Calling A Black Person "Articulate" Is Not A Compliment

Lost in the fact that Clueless Joe Biden pulled his "pretty fly for a black guy" shtick on Barack Obama yesterday is the fact that President Bush did the same thing:

After asking Bush about Senator Barack Obama's proposal that all troops be out of Iraq by March 2008 (Bush, of course, said he is against timetables), Cavuto asked: "How do you think the troops would feel about a President Obama?"

Bush: "Oh, I don't know. He ain't -- look -- he hasn't got elected yet. He ain't even got the party's nomination either. He's an attractive guy, he's articulate, I've been impressed with him, I've seen him in person, but he's got a long way to go to be president."

Sigh. Do I have to dip into the Chris Rock well?

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: What's the first thing they say when they talk about Colin Powell? What's their compliment? He's well-spoken. Well-spoken is not a compliment. Well-spoken is something you say about people you don't expect to be able to speak. How do they expect Colin Powell to sound? Like, "I'm-a gonna drop me a bomb today!"

In other words, it's bigotry masquerading as inclusion. And it's unacceptable.

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