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Politics

"It went on for hours and it makes Twitter look insane"

Tim Cavanaugh | 4.8.2011 2:20 PM

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The fantabulous Joan Walsh urges President Obama's "base" to avoid a primary challenge, and starts a race war: 

I'd begun to have several other people zinging me. And that political attitude is toxic, divisive, destructive, mean -- and part of why Democrats are so weak. (Read my upcoming book, titled, non-ironically, "Indivisible." It'll be out early next year, if I can get off Twitter.)

Then I started getting Tweets from a slew of people I don't know, mostly critical. I tried to respond to questions, like:

cindyloveseric

@joanwalsh @truthrose1 @AngryBlackLady Who do YOU think is the base? 🙂

And I answered:

@cindyloveseric @truthrose1 @AngryBlackLady Progressives of every color and class are the progressive base.

The reply:

cindyloveseric

@joanwalsh @truthrose1 @angryblacklady Ok. I was gonna let it go, but fuck it. Of course Black people are his base. And what about it??!!!

The who's-blacker conversation is never terribly illuminating, but the hubbub over how to characterize a political base and public worries about allowing challenges within a zero-sum system are stark reminders that if political affiliation is a big part of how you find your bliss, you've already lost. Good thing libertarians don't do this kind of thing. 

Increase the peace! Show the pride! Remember the achievements of the past with the Old Negro Space Program: 

Update: Commenters point out that Walsh and Reason Editor Matt Welch debated who should feel white-guiltier back in the day. Can't we all be sisters under the skin?

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NEXT: Those Who Remember History Wrongly Are Condemned to Repeat It, Government Spending and Recession Division

Tim Cavanaugh
PoliticsDemocratic PartyRaceRacismBarack ObamaPresidential HistoryInternetScience & TechnologyCivil Liberties
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