PoliGazette » And the First Racially-Charged Statement Post-Election Comes From…

And the First Racially-Charged Statement Post-Election Comes From…

November 6th, 2008 By: Michael Merritt | Tags: Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader! That’s right, liberals. If you thought it’d be coming from the right, you were wrong!

In an interview given after the election, Nader expressed the following concern:

But his choice, basically, is whether he’s going to be Uncle Sam for the people of this country, or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations.

Now, I think I understand what he was getting at, but, Uncle Tom. Seriously? For some of those who may not understand the cultural context, an Uncle Tom is a perjorative for African Americans who are subservient to white people. It is sort of related to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a popular 19th century novel, though the Uncle Tom in this book was not such a person.

I think Nader was concerned that Obama might be subservient to corporate interests, as so many politicians are accused of being. There were other words and phrases he could have used, though. “Corporate lackey” comes to my mind right away.

Now, I understand that some are shaking their heads and thinking, “the PC police is out again.” Yet, I think it’s no secret that most corporate leaders in the U.S. are still pretty overwhelmingly white, which is why I can understand the reason many people would be making a fuss over this. To be in the pocket of big business is to be in the pocket of who runs them.

Anyway, Nader went on Shepard Smith’s Fox News show and got taken to task:

I’m not sure why Smith cut him off. I’d liked Nader to have gotten in that last point, which we’ll now probably never know.

I was interested in Nader’s accusation of Smith as a bully. Perhaps, if you consider asking tough questions being a bully. Twice now Smith has done just that; once for Joe the Plumber and now for Ralph Nader.

Oh well. I’m guessing Nader won’t be running again, given that he’s 74 and all. But maybe it won’t matter after this.

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c3
November 6th, 2008 at 16:08

Reply | Quote | #1

Ralph Nader: “Hey everybody, look at me!!”
Grewgills
November 7th, 2008 at 19:24

Reply | Quote | #2

I just wish he had stuck with the job he was good at.
Now we should just all ignore him and let him fade further into obscurity.

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