So Emotional: Holder, Obama Address Al Sharpton's National Action Network, Both Whining About The Treatment That High Officers of Government Have Received at the Hands of the Political Opposition

It's not politics, it's identity and grievance related thereto. Just pure tribalism.

Both men -- the commander in chief of the armed forces, and the number one law enforcement official in the country -- complained, essentially, of the disrespect they've had to endure, essentially pitching a grievance of Holding High Political Office While Black.

First came Holder:

“I’m pleased to note that the last five years have been defined by significant strides and by lasting reforms,” said Holder at the conference of black activists, before improvising “even in the face, even in the face, of unprecedented, unwarranted, ugly, and divisive adversity.”

“If you don’t believe that, if you look at the way, forget about me, forget about me, if you look at the way the attorney general of the United States was treated yesterday by a House Committee, it had nothing to do with me, forget that, what attorney general has ever had to deal with that kind of treatment?”

None, Eric. None at all.

Alberto Gonzales just emailed me to say, "I can't think of a one."

Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers says she can't believe that Congress would hold a high legal official of the opposite party in contempt.

Message, in case anyone missed it: When they disrespect me, they're really disrespecting you.

I wouldn't have mentioned the Holder story except that Barack Obama confirmed the pattern by offering his own racial-solidarity dog whistle.

“And just to be clear, I know where my birth certificate is, but a lot of people don’t,” Obama added, to laughter from the crowd. “I think it’s still up on a website somewhere.”

“Do you remember that? That was crazy” he remarked, clearly straying from his prepared speech. “That was some crazy stuff. I haven’t thought about that in a while.”

I imagine you haven't thought about that in a while -- because no one's talked about that in a year and a half, even on MSNBC.

Both men invert the usual relationship between politician and constituent. Usually the politician promises to defend the constituent against unfair attacks from hostile cohorts.

Here, instead, both men call upon their constituents to protect them from hostile cohorts.

It's a strange and sad thing, that this is what America is now. Scandal-plagued celebrities have always begged their fans for uplift, support, and sympathy in their plights.

But now those scandal-plagued celebrities are the President of the United States and the Attorney General of the United States.

Incidentally, given the recent reports about Al Sharpton -- was the Birth Certificate thing really the most interesting and timely news Obama could have discussed?

posted by Ace at 05:41 PM

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