Campbell Brown Blasts McCain Campaign For "Race Baiting"

In her "No Bias, No Bull" segment Wednesday night, Campbell Brown pleaded with the McCain campaign to stop what she referred to as "race baiting."

"It is getting very, very ugly," Brown said. "Tonight, we are cutting through the bull on the issue of race and this campaign."

Brown blasted McCain surrogates for injecting race Obama's race into the campaign narrative by invoking his middle name or referring to him as a terrorist, and she called on McCain to deliver a "much stronger denunciation than a campaign-generated paper statement":

Look, everybody, we all know that we are in unchartered territory here. Never before has there been an African-American presidential nominee. So without question, race is going to be part of the conversation. Race baiting doesn't have to be. And yet, it is happening in this campaign.

Twice this week, surrogates for Senator McCain had made a point of calling Senator Obama "Barack Hussein Obama." The implication here is clear. It's foreign sounding. It's Muslim sounding. It's un-American sounding. It's dangerous sounding.

What it is, is race baiting. And that is what is dangerous. Inciting crowds, encouraging their angry outbursts. McCain supporters shouting "treason" and "terrorist" about Obama at these rallies — that is dangerous.

Earlier in the campaign, McCain denounced this stuff. He strongly denounced it. And today, it requires a stronger response, a much stronger denunciation than a campaign-generated paper statement.

Brown also cautioned Obama supporters not to accuse McCain of racism over his "that one" remark from Tuesday's Presidential debate, as she reported some have done. "Give me a break," she said. "I can hear my grandfather talking about one of his kids or grandkids as 'that one.' He used it a lot. Maybe it's a generational thing. Maybe it wasn't a term of endearment
the way it was when my grandfather used it. Maybe McCain did mean to be disrespectful, but racist? I don't think so."

She ended the segment with a plea for candidates, supporters, and the media:

You know, we should be holding these candidates accountable for what they say during the campaign, and hope that in these final days, they do try to maintain a little dignity. But we have also got to check ourselves. We have a responsibility, too, to not get overheated. What we say matters, too.

Whoever wins this election, we are all going to have to rally around that person. Given what is happening to our economy, all that is going on in this country right now, none of us wants the next president to be a failure, whoever he may be, do we?

Over the weekend, Brown's shift towards the role of nonpartisan commentator was highlighted in a New York Times article. A collection of recent links in which she has kept politicians' feet to the fire appears below:

Campbell Brown Pleads: 'Don't Let This Devolve Into A Campaign That...We Are Sickened By'
Campbell Brown Holds Paulson, Bush Accountable For Crisis: "Seriously, What Were You Thinking?"
Campbell Brown Rips McCain Camp's "Sexist" Treatment Of Palin
McCain Spokesman Stumped Trying To Explain Why Palin Is Ready To Be Commander-In-Chief

Comments

[boinusa]

Mccain/Palin will be worse that Bush/Cheny.. it will be worse than the same.

Gutter politics dont win. Mccain/palin has sunk so low life
they are ashamed to raise their heads.
They are calling out to be buried them with more gutter nastiness. uhh

[rex2112]

Frankly, if they keep this up, any one of them could be in danger. Not only are they inciting racism and hatred against Obama, but that could backfire on them too. They will create enough hatred and racsim against whites that it could also put McCain/Palin in danger. They are stirring a seathing pot in a time when people are frantic about losing jobs and homes...this is a VERY dangerous game. It needs to stop NOW!

[blustate135]

I agree Campbell - the McCain campaign should clearly announce that that sort of behavior is unacceptable. By not doing so, he is condoning it. His memo was weak. I'm an Obama supporter and did not interpret "that one" as a racist comment, condescending sure, but not racist.

[RJII]

A McCain win would further divide this country.
True or not, the McCain/Palin campaign is becoming a symbol, to many, of the old racism that continues to plague this country.
Conservatives should be careful.

[NYCdowntown]

We need to make the big media talk about this...

guilty by association, well look at this brand new article and video, SHE is scary!

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/

call email all channels let's protest that we want to hear about this now!
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/

[Joulanda]

Her position I have to agree with. I too as a Black Women see how this will all blow up in the faces of everyone in this country if we don't pressure the McCain camp to stop with this direction of politics. I can feel the anger build in me and I can see the anger (misdirected) build in the Rep side. These people look and sound like they are ready to go out into the streets of this nation and conduct race induced acts of violence on blacks and anyone who does not share their belief.

The problem is it is a reminder to us Black Americans of the passion Whites had for blacks during the times blacks gained the right to vote. We know how this will end this time. ANGER and VIOLENCE is where this is heading. All media outlets need to rally together and pressure the McCain camp to stop or I promise you will be reporting on stories far greater than that of a Economic Crisses!

[oldjerseygirl]

I am a 64 yr old white woman. Please believe me, I am not alone in my feelings. Obama brings integrity and hope to this country that I haven't seen since JFK. He is a class act. All the white people I know who have a brain are voting for Obama.

All I am praying for now is that the Republican Party is unsuccessful in botching up the voting process the way I truly believe they did to re-elect GWB.

[PT6]

McCain Matches Wall Street Corruption and Fake Justification for War in Iraq

McCAIN MATCHED “WALL STREET CORRUPTION IN HIS POLITICAL CAMPAIGN” BY PULLING A “TRICK” WHICH WALL STREET OF LAST YEAR WOULD BE PROUD!
HIS MOVE ALSO ECHOS BACK TO THE "FALSE JUSTIFICATION FOR ENTERING IRAQ!"

When McCain heard that the Alaska Sureme Court denied the Delay he wanted and knowing that the Alaska Congress is releasing an “Authorized Misuse of Power Investigation Report by a Respected Investigator,” McCain pulls a “TRICK” out of the “Wall Street Hat of Tricks.” No it was not "naked shorts" or "excessive leveraging" or combining "risky loans into "AAA" paper!

McCain had a Bogus Unauthorized Report manufactured which echos back to the Manufactured Justification for Going into Iraq by Bush/Cheney.

So this smacks of both the Current Corruption on Wall Street and the Corruption in the Bush Administration related to “Faking the Need for a War in Iraq stating Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction.”

This brings McCain/Palin into the middle of the Corruption that McCain says he is trying to FIGHT and ELIMINATE!

This will further convince the AMERICAN PEOPLE he is UNFIT to Lead!

McCain could have been free of a VP candidate who is clearly pulling his campaign down and put in FRESH BLOOD!

But instead he decides to jump in the middle of this "Misuse of Power Findings" with both feet and make himself part of the dishonesty!

[grata2ude]

With all due respect Ms Campbell, McCain is not running to be grandfather. He is running to be President of the US and if cannot conduct himself in a civil way with a fellow Senator of the US how will he conduct himself with a foreign leader with whom he disagrees ? Declare another war?

[rex2112]

Precisely part of the problem. He has lost all decency in pursuit of the White House.

[TheOldSchool]

It's good to see Campbell Brown stating something that all anchors of news shows should be stating. The McCain campaign should be called out loudly and often for its belief that persistently appealing to people's worst instincts is a pathway to victory.

Once upon a time, it was possible to disagree with John Sidney McCain, III, while still respecting him as a person. I'm sorry to say that the John McCain of those days has been AWOL from this campaign. Get out of the gutter, John. You're embarrassing yourself and the country you profess to love.

[rex2112]

Here, Here, so much for coutnry first John, you're tearing us apart and about to cause another civil war!

[Nancy84]

The bottom line is that the leaders set the tone. McCain/Palin are not going to stop the hate because they are getting thrills off the people who come to their rallys. They are having their last harrah at the expense of the unity of this country.

[myhomeo]

McCain sounded and gestured like Ralph Kramdem when he said "That One". It sounded like Ralph deriding Ed Norton. Angry, Irrational and belittling? Yes. Rascist? Probably not.

[jbs902]

I agree it sounds like someones grandfather or grandmother angrily accusing them of being naughty. It just shows what an old codger McSame really is. Angry old man shouting at the moon!

[madinirose]

Here's what Ms. Brown doesn't understand. To be referred to as "that one," is to be seen as lower than human. It is to be seen as a "thing." And although this statement may not be seen as overt racism - it is definitely covert. One of the key components of racism is to see others of a different races as lower than human. People from other races are to be seen as "things." They are seen as beings not on par with your own race.

Regardless of whether or not McCain's intentions were racist or not; referring to Obama as "that one" is a lack of respect. Obama is a fellow Senator and a citizen of this country. McCain should show some respect. Did Obama really refer to McCain as a "thing"? Of course not. He disagrees with McCain, but he can still see McCain's humanity. Unfortunately, McCain can't see the same in Obama. It's a total shame.

[CharlottesvilleVA]

I agree with her about the "That one" remark. Racist? no, but definitely disrespectful. McCain and especially Palin have been extremely disrespectful to Obama. Ever notice how Palin always refers to him as Barack? Never Barack Obama or Senator Obama. Just Barack. Way too casual for somebody she's never met and who has achieved so much more in life than she likely ever will.

Barack also brings back thoughts of Bush 41, who got to the point where he referred to Saddam Hussein as just Saddam. It's all about contempt. It's hatred.

Whoever thinks McCain and Palin and their surrogates aren't sowing some very dangerous seeds of hate is as ignorant of reality as a boiled eggplant. Watch one of their rallies, then watch one of Hitler's. It's all about whipping peoples' biases and fears into a frenzy.

And Joe Lieberman, of all people, should understand the danger of political frenzy. At least, he CLAIMS to be a devout Jew. Maybe that's just political posturing on his part - which wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[oneblackvote]

Campbell tells it like it is. Go Camobell. There was nothing about "That one", that says racism.

[Vasey]

I think it's "despicable" that a person purporting to be a national leader of any country would tolerate such language or behaviour in his or her campaign forum. It moves the human consciousness toward oblivion. Is that what we really want?