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Fox News political analyst Bruce compares Obama to raccoon

October 13, 2009 2:32 pm ET by Media Matters staff

From an October 9 post on Fox News political analyst and radio host Tammy Bruce's blog (via Sadly, No!): 

racoon

Previously:

Bruce claimed Obama "seems to have, it seems to me, some malevolence towards this country which is unabated"

Bruce on Obama G8 photo:  "disgusting" Michelle Obama has "confidence and self-esteem issue.  And maybe now we know why"

Bruce: Michelle and Barack Obama are "unhappy people" who project their "hostility and bitterness" onto country

Bruce: Obama "perhaps secretly wishes this nation to be harmed ... his mother certainly did"

Bruce on the Obamas: "We've got trash in the White House"

Tags: Tammy Bruce

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    • Author by shaggles (October 13, 2009 2:34 pm ET)
      4  
      Holy f**king crap!
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Cannonball (October 13, 2009 4:10 pm ET)
        3  
        Is she holding a gun in her byline photo? Jeesh.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by political_left-religious_right (October 13, 2009 4:27 pm ET)
          2  
          Yes, pointed away from herself. As opposed to figuratively, when every time she says or writes anything she shoots her mouth off and/or shoots herself in the foot.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by Victor Colorado (October 13, 2009 2:38 pm ET)
      3  
      Beck: "Can you imagine what America would be like if we didn't have Fox News?"
      Report Abuse
    • Author by pros2pros2940 (October 13, 2009 2:43 pm ET)
      3  
      The ante for this type of thing keeps going up and a bonus for the right wing pundits is the racial angle.

      I think that eventually they'll pay the price for having done so.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by all your eyes (October 13, 2009 2:48 pm ET)
      3  
      Can this be the last straw with her? That's just way over the line...
      Report Abuse
    • Author by pete592 (October 13, 2009 2:50 pm ET)
      3  
      "The United States of Tammy"

      How ironic. Right-wing professional liars keep telling me that Obama is the despot.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by pete592 (October 13, 2009 2:52 pm ET)
      4  
      Don't worry. One of our resident righty posters will be here soon to give us the completely innocent and innocuous context.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by shaggles (October 13, 2009 3:11 pm ET)
           
        Yep. As will Bruce herself when, and if, she's called on it.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by magnolialover (October 13, 2009 3:33 pm ET)
        5  
        Yeah, it's just a "funny" picture of a raccoon trying to get into a Cracker Jack box. What do you mean the term "coon" has some sort of racist ties? That's not how Tammy meant it. Don't you liberals have a sense of humor?

        That's how they'll come at it.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by rwmacdonald2091 (October 13, 2009 3:10 pm ET)
      5  
      I'm sure no one except those commie, liberal, left wing crackpots will see anything racial, using a racoon in the picture.

      That doggone MMFA always trying to stir things up, seeing racism where it doesn't exist.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Brabantio (October 13, 2009 3:32 pm ET)
      2 1
      I'm not sure on this one. From what I understand, Bruce wrote a previous post about how she found a Nobel Peace Prize in a box of Cracker Jacks. Then she posts about another winner. If that previous post didn't exist, and she said "Nobel Committee Announces Peace Prize Winner", that would be depicting Obama as a raccoon. But in this case, it would seem her point is that the prize has no value. The Cracker Jack box is the key element of the post.

      Now, there's the question of "why did she pick a raccoon?" to address. I'm not sure what the options are. How many animals have the dexterity to hold a box and reach into it, besides having the tendency to root through trash? If she's searching for pictures along those lines, I'm just not sure what else she's likely to find. Besides that, I personally didn't think of "coon" until I read the SN piece, and I'm not sure that "coon" even stems from "raccoon". It at least seems possible that it's not something that occurred to her, either, especially since she has a "pet" raccoon herself.

      Based on her personal history it's possible it could be viewed as racist, but I don't think it's the four-alarm fire that SN made it out to be all by itself.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by political_left-religious_right (October 13, 2009 4:35 pm ET)
        1  
        Good point, Brabantio, and it's always a good reminder that we not fly off the handle. Still, even if Bruce simply meant the part about the Cracker Jack prize and the coon (which does stem from raccoon, by the way) was merely incidental, the coincidence is pretty remarkable.

        I cannot speak for African Americans, but if any are offended enough to bring the item back to Bruce for her explanation, she will apologize for it if she has any character at all. Insults don't have to be intentional.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by all your eyes (October 13, 2009 4:46 pm ET)
          1  
          I agree, on second thought, this could be innocuous. However, you have to be willfully stupid to post this on the web without considering the consequences. Every person I sent this picture to had the same reaction: wow, that's really racist.
          Report Abuse
        • Author by Brabantio (October 13, 2009 5:15 pm ET)
          1  
          Absolutely, and her reaction to this is entirely relevant to the analysis. She should explain herself and apologize for the offense caused. If she doesn't, and just fires back with hostility, I'm much less inclined to view her post charitably.

          Does it come from "raccoon"? I thought it might be from "barracoon" myself, and I didn't know if it was ever determined one way or the other.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by SteveB (October 14, 2009 2:12 am ET)
         
      You guys are serious? Wow.

      Context is important here, folks. Perhaps the suggestion that a scavenging animal digging through a box of cracker jacks and coming up with the secret toy surprise has every bit as much of a chance...or a right...to get the Nobel Prize as Obama?

      Read the post before that one, crazies. She already talked about how SHE got her Nobel Prize in a box of C-J.

      You're trying waaaaay to hard to conjur the racism boogeyman.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by joswie (October 14, 2009 6:27 pm ET)
           
        *Points to Brabantio's comments above and notes how the two are in agreement
        Report Abuse

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