Will Other GOP Officials Condemn the Magic Negro Ridicule?

Outgoing Republican National Committee chair Robert M. Duncan ought to seriously rethink whether he wants to bail out as chair of the RNC. He shouldn't rethink his departure from the post because of the shoot-the party-in-the foot stunt by a leading would be successor Chip Saltsman. This stunt was the release of the silly, insipid "Magic Negro" CD parody of Obama. This caused a minor stir during the early days of the presidential campaign in 2007.

No, Duncan should stay for two reasons. He did the right and honorable thing by denouncing the release of the offensive "Magic Negro" CD by Saltsman. He also seemed to grasp that this would refute exactly what the GOP has heatedly professed that it isn't; and that's a racist party. Saltsman's antic doesn't make things any easier for the GOP.

Other than Duncan, no other leading GOP figure and that includes the man who for a few more weeks anyway is still the titular head of the party, W. Bush, has uttered a mumbling word of criticism about the CD. But that's in keeping with the all too familiar pattern of the past.

The pattern is that when the GOP's Saltsmans create a race tinged flap, GOP officials flip into a see no evil, hear no evil mode toward them. The casual and sometimes blatant, racist trash talk of top Republicans, even Republican presidents, in the past has inevitably percolated down to the troops. If Saltsman felt that he could issue the CD and get away with it, it's because too many other Republicans have made offensive racial slips or digs in the past with little or no consequence.

A defiant Saltsman made it clear that he saw absolutely nothing wrong in releasing the "Magic Negro" CD. He even tried to turn the table on the critics and make them out to be the bad guys for propagating a double standard; that is when a GOP official or politician says or does anything that can even be remotely considered race baiting, they're instantly called on the carpet for it. But when a Democrat does the same they get a pass. Neither Saltsman nor any other GOP official who has ever used that weak line ever cites any example of where this supposed racial double standard has been at play.

Most Republicans, of course, don't utter racist epithets, use racial code-speak or publicly denigrate minorities. During the presidential campaign, Obama's Republican rival John McCain and the RNC did the right thing and kept race out of the campaign. But despite their best efforts, there were countless incidents, big and little, during the campaign where GOP campaign workers and local officials sent out or posted inflammatory race baiting cartoons, caricatures, and digs against Obama in mailers or on websites. McCain's GOP running mate Sarah Palin chomped at the bit to go after Obama for his alleged cozy ties with Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The attack, if it had been allowed, would have been chock full of sly racial hints that Obama was a closet black radical.

But it didn't happen. That seemed to send the right signal that the GOP would make sure that the campaign would and should be won or lost on the issues and not personal or political racial hits.
But that's only part of the reason top GOP officials were adamant that race should be purged from the GOP's past attack arsenal. Former Bush political guru Karl Rove and Former RNC chair Ken Mehlman logged countless hours on the road, spent millions of dollars, and wined and dined black ministers and black businesspersons during the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns to convince blacks that the GOP had indeed mended its old bigoted ways. This was not altruism. It was a cold, calculated and pragmatic political move. The GOP brain trust knew that they could cinch a Bush victory in a tight race with Democrats Al Gore and John Kerry if they could marginally bump up the percentage of the black vote he got in some key states. It worked. Bush got just enough black votes in a couple of the states to tip the White House scale to him.

Now there's Saltsman. He didn't just make a mockery of the GOP's diversity ploy. He challenged other leading GOP committee members to treat the "Magic Negro" ridicule of Obama as a "lighthearted" fare. Fortunately, Duncan didn't buy his blow off of it. The question though is he the only top GOP official who doesn't?

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His forthcoming book is How Obama Won (Middle Passage Press, January 2009).

Comments

[MosiahGarvey]

The Scary thing is that people think Democrats will have a goin majority from here on out, but all Republicans have to do is reach out to Latinos which are culturally conservative (since most are catholic) and they are back.

[norrinradd2]

I believe the Republican party represents what's worst in all human beings - narrow mindedness, racists, selfishness, etc. Therefore I liken the future of the GOP to the future of the planet. If we let the worst kind of character rule us then we ( or the GOP ) are doomed.

The Republican party are good guinea pigs. We will see what happens to the GOP.

[Nancy84]

Maybe like so many things that have happened in the past couple of years, Saltsman's actions are bringing about much needed discussion..... This time the discussion must be had within the Republican party. They must figure out who they really are, not just what they want to show themselves to be in order to get re-elected.

Sometimes ugliness has to be seen before it can be washed away.

[Casey Gane-McCalla - Huffpost Blogger]

If the GOP doesn't denounce Limbaugh, they will be forever known as the party of racism and sexism

Here's Why The GOP Must Denounce Limbaugh and Why The Rest of Us Should Boycott Clear Channel
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/opinion-the-gop-and-usa-must-condemn-limbaugh/

Here's The Top 10 Racist Rush Limbaugh Quotes
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/obama/top-10-racist-limbaugh-quotes/

[Teritt]

Let them implode.

[larry278]

The GOP is bent upon destroying itself. An implosion wouldn't spread & broadcast the rubble & dust of the dying GOP as far as an explosion would. Implosion or explosion-there will be damage to other things. Damages won't be eliminated by an implosion; it may limit the damages somewhat. That is it.

[Wilbur]

I second that (e)motion!

Wilbur

[Boston1775]

I'm imagining some of my middle school students performing this lighthearted parody.

Their parents would be called.

The school policy on harassment would be enforced.

A staff meeting would be held to discuss how this came about.

A letter from the principal would be sent home.

Letters to the editor would appear in the town paper.

[Eyewideopen]

No, this is who they are.

[stillinkansas]

I think whoever plays/defends this song is jealous and ignorant. However, there is something "magical" about Barack Obama -- charisma, intelligence, charm, personality, wisdom, warmth, handsome, communication skills, true leader, thinker, loving family man, calm, compassionate, just, educated, peacemaker, religious, patriotic-- the list could go on and on. I can't think of another candidate for national office with all the same qualities as Pres. Obama.
Any clear-thinking person knows the intent of the song is racist. However, Obama was
not overwhelming elected as President because of the color of his skin; he was elected because
of who he is and what we hope he can do for our nation. Hopefully, we can all work
together to help educate the jealous and ignorant people in our country so that our country
can move on to solve our very serious problems.

[lovable]

EARL WHERE ARE U ON TV WITH THIS. the repubs are not going to apoligize . rush will crucify anyone who does when he returns . this would be against the repub principles to apoligize and it any did it would be faze . they will go back to their country clubs / and homes / and coctail parties and explain they did for political reasons. THIS STORY IS BIGGER THAN BLAGO BECAUSE IT INVOLVES A NATION OF PEOPLE NOT JUST A STATE . this should be in the news for days with pundits commenting everyday . lets get this race thing out in the open so it does not linger for 8 years . watch hannity and limbaugh and couler and bucahanna and other talk show defent satzman then u will see how their views are slanted because obama is black .

[hortonhearsawho2]

Apologize for their core beliefs, when hell...

[lynnn]

LMAO how true!

[hortonhearsawho2]

White folks started the Civil War, the Black Man is here to end it....

[tcuoohjohn]

Man...did Saltsman shoot himself in the testicles or what? The GOP hasn't sufrered this sort of embarrassment since ...uh...The Foley and Craig Debacles..

[LeftRight]

The problem is that it appears to have HELPED him!!

[goldiekins]

I am so glad I voted for Obama. I am a convert from the Republican party and never will I return as long as this type of thing goes on and on and on. How shameful. When are people going to get it, we don't want this type of behavior from the politicians. It's about time they grew up. That is why I loved Obama during the campaign. He never stooped to their level, always carried himself with dignity and integrity. Can Republicans even spell integrity?

[ESerafina42]

I agree, although I "converted" to agnosticism, since I have never joined the Democrats - maybe I will if I ever see any sign that they have evolved to vertebrate status.

[darthmaul]

The republicans aren't run by a bunch of old white men, as is often thought. They are run by a bunch of old white dinosaurs. They will never change. They feel that they lost because they weren't conservative enough and that they have strayed from their parties conservative values.

The republicans will learn... by the hard way, by losing political race after political race. Eventually when enough of the current republican "leadership" is gone, the party will have new blood that will try and build a more inclusive party. If not, we will have a one party system, the democrats. It's simple demographics. Time for the republicans to wake up and smell the coffee.

[reno1190]

CANT TEACH THESE OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK RETHUGS

[PostRacialBlackGirl]

Forget this silly season nonsense - they are a dying breed. I know that there are millions if not a billion or more white people who LOVE BO and LOVE unity and LOVE change. I know that racism is a dying thing. Ignore this lunacy - I tell you! Let me show you a real white man. There are more awesome, kingly, gorgeous, loving, compassionate, trustworthy white men out there, just like this:
http://hakashamut.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/tears-of-joy-flow-the-age-of-enlightenment/#comments