Rahm Emanuel: McCain Camp Did Good Job Making Race A Factor

The Politico:

Paying Republicans a backhanded compliment, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel said on Wednesday that the McCain campaign had succeeded in making race a factor in this presidential election.

"They did a good job bringing up a topic they wanted brought up," Emanuel said. By suggesting the Obama campaign had brought up race first, he added, Republicans had managed to raise the issue without provoking backlash.

Read the whole story: The Politico

Comments

[jakie]

let me tell you folks no way no how no mccain that should be a bumper sticker

[ladydragon]

RACE? the Republicans ? if the shoe fits !

[ShamusNYC]

Why wasn't this argument stated at the time McC started this dirty tactic? The O campaign just seemed to demur and shy away from the fight at the time.

[JMBrodie]

Study Jackie Robinson's history. You may find answers there.

[BLinCincinnati]

It was, but the spineless MSM would hear nothing of it.

[DallasMike]

You guys always bring up race in this election.
Hell who is talking about the race card now?
YOU GUYS ARE!!

[BLinCincinnati]

McCain is the one that brought it up.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDTJDv4hevU

He brought that up before Obama ever said the "different than other presidents on the dollar bill" line. That ad right there is intended to play into the fears of the stupid people that think a black president would hand over the country to all blacks and the white people would be put "in the field".

You can deny it all you want but it's a fact. Without that dog whistle message the ad has no value and is completely worthless. McCain camp has been pushing those types of dog whistle messages for months now.

[Mitchell4A]

Regarding the Republicans, Jon Stewart and friends have provided a fabulous billboard:

"Billboard of the Day, perhaps Month!"
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[ShamusNYC]

That's great. Thanks for posting.

[SurrealPumpkin]

love it!

[loax]

I makes the Rethuglicans quiver knowing that an AfricanAmerican with a plan, and goals for our country , raised in ablue collar family will be elected to POTUS before the elite McCain who only offers that he was a POW, and four more years of the abysmal policies of his sidekick, GBW!

[SurrealPumpkin]

Let's get real. Obama is black. Too many Americans are still scared of blacks. So instead of arguing about the "race card" why not tell the truth?

Obama is black. Obama is an awesome American who will make a wonderful president. If you can't judge Obama by his words and actions then maybe a little soul searching is a good idea.

Signed: Middle aged white woman from Florida.

[Anonymiss]

I approve this message.

[rollingdivision]

He supports increasing the influence, control and power of politicians as the answer to every problem. Personally, I haven't signed up for socialist serfdom. Looking back over the abuses of the last eight years why would anyone want to increase the power of government?

[Jeff1958]

Power can be used for good or evil. For too many years power has been concentrated in the hands of evil men. BO is not evil. Your problem is...???

[SurrealPumpkin]

That is debating words and actions. I disagree, but would like to point out that McCain would put an even tighter government grip on us the Bush already has.

[ThunderclapNewman]

It's not about the power of government.

It's about he right-wing ABUSE of the power of government.

We've had 8 years of rampant abuse of power by the entrenched far-right Movement Conservative ideologues, who have politicized every aspect of government in order to increase their power.

Finally, it blew up in their faces.

It's a shame that you're so thick-witted that you cannot see the truth that is right in front of you.

[brief candle]

Too much is being made of the race card. In the end Barack won because he is an intelligent, thoughtful, charismatic man that ran an outstanding campaign. The card the repugs are playing right now is the POW card. McSame thinks he can use it to cover up every lie he tells and every gaffe he makes.

[FebM]

And wait for the pundits to say someone heard Bill cursing Barack while shaving in the bathroom.

But the real true story is Obama is the heir to Bill Clinton and finally both have conceded to their fates and destiny. America is waking up to that realization.

[bbfatima]

Here's a question: why is it okay for women to talk about being women or advancing women's causes at every turn, but African Americans can't talking about the difficulty of being African American or advancing African American causes? The gender card was played very openly throughout the primaries, and nobody called Hillary on it. And, no one called out Nancy Pelosi or said that she was playing the gender card for the little Emily's List meeting or calling the female Congressional reps onto the stage. Why the double standard?

[Avembe]

Challenging racism is challenging the power because racism is an instrument of power...If you neutralize this instrument , you neutralize the power....
It's not the case for women yet, until the day they will able to challenge and throw down anybody or and impose, show that they are politicaly, economically inescapable, essential in ANY process...
Men LOVE power, if Women can challenge it, then things will REALLY REALLY change, but the process is on...
HRC tried t o make the case but she missed the right battle ...Obama wasn't and has never been the real problem
that's what she failed to understand...but she tried

[JMBrodie]

Good point. Too many saw Onama as simply a man, as if he was one of the guys who made up the power elite. He is not one of those men.

Obama comes from the tradition of Medgar Evers and namesless other like him, who were murdered just for wanteing to exercise the right to vote. Omaba comes from a tradition of Fannie Lou Hamer, who went to the 1964 Democratic Convention to take them to task for not allowing Blacks to be seated as delegates.

He comes from the oratory traditions of Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, WEB Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Malcom X, Martin Luther King, who spoke truth to power.

He comes from a tradition of Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who sought to embody the dream by seeking to represent their country at the highest level.

It is fitting that Obama make his speech today on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

So, Martin, is this what the other side of the mountain looks like?

:-)

[Avembe]

At the end it's just that Women are still considered as Less dangerous

[uheardme]

This is an EXCELLENT QUESTION. No WHITE PERSON in the MSM has been brave enough to ask.

[Anonymiss]

No one would raise this question except for Bill Maher and members of the non-MSM.

[ShamusNYC]

'Cause all this talkin' about race makes the man nervous.

[iswideopen]

The only voters that republicans can "fool" are the ones that are ignorant enough to watch their cable network, Fox News. John McCain and his campaign did indeed start running a racially ad coded campaign attempting to blame Obama. This is what republicans are known for; it is their history. Tonight, their pundits couldn't even say they were proud of AMERICA OR AMERICANS for the HISTORIC NOMINATION OF OBAMA AS A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. What does that tell you? The diversity of the democratic party is amazing. What divisersity makes up the republican party? Any more questions?

[aliknievel]

We live in an America where it's a bigger social and political faux pas to accuse someone of being a racist than to actually be one. As a Black person that sickens me. This whole idea of "playing the race card" is insulting. Cards are for games. This isn't f**king "Uno". This is my life in this country.

[majorteddy]

Geez, I wonder why the comment section was closed on the Charlie Crist article after only two comments? Is the HuffPo in on the gay coverup?

[Tommygun264]

IT is curious, especially after the never-ending stream about the Edwards affair.

[cluelessinSD]

I was thinking the same thing.

[JiminNC]

Wow, someone actually said it in public.

[1post3]

Obama is a master, excuse me, was the master of using the race card until he stepped in it. He has used race to put things off limits that he could not explain or did not want to explain. He is so shallow that he does not want to debate directly with John McCain. His own books wil give you pause if you read them and really take them to heart. Look at who he mentions. Look at his associations. Look at his politics. Ever hear of Karl Marx? Look at al lthe facts and make an informed decision.

[JiminNC]

Republitroll be gone!

[1post3]

drink your kool aide

[JiminNC]

Crybaby republitroll ... here's your sign goob.

[confuseddemocrat]

Don't you think portraying demcrats as communists is getting old....especially since the republicans are borrowing money from the Communist Chinese government (they buy our debt) to finance the war in Iraq?

[JiminNC]

O was associating with Karl Marx? Wow you have a big scoop there ... scoop.

[Tommygun264]

Have you ever studied Marx beyond memorizing the latest pub talking points? Your attempt at comparing Obama to Marx is so ridiculous it's laughable. If you had the slightest idea of how ignorant your comments make you sound, you'd crawl under a rock.

[ArmyCentrist]

On another, totally un-related note: I'm watching the DNC, and it's nice to see more first-time delegates, if Barack Obama has done anything for the political process, he has shown the average American that they too can be a part of the political process, which was starting to look like an old school country club...

On topic: Whether McCain or Obama brought up the race card first, Americans in general should be appalled by their reactions...