Speaking on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson elaborated, "They would be making hay out of it, calling for his resignation. I think we're hypocrites and we're morally weak here."
Later on in the morning, Dyson took on Obama's handling of the issue saying, "This president runs from race like a black man runs from a cop" (videos embedded below the fold with partial transcripts):
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: I think the Democrats here are morally weak, they are noxious to me, because on the one hand, you don't have to play into the Trent Lott versus Harry Reid thing because you can see a bunch of differences there. The reality is this, though. We have a President who is loathe to speak about race. He would rather talk about anything but race. And I think his personal discomfort should not be stand-in for his bully pulpit use here to say, "Look, I can accept Harry Reid's apology. But let's explore what Harry Reid said." [...]To be honest, the Republicans are given a high hand here because our side refuses to say anything that is even intelligible or coherent about the issue of race and to sweep it under the carpet as if it makes no difference. If a white Republican had said this, this would be huge news. They would be making hay out of it, calling for his resignation. I think we're hypocrites and we're morally weak here. [...]
Here's the problem though: [Obama's] personal discomfort with race must not absolve him of responsibility as an American president. We don't expect you as a black president to deal with race. We expect you as the President of the United States to address this. And I think that he's being shown short here. He's shown that he's not really capable.
Shocking stuff, but likely quite accurate.
After all, Obama showed with his dismal response to the Professor Gates/Cambridge police department episode that he really doesn't know how to deal with matters pertaining to race despite his bold promises during the campaign.
Quite the opposite of what so-called journalists advertised in 2008, Dyson thinks Obama is a total failure on this issue:
DYSON: I think that we should push the President. This president runs from race like a black man runs from a cop. What we have to do is ask Mr. Obama to stand up and use his bully pulpit to help us. He is loathe to speak about race.
Shocking stuff to say the least.
Will Obama-loving media ever see the truth?
