Barack Backfire - 53% View Recent Comments as Racist

[The Bare Knuckled Pundit]

Famous for his mastery of political jujitsu, Senator Barack Obama uncharacteristically finds himself the victim of his own sophomoric use of the issue of race as a political attack.

Capping off a tumultuous week that followed in the wake of Senator Obama’s greatly heralded Middle Eastern and European gravitas tour; a recent Rassmussen Reports poll indicates that a majority of American voters believe it is he, and not Republican challenger Senator John McCain, that has played the race card in their increasingly contentious contest.

In a poll released yesterday, Rassmussen found that of the 69% of voters that saw Senator McCain’s recent ad comparing Senator Obama to infamously vacuous celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton; just 22% say the ad was racist while 63% say it was not.

Contrastingly, in what is clearly a bad omen for the Obama campaign, 53% of respondents believe his remarks warning voters that Republicans and Senator McCain would attempt to scare them with the fact he does not look like all the other presidents on dollar bills were racist. This after four days of the Obama campaign seeking to defuse the controversy with Senator Obama softening his original statement by explaining “he was not the typical candidate one would expect from central casting”.

Though 38% of all respondents and unaffiliated voters disagreed with the characterization of Senator Obama’s statement as being racist, unaffiliated voters overwhelming believe Senator McCain’s ad was not racist by a five-to-one margin. Of this potentially critical group of swing voters, 50% believe Senator Obama’s statement was racist.

What this highlights is the danger of playing the race card in American politics, regardless of who is playing it. Though some have assailed Senator McCain’s ad as subliminally playing on racist fears of a black male preying on young white females, it is Senator Obama that has been labeled a race baiter in the course of events.

Riding on an emotional high after his rock star-like reception in Middle Eastern and European capitals, the incident left the Obama campaign shaken and bruised. At best, the remarks were ham-handed preemptive warning to Republicans to not venture into the turbulent and unpredictable waters racially-focused politics. At worst, it was a cynical attempt to brand Senator McCain and Republicans with the scarlet R of racism. In the end, it was Senator Obama that was battered against the political rocks after being caught in the issue’s unforgiving undertow.

Regardless of the intent, the outcome has resulted in blowback for Senator Obama and an advantage for Senator McCain. Referring to the incident in the future, the McCain camp is sure to encourage the media and the public to regard similar assertions by Senator Obama with the same skepticism applied to the boy that cried wolf. This being the case, the burden is on the Obama campaign to reestablish its credibility in the wake of what voters have characterized as a cynical and unjustified use of the racist label.

When using hand grenades, faithful readers, one should always make sure they are thrown well down range; lest one get caught in one’s own shrapnel. Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and the walking wounded continue to trickle in.

[hjmick]

Excellent piece and absolutely spot on. I've been saying for quite some time now that the only people playing the race card is the Obama camp. They seem to be doing their best to beat the drum as often as possible. In my opinion, I believe that it is their hope that if they say it often enough and loud enough, people will start to believe it in spite of the evidence to the contrary.

On a lighter note, after reading your post, my first reaction was that you could have/should have titled it, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." I then realized that there are more than a few who would have regarded the use of the word "boy" to be racist in nature.

[mundame]

In a poll released yesterday, Rassmussen found that of the 69% of voters that saw Senator McCain’s recent ad comparing Senator Obama to infamously vacuous celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton; just 22% say the ad was racist while 63% say it was not.

I saw the ad. My first thought was that it called Obama a ninny, and it didn't occur to me that it was racist just because the young women were white (gender trumps race).

My second thought was that it was darn impertinent using WOMEN as a way to criticize Obama! Just more of McCain's obvious serious, serious misogyny. He swears unspeakable swears at his wife; he is anti-choice, wanting to force women to gestate babies bad men get on them; now he maltreats those unlucky but lovely young women who are having sad and hard lives.

I don't like it. But surely the women ad can't be racist. Sexist, yes. Racist, no.



Contrastingly, in what is clearly a bad omen for the Obama campaign, 53% of respondents believe his remarks warning voters that Republicans and Senator McCain would attempt to scare them with the fact he does not look like all the other presidents on dollar bills were racist. This after four days of the Obama campaign seeking to defuse the controversy with Senator Obama softening his original statement by explaining “he was not the typical candidate one would expect from central casting”.


I like people to tell the truth. I thought Obama won that exchange on style points, frankly ---- the dollar bill was good, and so is central casting. He's good with use of words, wouldn't you say, famous Pundit?
http://wade.hu/smiley/kategoriak/%E1llatok/animal-smiley-016.gif

OF COURSE McCain is going to emphasize that Obama is black to scare people!!! DUH!!! Personally, I liked it that Obama was willing to just say it, and rather well. Where Obama gets in trouble is his accusing all of us, making us "other" to him and his ----------- THAT is scary. He wasn't doing that in this exchange, so I thought he got away with it. This isn't your judgment, and may not be the majority one.

[mundame]

you could have/should have titled it, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." I then realized that there are more than a few who would have regarded the use of the word "boy" to be racist in nature.


We could take back the word. Why should people get to sequester perfectly good words for indecent usages, like "fairy" and "gay" and "queer" and "boy"?

"The boy who cried wolf" is a well-known German fairy tale. Let's just use words at will, take them back.

[hjmick]

We could take back the word. Why should people get to sequester perfectly good words for indecent usages, like "fairy" and "gay" and "queer" and "boy"?

"The boy who cried wolf" is a well-known German fairy tale. Let's just use words at will, take them back.

I agree, Mun. All the politically correct crap gets on my nerves. Recently in Dallas there was a row at a county commission meeting over one commissioner's use of the term "black hole."

[mundame]

I agree, Mun. All the politically correct crap gets on my nerves. Recently in Dallas there was a row at a county commission meeting over one commissioner's use of the term "black hole."


I recall that. The guy objecting apparently had no education at all; no clue.

[The Bare Knuckled Pundit]

I saw the ad. My first thought was that it called Obama a ninny, and it didn't occur to me that it was racist just because the young women were white (gender trumps race).

My second thought was that it was darn impertinent using WOMEN as a way to criticize Obama! Just more of McCain's obvious serious, serious misogyny. He swears unspeakable swears at his wife; he is anti-choice, wanting to force women to gestate babies bad men get on them; now he maltreats those unlucky but lovely young women who are having sad and hard lives.

I don't like it. But surely the women ad can't be racist. Sexist, yes. Racist, no.



I like people to tell the truth. I thought Obama won that exchange on style points, frankly ---- the dollar bill was good, and so is central casting. He's good with use of words, wouldn't you say, famous Pundit?
http://wade.hu/smiley/kategoriak/%E1llatok/animal-smiley-016.gif

OF COURSE McCain is going to emphasize that Obama is black to scare people!!! DUH!!! Personally, I liked it that Obama was willing to just say it, and rather well. Where Obama gets in trouble is his accusing all of us, making us "other" to him and his ----------- THAT is scary. He wasn't doing that in this exchange, so I thought he got away with it. This isn't your judgment, and may not be the majority one.


I hardly think the ad was sexist; regardless of the Senator's off-color vocabulary and pet names for his adoring wife.

I believe using Ms. Spears and Hilton was an attempt to paint Obama as being a flashy media with little substance or depth. They have become symbols of the media's and the public's fascination with inconsequential hyper-publicized personalities. Were the Obama campaign paying attention, they should really be offended by the comparison.

I wonder what Senator Obama would look and sound like saying Paris's signature phrase, "That's hot." Hmmmmmmmmm............

[red states rule]

Damn bitter people. They should be spending their time inflating their tires, and getting their cars tuned up

[Trigg]

I saw the ad. My first thought was that it called Obama a ninny, and it didn't occur to me that it was racist just because the young women were white (gender trumps race).


I like people to tell the truth. I thought Obama won that exchange on style points, frankly ---- the dollar bill was good, and so is central casting. He's good with use of words, wouldn't you say, famous Pundit?
http://wade.hu/smiley/kategoriak/%E1llatok/animal-smiley-016.gif

OF COURSE McCain is going to emphasize that Obama is black to scare people!!! DUH!!! Personally, I liked it that Obama was willing to just say it, and rather well. Where Obama gets in trouble is his accusing all of us, making us "other" to him and his ----------- THAT is scary. He wasn't doing that in this exchange, so I thought he got away with it. This isn't your judgment, and may not be the majority one.


It wasn't racist at all and if there were young male actors running around like Britney and Paris making complete fools of themselves every night the ad could very well have used them.

The only one, throughout this entire process, that has brought up race has been Obama and his team. Telling us over and over that the republicans are going to try to make "them" afraid of him because he doesn't look like the other people who usually visit (Europe) or the other men on the dollar bill. He's made this statement 3 times now. Republicans have not yet made any reference to his race.

[Yurt]

he was not the typical candidate one would expect from central casting

meet william "the bullsh*te king" clinton, II.

[red states rule]

It wasn't racist at all and if there were young male actors running around like Britney and Paris making complete fools of themselves every night the ad could very well have used them.

The only one, throughout this entire process, that has brought up race has been Obama and his team. Telling us over and over that the republicans are going to try to make "them" afraid of him because he doesn't look like the other people who usually visit (Europe) or the other men on the dollar bill. He's made this statement 3 times now. Republicans have not yet made any reference to his race.

With Obama dropping in the polls, the Obama campaign decided to deal out the race card - again

Liberals love to play the role of victim, and their gullible supporters lap it up like a dog t a water bowel

The liberal media foloows along "reporting" the racist ad

Not ONE high ranking Republican has made a racist remark. Yet the Clintons (and last I checked they are liberals) were the first to bring race into the campaign