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Dan Rather Watermelon Video: Rather Comments on Obama
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by Jon Azpiri | March 8, 2010 at 05:48 pm
4828 views | 5 Recommendations | 16 comments
Dan Rather Told Chris Matthews that Barack Obama "couldn't sell watermelons." Did Rather Use an Offensive Term or Is This Much Ado About Nothing?
Dan Rather has raised eyebrows over a comment he made about the Republicans' treatment of US President Barack Obama.
What Did Dan Rather Say About Obama?
Dan Rather appeared on the Chris Matthews Show and said that Republicans would refer to Obama "a nice person ... very articulate" but an ineffective leader who "couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic."
Here is the full Dan Rather watermelon comment:
Chris Matthews: "Nancy Pelosi will have her greatest triumph?"
Dan Rather: "When you talk about a triumph though, part of the undertow in the coming election is going to be President Obama's leadership and the Republicans are making a case, a lot of independents will buy this argument, listen he just hasn't been...look at the health care bill, it was his number one priority, it took him forever to get it through and he had to compromise it to death and a version of ...listen, he's a nice person, he's very articulate, this was going to be used against him but he couldn't sell watermelons if it, you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic."
Dan Rather has been known for his folksy phrases and sayings. The Dan Rather watermelon remark, however, garnered some attention since watermelons can be a racially-charged image.
This isn't the first time someone has gotten in hot water for associating Obama with watermelons. In early 2009, Dean Grose, the former mayor of Los Alamitos, CA, a tiny town in Orange County, resigned after sending a joke e-mail that depicted the White House lawn planted with watermelons.
Dan Rather Watermelon Comment Video
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Jon Azpiri
Vancouver, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (16)
at 17:57 on March 8th, 2010
So where, oh where, is the usual crowd screaming, "racist!" ???
at 15:31 on March 13th, 2010
Please note that none of the "usual suspects" are crying racist because the "usual suspects" dont believe what Dan Rather said was racist. So why are you upset ? You are over generalizing. Sometimes rascism is racism. What Dan Rather was actually saying is that if the state troopers hand blocked the road on a hot day. Obama couldnt sell watermelons to the motorist. You would have to be born before most cars had AC to get it.
at 18:22 on March 8th, 2010
Does anyone else get the feeling people look for "racism" where there is none? This is why Europeans think American's are stupid. They make a big deal out of nothing.
at 21:17 on March 10th, 2010
Sorry, No, you are in denial or a bit slow or maybe a bit of both. Articulate and watermelon in the same sentence when talking about a black man reeks of a racists statement please. Why are we the only race of people that can be insulted and feel as if it's our own fault for being "sensitive" get a backbone it is what it is.
at 10:57 on March 9th, 2010
It's obvious to anyone who's got a brain that Dan Rather was just using another of his folksy sayings.I was more offended that Chris Matthews cut him off before he could finish it. Dan Rather was actually making a good point.
at 07:20 on March 10th, 2010
Much a do about nothing.....Dan Rather is not a racist. Dan Rather is from "The Great State Of Texas" where colloguail sayings are a dime a dozen and watermellons are sold out of the back of a pickup truck parked on the side of just about every road you travel on.
at 07:41 on March 10th, 2010
Dan was about to go where few talking heads have been able to return. Chris could see what was about to happen and tried to avert it by cutting Rather off in mid sentence. He shoud have done it earlier when he noticed that Rather's mind and sentences were wandering and he was about to 'put foot in mouth' even farther. Any informed person should know that the 'watermelon' reference should be avoided when you are talking about the President of the United States. He deserves more respect than that. What was Rather thinking??? Thank goodness Chris cut him off before he made a complete idiot of himself.
at 06:37 on March 11th, 2010
I don't think anyone is accusing Rather of anything other than having said something stupid. It doesn't matter if they sell watermelons on the side-roads in Texas - using the word "watermelon" when you're referring to a black person is just bad form.Have some tact.
at 09:48 on March 11th, 2010
These things also belongs to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgement.
at 06:03 on March 12th, 2010
There is an apparent loss of information already stored in our long term memory about Dan. It is that, he was ejected from the air because of yellow journalism. I would Rather talk about that than mention him in the same sentence with our president
at 05:53 on March 12th, 2010
There ia an apparent loss of information already encoded and stored in our long term memory about Dan. It is that, he was removed from the air because of yellow journalism. I would Rather talk about that than mention his name in the same sentence with our president
at 06:23 on March 12th, 2010
There is an apparent loss of information already encoded and stored in our long term memory about Dan. It is that, he was removed from the air because of yellow journalism. I would Rather talk about that than mention his name in the same sentence with our president
at 05:36 on March 13th, 2010
I don't think that Dan Rather is racist in any way, shape or form. I believe he was referring to the fact that Obama can't sell his healthcare plan to anyone who has any sense to know the cost for the taxpayers, when the national debt is already into the thrillions of dollars. Come on wake up America!!!
at 09:04 on April 27th, 2010
No, I do not believe Mr. Rather is a racist. I have always stated, I'll be glad when i reach the age when I am no longer concern with what I say. David Brinkley did it with the very last election he covered and this is just another example of being such a veteran that although he has power, he is becoming irrelevant in regards to his current status in the networks.
at 15:13 on May 16th, 2010
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at 15:15 on May 16th, 2010
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