No, me not included. I'm not dismissing Nader because he used the term Uncle Tom. I admire much of what Nader has done. I've already contacted the November5.org website and I plan to do volunteer work for them because the single payer issue is important to me. I voted for him the one year I felt he might get enough votes to earn Federal matching funds for a third party and did volunteer work for him then as well. I felt it was the best chance of getting a third party going that I've seen in my lifetime Unfortunately it didn't work out that way. If doing volunteer work for his organizations is dismissing him then what counts as not dismissing him? This doesn't mean he gets a free pass on stupid racist comments.
You also avoided answering the question. Was Nader's question a rhetorical device or legitimate inquiry on Nader's part? Only as a legitimate inquiry can you correctly claim Nader isn't calling Obama an Uncle Tom. I reject the claim it was a legitimate inquiry since he later refers to Obama as a corporate toady thus answering the question posed. When you ask a legitimate question do you make a habit of immediately answering it? I doubt it.
>
> I mean, what a setup: would you apologize to Fox News under that kind
> of circumstance? I give Nader props for even agreeing to be
> interviewed by that scumbag.
>
>> If I listen to it again (or read the transcript) what exactly would
>> you have me look for that might convince me his question was a
>> genuine inquiry?
>
> Oh, the question is serious alright; so he thought he was being clever
> by using the Uncle Sam/Uncle Tom contrast ... and it falls a little flat.
>
> So what?
>
> -----
>
> Although the term developed in the context of US slavery (which was
> largely but not exclusively Black), it's useful to remember that it's
> not a conecpt that only existed in US-thus-Black-slavery -- it's
> really a class reference, and I think Nader's point is poignant in
> that context.
>
> If Obama does what Nader suggests he might, he deserves to be called
> names.
>
> /jordan
If Obama does he will indeed deserve to be called names but House Ni**er, Jigaboo, Uncle Tom and a host of others are not acceptable. If you want to disagree and use any or all of those terms that's certainly your right. I'll probably complain about it if you do. :) You assume that because I call Nader on his use of a racist term that I'm somehow dismissing him. An incorrect assumption by the way. Would it be fair for me to accuse you of being an apologist for racism because you defend him? Of course not. I'm not doubting Nader thought he was being clever using the Uncle Sam/Uncle Tom contrast or that it fell flat. I'm doubting it was a legitimate question which makes my statement that he called Obama an Uncle Tom accurate. You wrote "(And neither did Nader call Obama an Uncle Tom ...) and I've asked why you believe this, why you believe the question was a legitimate inquiry. I've told you why I do not believe this but you haven't told me why you do.
John Thornton