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

[moreupnorth]

What's really scarry about this is, that there is a large enough percentage of the population actually interested and willing to believe this crap. People by up this celebrity gossip garbage or the TV airwaves wouldn't be full of celebrity gossip.

They use this crap because it works on the huddled masses of mis-guided folks.

[recruitgal]

Of course Michelle should be held up as a terrifying force for evil.

She grows up in a stable, hard-working family, manages to get an Ivy League education without the benefit of wealth, gets a job at a top law firm, marries the man she loves and has two terrific daughters, while still progressing her own career. She's smart, articulate, funny and beautiful.

Is this really the kind of woman we want as First Lady?

She must be stopped! Go Fox!!

[learnsomething]

You comment was right on point. Michelle would be a wonderful First Lady. I like her. She's a class act.

[LongTom]

Are you kidding? Demonizing Hillary worked very, very well. She was the most detested, least popular first lady in history. Maybe trashing the candidates' wife didn;t beat the Clintons, but it sure didn't help them. It didn't help Kerry, and it doesn't help Obama. Trashing Michelle is a no-lose proposition for the Republicans. Nobody is going to vote for Obama because they're pissed at how his wife is treated. But some people will always believe the smears. Helloo-o-o. Negative campaigning works!

[mpgarr]

Of course they want to "swift boat" Michelle Obama--they don't have Hillary Clinton to do that too now so Barak Obama's wife is the next "liberal bitch" target to aim their guns at--and anything they think that can get them some sort of advantage is fair game for them---these are people who claim high morals, honor and all of that but have none of those things----they are the lowest of the low!!!

[patmancando]

"these are people who claim high morals, honor and all of that but have none of those things----they are the lowest of the low!!!"

Does this apply to the Obaminations who did the same thing to the Clintons? Maybe saying what goes around comes around would be to blunt.

[Peteyman]

Yeah because according to you, it doesn't apply to the Hillarites (republican trolls) who lived SOLELY to smear Obama with incredible lies...

[873450]

Attacking an opponent's wife is integral to the repug party's game plan.

They attacked Bill Clinton’s wife.
They attacked John Kerry’s wife.
They attacked Joe Wilson’s wife.

It would be totally out-of-character for repug’s not to attack Barak Obama’s wife. If they don't go after her, it would be a clear case of racial discrimination and she should complain about it.

Wives are “fair game” according to Karl Rove. Therefore, “sugar momma” is an appropriate description of John McCain’s heiress wife, Cindy, whose multimillionaire, politically connected father personally sponsored McCain’s Arizona political career.

[joeinvt]

Looking at how effective those attacks on opponents wives have been underscores the importance of responding forcefully to every slanderous attack on Michelle. For example, look at how many Democrats who opposed Hillary adopted the Republican slime machine talking points about the Clintons as the foundation of their case against Hillary. Clearly, making nasty stuff up about your opponent and his/her family works. I disagree that counter-attacking Cindy McCain is the way to respond, however. Every time Michelle is attacked, it should be brought back to McCain as the person responsible for it and for doing something about it. We should not let him off the hook because it will be done indirectly by surrogates and not directly by him. He should be confronted and asked "How can your campaign justify spreading these ugly rumors? Why are you allowing or otherwise supporting this?"

[queotic]

"If they don't go after her, it would be a clear case of racial discrimination and she should complain about it."

LMAO!

[antaeus]

Sorry, but the only truly unfair one in your list is Valerie Wilson, whose outing was more than disgraceful; it was traitorous.

But can we be completely honest here? HRC insisted she be an equal on the political stage when she claimed they were a "two for one" deal. Teresuh Heinz thought it would somehow be endearing to call everyone who disagreed with her an idiot (go ask the folks in Pittsburgh, Dem and Repub alike, what they think of her).

When you put yourself out there, you become a target. The solution to this problem isn't sanctimonious denunciation. The solution is to stop pandering to Americans' infantile and habitual need to elect a nuclear family rather than a single candidate. And it's naive to expect a more high-minded response from an electorate that is already operating on a basically irrational level.

[cpscscs]

I agree.

[greginwva]

How can you compare Imus losing his job at MSNBC to any Fox employee for doing what they are hired to do.Fox employees are paid to attack the Obama's and Roger Ailes could care less if the line of attack is true.The anchor who made the fist bump comment lost her job because the fist bump is common place in our culture and it made them look stupid.Im almost surprised Chris wallace didnt get fired for calling in and telling the fox and friend morons to give the Obama bashing a rest.

[TXfemmom]

If the right wants to go after wives, Cindy McCain has fare more to be hit with, and done with fairness.

Had it not been for her wealth and John's power, her butt would be in the Federal slammer, and deservedly so, for falsifying forms for narcotics to have been distributed for charitable use abroad, and taking them for her own use, as she was addicted.

I can forgive someone for becoming addicted when they are under care but I cannot forgive that she falsified all these Drug forms, and took these drugs from her so-called charity, and then got a tax deduction for it. She broke several very serious federal and state statutes and anyone else would have gone to jail for that. That should stick and she and John should have their noses rubbed into it.

[steamboat]

The 'left has already gone after McCain's wife, including this blog. Where you been?

[Incredulous]

Haven't we just established that wives are fair game? Or is that just Democrat's wives? How typical!!!

[XME]

Repugs don't give a damn about decency or respect...and since they truly do have nothing else to run on, this will be on extremely nasty election.

[steamboat]

as if the democrats really cared about Rwanda, Sudan, Sierra Leone, East Timor

[XME]

Oh my...God forbid I should offend one. Contrary to your reply, yes, Dems to care about others, even if they aren't Americans...and their record on such issues is certainly better.

[guajiro]

Calling out the Republicans as Reactionary Regressives is,.......... way cool.

[pupbayer]

Sure they do. And it will be very effective in middle America.

[HKP]

And where/what is "Middle America"? Who lives there? What color of skin?

Euphemisms. Codes. Yea!!

[cowboyneok]

My rant on the whole issue:

http://www.pinkpanthersblog.com/

"FOX NEWS would then have to compare Obama's traditional marriage to Michelle, and her bearing Obama's children in a conventional marriage versus McCain's "baby mama" Cindy, and which children of his come from his latest "baby mama." Then FOX would have to determine which children were born from his first "baby mama" Carol and if Vicki Iseman might be John McCain's latest "baby mama?" Now, THAT would be FAIR AND BALANCED!!!"

Come on FOX report it and let US decide!

[IndependentInquiry]

I don't always agree with you Mr. Ridley, but this was spot on.

"Obama's Baby Mama? Somewhere, even Don Imus is shaking his head in disgust." - Is a classic.

[midknightryder13]

Actually, I liked, "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..."

Because I have to agree. Doesn't it make sense that Senator Obama HASN'T shown us the zenith of his speaking ability? One NEVER puts all one's cards on the table until one has to. I suspect that when Senator Obama gets elected -- he will have at least ONE speech with a line that becomes part of Americana. Like, "Ask not what, your country can do..." or "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" and, of course, MLK's "I Have A Dream" -- which has too many to list.

[Titonwan]

I look forward to a woman in the whitehouse that is honest and inspiring. She is truly first lady material. She's presidential material, but that's a different story.

[queotic]

I didn't think Hillary being First Lady qualified her for the presidency and I don't think it would make Michelle qualified either. Being married to someone doesn't make you eligible for their job - if it did, Yoko Ono would be a Beatle.

With that said - Michelle is an AMAZING woman and Barack is blessed to have her.

[yeswecancan]

Look, the right-wing slur factory is making a biiig mistake if it wants to start comparing potential first ladies. I've been surprised that the US media have laid off Cindy McCain -- the second wife John picked up one month after dumping the mother of his 3 natural born children, oh, just coincidentally after the former beauty queen became horribly disfigured in a car accident while he was in Viet Nam. Yep, cheated on wife no. one, dated around when he got home (and before from all accounts) and set his sights on the younger, richer, more politically connected beer heiress. Now THAT'S family values for ya! And other than their infidelity, the McCains also have some other things in common -- a bit of connection to the Keating 5 scandal, Cindy's embezzlement and drug addiction. Oh, man, that Michelle Obama -- isn't she awful??? She made a statement about being proud that she's explained 20 ways to Sunday. How dare she ... yeah, I'd MUCH rather have Cindy serving tea in the White House!

[thebirdstheword]

you're surprised? cindy mccain is rich and a blonde. why are you surprised?

[ched]

Well, as long as we're on the topic of wives, if Michelle is Barack's "baby mama," does that make Cindy John McCain's "C*nt"?

[linc]

I say lets play..... Cindy McCain is a homewrecker her present husband is an adulterer. These are facts while the whole baby mama thing......well that's just crap and even a clueless white guy like me can see through that......

[mstew99]

Well, I hate to see it all disintegrate into that kind of stuff, but I don't think the Democrats can or should stand by for another round of swift-boat attacks. I like the Cindy McCain as homewrecker thing, and while we're at it why don't we also point out to the women of America that she's pretty thin (that often brings out some resentment) a n d it looks like she's had some work done. Let's paint her as another Leona Helmsley . . .