Let's Not Overthink This
by digby
Adam Serwer writes:
This sheds a bit of light on why Republicans express their disapproval of Obama by identifing him as a "Muslim," and why conservative elites fan the perception. People don't like Muslims very much, and if you can associate Obama with Muslims, people will like him less as well. It also reinforces what I said earlier, which is that Republicans don't think constitutional rights apply to Muslims because they don't see Muslims as American.
I'm sure that's true. But I think it also misses the point. Serwer had it right yesterday when he said:
In a less politically correct time they probably would have used a different word.
They call him a Muslim -- and are quite suddenly lashing out at "his people" almost a decade after 9/11--- simply because they aren't allowed to call him what they want to call him. Sure, they don't think Muslims are American. They also don't think liberals are American, blacks are American, Mexicans are America, gays are American, atheists are American or anyone else who doesn't identify themselves explicitly with them are American. They are, you see, Real America. Everyone else is not.
This stuff is like water --- it always finds a way to seep out. Calling Obama a Muslim is just a convenient way of justifying their existing bigotry toward everything he actually is. It's not really all that comploicated.
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