Did GOP Ad Darken Skin-Color Of Indian-American Dem Candidate?

The National Republican Congressional Committee is running an ad in Minnesota that local officials suggest distorts the skin color of the Democratic candidate for the seat, Ashwin Madia. Basic visual evidence seems to back them up.

Madia, a son of East Indian immigrants and a marine veteran, is pictured in the spot with a darker face and long shadows cast upon it. The ad accuses him of wanted to raise taxes, but the superficial aspects are the ones that have jumped out to observers.

"I'm not saying that I know that the people who made the ads knew that this would happen," Clay Steinman, of Macalester College, told a local news station. "But I think they knew that darkening him, and de-saturating the color, making him look a lot less lively, would have negative connotations."

Indeed, a side-by-side shot of the advertisement and a website photo of Madia -- who is running for the third district seat of Erik Paulson -- suggests that the NRCC deliberately made his cheeks and even the lines under his hairline darker shades.

Such a move would, obviously, carry with it deep racial connotations. But it should be noted that similar charges of image-distortion were leveled against Hillary Clinton's campaign for an ad it put out against Barack Obama during the Democratic primary -- charges that were revealed to be false.

In this case, Madia's own campaign is crying foul. "I have seen negative campaigns but nothing as deplorable, or as disgusting as this advertisement or as the national Republicans have done," said campaign manager Stu Rosenber, in that same local report.

And the Minnesota GOP has already been accused and questioned for attempting to cast Madia as a poor fit for the district's population.

"It is a very sharp contrast," Ron Carey, the state's GOP Chairman, said recently in a press conference. "Erik Paulson fits the district very well. People have to draw their own conclusions but Erik Paulson is a very good fit from a philosophical standpoint and a lifestyle standpoint for the third district."

The NRCC did not immediately return a request for comment.

Comments

[Dhammi]

Watching GOP's McCain last night with Larry King I couldn't help notice how condescending and "white' he sounded / looked. It is hard to believe he pays someone to look so ghostly. He reminds me of a gool old boy boss I once had (not for long). No tolerance - finger pointing - smirking and of course fabricating the truth. Same old same old - this party will stoop to the lowest of low to make others look bad. Funny thing is - they don't seem to have noticed that their negative campaigning has NOT WORKED. Can anyone imagine this guy as their president?? Yikes.

I by the way am a white person - not that it matters!

[littlepuffycloud]

No surprise...the party of racist bigots continue to sink to new depths of hatred. I think Obama is right; Americans are smarter than the GOP gives us credit for.

[Blackbuddah]

This is disgusting to see The gop result to racial divisive tactics. White Americans are not idiots they see the B.S. and know it is about color but not black and white but green.

[tantrictim]

this is not surprising since the GOP is the same party that calls indian americans "macacas" (monkey in Tunisian French) and hopes to attract an increasingly multicultural voter base with this bullshit???

[KarlaElisa]

We are seeing so many rotten things being pulled by the GOP.

I hope to hell this party is decimated beyond return and they become a tiny little freak fringe party unable to advance anything in the political spectrum.

[AwShucks]

They did the same thing to an Obama ad

[indepavoter9]

The GOP has lost it...BUT I'm soo glad to see them coming out from underneath their KLAN hoods. We can see you now.

[goosie29]

So what if they darken him?

[justincolts]

you have no problem with that?

[anise8]

"Goosie"stepping all over the place, racists live in a sad little world of fear and hate. I have a hard time with so many of them calling themselves "good christians".

[roald]

gooie29. It's nice to hear from someone who is so idealistic that, not only does s/he not have any prejudices, but cannot fathom that someone else might. I wish everyone were like you.

[LeftLeanWing]

It's irrelevent that they darken the photo;

The GOP has had a problem this year in finding ugly photos of its opponents - no grimaces - no stuck out tongues - no nose picking.

The man looks good with or without retouching of the photo.

[WillCooney]

Why is everyone so afraid to call the GOP the Racist & Bigot Party? Look at the crowds they attract. All that's missing are white sheets and hoods. Whoever said this was the "Big Tent" party was blowing smoke up your skirt. As whites become less dominate in the USA, the GOP will disappear. There are not enough white, born again, Evangelicals to support a party. Plus, they will have their tax status rescinded for making overt political endorsements. I can hardly wait!

[tuttlemsm]

I wasn't aware that people were afraid to call the Racist & Bigot Party the Racist & Bigot Party.

[EFC]

Correction:

The third district seat is currently held by popular moderate Republican Jim Ramstadt.
Erik Paulsen is currently a state representative and significantly more conservative than Mr. Ramstadt.

[carlgt1]

ironic since they're touting Bobby Jindal as the next Sarah Palin (complete with his own exorcist too!)

[tuttlemsm]

Hey Republicans, if I run for office, please take my pale white skin, red hair and freckles and do something to it to make me look more like Barack Obama. I need the coattails.

[jkpcguru]

The Hypocrisy! Did democrats do this when Bobby Jindal ran for Governor? I think not! I hope the GOP roasts in their own hogwash juices on Nov 4th. Barack Obama not only winning, but in a landslide with a whole slew of red states will be the ultimate payback. Add in Georgia and Arizona we'll get to see grown men cry!

[Grannysue]

GOP MANTRA, hate, smear, hate smear, hate smear, race bait, hate! Any questions?