Harry Reid's Remarks: A Severe Double Standard

As most Americans not living under a rock have probably heard by now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid remarked in 2008 in book entitled "Game Change" (Halperin/Heilemann) that then candidate Obama could capture the nomination for President because of his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." In other words, Mr. Reid thought it was safe enough to support Obama because he wasn't too black. He even insinuated that black Americans choose to sound black if they want. We could certainly debate this issue simply based on race. Was it the wrong thing to say? Probably. Does it make Mr. Reid a racist? Who knows. But racism is not the issue here.

I am a registered Democrat with Independent views. I'm only registered as a Democrat because the state of Maryland in which I live does not allow Independents to vote in primary elections. I used to be an Independent, but wanted to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton in the Maryland primary, so I switched my party affiliation to be able to do so, although I was not too happy about it. So although I am a democrat, I must say I am angered with how the democratic party has handled these comments made by their Senate majority leader, Mr. Reid.

There is a humongous double standard going on here... Mr. Reid makes what is possibly a racially divisive comment and all of the democrats in the house and rally behind him, even President Obama himself. Reid apologized to Obama and then said he was "ready to move on." Not so fast, Harry. Let's say that one of your Republican Senators said the exact same thing. Surely you would call for at least an apology, if not their resignation from committees you share positions on. And you'd probably even throw money at their democratic challenger in an effort to support someone who is not a "racist," as you may accuse the Republican Senator of being. Both yourself and Nancy Pelosi would surely have something to say about it. A few months ago when Representative Joe Wilson shouted his now famous "You lie!" remark during President Obama's speech to Congress on health care reform, you stated that his "outburst" was disrespectful to the President of the United States. Can we say the same for you now? That basically saying he's black, but not too black to be defeated in an election is disrespectful? I'd vote yes.

And if you need further proof that there is a severe double standard going on here, just look back to the comments made in 2002 by then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. When asked about Strom Thurmond's legacy, Lott made the mistake of saying he thought that the "nation would have been better off if Thurmond had been elected President." The liberals (Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi included) had a field day after Lott made those remarks, and caused such a ruckus that he was not reelected in 2002, and Reid eventually took over his position of power in the Senate.

So is Reid a racist? I doubt that answer truly matters to this issue. But he is at least a hypocrite who should not expect that this scandal will leave anytime soon, as it shouldn't. And the democrats in the house and senate who have supported Reid's remarks should remember this the next time a Republican member of Congress says something similar.