McCain will be accused of racism regardless

[CatWoman]

John McCain is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. He could never mention Jeremiah Wright and ensure his campaign aides don't either, and he'd still be accused of running a racist campaign.

Have his tactics against Obama in recent days gotten more personal and hard-edged? Yes. Are his top surrogates, including his running mate, suggesting that the Democrat is a terrorist sympathizer who is not a patriot? Yes.

But is McCain doing anything overtly racist? No.

As Harold Ford Jr. told me in Nashville: "If Barack were not African-American, they’d be doing this."

Indeed they would. Just look at some of the GOP tactics questioning how much John Kerry, a white Vietnam veteran, cared about the troops.

That doesn't matter, though, to the outrage industry, ever on the lookout for any sign of racism and quick to pounce even when it's not there.

I was reminded of McCain's quandary when I got an e-mail touting the expertise of a college professor. Now, reporters get such pitches from PR shops and college publicity departments all the time. But this one stood out:

Lester Spence, an assistant professor of political science at The Johns Hopkins University, is available to discuss with reporters his belief that racial overtones are becoming part of Sen. John McCain's campaign rhetoric as Election Day approaches.

"Sen. John McCain's recent attacks on Barack Obama, accusing him of being a terrorist, combined with GOP columnists and bloggers arguing that Obama supports 'painting the white house black' and 'racial reparations' represent an embrace of the problematic 'Southern Strategy' that the GOP has historically used to increase white racial resentment," said Spence, who is African American. "But as can be seen in the most recent presidential debate, he is employing this strategy selectively, only among the GOP faithful."


McCain has not called Obama "a terrorist."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/McCain_will_be_accused_of_racism_regardless.html?showallhttp://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/McCain_will_be_accused_of_racism_regardless.html

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[Forkboy]

21. Yes, they are.

[CatWoman]

24. I think he has you there

now, I need "YOUR" permission to discuss matters of race? and racism?

give me a fucking break.

the only pattern you see is a test pattern.

turn off the tv.

it will hurt your eyes.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Good...it's about time black folks got some value out of all the shit they put up with

What's the problem?

:-)

[CatWoman]

7. hehehehehehe

:)

"I'm" not the one with the problem

:)

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. I know

cheers!

[AspenRose]

5. Cat Fight! Cat Fight!

Mrrrrow!

:hide:

[Name removed]

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[EFerrari]

8. Harold is an @sshole and I want my $20 back from him. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. I disagree with Martin. They are using Barack's name against him!

"Barack HUSSEIN Obama"

They do this because they are trying to cash in on people's xenophobia. That is racism.

[CatWoman]

37. I read that that policeman is being investigation for possble violations

of the Hatch Act.

[CatWoman]

40. omg!!!!

keith just reported that the cop may lose his job!!!! :rofl:

[sufrommich]

12. Seriously? This is the most dangerously racist campaign

I've ever seen. What campaign are you watching?

[catgirl]

17. Some posters think it's acceptable, apparently.

[ErinBerin84]

13. well, duh it's not overt.

I don't think some of these things are so much a black or white thing as much as a "pssss, did you hear that Barack Hussein Obama is a muslim" nodd, which I don't think you could pull off as easily if Obama was a white male (so there is the racism in that). And I hate that Harold Ford Jr as become a "go to" person to determine what is racist and what isn't.

[Deep13]

16. "muslim," "terrorist" and "that one" is what they say instead of n****r. nt

[crankychatter]

18. Bushco capitalized on ethnocentricity, jingoism, nationalism AND racism to push the War

McCain and Palin are deliberately whipping up the same sentiments in the same people to attack Obama.

The author appears to be asserting that implying someone is a terrorist and terrorist sympathizer... disloyal to the U.S., in this era of history... is not racist.

It IS racist.

The use by this author of the phrase, "outrage industry, ever on the lookout for any sign of racism and quick to pounce even when it's not there," is all the evidence I need to support my take on this.

The author is a fucking tool, regardless of race.

This OP is here with questionable intent.

If you give a SHIT what "DU" thinks (as if DU were an individual), I'll kiss your ass on main street.

it's fuckin' bait

[catgirl]

19. Thank you for telling it like it is.

[Name removed]

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[Kaylee]

22. Yeah, and there's nothing racist about McCain's slogan....

"The American president Americans have been waiting for"....oh, I'm sorry, I thought we were electing Swedes to be president now days. McCain's entire campaign centers around the theme that Obama is not a "real" American. Not racist my ass. :mad:

[The Magistrate]

23. Mr. Martin, Ma'am, Is Kinder Than Old Lying John Deserves

Old Lying John is simply paying the price, or rather the long overdue bill, for the decision of the Republican party post-Goldwater to base its mass appeal on racist bigotry, and position itself as 'the white peoples' party'. This has become so firmly, and so accurately, engrained in the public mind, both among supporters and opponents of the Republican party, that just about anything a Republican does or says is taken to have racial overtones, meant to appeal to the racist sentiments that move the Republican base. If Old Lying John wanted his campaigns for office to be free of this perception, he ought, like any person of decency and conscience would have, to have abandoned the Republican party years ago and become a Democrat. The fact that Old Lying John chose the Republican party, and continues with it is, to state the matter bluntly, sufficient to make the charge that he is a racist, and determined to court votes from racists, stick tight to his skin.

Mr. Martin's article consists mostly of quibbles, that amount to simply stating Old Lying John has been careful to preserve a degree of 'plausible deniability' sufficient that a person does not have to confess to terminal idiocy in order to pretend to credit the cover story. In a mass-market campaign, the distinction between "suggesting that the Democrat is a terrorist sympathizer who is not a patriot" and "accusing him of being a terrorist" is not signifigant, and indeed, the aim of saying "the Democrat is a terrorist sympathizer who is not a patriot" is to entice others to believe "he is a terrorist", and vote, and otherwise speak and act, on that conclusion.

[CatWoman]

25. You know Magistrate, I was on the Bookman blog

which is where I got this article.

Bookman is a liberal journalist who writes for the AJC.

All kinds of republican scum post on his blog, and I had quite a few fights over there. Today I had many posts removed.

I never dreamed that I would encounter the bullshit I got from a certain person for posting this article here.

I'm black - and I like to discuss things relevant to blacks.

So what if Harold Ford added to the article? Who gives a shit?

The bottom line is that both the 2000 and 2004 elections were stolen by the GOP via OVERT RACISM.

They told me and my kind that we don't count in this country - our votes don't count.

And I will continue to post and discuss subjects such as this.

John McCain learned a little too well from Bush. Hence all the race baiting and the racist campaign.

I only pray that he didn't learn how to disenfranchise us again in 2008.

[The Magistrate]

35. It Sounds Like An Interesting Place, Ma'am

You may note my comments were directed solely at the author of the article, as it is obvious to its sentiments were not yours. That such a weak apologia is the best that be mustered by the alibi corps is tantamount to confessing to the charge Mr. Martin attempts to refute.

[CatWoman]

36. I know you were referring to the article

guess I got carried away :)

:hi:

always so very good to see you :)

[The Magistrate]

38. What Amazes Me About This Particular 'Issue' Ma'am, Personally

Is that apparently large numbers of people are able to believe with apparent sincerity that a person who is not a patriot, who actively sympathizes with enemies of our country, can be elected Senator from a populous state like Illinois, and gain the nomination for President of one our country's two major political parties. What someone would have to believe about how the world and political life works in order to credit this nonesense for even a heartbeat hurts my brain to contemplate. And yet evidently millions are able to swallow it....

[CatWoman]

39. here's something else to chew on

one poster over there in particular keeps harping on the non-issue of Obama's birth certificate.

What kind of freakin idiot do you have to be to believe that a man such as Obama could achieve so much in America, and be elected to the Senate, yet not be a US citizen???

[screembloodymurder]

26. I guess you didn't catch his "gold plated Cadillac" remark last night.

He was referring to an Obama plan.

[CatWoman]

27. yes!!!! I didn't catch it, but I heard about it on Warren Ballentine's radio show today

these fuckers don't even believe in speaking in code anymore :grr:

[demokatgurrl]

28. Harold Ford is a Republican tool.

and if I were Black I might say he's bordering on Uncle Tom... but I don't really have right to say that.

[CatWoman]

29. you know, living here in Georgia, I've come to somewhat understand him

that's sad, isn't it?

[catgirl]

33. Yes, sympathizing with Harold Ford the tool is sad

and your response is all-telling. Sorry, I don't back away from racist talk. This is the
first time on DU that I've had an extended "argument" with the OP. With our history in
this country, we can't afford to give this racist McCain campaign a pass. We saw it here,
and we've seen it in other areas of the world. There's no room for it.

[AlCzervik]

30. maybe he isn't a racist but imo he is an enabler of racists. How about yesterday

when some shithead at Palin's rally told a black sound man for one of the networks to "Sit down boy", if McCain was a decent person he would have addressed that to someone in the press, he has them on his plane and he could have easily made a statement disavowing it but he did not or how about that asswipe sheriff who insisted on using "Hussein" to stir up the xenophobes? Where is McCain denouncing that type of behavior?

I don't if McCain is a racist or not, voting against MLK day doesn't look to good and like i said the enabling of it on his behalf is sickening.

[CatWoman]

31. I think he IS a racist

the disrespectful way that he treats Obama is proof, IMO.

I don't care how much you dislike someone, you still treat him or her with a semblance of respect. Especially a colleague.

There is no room for respect in racism.

[AlCzervik]

32. well hopefully it won't go over this time, i'm so sick of racists and xenophobes

in this country i could scream.

[IndianaJones]

34. he is a racist. nt.

[Hansel]

41. McCain's campaign is race baiting.

There is no doubt about that.

Whether or not he is a racist is a distinction without a difference. The idea that he would use race baiting in his campaign is enough to earn him the label when one takes into consideration how blacks have been treated in this country over the past several hundred years. A man who is not a racist would not engage in race baiting because they would have more empathy and respect. Yes, McCain is a racist.

To him, it's fair game to debase another human being solely because of the color of his skin for the purpose of inciting racism among the voters. To McCain, totally dehumanizing a man of stature by calling him "that one" in front of 63 million people is acceptable behavior.

I'm tired of white men whining about this every time it is pointed out. Guilty much? It's time to get some introspect Jonathan.

What is it that compels any commentator to defend McCain's obvious racist behavior? Does it really bother Jonathan that McCain's feelings might be hurt? Does it really upset him that most intelligent people would deduce this from McCain's behavior? Or is he feeling the need to defend himself? Because I think it's the latter.

[CatWoman]

42. great post, Hansel

:)

:thumbsup:

[Hansel]

44. Thank you

:hi:

[Solomon]

43. Why are you reaching so hard to say he's not running a racist

campaign? Everything he does is awash in it. He would have never picked a person with no qualifications and who was under investigation, as a running mate, if his opponent were not a black man.

He is taking the same road that someone else took, dog whistles and all.

At any rate, who cares? He made his bed, voting against the King Holiday and all, "that one" and all the rest... he's gotta sleep in it. And people going out on a limb to try and prove that he's not racist are not going to change the facts. He'll do whatever it takes to win.

[CatWoman]

45. Solomon

I am not agreeing with the story.

where do you get that I am "reaching hard"?

:shrug:

[rebel with a cause]

46. Hey Cat Woman

What happened up thread? In house fighting, I take it.

My take on this is that anyone who does not think that mccain and palin are racists and running a racist campaign may need to take a few classes on racism and the way it shows up in our society. I have spoken before about 'white speak' and the words used that are signals of racism that some people do not recognize. Both of these people use 'white speak' but they also are open with their accusations that link Barack to labels that are racist in their meaning. These people are talking to their base, their racist base, when they use these terms along with the code words. They send out their message loud and strong, and as long as we sit by and allow this to continue, it will. We do not at this point need to take any action against these people, only speak out against this tactic and vote against those that use it. What comes later, I am unsure of.

One thing I have to add is not going to be popular but here goes. This tactic is not limited to these candidates or to the repubs, and as we do not accept it in their actions neither should we accept it when it is done by one of our own. When winning becomes so important that someone puts aside their own values and sinks to the level where they use racism as a tool to winning, it is time for them to step aside and leave their ambitions behind. And if these tactics are not below their core value, then we need to recognize this and take actions against them. I will not support anyone that I feel is using prejudice in order to win a campaign.

That is all of my preaching, and I know where you stand and that the op was not written by you. :hi:

[CatWoman]

47. what happened up thread?

some people take offense at black people wanting to discuss racism. go figure :shrug:

I don't know if you saw my comments upthread, but someone mentioned the "gold cadillac" comment McCain made last night. I missed it, but caught it on today's Warren Ballentine radio show.

That phrase, for some reason, takes me back to Reagan, and how he vilified blacks by way of comments referring to welfare recipients driving huge cadillacs.

They know the code. The fuckers invented it.

and thanks for your wonderful post. :)

:hi:

[rebel with a cause]

48. I didn't hear about the 'gold cadillac' comment until I saw it up thread

and I was unsure of who had said it. Oh, that is just too obvious. :grr: Why were they not talking about that today, because that is definitely code. They are pushing it beyond any limit now. If people don't get upset by this stuff, it jut shows that they are either racist or don't care about anyone that is not them. They are pissing me off and I am not allowed to get pissed off. That is why I didn't personally watch the debate last night, but waited to hear a report on it and read about it.

Talking about Cadillacs, I saw an Obama sticker on one the other day and the caddy was driven by a little white haired old white man. I wanted to run him down and tell him that I loved him, but my daughter refused to do so. ;) Somehow she thought it was improper for me to come on to an little old man just because he had an Obama sticker. Besides, she swears his wife was with him, but I didn't see her. She must have been very short, if she was there. :rofl: