« Voting “D” in MassachusettsJFKlueless in ‘08 »
Michael Grunwald at Time: “Race is the elephant in the room.” I dunno. Looking at this pile of an article, I’d say the room is full of warmed-over primary bullshit:
On a swing through Pennsylvania last month, John McCain visited a Manheim Central High School football practice — not to ingratiate himself with the players, who weren’t even old enough to vote, but to identify himself with the gritty, down-home, lunch-bucket values of small-town football. “This is a blue-collar town,” Manheim’s coach said in his introduction of McCain. “We don’t have a lot of flashy athletes. We don’t come out with a lot of flash.” But the coach explained that his team works hard, plays with discipline and comes through in the end. “A lot like John McCain,” he said.
If you’re familiar with the code words of the sports world, you’ve probably already guessed that Manheim’s players had something else in common with McCain: they were white. On the other hand, athletes who are described as “flashy” almost invariably have something in common with Barack Obama. I’m not saying the coach was trying to inject race into his discussion of flashiness. I’m saying that sometimes we talk about race even when we’re not talking about race — in presidential politics as well as sports.
OK, let me make sure I’m following here. It’s not about race, however, for purposes of argument, we’ll make it about race. Exhibit A: poster child for subtle small-town white football coach spouts racist buzzwords even if he isn’t a racist. That might be couched just cleverly enough to undercut a libel suit. Because I’m pretty sure Grunwald just called that Manheim coach a racist.
Race is the elephant in the room of the 2008 campaign. In West Virginia’s primary, one out of every four Hillary Clinton voters actually admitted to pollsters that race was a factor in their vote; that may be an Appalachian outlier, but even in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio the figure was a troubling 1 in 10.
Right. Those figures again. As usual, somewhat lacking in context and detail. They work better that way. Apparently not so troubling that large numbers of Obama voters cited race, or that the race concerns cited may well, polling suggests, have been about racism rattling around in Obama’s closet.
This part is good.
This is touchy stuff, partly because “the race card” is not always, so to speak, a black-and-white issue. New York governor David Paterson recently accused Republicans of using “community organizer” as a subtle racial put-down; that seems hypersensitive to the point of paranoia. Obama was a community organizer, and his opponents should be able to criticize him without being accused of race baiting. But it’s tricky when the attacks wander into the neighborhood of racial stereotypes, like the McCain “Celebrity” ad linking Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, which had a whiff of lock-up-your-women alarmism about the sexual power of black men.
That’s odd. I thought the idea he was all glitz, no substance just like Brits and Paris, not that he wanted to date them. Or have them bring him home to dinner.
The usually somnolent David Gergen lashed out at McCain’s ad portraying Obama as the Messiah, calling it a subtle but intentional effort to paint a black man as The Other.
Whatever the Messiah might have actually looked like, I’m pretty sure most Christian Americans think Jesus was a blue-eyed white guy with shoulder length brown hair. Jewish Americans, who don’t think he’s arrrived yet, probably think he’s going to look … Jewish. “The Other” only works if you’re an idol-worpshipping pagan. Or a Muslim, maybe. Odd thing for Gergen to say. I have taken the “Messiah” references, which I’ve also made, as an effort to cast Obama as someone whose apostles and acolytes and camp followers think he walks on water and who is promising to miraculously transform this wretched, benighted, much-abused nation of ours into a golden city on a hill, with lots of loaves and fishes.
There’s more. It would be easy to dismiss Grunwald’s argument as a bunch of crap … which, now that I think of it, I already did. It ignores subtle and not-so-subtle racism and race-baiting within the Obama camp … small-town gun-toting religion-clinger remarks, for example, quite apart from Obama’s mealymouthed efforts to distance himself from his pastor, whose rank racism is presented euphemistically only as anger. While race will undoubtedly be a factor for some whites, just as it will be for many blacks, the article ignores other key factors why Obama is losing the moderate Dems and independents, the closet non-racists.
But while crap, this article is also a measured follow-on to the state of panic most Dems are in, having figured out they are losing. Grunwald, seeking the last refuge of a PC scoundrel, is positing that it’s not because voters have lost interest in Hairplugs and Charm, or that they’ve suddenly decided inexperience is a problem … for Obama. It’s because they suddenly remembered a couple of weeks ago, upon gun-toting religion-clinger Sarah Palin’s emergence, that Obama’s black. Racist America isn’t ready, or good enough, for him.
Topics: Obama, media, pols, racism
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 1:10 am on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Leave a Reply
Trackback URL
You must be logged in to post a comment.
zoloft long distance running G Postmessage Propecia Smiley Post accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Lipitor Congestion lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Prozac And Men difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Clomid Steroids symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Canine Prednisone Side Effects prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Subaction Showcomments Propecia Optional Watch accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Order Propecia Online lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Penis Growth Pills difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Zoloft Paxil Differences symptoms of zoloft working!
cipro and std treatment,
Female Version Of Viagra prednisone stopped taking side effects;
cough and wheezing with lipitor;
U 3312 Viagra Cialis accutane timeline
clomid dosage lutenizing hormone short G Postmessage Cialis Subject Online lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; Accutane Before After difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Subaction Showcomments Cialis Archive Watch symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Alternatives To Zoloft prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Adding Prozac To Drinking Water accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Prozac And Percocet lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; Propecia Baldness difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Prednisone And Mania symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Prednisone 10 Mg prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa
Subaction Showcomments Cialis Smile Newest accutane timeline
clomid dosage lutenizing hormone short Side Effectts Of Cipro lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Zoloft And Lorazepam difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Diuretic Lasix symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Prostatitis And Zithromax prednisone stopped taking side effects;
cough and wheezing with lipitor; Medication And Prednisone accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Levitra Vs Viagra lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Generic Lexapro difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Query Lowest Cialis Price Online symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Buying Nolvadex prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa G Postmessage Propecia Subject Remember accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Get Off Prozac lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Cialis Vision difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Prednisone 20mg symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Prozac Dose Side Effect prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Is Ultracet Addictive accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Nexium Canada lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Nexium Side Effects difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Cheapest Cialis symptoms of zoloft working!
cipro and std treatment,
Prozac Weight Gain prednisone stopped taking side effects;
cough and wheezing with lipitor; Cheap Cialis accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Clomid Side Effects lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Treatment Of Ocd With Zoloft difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Levitra Side Effects symptoms of zoloft working!
cipro and std treatment, What Is Prednisone Used For prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa
Accutane And Results accutane timeline
clomid dosage lutenizing hormone short Mexican Rx Cialis Low Price lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; G Postmessage Propecia Smiley Reply difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Purepac Prednisone symptoms of zoloft working!
cipro and std treatment,
Cialis Effect On Women prednisone stopped taking side effects;
cough and wheezing with lipitor; accutane timeline
clomid dosage lutenizing hormone short Accutane Buy Canada Pharmacy lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; Herbal Meds Compatible With Clomid difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Prozac Suicide Class Action Lawsuit symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Prednisone Without Prescription prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Cipro For Uti accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Zoloft Dosage lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; Cipro Rem Sleep difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Lexapro Weight Gain symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Bad Side Effects Of Prednisone prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Esophageal Achalasia Swallowing Difficulties Nexium accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Prednisone Poison Oak lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Cialis Story difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Nexium Cost symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Cheap Generic Cialis prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Canine Prednisone accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Resting Heart Rate Lipitor lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Manufactor Of Prozac difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Prednisone Titration symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Prozac And Weight Gain prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Nexium Rebate accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Zithromax Cost lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Prednisone For Dogs difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Cipro Dose Cat symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Symptoms Of Zoloft prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Alcohol And Zoloft accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Subaction Showcomments Cialis Thanks Newest lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Drug Interaction Prozac Sulfamethoxazol Trimethoprim difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Simcor Vs Lipitor symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Akathisia Zoloft prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Prednisone Homeopathic Replacement accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Zoloft Negative Side Effects lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Prednisone Homopathic Replacement difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Lasix Online symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Cialis Overnight prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Tadalafil Cialis From India accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Subaction Showcomments Cialis Thanks Watch lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Zoloft Generic difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Accutane Long Term Side Effects symptoms of zoloft working!
get a prescription for propecia Zoloft Thin Blood prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Multiple Sclerosis Lipitor Bad Reaction accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Clomid Pdr lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Zoloft Akathisias difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Cipro Warnings symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Secret Side Effects Of Zoloft prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Prednisone And Blood Pressure accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! New Drug Cialis lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects;
Subaction Showcomments Propecia Archive Newest difference between lexapro and celexa
prednisone menstrual cycle! Side Effects Of Cialis symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Info Levitra prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Buy Lasix Without Prescription accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Cialis For Order lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Buspar Zoloft difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Prednisone Information symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost prednisone stopped taking side effects;
cough and wheezing with lipitor; Lipitor Instructions Side Effects accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Cialis Injury Lawyer Ohio lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Zoloft Side Effects difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Weaning Off Prednisone symptoms of zoloft working!
cipro and std treatment,
Prozac Side Affects prednisone stopped taking side effects;
cough and wheezing with lipitor; Cialis Faq accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Zoloft With Wellbutrin lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; Lexapro Withdrawal difference between lexapro and celexa
clomid with triplets Cialis 20mg symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Atavan And Prozac prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa Prozac Long Term Use accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Prednisone Tremors lipitor drug cost
prednisone stopped taking side effects; Accutane Attorneys California difference between lexapro and celexa
clomid with triplets Levitra Medicine symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Lipitor And Muscle Pain prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa
How Does Cialis Work accutane timeline
clomid dosage lutenizing hormone short Stopping Zoloft lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; Side Effects Lexapro difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Prednisone Dogs Shrink Tumor symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost India Viagra Cialis Vicodin prednisone stopped taking side effects;
difference between lexapro and celexa
Buy Cialis In The Uk accutane timeline
clomid dosage lutenizing hormone short Cialis Lawyer Ohio lipitor drug cost
lipitor is there a generic; Average Dose For Zoloft difference between lexapro and celexa
accutane timeline Zoloft Overdose symptoms of zoloft working!
lipitor drug cost Snorting Lexapro prednisone stopped taking side effects;
cough and wheezing with lipitor; Buy Clomid Online accutane timeline
symptoms of zoloft working! Atlanta Accutane Law Suits lipitor drug cost
September 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Yup. The article is one more piece of evidence that Democrats are beginning to prepare their excuses for losing, rather than looking forward to what happens after they win the election.