NYT Op-Ed: 3AM Ad Sends Racist Message

ON first watching Hillary Clinton's recent "It's 3 a.m." advertisement, I was left with an uneasy feeling that something was not quite right -- something that went beyond my disappointment that she had decided to go negative. Repeated watching of the ad on YouTube increased my unease. I realized that I had only too often in my study of America's racial history seen images much like these, and the sentiments to which they allude.

I am not referring to the fact that the ad is unoriginal; as several others have noted, it mimics a similar ad made for Walter Mondale in his 1984 campaign for the Democratic nomination. What bothers me is the difference between this and the Mondale ad. The Mondale ad directly and unequivocally played on the issue of experience. The danger was that the red telephone might be answered by someone who was "unsure, unsteady, untested." Why do I believe this? Because the phone and Mr. Mondale are the only images in the ad. Fair game in the normal politics of fear.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[joeyp404]

Check out the author's background and credentials, and tell me if this isn't a biased observation in itself.

[Silpat]

OK, even I have to say this is a stretch. Also, making claims of racism just for the sake of making them is equally damaging and destructive to society.

[rainbowblue]

It's not racist. There is an AA child in the ad.
http://facts.hillaryhub.com/archive/?id=6472 for the pic

If you want to argue that the blond hair girl is more prominate then, go ahead, but then you miss the point of the ad and cant come up with any substance.
The Huffingtonpost should take down this post, it's a disgusting attack on Clinton. She is not racist, and has not been running a racist campaign. Actually just the opposite, as her policies would affect the lower working classes more, which tend to be AA. That aside, can we please discuss real differences between Obama and Clinton, like their health plan, and not made up stupid ones.

[Karenina44]

Respectfully, I disagree that this ad was anything more than fear-mongering. If Clinton were up against a similar front runner (i.e. Edwards), she would have launched this same video. This flailing kitchen sink strategy is doing her more harm than good.

I hope the good people of PA see through her line of b.s., say anything as long as it gets me elected, let's tear asunder my opponent and party as long as the ends justify the means.

Come on, PA... we are counting on you!

[ScandalousCandice]

People should really learn the difference between racism and bigotry. Clinton's injected race in to the game in South Carolina effectively blowing it with their long time core base of African Americans.

This 3 am ad is bigotry to Muslim Americans and The Islamic faith in general. She was tapping in to the fear that people have of attacks against this country and the fear that people have of more terrorist attacks. To me she owes the millions of Muslim Americans an apology. It's fear mongering bigotry. As soon as they say anything about the color of his skin then it becomes racism. Like Geraldline Ferraro saying Barack is only lucky to be where he is because he is black. That's racism.

racism

Main Entry:
rac�ism Listen to the pronunciation of racism
Pronunciation:
ˈrā-ˌsi-z�"m also -ˌshi-
Function:
noun
Date:
1933

1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race 2 : racial prejudice or discrimination
" rac�ist Listen to the pronunciation of racist -sist also -shist noun or adjective

bigot

Main Entry:
big�ot Listen to the pronunciation of bigot
Pronunciation:
ˈbi-g�"t
Function:
noun
Etymology:
French, hypocrite, bigot
Date:
1660

: a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance
" big�ot�ed Listen to the pronunciation of bigoted -g�"-t�"d adjective
" big�ot�ed�ly adverb

[Silpat]

If Hillary were to become President, which is highly unlikely, how could she then effectively further the Middle-Eastern peace process, particularly after labeling all Muslims terrorists?

In fact, if Hillary continues on this destructive path, it will further damage America's image abroad and make it virtually impossible to heal festering wounds in the Middle-Eastern region. As a "foreign policy guru", she should know this already.

[sandiegoconservative]

Just remember this conversation thread when Obama winst he nomination. Anytime there is an ad against him, it will be racist. Throw the whole deck of race cards at McCain!

[mcfried]

It's 2008, yes there are still a lot of racists but good grief could the press stop injecting race into politics at every oppurtunity. Enough already it has become sickening.

[brwnizofmine]

When I first saw this ad, although I did not mention it, I did wonder why black kids were not worth protecting....strange...

[venicesurfer]

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. TO PULL SUCH A RACE CARD AND SUGGEST THAT THE AD IS RACIST IS SO STUPID. SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT THE AD OR HILLARY. BUT CALLING THIS AD RACIST IS BEYOND STUPID.

[efranklin]

Obama can't tell an op-ed columnist what to write about. However, it's a sad reality that in largely white areas of the country, the only exposure such communities have to blacks is through televised reports of crime. Any way you slice it, the "red phone" represents the basest form of persuasion that a political campaign has to offer. It is regretful that it has raised its ugly head in the Democratic presidential primary.

[mrdontplay]

racist message?

I don't know, not sure on the racist part and I'm usually pretty good about these things.

Ignorant message?

Hell yeah.


Clintonesta's,

Here is a question to you. Ok lets say that you are going in for a minor surgery.

The surgeon says, oh I am busy so my wife will complete your procedure.

How do you feel? Comfortable?

The wife has experience right?


Exactly the fact is this she has experience its just the WRONG experience.

She was the wife, not the POTUS.

Only the POTUS is the POTUS.

The wife is the 1st lady.

yeah, she is aware of "procedural" things like rose garden events and other types of "not important things" just like all first ladies do.

ok, here is another question.

Is Nancy Reagan qualified?

What about Laura bush? She even has experience during the 911 part, right?

Use your brain, don't outsource it to Hillary.

[transendentilist]

I thought obama said "words matter?" Now you say they don't?

[Researchguy66]

Certainly "racism" is all that's preventing Obama from being president. No one could reasonably argue for any other candidate otherwise.

In any case, the campaign needs to get the memo to scream RACISM! loudly any time Obama is criticized for any reason.

An alternative option would be to cast a similar ad in which a Hillary Clinton-like cat burglar sneaks though the sleeping girls' bedroom windown with a knife and Obama smacks her on the head with a baseball bat. That would set things right.

[mrdontplay]

Racism just as sexism is not this petty bs.

Racisim is the fact that some americans are sent to prison for 500% more time for crack and some citizens get minor time for cocaine.

Sexism are women making 70cent on the dollar to men in 2008.

Racisim is the fact that the KKK is not mentioned as a terrorist organization but the black panther party was named "public enemy #1 by the government" even though the evidence shows they were operating within the law.

Sexism is the fact that women are asked to "sex it up a little" when trying to get serious roles in movies, etc.

Racisim is how our schools are funded so that the areas where there are a high concentration of blacks receive the lowest funding while the other areas get "more than they need."


Sexism i the fact that women are forced back to work after bearing a child.

these are the real issues.

[jimmyjones22]

Oh, I see.

So you're saying a clinton presidency would bring an end to sexism?

LOL

[transendentilist]

Nonsense. It couldn't possibly be because he is not ready huh? It couldn't possibly be because he is still a junior senator??
The obama camp has been playing the race card to the fullest. Every little criticism of him is construed as racist. He is using the fact that he is Afro-American to his advantage. It's called reverse racism.

[AjicNYC]

Shame on you NY times , The Boys Club has got to go!! Never doubt the power of the penis!! Why do men hate women in power and try to bring them down? Go hillary!!

[Micaanab]

I agree... Shame on the NY times for such a ridicules statement. But I'm a little confused on the sexist remark. When did this article make any suggestion men hate woman in power.

Oh.... you did exactly what the author of this blog did. You read into something that wasn't there. Shame on you AjicNYC.

[AjicNYC]

Shame on me??? Shame on you!!! LOL This election is absurd!!! Well Huffpo selects its topics not me. Just expressing what i think.

[KARE]

This is ridiculous, only a person who spends all their time thinking about racism would see this ad as racist. After 8 years of Bush, I would take a purple president, race is not the issue. I happen to support the Democratic candidate who has the most foreign policy experience and the most federal experience. Since this IS a job requiring knowledge of the federal government and its relations with other nations. Seems simple to me.

[rzan]

As much as I despise Hillary Clinton, I have never thought of her as a racist. But in view of Geraldine Ferraro's comments, to which she has failed to substantially respond, I have to wonder. Her camp, by the way, has been playing the gender card way too much.

[joeyhegele]

You might expect this type of hysterical faux-political analysis from a no-name blogger, but to see The New York Times run this type of insanity is truly scary. For our entire history, the argument against a female president in the United States has always been about a woman being the commander-in-chief. This entire country has been convinced that women would not be able to keep us safe. This has not been an issue in Asian, European, or South American countries " hell, even Israel felt a woman was fully qualified to protect them. However, when Clinton makes the argument that she is not only capable as a woman to protect her country (invoking the timeless image of a mother watching over her children) but more qualified than the other Democratic candidate, the only conclusion this idiot can come to is that she is invoking her white superiority. This piece is more hurtful to the Obama camp than to Clinton"s. If the general public feels Obama can only win by accusing his opponents of racism, or that they are being guilt tripped into voting for him, than any possible contest between him and McCain is already lost.

[StatsGeek]

I had the same thought. It seems that there is a double standard being pushed here. The only wedge issues that HRC has left is sexism and race. She has shown no hesitancy to "go racial". How about this theory:
HRC's Kitchen Sink = low key racism
1. "back of the bus": offer VP slot, but he is not ready for President
2. "eloquent young man": only speeches
3. "untrustworthy": doesn't mean what he says
4. "lazy": did not hold a single meeting
5. "not smart": cannot really do the numbers, his delegates somehow are not important, his "math" is wrong
I am waiting for them to come up with a way to promote other racial stereotypes....
The problem is for her: 48-50% negative in the general election--she has gotten over 56% of the vote in precisely THREE states--and now she has "lost" her Texas lead. They are desperate, you can hear it, see it in their actions...

[Micaanab]

This is plain silly. Next you will be saying my Mom and Dad were racist because they didn't raise black children. I am an Obama supporter, and I can't stand Clinton and her tactics (including this ad). But this was not racist. I see it now, Clinton trying to figure out how to scare people from the horrible black man that wants to lead this country. I know! an ad with white people in it. Great deduction. Give me a break.

[sheraz]

Oh please

[Politiking]

This Op-Ed from Orlando Patterson is pure Bullshit. To assert or imply that there are
racial overtone or subtext in the 3am ad other than the message itself is called "paranoia." What he is practically saying is "any ad or message against a Black Candidate" should be and must be considered "racial in nature." One could also imply that any message against a "Woman Candidate" could be interpreted to be sexist or misogynistic. Orlando, you are grasping.

[LuLuJac]

OMG, This is what we will get with an Obama White House...just as having any differing opinion about the war labels you "Unpatriotic" from the Bush bullies, Obama's minnions will twist every opposition or dissagreement into something racist. As a Clinton supporter I did not like the ad at all, but I did not see anything racist about it. If this is what I will get by voting for Obama should he win at the DC, I will not be voting Democrat come election day!

[moana]

Grasping at straws?

[vinny]

interesting what different people recognize...

i didnt see it as racist... i saw it as stupid, but not racist...

that's because i am a man with a white, blonde family...

i can see another person though, looking at this, and saying, that family doesnt look like my family, and speculating Hillary might be playing to a particular group of people...

but would Hillary really target white people in Texas for support?

YOU BETCHA SHE DID.

[gomonkeygo]

A dead-on interpretation. The ad was too eerily similar to a host of security company ads that show imperiled white women and children, with the unspoken/unshown assumption that the subject of their fears is a black man. Good job!

[apresdeluge]

Just how desperate do you have to be to see racism in this ad? The Obama camp and his supporters are like the boy crying "wolf" with their constant "racism" charges. Americans are getting fed up with it. It will backfire.

[jfromcanada]

That ad had nothing to do with racism. It is disgusting to read such comments suggesting this was done with some hidden agenda to somehow show that only white children are worth protecting from threats against national security. And I am even more surprised that people have responded trying to disprove any racist slant. Why bother? The image used in that ad is owned by Getty Images and it was taken years ago. The image was also used in Obama's counter ad. Does that mean he is a self-hating African-American man? You must be looking for racism in every action, every comment, every word that comes out of the Clinton camp to see racism in that 3am ad.

Educate yourselves on what racism and sexism really mean and stop deliberatley misunderstanding comments or actions to suit your own agenda.