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McGee is the first Republican to publicly agree with Steve King's statements. In his remarks in an editorial published in The Iowa Republican, McGee says the following:
"Looking at the context of the interview, King was explicitly referring to Obama's swift condemnation of the Cambridge officer acting 'stupidly' toward Professor Skip Gates. Congressman King is right. Obama made a rash decision to condemn the officer, not because he was sticking up for a friend or fellow academic, but rather there has been a history in which black people have felt harassed by police for nothing other than being black and Obama assumed that this was the case in this situation. The irony is in Obama siding with Gates, he himself profiled the situation. Could it be that profiling and stereotyping is indeed innate? We profile, we stereotype because it helps us to make sense of things."
McGee goes on to state that the rapid response to King's remarks are reminders that it is difficult to talk about race in America. He says that when "someone like Congressman King says, 'Okay let's talk about race, here's what I think,' the reaction is fierce, brash and frequently close-minded."
In reaction to McGee's words about President Obama and Steve King, let's take it from the top. First, McGee's defense of King is problematic because King has proven time and again that he has no respect for black people. King was one of 11 Congressmen to vote against the support package for Katrina victims, and he strongly opposes affirmative action, as well as almost any other policy that acknowledges the impact of past discrimination on modern-day society.
King's disrespect would likely be directed toward individuals like McGee except for when McGee's views make him into King's flunky. So, McGee would have more credibility if he'd spoken on the issue independently without defending a man whose history and voting record imply that he might be an incredibly seedy American.
McGee was correct to argue that Obama's defense of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was one of the most misguided, unthoughtful acts of his entire presidency. Speaking at a major conference on the difficult topic of health care reform, the president should have stayed focused. At the very least, he should have made sure he knew all the facts before speaking so firmly on such a touchy topic.
By making the statement in the way he did, he immediately alienated millions of white voters and police officers, and he had to spend the entire week backpedaling after it turned out that he might have been wrong. Bad move, Mr. President, and you know it.
One additional area where McGee's analysis is off is that he thinks that President Obama defended Gates because he was black. Let's be clear: there are thousands of cases of racial profiling and even shootings of innocent black men that the president would never speak on. President Obama defended Henry Louis Gates, not because he was black, but because he is from Harvard.
That's the same reason that the president nominated Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court over more qualified black female candidates and the reason he has Lawrence Summers and other Harvard cronies in the White House propping up their buddies on Wall Street. McGee and King have made the easy mistake of misinterpreting classism for racism.
An area where McGee was correct is that our country is afraid to talk about race. The harsh and swift reaction to King's words was not driven so much by what he said but by the fact that he mentioned race in any context. King's Republican buddies ran the other way even though many of them are just as racially confused as he is.
The rule on race in America is that you can do whatever you want to people of color and support any absurd policy so long as you don't mention the word "black" in your agenda. That's the game that Steve King plays, and it's also the one that gets played at times by our president.
But the idea that President Obama favors blacks over whites is certainly in dispute by many members of the black community, who feel that the president ignores black folks more than everyone else. This issue may never be resolved.
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Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (49)
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By: Rh on 6/18/2010 10:15PM
The allegation, that obama favors blacks is a tool used by republicans and their black flunkies to further divide the races in this country. Many would love to see obama being a white man in a black face that caters to white needs only.To level the field in economics and Jobs, things will have to shift for the benefit of everyone. It will seem that whites are losing, but in reality blacks will only be catching up.
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By: acura2010 on 6/18/2010 4:07PM
Another radical GOP blowhorns stirring up the crowd to get rowdy. They can't accept the fact, President Obama a man of color was rightfully and fairly elected by the people and beat out a Clinton & McCain. White leaders brought America to her knees and so afraid that this young black leader will lead this country to bring fairness to all citizens. Just angry white men and women who brought this failure and want to blame the elected one.
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By: Jackie on 6/25/2010 11:22PM
Thank you! ITA. The idea that President Obama favors blacks is so ridiculous, on the contrary he is the first President who truly represents all Americans. The obstructionist party continue to spew their lies.
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By: Dee Murphy on 6/22/2010 8:43PM
It would seem to me and maybe to others that the republicans are using reverse psychology with the President. In other words, if they keep complaining that he is doing so much for Blacks (without stating exactly what, and don't tell me how he defended Professor Gates) which help to keep the repubilcans 'foot on his and our necks' collectively for the remaining years President Obama will be in office. By doing this the thinking could be that maybe the President will not do anything to help the plight of Black America i.e.Education, Housing, and the Voting Rights Act. The latter needs to become an amendment to the Constition (or some other permanent document) for once and for all that guarantees us the right to vote, permanently like all other Americans, even naturalized Ameicans.
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By: DeLe France on 6/18/2010 4:20PM
SO WHAT....WHO SHOULD HE FAVOR? I'M SURE OUR PRESIDENT IS FAIR IN HIS DECISIONS AS FAR AS RACE IS CONCERNED. REPUGS ARE ON A MISSION TO DEMONIZE HIM EVERY DAY. DID YOU HEAR THE IDIOT APOLIGIZE TO HIS ATM, BP OIL, FOR A SLUSH FUND CREATED BY THE "WHITE HOUSE". NOT EVERYONE LINES HIS/HER POCKET (STEALS). YOU ARE THE FLUNKIE DITTO HEAD. YOU PROBABLY FAVOR ANYONE OVER BLACK PEOPLE. WHY?
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By: ed on 6/18/2010 5:25PM
your comments are just as silly as Isiah Mcgee's.The policeman was out of line..pure and simple .Once you accepts the irrefutable then you can talk.Otherwise spare us the drivel.
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By: Michael Lofton on 6/18/2010 6:12PM
"King's Statement About Obama Favoring Blacks Was Right".....
.....King would be correct in this statement if it is phrased as "Obama Favors his own Treasonous Personal Interests and/or the Special, Selfish, and Sellout Interests of Affluent Well Connected Blacks who Betray the Black Community Daily and Who Ignore the Plight, and Legitimate Petitions for Redress of Countless Inner-City Black U.S. veterans, Black men and women, Egregiously violated by the atrocities of a government gone awry in communities across Black America, who only ask that President Obama respect his sworn oath, to protect the lawful rights of all Americans, law abiding U.S. born Black men, women, and/or their siblings being inclusive.
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Times are a changing though. Numerous individuals, who think and believe like Star Parker, the Lofton Family, Michael Lofton, etc., do exist in the Black community, meaning countless individual are fed up with the sellout and treasonous nature of far too many elected officials affiliated with the Democratic Party....
.......President Barack "the Magic Negro" Obama being but one of many sellout psuedo treasonous elected Black leaders.
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http://www.starparkerforcongress.com/bio.asp
Attention: Ms. Star Parker,
How can I contact you in the Los Angeles County area?
Do you have an actual campaign headquarters in Los Angeles County, Compton or Carson, California?
I'm a law abiding taxpaying Los Angeles better than 40 year resident in Los Angeles County.
I know like you know, and have court documented evidence and other factual and true information to prove that present day elected Black leaders affiliated with the Democratic Party are treasonous, deceitful, un-American, anti-Black America, Pro-Welfare to breakup the traditional black family structure, and a disgrace to the essense of what it means to be an elected official.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Esther M. Lofton,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqsqmbUG2m0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OcJmbz9lDQ&feature=related
and her son, Michael L. Lofton,
Finally, I have a substantial financial source to help finance your campaign and potential resources to drive private business development in the Black community.
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By: BillSchrier on 6/18/2010 6:57PM
Of course Obama favors blacks. He favors them mainly because he is a left-wing big-government SOCIALIST and the vast majority of blacks benefit from socialism and want the government to be even larger.
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By: Willie C. on 6/27/2010 7:03PM
As I read your remarks the phrase came to mind "Dumb as a bag of hammers". Then again hammers are at least useful. Since you are so anti socialist can I assume that you are not benefitting from Medicare, Social Security, and would never lower yourself to use such Socialist programs? By the way Bill, did your mother have any children that lived? If so did, did you all get a group rate on lobotomies?
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By: Michael Lofton on 6/24/2010 7:11PM
http://www.africanamericanconservatives.com/forum/topics/president-obama-and-other
President Obama and Other Democratic Party Black Leaders Serve Personal Interests, His or Her Friends, Affluent Blacks, and Neglect to Serve Rank and File Law Abiding U.S. Born Blacks.
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