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Dave Johnson

Dave Johnson

Posted: August 1, 2008 02:29 PM

The Race Card


We learned this week that the McCain campaign had two ads ready to roll after Obama's European trip. There was the one they ran, accusing Obama of playing basketball instead of visiting injured troops -- and the one they didn't run accusing Obama of visiting injured troops for political purposes.

This indicates the extent to which the McCain campaign is planning ahead, intending to play both sides of everything. And it reveals something important about yesterday's accusation by McCain that Obama is "playing the race card." It suggests that the recent racist "celebrity" ads linking Obama and white women were intended to trigger a response from Obama, so they could make this "race card" accusation.

Enabling this "race card" accusation was the real intent of the ads. This "race card" accusation lets McCain appear to be the victim while he runs racist ads. It's a twofer.

Think about the meaning of "playing the race card." The accusation that blacks "play the race card" taps into and amplifies working-class white resentment. It says that black people receive special treatment, have it easy, don't have to work, get government handouts from liberals, while the politically-correct crowd jumps all over you just for trying to point out their true nature.

Accusing Obama of "playing the race card" goes back to the old racist line that black people are always complaining, nothing is good enough for them, and if white people try to get what's theirs blacks will play the "race card" and say you are taking from them because of their race.

This is only August and McCain's campaign is working hard to divide us and inspire hatred. It is going to get a lot worse.


Follow Dave Johnson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dcjohnson

We learned this week that the McCain campaign had two ads ready to roll after Obama's European trip. There was the one they ran, accusing Obama of playing basketball instead of visiting injured troop...
We learned this week that the McCain campaign had two ads ready to roll after Obama's European trip. There was the one they ran, accusing Obama of playing basketball instead of visiting injured troop...
 
 
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bascombe
Send the kids off to die, bleed their country dry.
08:30 AM on 08/02/2008
you nailed it!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
GunnyJ
I do my best every time.
07:11 AM on 08/02/2008
It is hard for me understand this lack of experience thing Obama is tagged with through the primaries and now into the presidential race. Is there a President Prep School Obama neglected to enroll in? Is there a secret senator school the senate is not telling him about? Does longivity in the senate make you qualified to be President? If you stop to think many long term senators have made very unsuccessful runs at being President so this may not be a very good guage to go by............ I'll take good judgement over experience any day. Intelligence and common sense usually trump experience anyway.
This race card is more of the Repbublican "art of war" to get into the opponents head. If McC was as experienced as he thinks he is then he'd able to focus on issues and not gimmicks.....
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robXdion
Because someone has to say it.
03:43 AM on 08/02/2008
Funny thing is, whites have been using the "race card" in this country against blacks since 1602 or so. The "race card" phrase came about in the 80's as a means of turning white guilt (resentment) around on blacks. It's now criminal to call them out for their sly use of race since it went subliminal.
05:29 PM on 08/01/2008
The bottom line is that everyone is whining and crying about the ad itself...is it rascist, is it not, blah blah blah....what none of the Obama supporters want to address is the question that the ad asks....Is Obama ready to lead? It is quite obvious he is not. I will admite, the ads are kind of juvinile, but they ask an important question that everyone just glosses over. I am welcome to anyone's comments that show Obama has the experience, the creativity, and the judgement to lead this country. The more I see of who he is, and what he wants to do makes me shudder at the thought of him being our president....McCain is by no means perfect, but once again, we, the voters, are stuck with choosing from two very flawed candidates.
Intelligentia
Anti-Racist
07:04 PM on 08/01/2008
Please, enlighten me. What is your definition of leadership or lead? After you answer the question, then answer the next question, what is your definition of ready? If you cannot clearly articulate what you mean by those two words, maybe you need to think rather than adopting the Republican/Hillary talking point. What exactly is it that makes McCain so qualified. Let me ask you this question: If you have a 2000 Model Benz 230E (randomly picked) that is badly in need of repair, would you take it to the mechanic who has been a mechanic for 30 years, but hasn't a clue on how to work on newer model cars or would you take to a mechanic who has been in business for 5 years, but was trained on how to work on newer model cars? If you would take it to the mechanic who has been a mechanic for 30 years, simply because he has been a mechanic for a longer time, then stick with Obama. If you will take it to the specialist, because she has the expertise to repair your car without causing more damage, then stick with Obama. No, I did not make a mistake by sticking with Obama in either scenario, because that is your best choice. The mechanic with 30 years experience (McCain), will only cause you more heart ache, because, by the time he figures out the technology of the newer model, you might as well buy a new Mercedes.
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blaqntelligence
06:45 AM on 08/02/2008
Your screen name is most apropos. Great analogy.
05:55 AM on 08/02/2008
Next thing is, McC calls Obama "boy" and says he was only ever referring to his "inexperience".

McCain is running a dirty campaign, intended to make his opponent seem a suspicious individual. I hope Obama will not be tempted to go into the sewers with him, showing that he is "a politician like everyone else = not that much of a change anyway", but that he will continue talking issues, issues, issues. Obama is the one talking policy of the two, showing that he is, in fact, the one of the two ready to lead - he is the one having a policy he wants to lead on - whereas McC puts his foot in his mouth every time he is talking about issues.

It's very clear who of the two has an interest in playing dirty.
It should be equally clear why: He has nothing to gain on running on issues.
04:42 PM on 08/01/2008
It is difficult for me to believe ANYONE would vote for McCain, and particularly that any woman would vote for McCain. If this is his idea of a respectful campaign, I'd hate to see nasty, but no doubt it is coming.

The man is a liar, a flip-flopper about really important issues (now he LOVES the religious right and wants to appoint someone like Scalia to the Supreme Court), and has less dignity than GWB . . . and that's saying a lot.

He is the type of instigator who could start another civil war right here in the USA. (Did I say he has few redeeming virtues?).
03:53 PM on 08/01/2008
Amen, Dave. I'd also been thinking that this whole thing was a preemptive strike by the McCain campaign so that they could later use racist ads but accuse Obama of having "started it."
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eden4barack08
Watch out! He carries a big stick!
06:13 AM on 08/02/2008
At which time we should offer proof that they started it instead. With this ad:

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59QLl8_Gzks
03:10 PM on 08/01/2008
Well, seeing that McCain put Obama's face on a hundred dollar bill in one of their ads, well, that pretty much nullifies any kind of 'race' based response from Obama. Regardless, the effect was the same. Obama is just another pretty face. Something that definately cannot be said for McCain.
03:02 PM on 08/01/2008
I am so angry about this - one, two, three . . . (deep breaths)
05:10 PM on 08/01/2008
Considering that the white person has used race to his or her advantage since the first slaves entered this country, to criticize Obama for making a few remarks, which are probably true, regarding race seems disingenuous, to say the least. White America has held the entire deck for most of our history; for an African-American to use the race card, he or she has to have been dealt it by the white man, which is exactly what Clinton and McCain did during their campaigns. And if you think racism is no longer endemic in our culture, check out the post-Katrina footage. You can say those left behind were victims of "class" rather than "race", but why are so many black people still poor in this country? If you believe it's totally their own fault, you're a racist. And I'm a white woman over 60, by the way.
09:56 PM on 08/01/2008
'since the first slaves entered this country"

The Africans entering this country on the slave ships were prisoners held captive. They were turned into slaves.