John McCain Plays the Race Card

"I have great admiration and respect for Senator Obama."

If so, McCain has a funny way of showing it. All we've seen and heard from him for the last month is a string of personal attacks, culminating in yesterday's ad smearing Obama as "the biggest celebrity in the world." He's just another famous, pretty face, in other words, and not ready for the presidency.

True? No. Childish? Yes. But that's not all. This ad is also deliberately and deceptively racist.

Of all the famous celebrities they could have compared Obama to, why not Tom Cruise? Or Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Donald Trump, or Oprah Winfrey? Why Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? Why two white blond bimbos?

Only one reason. It's a somewhat tamer version of the white bimbo ad used so successfully against Harold Ford in Tennessee. In juxtaposing Barack Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, the McCain campaign is simply trying to plant the old racist seed of black man hitting on young white woman. Not directly, but subliminally and disgracefully.

One thing for sure. This isn't the John McCain we first saw in 2000, running a campaign on the issues. And this isn't the positive McCain campaign he himself promised us for 2008. This is a campaign that, from the beginning, is nothing but negative, personal, dirty and, yes, racist.

Comments

[Albacheeser]

You all seem to be projecting things into the ad that are constructs of your own minds. It is clear the ad is simply asserting that Obama is, essentially, more a media creation rather than as a logical result of his public service.

You might not like the analogy, but the media brought Paris and Brittany to us and build them up beyond their own intrinsic talent worth.

I wish the campaign would be nice like the Nixon-Kennedy debates, but this analogy is logically pristine.

I might hasten to ad that this same argument was used against Bush in 2000, with the media going on and on about whether he had the "gravitas" to be president.

[nk007]

Albacheeser,

Can you cite any specific ad where Al Gore compared Bush to some clueless actresses? Please just cite one example not some generalization about "media going on..." Otherwise all you are trying to do is cover up the dirty and despicable, and yes sophisticated racist attacks on Obama. All the add is trying to do is make him into a "clueless bimbo" who is all about celebrity but has absolutely no "understanding" (McCain's repeated claim) about issues. This ad is not only an insult to SENATOR Obama, but it is also an insult to the people of Illinoiss who overwhelmingly elected him to the U.S. Senate; as well as millions of Democrats who voted to make him the nominee of our party. If any one wanted to compare the intellect of the two candidates to see who comes close Britney and Paris, all you have to do is to look at their academic records. One candidate graduated magna cum laude, from Harvard Law school, the other graduated 894 out of 899, as he himself admits, barely passing, from the Navy Academy. But of course he had a distinguished father to bail him out. So, if people want to go to the gutter, who really best resembles Paris Hilton?

[JerryinATL]

Where you this upset when 1/2 of the democratic party WAS racist toward BHO? During the primary, Bill Clinton (and their supporters) were pretty OVERT and rough on BHO?

I see you got the jist of the ad, BHO is a cluless celebrity, like Paris and Spears. THAT is how the Republican truley veiw BHO. After this ad, hopefully undecides will too.

[JohnCheney88]

Your comment might be appropiate with this exception...

As the mess our country is in proves, Bush did NOT have the "gravitas" to be President!

[JerryinATL]

one person's view of America as a mess, is another person's view of a success.

[Njameh]

And you believe that the media gave us Obama?
If you really believe that, then explain to us why this "empty vessel" called Obama (as you republicans would have us believe) has been able to run the most disciplined and effective campaign in the primaries and in this general election, when McCain finds himself getting attention only for disparaging remarks and ads.
Also explain to us why the genius of McCain's length of service helped bring us the unsavory sad deaths of over 4,000 precious Americans based on a lie to gain votes and oil rights from Iraqi politicians, not to mention the over $400 bn wasted (all of it owed to the eastern future potential enemy known as China - talk about national security breech) and a sizable portion of it unaccounted for.
Also please explain why in the mighty genius called McCain for over 25 years in the senate his brilliant ideas have gas prices at record high prices, millions of hard working people loosing their homes, and escalating job losses and unemployment.
Logically pristine, eh? Wowwww!!

[goofy2]

I suspect that McCain's campaign's saying that Obama is "playing the race card" (I'm really tired of that phrase) is intended to subtley remind voters that he is black. I didn't expect this from the campaign this early, but did expect it from their outside hit groups. They desperately want to paint him as "the black candidate," a whining if not angry black man, but they want to do it surrepticiously in-house, while theiremail buddies go ape on it. They will have plenty of well-funded and viscious help in this attempt to get Obama off of the real issues where he has huge advantages and onto any issue on which they think they can win. In the past it was "liberal, liberal, liberal." This time it will be "surge, surrender, whiney black male, liberal, hates the troops, naive, double-talker, flip-flopping, opportunist" who puts winning above the country. Mix that with a lot of misrepresentations and lies about his positions and baiting for a mudfight abetted by a lazy and intimidated press, and you have McCain's respectful campaign.

[AtticusinPa]

Exactly.

[HawkOnTheLeft]

A Britney Counter Ad – Using The Berlin Speech Content

(60 seconds at a medium pace)

On July 23rd, Barack Obama gave a speech to 200,000 Germans in Berlin.

John McCain would have would have you think that’s similar to Britney (flash picture) or Paris (flash picture) showing up in Victory Plaza.

Except for what Obama said:

He reminded 200,000 Berliners that their freedom was preserved by an American airlift. Tape: “And that's when the airlift began - when the largest and most unlikely rescue in history …”

--> How many Germans did you remind of our sacrifice for them, John?

He told 200,000 Germans that they need to join in increasing pressure on Iran, even if it costs them business. Tape: “sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions.”

--> How many Germans would have thought a minute about Iran if you showed up, John?

He told 200,000 Germans that we need more of their troops, with fewer restrictions, in Afghanistan, now. Tape: “The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin.”

--> How many Germans did you tell that they must carry their share in the war on terror, John?

Obviously, John, you didn’t tell any of them. And that’s exactly the same number that Britney (flash picture) and Paris (flash picture) told!

[jhink465]

excellent!

[DoTheMath]

Nicely done. When are you releasing it?

[Patrick McCabe]

"A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it." wrote Oscar Wilde in one of his perceptions of honesty going wild.

John McCain, a wily old politician, is going to twist and distort everything until 'The Great Debate"..He will be pushing buttons . . . making distractions to get attention , , , while smiling.

It is an advantage to go negative . . . .you can make a war hero look like a zero. A countryman can be hammered as a foreigner. There are PEOPLE that will believe that Obama is this , that and the other and McCain needs to play that card to win.

So, the games have begun. And the people McCain is reaching will be the 20% that believe that Obama is a Muslim, his real name is Barry . . .. and he does seem different.?

I have watched in amazement how people that we pass every day STILL refuse to investigate garbage politics.

Oscar Wilde also wrote : "The only form of lying that is absolutely beyond reproach is lying for its own sake." Watch out for that "Straight talk Express" Barack! Give em' Hell!

[nk007]

venicesurfer,

One of the greatest misconception is that racists have to behave like the KKK or the Nazi Party. Sophisticated racism is very careful about using overt statements; rather it it is all about subliminal messages and unspoken allusions. Obama never pulled the race card. Obama simply stated the reality, which your side would rather whisper about than state openly. Of course, the more honest racists have no shame stating why they won't vote for Obama. McCain's ads are simply aimed at giving them plausible denial. But they are also aimed at those who may be wavering about whether to vote for Obama. You know that the Spears/Hilton ad had subliminal racist message, just like the playboy ad against Harold Ford in Tennessee. JFK, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, drew big crowds in Germany and in other countries of their foreign travels. No one ever compared them to clueless, self-indulgent, celebrities. How in the world does any one compare a sitting United States Senator, from the fifth of largest states in the Union, Harvard educated and graduating near the top of his class, and a former law Professor at one of the prestigious institutions in the country, to Paris Hilton and B. Spears?

[ebonyjsg]

I agree with this article! Please send this to all media outlet's! McCain is playing dirty! He's so supposed to be so honourable! His true colors are showing! I pray that Obama start's hitting back and hit back hard!

[Huffingtonposter231]

Obama played race and McCain called him on it. I'm ok with that. I think it's fine if Obama wants to play the race card and fine for McCain to call him on it.

So Obama's black and people are picking on him, Obama says, because he's black. What does Obama want, racial preference? Black sympathy vote? What was he thinking? Sometimes it seems like he's not thinking.

Has Obama figured out the surge worked yet and that American VOTERS are fed up with the left wings anti energy policies? Obama better start figuring a few things out because being loyal to radical left anti America policies is going to make it very hard to get elected.

[PoliJunkie]

And your point is what? Because you said so? Hahahahaha­hahahahaha­!!!!

[cubalibre]

This man is saying that it is childish to suggest that Obama is all hype and no substance. Really?
Obama has only served in the Senate for 18 months and of those 18 months he was actually
there only 100 times. That amounts to about 3 months and 10 days. Would you let a person
with so little experience operate on your brain or run your business? But yet it's okay for him to run
the most powerful country in the world? He is just like those two celebrities. Except Britney actually has much more experience in her field than Obama does. He is much more like Paris, famous for being famous. Not because of any substance or talent or experience.

[Njameh]

I suppose based on your argument, Abe Lincoln was the worse preseident in the history of the republic since he had spent even less time in congress - never mind that he saved the federation.
And while you are at it, GWB must be the bestest, greatest president in the history of this nation. Between him, Dick Chenney, Rumsfeld and the rest of their war cabinet, not to mention their strong supporters like John McCain, they had over 80 years of experience in their government. Look what that experience got us now? Over 4,000 precious Americans lives lost based on a lie to gain votes and oil rights, not to mention the over $400 bn wasted (all of it owed to the eastern future potential enemy known as China). That by the way is the real national security breech by this GWB government. I dread the day the Chinese will call us on the debt and our claim of being the strongest nation on earth. Did I mention that the a sizable portion of that money to Iraq is unaccounted for?
We were supposed to be oil rich after the invasion of Iraq. Instead, what we have are record high gas prices and millions of hard working Americans losing their homes.
One would think that should give every patriotic American cause for pause - but not you republicans!! That is truly sad. We should think and be better than our politics.

[idest]

You just keep tellin' yourself that, right up until 1/20/09 when Barack moves in to the White House.

[FigaroJones]

When a candidate has nothing more than parroting the disastrous Bush doctrine, when hurling personal attacks and smears is all it has to offer, that's what we get, It worked with the Swift Boat Veterans' attacks on Kerry; I pray that the voting public is more perceptive, more informed, more intelligent, more sophisticated this time.

[PJay1]

Thank you Bill Press, for calling this out for what it is.

Kudos!

[tigs]

cnn on wolf blitzer, talking about this subject, suggest obama over reacted and played into mc cains hands. comment was , obama needs hillary clinton as v p, she knows about these smear tricks and knows how to fight them, o boy ! sounds like a set up to me, he needs clinton like a hole in the head,
if clinton was v p imagine the dirt mc cain would dish on both clintons, i would advise obama to treat mc cain with humour,after all mc cain is nothing but a joke, cnn is portraying the polls as gone against obama for this episode ,they dont miss a trick do they!!!! voters are too wised up to fall for these tricks anymore, at least they should be,they have used the same stuff on dem contenders in the past when the repubs were losing, look where it got america ,eight years of bush criminality.

[thegirlnextdoor]

Just as a slight aside - can they use images of Brittany and Paris without their permission? and who'd give permission to be used in such a negative light? sure, they are public figures, but this is a specific ad. I remember musician becoming upset when a campaign used his song without asking.

[PJay1]

Exactly.

Besides, I thought Angelina Jolie is the most famous celeb these days, no?

They probably knew better than to use her.
For starters, she's too bright for the purpose of that ad,
and second, I doubt that Brangelina would "approve this message".

[Einstein44]

People of America,

The Republicans are trying to insult your intelligence: DO NOT buy into their tactics....They are DESPERATE !!!!!

[JerryinATL]

And the Obamicans are blind. It is their religion now. You cannot argue with someone about their religion. BHO has been in Washington doing his Senate job for about 3 months out of his entire first term. I bet even you wouldn't let a mechanic (with only 3 months experience) work on your car.

[rssrai]

I agree totally, and anyone that says this is not true are sticking their heads in the sand, or don't want to admit that McBush has finally gone to the dark side, and has actually become Bush.

[Bongborg]

I don't know about the ad being racist, subliminally or overtly, but as far as trying to claim Obama is like Britney or Paris, with there being no "there" there... well, the only way that could work would be if Obama didn't speak another word before the election. LOL And McCain is toast if he steps into a debate.

[metsfan1]

Debates are only as good as the moderators make them. If they ask the substantive questions that matter, Barak Obama would win hands down just like Hillary did. She knew the answers to all substantive questions without even having to think about them. Also, I disagree that he (BO) doesn't need Clinton. She won big time in states like Florida (yes, he was on the ballot there), Ohio and Pennsylvania and now his lead in those states have taken a tumble....maybe it's because it looks like she isn't going to be asked to be vp.

[jstowe100]

A post that refers to two white women as blond bimbos is complaining of racism?

[Mojane]

No, they are simply blonde bimbos. And, yes, because they are white blonde bimbos, using them in juxtaposition with Obama is what's racist. Period.

[cubalibre]

Oh please that is really a stretch. Because someone suggests that Obama is a bimbo.
That does not mean that anyone is suggesting that he would hit on a white woman just
because he's black. That is actually really racist to even suggest that, and suggests that all black men are dying to be with white women. It's obvious that Obama is scared to death of his wife, and would never look at another woman of any color. After all she's bigger than him and a lot meaner.

[thegirlnextdoor]

touche! (i'd give you the accent on that e if I could)