Is the racist smear campaign working?

[DainBramaged]

John McCain and Sarah Palin haven't succeeded in shifting a majority of people in their favor with racist attacks on Barack Obama.

THIS YEAR, I'm guessing a lot of people are going to dress up as John McCain or Sarah Palin for Halloween.

If you've seen the videos of McCain/Palin rallies, you know what's so scary about them. You've seen people call Obama a terrorist or express fear that he's an Arab--or worse, a secret Muslim! You've seen the person carrying a Curious George doll with a hat that says "Obama." Yes, a stuffed monkey labeled "Obama."

In other words, you've been transported, via YouTube, into a world of hard-core racists--people who are just seething at the possibility that someone who isn't white might be the next president. And worst of all, some of those crowds look pretty big.

A lot of people I've talked to over the past few weeks are drawing the same conclusion: McCain and Palin's turn towards a racist smear campaign is working. My friends and colleagues are looking at these videos and thinking: "That's what most of America is like."

Four things (at least!) need to be said about this.

First, these rallies are extremely scary, and people are right to be frightened by them. McCain and Palin are clearly tapping into an audience that is ready to blame Arabs, Muslims, Blacks, immigrants or any "other" for the economic crisis. Georgia Rep. John Lewis was dead right: the Republicans are appealing to a racist minority that has a history of putting their despicable ideas into action--violent action.

But the second--and often overlooked--point is that while the McCain-Palin smear campaign galvanized a hard-core racist base, it has also provoked a backlash in the country as a whole.

A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that six out of ten voters thought McCain was spending more time attacking Obama than explaining his own ideas. It also found that Obama had opened up a huge lead on McCain (53 percent to 39 percent, "if the election were held today"), and that voters who recently changed their minds about McCain were three times more likely to have developed a more negative view of him.

"The top reasons cited by those who said they thought less of Mr. McCain," the Times reported, "were his recent attacks and his choice of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate."

http://socialistworker.org/2008/10/21/is-racist-smear-campaign-working

[truthisfreedom]

1. In a word, no. In a phrase, it's backfiring. EVERYTHING McXhausted does is backfiring.

And Parah Salin has a great future...


in sitcoms.

[DainBramaged]

2. Six out of ten against McFalin, 60%, because of his negative ads and HER

:woohoo:

[CSUjr]

12. Choose '08

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30031972&id=1561400196

[Drunken Irishman]

3. Not. This. Time!

[Skittles]

4. McCain's campaign has been a complete disgrace

it's an affront to any decent human being

[fujiyama]

5. I can only hope it's backfiring

with most Americans, who I want to believe are decent and sane.

But there is a segment, and it shouldn't be ignored that IS getting swayed by it. Unfortunately I think Ohio will be one of the states where that racism plays a difference. But I think we'll carry enough states for it not to matter.

[izzie]

7. I get the feeling McCain will win with it.

Sorry to say that but I just get the feeling that there may be more of them than people who use some reason. I do hope all these new voters come out. 4 more years of Bush stuff and then a vice-President in the same type maybe getting is will be the end of the this thing we call Am. and what it gave the world. I can not believe people are voting in these people who have a name and got where they are on a name with out doing anything. It is like the old 'royal' way of Eur. sort of breeding the second rate people to rule us. Just bad stuff. What is wrong with talent? I sort of like McCain but face it he would never be where he is with out his father's name and his new wife and her money. Second rate people like him and Bush get where they are on a name some one else made. Obama and Biden did it on talent.

[DainBramaged]

10. It is, and the McFalin camp KNOWS they have lost Colorado

New Mexico, and Idaho, IDAHO, and they are just trying to cause as much damage now as they possibly can. It's in their nature to be destructive if they can't have their way. Chuckie Todd, the MSNBC poll troll won't push Colorado into Obama's column for fear of people losing interest in the 'race'.


Bullshit, I smell Rethuglican blood in the water, and I want to gnaw on their carcass.

[napoleon_in_rags]

6. No, I'll tell you exactly why.

Because even racist stereotypes have attributes: For instance, you won't find a single racist who thinks black men aren't tough or lack emotion. The stereotype is that black people are inarticulate, unintellectual, undisciplined. Barack Obama's genius is that he has systematically burned down these stereotypes, by manifesting the opposite of all them. This has deeply weakened this racist narratives and been good for the country on the whole...and its also leading to his victory. I mean think about it: What is a racist going to say about the guy? That he's dumb? He's obviously not. That he lacks integrity? He obviously doesn't. They can complain about his skin color, but Obama destroyed all of all the stereotypes that feed racism, so the racists are left with very very hollow arguments, even in the eyes of low, low information voters.

[No Elephants]

14. Great post,. That's why they have to lie about him.

[TexasObserver]

8. The GOP is going after the HATE vote big time.

They know they will not move the independents with this nonsense, but they are growing their base by shilling to racists. They know that in spite of their nastiness and racism, they will retain the portion of their base which is unsettled by such racism. Most of the GOP is either openly racist or not so openly racist, but still racist.

[JCMach1]

9. No, see my post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7541028

[Odin2005]

11. It's backfiring.

It's driving away Independents and moderate Republicans.

[Blue_Tires]

13. ttt