Do They Really Want To Play The Mi-chelle Game?

"Obama's Baby Mama?" The pound she shared with her husband that was really a "terrorist fist jab?" When she thinks nobody's listening she loves to use the pejorative "whitey?" C'mon, do the Reactionary Regressives really want to shape the campaign on demonizing Barack Obama's wife Michelle?

They might as well take out a full page ad in the Weekly Standard announcing: EEH, WE GOT NOTHING

First off, demonizing the potential first lady; didn't they try that with Hillary Clinton? All that got them was eight years of Bill in the White House, and eventually Mrs. C as Senator from New York. Seriously, before the far Right Retro Guard gets too far down that road they might want to move on to Plan D.

Does the Right really want to go after a politician's wife? Remember what Dick Nixon was able to do with Pat's cloth coat. Stand back from the pillar of fire that's gonna rain from on high when Barack unleashes all his oratorical powers and smites the transgressors who dare...transgress the sanctity of his marriage.

Short of that, stand back when Michelle does Oprah and they get to crying and all the soccer moms recall repressed gender memories of how much they can't stand woman-bashing.

But to bring it all back home: Obama's Baby Mama? Somewhere, even Don Imus is shaking his head in disgust. Did no one at that Fox Chyron department know how to spell "Negress?" And I want to be very careful here not to denigrate "baby mamas." I'm not getting bent over how other people form their relationships. But what galls is the idea that to them -- to them -- married, single, with children or without all back women are the same and good for one thing: no more consideration than black women have gotten from Tom Jefferson through Strom Thurmond and right up to the aforementioned Imus.

And you think the Right would have learned something from the Imus affair. You think they would have learned what it looks like when the wagons circle and indignation -- be it righteous or faux pious -- rises up.

Clearly they have not.

So, keep on, I say, playing your Mi-chelle game. Keep on demonstrating that you've got nothing to say about the economy or the dollar or an energy policy. Health care or immigration. The war, National Security. Keep on putting into full effect that you are bereft of any idea that is any deeper than flicking a finger at a man's Mrs.

Comments

[EinChicago]

If we saw one thing in 2008, it's that we're much better at eating our own (i.e., see teh Ob-ama Kultis frenzied ahte of all things HRC) than the GOP could ever be. So what do we have to be scared of? If the GOP try to attack Mich-elle, the Kultists will drown them in a sea of Kool Aid.

[amcg50]

Great article John! I kind of hope that they do continue to keep it up; demonstrating their ignorance, intolerance and meanness!

[CCW4ME2]

Race isn't really an issue for Republicans. Take Barack Obama. He is the son of one European American parent and one African parent. One parent was of the Christian faith and one of the Muslim persuasion. One parent was American born and one was African born. Now take Gov. Bobby Jindal, Republican of Louisiana. BOTH of his parents are Indian. BOTH of his parents were born on the Indian sub-continent. BOTH of his parents are of the Hindu religion. His parents race, religion or geography did not keep Louisiana Republicans from nominating and electing him to office. It's not race, it's politics. We hate everything liberals stand for. If you're pro-God, pro-American, pro-life and pro-gun, we don't care if you're Black, White, Brown, Yellow, Red (not Commie but Native American) or mixed.

[BigBen]

No THEY did not try to demonize Hillary. You of the far left wing did that.

[amcg50]

And where the hell were you in the ninties? Of course they demonized Hillary. Just listen to Rush or Hannity for any length of time..

[cobobs]

What you are describing is splitting, a mechanism that kids use to handle complexity, so that their inner worlds do not fall apart. This is a great article from this site about that phonom:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/justin-frank/politics-on-the-couch-spl_b_107393.html

You are always pro something and anti-another thing. No nuance. No unified field for you. Why do you people always need an anemy? Even when there is none, you would invent one.

[ObamaEdwards]

Exactly. The only thing that will be accomplished by news agencies and the GOP making these dumb "observations" about Michelle Obama is this: They show the world how boring and bereft of real ideas they are. Let them keep digging that hole. They'll put themselves out of business, and THAT will be fun to watch.

[bascombe]

Thank you, Mr. Ridley!

[Janel]

If they (GOP/McCain/FOX) are trying to discredit Mrs. Obama, they picked the wrong target.

Michelle Obama is a gracious, intelligent and strong woman who will grace our White House as First Lady. I find it disheartening when Senator McCain says over and over. . .and over. . .that his campaign will be clean and honest, and he will never stoop to personal attacks. Yet. . .he tries hard to hide his smile when his staff and some of the media do this.

How pathetic! And we want this man to be our president????? NO WAY!

[CtJean]

Right on! Can't wait to see the O'Bama family in the white house.

[slope142]

This should be fun. I can't wait to see how Republicans denigrate Ms. Obama while simultaneously portaying themselves as the be-all universal friends and true blue allies of women everywhere, (Hi there Clinton supporters, can we talk?) Jeez, you just can't buy this kind of entertainment

[Levittown]

THE " TERRORIST FIST JAB " WAS ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH
( # 41 ) WITH ANNA KORNIKOVA AT A CRISTY EVERT CHARITY TENNIS EVENT IN BOCA BATON A FEW YEARS AGO.. JUST ANOTHER FALSE STATEMENT FROM THE REPUBLICAN SWIFT-BOAT BRIGADE.. WE SHOULD BE USED TO THIS BS AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF BS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ASSORTMENT OF " TRUTH TELLERS " .

[zull2]

The GOP can try to pick a fight with Michelle Obama. They can just try. The more they do so, the more disenfranchised Hillary supporters will see just how sexist the Republicans can be.

McCain thinks he can pull off some of the Hillary vote? Not if his people keep attacking Obama's wife. That's the fatal mistake that the Republicans did to Hillary Clinton in 1992. And people WILL associate McCain with the Republican party, even if he were to make a big show of his denouncing their attacks. That used car dealer trick isn't going to fool people forever.

[debwarot]

Hello Hilary Supporters!

Thinking about voting for John McCain?

Just a few reminders about his positions over the years:

(1) He voted to impeach Bill Clinton - your candidate's husband.
(2) He voted for he use of torture (water boarding).
(3) He has consistently voted and stood against women's right to choose.
(4) He wants to continue on in Iraq as long as necessary.

If you decide you would much rather support your own party's nominee, Barack Obama,. please come join us! You will be welcomed with respect and friendship!

[Exit]

The Republican party and their media are simply pitiful. Sean Hannity is the face of the Republican party and it is a very ugly sight.

[njoylif]

Hi, Exit.

Amen....could not have said it better myself.

[kittyma]

Did you read the article by Michele's roommate at Princeton whose family made sure that she was moved into another room because she would not allow her daughter to room with a black girl?

Michele was an 18 year old girl, in a school that easily gave in to the request of the white girl's family. Not only would it have hurt her, but it would have deeply hurt her parents for her. I wish that people would understand that black people go through a lot of hurt day in and day out but many of us make a point of not letting it get to us.

Tiger Woods in primary school was tied to a tree by white kids who threw things at him. He keeps on going.

Imus called a group of bright well behaved college girls, "nappy headed hoes" and could not see why there should be an outrage. One of those young women said "I am somebody's child!"

A rape convict shocked to have been convicted said that "black women are accustomed to that" when he was found guilty of raping a 15 year old virgin.

It didn't stop with Jim Crow, but so many of us continue to dig deep inside and use all of our Christian teaching to forgive and to love. The Obamas are among those who have been making a point in their lives of forgiving and loving and giving and caring.

Please meet us at least part-way.

[knhamilton87]

I had the rare privilege of hearing Michelle Obama speak in a relatively small setting several weeks ago here in Lexington, KY. On the day before our primary, many of us here were a bit demoralized because we could see which way things were going. But Michelle came. She was eloquent, intelligent, thoughtful, and spot on in her tone. I left there feeling I'd vote for HER for president . . . but not before she came around to greet those of us who were there. As she came around she touched every hand, spoke to almost every person and, at the end of their brief chat, Mrs. Obama helped a dear, little elderly woman sit back down in her chair -- full-on hugging her back into her seat. As she got to me, I hugged her and whispered a prayer in her ear -- for her, for Senator Obama and for their children. She held my hands and looked at me and, after echoing my "Amen," asked me to do the same every day. I do. As she moved away from me, she held my hand for several moments -- even as she spoke to others in the crowd. It was an amazing moment in my life.

Grace, poise, charm, intelligence -- so much that so many of us lack under the best circumstances.

Thanks kittyma for highlighting what black women and men experience every day. I don't think we could do much better for a next First Lady.

[tuttlemsm]

That's exactly the kind of racism we have in America that makes me chafe whenever somebody says "McCain doesn't have a chance."

Memo to Democrats: Fight like your 20 points behind now until November.

[sd4peace]

hear hear

[sawdustinhershoes]

Hopefully, we'll all survive the horrible stuff the Republicans and racists throw Obama's way, because it's going to be nasty. I hope Obama wins and we can congratulate our country on having grown one huge step in the right direction.

Thank you for your post.

[rasthedestroyer]

Sally Hennings was Thomas Jeffersons "baby mama" matter a fact (7) times. Did'nt really matter that she was his slave and so were the kids, talk about a dead beat dad. Old uncle Tom said he'd let them go once he died but that did'nt happen. Even from the grave, still Master and Slave. For all the women who say they won't take anymore, are you proud of your country now. [Speak truth to power.]

[coba]

Obama is the only candidate in the race that hasn't been divorced. Obama has been the family man of the race, and FOX NEWS is trying to distort that. I hope that Americans won't buy into it. The republicans will not win if they go after michelle obama, it didn't work when they went after hillary clinton and it wont work this year.

http://sensico.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/mccains-clayton-williams-problems/

[benne]

I hope Americans won't buy into the retro-gender politics that Obama and Obamaniacs are promoting. Only a nuclear family with papa on top is a good, moral family. Others are bad, including families led by single mothers. When one hears his speech on Father's Day and looks at all he signals, it becomes clear that he will not promote an egalitarian administration as Bill Clinton did. Both grew up without a father, but one embraced strong women and the other embraced a philosophy that what was needed was the return of the strong black man.

[jazzman]

A man and a woman who have stayed married and faithful to each other, had two daughters and visibly are fond of each other are too much for this modern world. Barack and Michelle are too honorable for us have as our role models.

Bring on the cheater, the wife dumper, and the bimbo chaser. That's the kind of character we need in our President. This is the man that those good ole Christian born again family values types will twist themselves into a knot figuring out a way to support. Maybe James Dobson can change the name of his radio show from 'Focus on the Family' to 'Focus on the 20 something replacement model.'

[clearthinker2008]

It's funny how the feminist isn't in an uproar over the constant attacks on Mrs. Obama as they were for Clinton.

[greejambri]

Indeed.

[BeLeather]

you hit the nail on the HEAD!

[ckfan]

Great point.

[myhomeo]

Maybe because these attacks have been more rascist than sexist..

[jimmy2001]

Touché clearthinker2008... Touché

[AlphaDoc]

Terrific post, Mr. Ridley. Thanks.

[pacats]

It might be beneficial to go to www.mediamatters.com There is a list of inappropriate statements and comments made by msm commentators and guest. E-mail listings are provided to voice your opinion.