McCain uses "Tar Baby"

[susanbanks44]

Run time: 01:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNGXB_qx0xk   Posted on YouTube: March 16, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: October 09, 2008 By DU Member: susanbanks44 Views on DU: 1022

 

[Richard D]

1. I think that's stretching it a bit

From Wikipedia:

Tar-Baby was a doll made of tar and turpentine, used to entrap Br'er Rabbit in the second of the Uncle Remus stories. The more that Br'er Rabbit fought the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he became. In contemporary usage, "tar baby" refers to any "sticky situation" that is only aggravated by additional contact. The only way to solve such a situation is by separation.<1>

[beac]

3. Also from Wikipedia

Although the term's provenance arose in African folklore, some Americans now consider "tar baby" to have negative connotations revolving around pejorative images of African-Americans.


Like it or not, it's one of those phrases who's meaning has changed. McCain SURELY knows that. My grandmother used to complain that the meaning of "gay" had changed in her lifetime, but she knew what was what and adapted her usage. (BTW, she was not a homophobe but was apparently REALLY fond of saying "Oh my, we had SUCH a gay time at the party!" when she was a girl. ;) )

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Gee, guys, I pointed that out before, but to no avail

We had a big discussion on this a couple of years back.

Perhaps Joel Chandler Harris was a racist (a real shock for a white man from Georgia born in the middle of the nineteenth century, that), but his retelling Afro-American folklore is an invaluable contribution to the preservation of American oral culture. I make no apologies to any one for the pleasure I take in reading his work, which has an honored place on my bookshelves.

[mikelgb]

2. omg Jabba cut her hair, making the comparison even more apt

:puke:

[Eric J in MN]

4. It's only racist if he called a person that.

Which he didn't.

Democrats sometimes use the term, too.

[Quantess]

5. "Posted on YouTube: March 16, 2007"

[msongs]

6. where I grew up in texas "tar baby" was always preceded by n****r nt

[stlsaxman]

8. He laughed as he was thinking about saying it...

makes it even sicker.

[kwolf68]

9. Non issue

This is the type of shit they use to advance the idea of 'liberal media'. This is really grasping.

[Heather MC]

10. Sorry not races he was trying to say "sticky situation"

[mcjackson]

11. out of ANYTHING...

...else he could have chosen to say, he said "tar baby." nuff said.

[CTyankee]

12. My guess is that he had Obama's blackness in his mind and just

reverted to his pre Civil Rights era thinking.

Nobody today uses the term.

[soulcore]

13. Dog. Whistle. Politics.

At least down here in Texas, Tar-Baby is DEFINITELY considered a racist slur.

[HopeHoops]

14. Given that it was Mar 07 when Hillary and Romney were his concern, I think it was innocent

That said, if he were to use it now it would, without question, be racially based. McCain has made little if any effort to hide his own racism or that of his "base". The difference would be context. In the way he used it, the reference was along the lines of a "rabbit hole" analogy. Today he would manufacture a fragile structure in which to invoke it.