Yes, it is now racist to talk about President Obama and the umbrella. In fact, let’s just add “umbrella” to the Big Book of Racial Code Words. It was bad enough when rank-and-file right wingers (like Howard Kurtz) noted the unbelievably bad optics of President Obama summoning a pair of Marines to hold umbrellas over him and the Turkish prime minister. “They’re gonna look good next to us,” he improvised.
We know that conservatives don’t understand metaphor, but even Sarah Palin couldn’t overlook the timing of the president calling in the Marines for shelter following a week of scandals, including testimony from Benghazi whistleblowers who testified to being abandoned while under attack. Wrote Palin, “glad you finally called in the Marines … shame it was just to hold your umbrella.” Did Palin know her criticism was necessarily driven by racism? Because there’s no other explanation.
https://twitter.com/lawscribe/status/335822113007099904
I think the imagery of a white man holding an umbrella for a black man is too much for the racist right wing. http://t.co/yuegwMaqyM
— Jason Evan Mihalko (@jaypsyd) May 18, 2013
The problem the racist #GOP has is that a white man held the umbrella over a black man. #Letsbereal http://t.co/jpmNan48Fe
— (((Alexis Jiménez))) (@BernardLeCroix) May 18, 2013
@truthdogg we all know this is all about racist outrage of a photo of a white man holding an umbrella for a black man.
— Eulayses Perry (@piper1233) May 18, 2013
How pathetically racist do you have to be to be upset by a white man holding an umbrella for a black man?! Dear God.
— Jacksonian March (@cnvii77) May 18, 2013
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@Hooplaoly Of course. But, hey, this POTUS is black. "No umbrella for the black President!"/Blatantly racist.
— Deborah ?️? (@RobertaSaidThat) May 18, 2013
https://twitter.com/pnuts_mama/status/335813808549404672
https://twitter.com/rollingingraves/status/335923624714326017
I don't often accuse racism, but it's hard to see any other reason for #umbrellagate http://t.co/ZrWDgQmx9t
— Miles Tache (@Sublimateus) May 18, 2013
It would b much easier if the GOP simply writes down what is acceptable to them for a black president to do. #UMBRELLAGATE #TELEPROMPTERGATE
— NewsJunkie101 (@SmartOne8927) May 19, 2013
https://twitter.com/JamesPMorrison/status/335528959758446594
#PresidentingWhileBlack “@JamesPMorrison: What distinguishes these four presidents from one another? #umbrellagate http://t.co/8m56s5UwbY”
— Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) May 18, 2013
MSNBC hasn’t been very quick about getting to the bottom of those other pseudo-scandals but managed to put up a photo montage of white Republican presidents beneath umbrellas held by others. The Huffington Post also managed to dig up a photo of — wait for it — Palin herself being escorted underneath an umbrella. And the Washington Post is on it. Now that’s investigative journalism.
An old proverb says "it rains on the just and the unjust." But not on the president! #umbrellagate See photos: http://t.co/fklg2ORL4K
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 18, 2013
"'Most Americans hold their own umbrellas,' wrote Palin, who has not always held her own umbrella." http://t.co/qTout7Qqdv
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) May 17, 2013
Silly campaign aide is NOT a Marine RT @postpolitics: Did Sarah Palin have her own Umbrellagate? http://t.co/dYvHqFN9pm via @IntheLoopWP
— DanRiehl (@DanRiehl) May 17, 2013
@DanRiehl @postpolitics @InTheLoopWP Sad that WAPO doesn't know the difference it makes
— Jen Stroup (@JenStroup) May 17, 2013
Update:
Well… A fan went there. pic.twitter.com/j8wTbGXR9A
— Duffel Blog (@DuffelBlog) May 17, 2013
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