
Ann: You take it. I didn't even think about it until you spoke earlier.
Betty: Okay, thank you. Matthew Rothschild is trying to dictate what the Democratic Party should do. C.I. publicly called that in 2008 and I can't believe I've forgotten. Matthew's a Socialist. He's not a Democrat. And even with C.I. explaining that over and over and even with Matthew finally coming in 2009 and publicly admitting he was a Socialist, here we are in 2010 and he's 'advising' the Democratic Party and the real question to ask is: "Who the hell cares what you think the Democratic Party should do?"
Cedric: Amen. Amen to that. Democrats should be deciding what the Party does. Not Republicans, not Socialists, not Communists, not anyone who's not a Democrat. It's our party. It is not his party. He needs to shut the hell up. Who the hell is this man -- this priss who won't join the Democratic Party -- to insist what we should or should not do as a party -- a party he doesn't even belong to? Talk about a rat f**ker.
Ty: Did anyone hear the audio of Rothschild? It was even more insulting hearing it than just reading it. But let's move to the other part where Matty's whining that too much focus is on the presidential elections. Matthew's in charge of The Progressive. Is he unaware of his own behavior -- as well the magazine's -- during the Democratic Party primaries and during the general election.
Marcia: What I found most humorous about that section was the praise for Howard Zinn. 'Howard Zinn told us' -- B.s. What Howard Zinn told people, his last 'big message,' was to vote for Barack. His final message is a disgrace and, for many of us, that's all Zinn will be remembered for, pissing on his own legacy.
Betty: I didn't listen to it. I was screaming just from reading it. I couldn't take listening to him spout this nonsense.
Ty: Isaiah, I'm going to give you the last word.
Isaiah: Okay. I just want to back up what everyone has said before and that Stan and Cedric covered here: There is not 100% support for Barack in the Black community. He's not one of us. His mother was a White woman. His Black side does not include slaves. His Black side is a father who raised in Kenya, not the United States. He did not grow up under the legacy of slavery. He does not identify with us -- as obvious by his repeated attacks on Black fathers -- and he is not of us. The idea that Matthew Rothschild's pushing where we're too stupid to take criticism of Barack is insulting and false.
Ty: Good points. And I'll share my own view which is Barack is a War Criminal and how dare anyone at a magazine call The Progressive work -- for whatever reasons -- to clear the path to the re-election of a War Hawk with the blood of Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians and so many others on his hands. Shame on you, Matthew Rothschild. Also I need to say thank you to Ava and C.I. who typed up last week's Black roundtable from our recording and who will be doing so this week as well.