Is Obama an Uncle Sam or an Uncle Tom?

Let me start by saying that I’m not asking that question. In the November 24 issue of Newsweek, there was a blurb reporting that Ralph Nader said of the President Elect, “We’ll see if he’s going to be an Uncle Sam or an Uncle Tom.” Admittedly, it’s a racist remark but when asked about it, Nader firmly stood by the statement.

By the way, the Bible curiously never describes people by race. It does describe people as belonging to nations but it further says that all nations are of one blood (Acts 17:26).

So, what makes someone an Uncle Tom? It’s a very easy test really: anyone who is black and is not a liberal is an Uncle Tom. At least, that’s the impression I have. And where did I get that impression? From liberals, of course! Conservatives don’t use the term “Uncle Tom” except when quoting liberals.

I first noticed this phenomenon during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. Here was a black man being considered for a seat on the highest court in the land. He was replacing the retiring black Justice, Thurgood Marshall. Justice Marshall was adored by liberals – not necessarily because he was the first black Justice on the court but because he himself was a liberal. But Thomas was vilified by liberals. They didn’t care that another black man was going to hold the esteemed position; he was conservative so he was an “Uncle Tom.” I can’t count the number of times I heard that term used of Thomas.

Since that time I’ve heard the term used to describe many blacks: Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, J.C. Watts, etc. What exactly do these folk have in common (besides being black, of course)? Bingo! They’re all conservative. If you are a black conservative, you are considered an “Uncle Tom.”

I tried to think of any black liberals that have been called Uncle Toms. The only one I could think of was Bill Cosby. Cosby is not a far-left liberal but a few years back, he made some “controversial” remarks about how blacks could help themselves by getting an education, getting good jobs, and stop whining about how they’re “victims.” I had never thought of Cosby as a conservative but his remarks were spot on. Apparently he hit a nerve among liberal blacks who considered his remarks too conservative and so, for a while at least, he earned the title of “Uncle Tom.”

So we now have Nader’s comments about Obama. Will Obama be an Uncle Tom? Liberals feel they have sent a mandate and are putting Obama on notice. He’s expected to champion the liberal agenda. They’re ready with the insults. If he pushes for gay marriage, signs the Freedom of Choice act, and bankrupts the coal industry, he's Uncle Sam. If tries to govern from the middle or reach across the isle, he’s an Uncle Tom!