Posted by
Andrews on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 3:39:12 AM
Well, it appears one liberal spammer is gone, but another has taken his place. This one is claiming the advertisements linking Obama and the Fannie Mae head are racist as they show two black men. He even cites Michael Dukakis claiming it is another "Willlie Horton".
First, let me clear something up. The original Wilie Horton ad never showed Mr. Horton. The only reason we know he was black is that the Dukakis campaign cried racism. The original advertisement never showed him, but instead focused on the work release of a convicted violent felon who basically walked away from prison and fled, allowing him to commit more violent crimes. That is not a racial issue, it is evidence that Dukakis was insane.
However, ignoring that for the moment, why on earth would someone imagine that linking Obama to the failed Fannie Mae head is racially motivated? Does our blogger think that were the circumstance the same but the Fannie Mae head white no one would run such an ad? That is madness. If Obama were implicated in a scandal involving a white man, or a Chinese woman, the ad would run. The fact that the CEO of Fannie Mae is black has no bearing on the ad. The reason the ad exists is not racism, but the appearance of impropriety on the part of Obama. (Not having seen the ad, I didn't know the head of Fannie Mae was black, but I did know about the scandal and thought it quite damaging. So I can see why it would run, regardless of race.)
Of course, the blogger posting this has a history of finding race in everything. So I am not sure how much of his complaint is serious, and how much is simply grandstanding.
Let me answer him this way. Were the tables turned, and McCain in the circumstances of Obama, would Obama run a similar ad? And if so, does that make Obama racist, for defaming the black head of Fannie Mae, or using him to attack McCain?
Of course his reply will be that McCain has every right to run the ad, but he showed his racism by including the photo of the two men. However, that is absurd as well. If you are trying to link people, especially on television, which is a visual medium, you show pictures of them together. So what should McCain have done? Blanked out their faces? Painted one of them white?
I just don't get it. This has to be one of the most absurd charges yet. And this has been a campaign full of absurd charges.
But perhaps I am wrong. Maybe I am missing some covert racism. Perhaps I am just an insensitive caucasian. So, let me know. Does anyone else see some hidden racism in this ad? Or is our valiant defender of racial propriety simply on a bit of a hair trigger?