McCain's "Celebrity" commercial is a classic example of playing the race card

[pnwmom]

and we should be shouting that to the rooftops.

With typical Rovian gall, they're now accusing Obama of playing the race card when he said that he doesn't look like every other President who's been elected.

But look at the commercial they've just put out, "Celebrity." What celebrities do they link him with? Not Schwarzenegger. Not George Clooney. Not Bruce Springsteen.

No, they have linked this serious, thoughtful, high-achieving black man with two very young, very blonde, very "fast," very white females -- in an effort to appeal subliminally to every racist and every racist fear out there.

I'd say that "Celebrity" is a new low, except it's just a reincarnation of the Willie Horton commercial. And, more recently, the commercial featuring the young blonde woman that was used against Harold Ford. The Republicans appealing to racial fear is nothing new, unfortunately.

[Puzzler]

1. Good point!

.

[endarkenment]

2. 100% correct.

Racist dog whistle campaign now operational. The defense is to CALL THEM OUT ON IT.

[napoleon_in_rags]

3. He should be able to ward that off.

The racist stuff. He can use the Cosby factor, and appeal (as he has) for more marriage and fatherhood in the black community.

[KurtNYC]

4. they planned on calling Obama "racist" from the beginning

They started earlier this year and they will continue. One of my GOP relatives regularly says that "Obama is racist" (and can you guess what SHE is?).

The RW and their sheep are fascinated by these things: skin color, stereotypes, racism, Clinton's BJ. They will appeal to the fear of all of those things in their voters. By blaming Obama for their own fascination with skin color they tink that they get to talk about skin color at every turn. By claiming he is racist, they get to be racist. It is disgusting (as usual).

[Beetwasher]

5. Yup, Where Da White Women At?

Obama's comin' for your white women!

[Lorien]

6. To be fair, none of the celebrities you mention get the attention of Paris

or Brittany. Maybe Lindsy Lohan (sp?) does, but I can't think of anyone else in the media eye as much as those girls. I thought the ad was a positive for Obama; it shows the McCain team as being shallow and without substance, and it showed Obama as a hugely popular leader that only comes along once in a generation. What's the down side?

[pnwmom]

7. To be fair, I picked celebrities of the same gender and approximate age as Obama.

Which is far more fair.

Here's another one: Brad Pitt. He certainly gets plenty of media attention. They could have compared Obama to him. I wouldn't even have minded if they had compared Obama to Brangelina.

But the true purpose of the Hilton/Spears add was to appeal to people's racial prejudice.

[Lorien]

9. The ad was about celebrity, not age or gender

I really don't there's a racial element here. The insult is that he's a vapid, popular ditz. It backfired and makes the McCain team look like the very thing they've mocked.

[pnwmom]

10. I think you're being naive. There's a long sordid history in this country

of people sowing the fear of black men linking up with white women. And this commercial, just like the Harold Ford commercial only 2 years ago (featuring the blonde ditz who wants Harold to phone her sometime), was clearly designed to play on that fear.

[onenote]

16. to be fairer, you should've picked celebrities that are known as tabloid fodder

Springsteen, Clooney -- don't measure up. I didn't see the ad as racist -- they picked the two most prominent tabloid fodder celebs -- folks who are, at this point, more famous for being infamous than for any talent they may have. Neither Springsteen nor Clooney fit that bill. Of course, neither does Obama, but that's why the ad is so juvenile, not because the comparisons were to young white women.

[npincus]

8. sorry, I don't see the Mandingo thing here...

I just think McShithead took the lightest, fluffiest, flash-in-the-pan, shallow diva-types he could find to equate Obama with... don't see racism here. Just f*cking stupidity.

[pnwmom]

11. Why not? After that Harold Ford commercial only 2 years ago,

(with the young blonde woman asking Harold to phone her), how can you assume that there was no racism involved?

[npincus]

15. very different commercials, very different context

I am not "assuming" anything, it's my opinion. I think they picked what they thought were the most famous global icons, light and fluffy but without substance, bordering on has-beens, to diminish Obama's strength as a magnetic persona. Oh, I am sure racism will rear it's ugly head if it hasn't already, I just don't see it here. I've heard others ask the question, though.

[pnwmom]

17. Paris Hilton is hardly a global icon, except in her own warped view of herself.

Spears has at least had a job in the public view.

If McCain had compared Obama to a male rock star, such as Bruce Springsteen, well, okay.

But I think they chose Spears and Hilton simply so they could flash the pictures of the young blonde females in tandem with the picture of Obama. And it would be completely in keeping with the Rethugs history of racially based attack ads and whispering campaigns.

[cbc5g]

12. It was no coincidence...they are starting a subliminal racist campaign

[rucky]

13. I saw it a different way...

equally insulting - (maybe more)

Obama doesn't know his place.

[pnwmom]

14. That's all part of it.

He doesn't know his place -- and it's certainly not his place to be associated with young white women.