Reading The Pictures: The Barack "School Yard" Panic: How Much A Racist Thing?

Chris Stigall, a Kansas City talk show host, said, "I'm not letting my next-door neighbor talk to my kid alone; I'm sure as hell not letting Barack Obama talk to him alone.-- Some Parents Oppose Obama Speech to Students (NYT)

I'm not saying the latest right-wing hysteria tactic -- demonizing Obama's outreach to school children -- directly parallels the McCain campaign ad below.

I do think it's interesting revisiting the post below, however, which I originally ran six days short of a year ago. Beyond all the "state indoctrination" and even Hitler Youth analogies being propagated by Obama's school chat, I'm wondering how much there is (or is also) a racist meme at play. It's something along the lines of: You can't trust your children alone with this man ... knowing how black men are. Wink, wink.

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From: Sep 09, 2008: McCain Ad Ties Sex With Race

In today's trip to the swamp, the McCain campaign's latest attack video ostensibly targets the Obama's education plan.

... Except, the issue serves as nothing more than a foil to intimate that Obama -- shown in the screen shot with a smarmy grin and his coat looking frumpy -- desires to sexualize the lives of young children. More odious, however, it's also an example of the McCain campaign playing the race card, activating stereotypes of the black man -- seeming to gaze dreamily at something below (or shorter than) him -- as driven by sexual appetite.

(screen shot: McCain for President)

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Comments

[sorryaboutit]

They are proud to be stupid.

[ancientmarinader]

I normally shy away from using the term racist. I never use it.

This time though, it's finally starting to rise in my throat.

[mommadona]

Anyone at this time that does not believe racist attitudes are not at the bottom of this whole ball of wax is an ostrich with head planted firmly underground in the 'political correctness' mode.

"nice people can be racist too"

I should know - my family was.

[tahoegal]

This unfounded anguish over our President addressing the school children has a lot of "side effects". Its no doubt racist - the objections are coming from the same narrow minded people who can't stand the thought of an African American at the helm. When a meeting was held in El Dorado County, CA on concealed weapons permits, 600 people attended! When a school issue comes up that is vitally important to the school children, its difficult to get even a small crowd. This shows the paranoid mindset among a large percentage of voters. This has little to do with the school children, but a lot to do with the parents and their hate - what a horrible example to set for their kids. However, I think all of these off-the-wall issues are being watched by the American people (minorities in particular), and other countries. It doesn't make us look like a very intelligent (or even Democratic) country.

[wallyone]

It is telling that Stigall will not let his kids talk to his neighbor. How much crazy fear do these people live with? A bogeyman behind every tree and building? What a sad way to live a life. And so unnecessary in this great country.

[creolechild]

Even more interesting that research clearly shows that most children are abused by relatives or family friends.

[mendelcrosses]

The Irony is that no one will have any complaint sending their kid to study constitutional law at Chicago Univeristy when he was a professor there. So they are actually fine with having him educate their kids.

Why the fuzz now?

[Ohioan730]

As the days pass, I hope the rest of the world is seeing this. For too long minorities have had no voice in the media. The white majority MSM usually fails to report (or see) the sneaky and sinister acts committed by white supremacists against minorities. They fail to hear the dog whistles that women, gays, blacks, Latinos and Jews hear clear as day and the MSM will still try to find other unintended messages in their rhetoric. White liberals and conservatives alike tell all of us to "get over it".

Tell THEM to get over it. Tell them to get over their fears of a black man's "bigger" body parts (its a MYTH for chrissakes). Tell them to leave Jews alone--they have been persecuted since the beginning of time. Tell them to leave gays and women alone--we are not weak. Tell them to leave blacks alone--we have been subjugated, segregated and discriminated against for centuries and we're all very tired.

Tell them to leave us alone and ask them why is our pursuit of happiness so much of a threat to them. Ask them why is there an "us and them" in the first place.

[creolechild]

Nice post...

[oldwestendgirl]

Thanks to Glen Beck and his tribe o' crazies, it is now politically appropriate to hate the president for being (select one) a socialist, a fascist, a nazi (Which by the by socialism and fascism are contradictory terms)- What a perfect venue for people to mask their true hatred- that Obama is black.

[tandrmcdonald]

A rhetorical question: Do the Republicans and their rightwing nuts know any other way? If it's racist they'll use it. They don't even bother with subtle racism anymore.

[StrayTalk]

It's a racist thing. It's an ignorant thing. It's a carefully calculated political thing.
If I knew any of the parents who would take their kids out of school because of a presidential address I would call them OUT on their stupidity. No time to be silent.

[perkunis]

Empires won on the battlefield are eventually lost in the bedroom. As a white person I can only hear in the sound of these shrieking dog-whistles, the growing fear among my pale fellow citizens that they recognize that eventually, we will be a minority in "our" own country. It is only rage at the dying of the 'light'.
It is cold, clear racism and it always has been, based upon fear, but the rethugs need euphemisms to salve their consciences, because even they know it is wrong.

[nomobull]

if not racist then what is it. there is no justification for this.

[MajorKong]

I don't think it's so much a racial thing. I think the right mostly just likes whipping themselves into a frenzy.

They've turned into a bunch of professional rage junkies. If it wasn't this they'd pick something else to throw a collective hissy fit about.

[k2p2]

I agree. There may be a racist component for some of these people, but it is really more about whipping up the base into a hate-frenzy to drive them to the polls in 2010. It's exactly what they did from the first days of Bill Clinton's presidency.

[eShirl]

Oh please, it was NEVER this bad then.

[socsdd]

there you go again. america is going down the drain and americans are going on with their racism, stupidity and greater stupidity. what a great country. god bless america. while the rest of us steer forth and enjoy good times. yoo hoo.

[blindjester]

That's very helpful.

[msgirlintn]

This is one of the stupidest things the Repubs have done yet! And yes, I do believe it is a racist thing along with most of the other stuff they throw out and hope something will stick. I live in Middle Tennessee and 2 counties have already announced they aren't showing the speech. They seem to think that there aren't any democratics in their counties that would love to have their children see the president's speech, I tape Morning Joe every morning. Don't agree with much of anything he says, but I love the format of the show. I did appreciate him this morning. He called on the pack of repubs that want to run in 2012 to speak up and against this crap.