Darth Vader Don’t Apologize: James Earl Jones Calls The Tea Party Racist

The raging Baggers want an apology, but he’s not forking one over. He knows what they are. I and many others know who and what they are, too.

I always pegged James Earl Jones, now 81, as a conservative, but of course, there is a distinct difference between conservatives and a braying far right-wing lynch mob terminally affected by Obama Derangement Syndrome, and by extension, hatred of all people of color, and of women who don’t subscribe their views.

And many of their ranks can’t spell worth a damn or are bereft of critical thinking.

Jones was a guest on Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West’s radio show, Smiley and West, on Sunday, July 8. The interview came about because of Jones’ appearance in the Tony Award-nominated revival of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man on Broadway, which also stars old troopers like Angela Lansbury, as well as actors like John Larroquette, Cybill Shepherd, and John Stamos.

Gore Vidal‘s THE BEST MAN received 2012 Tony Award nominations for Best Revival of a Play as well as a Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play nomination for James Earl Jones. The critically-acclaimed production of Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN, which was originally scheduled to play through July 8, 2012, has been extended twice, now playing through Sunday, September 9, 2012.

A play about power, ambition, political secrets, ruthlessness and the race for the presidency, Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN is set at the national convention where two candidates are vying for their party’s nomination during the primary season. It’s an inside look at the dirt-digging, double-dealing, triple-crossing chicanery of presidential electioneering and what could be more fun in a presidential campaign season than these theatrical fireworks.

However, the conversation veered off into other subjects, like politics. Especially since James Earl Jones likes to appear on MSNBC, which has that famous liberal-progressive line-up in the late afternoons and into the early evenings. Man, I still miss Keith Olbermann.

Max Page, the boy who tried to levitate a Volkswagen in the costume of Darth Vader, with actor James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader (and CNN) early this month (Courtesy: BroadwayWorld.com)

JAMES EARL JONES: I think I have figured out the Tea Party I think I…I do understand racism because I was taught to be one by my grandmother. My grandmother was part [tribal affiliation] Indian part black, she hated everybody and she taught all of her children and grandchildren to be racist to hate white people and to distrust black people.

DR CORNEL WEST: Who does she love then?

JAMES EARL JONES: Nobody.

WEST: Nobody at all.

JAMES EARL JONES: But that allowed me to figure it out for myself. And I think I know what racism is better than anyone who has ever been a racist.

After that interesting observation, the thought police came after Jones. Rightblogosphere has been foaming at the mouth ever since.

After the Star Wars actor compared the Tea Party to his racist grandmother on the public-radio show Smiley & West, he drew the furor of Tea Party Patriots, the nation’s largest Tea Party-affiliated organization.

Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator of the group, E-mailed Whispers that Jones is “playing the politics of division and deceit.”

Bulltacos. Just because he portrayed the voice of a bad guy doesn’t mean that he subscribes to The Dark Side.

It just means that he’s a bit more accessible to guys like Max Page, who played Little Darth Vader in that Volkswagen commercial last year. Young Page just survived recent heart surgery.

But, of course, Bagger politics is based on conspiracy theories so immense that anyone cracking a glimmer of some reality on them gets attacked for destroying the very nightmare they’ve created for themselves and want to inflict on the rest of America.