Waiting For "Whitey"

If only there were a tape of one of the Obamas talking like this. Say, Michelle Obama. Ranting about "whitey."

It's come to this.

I've spent a lot of time talking this week with some top Republican pros, in person and on the phone. It's fear and loathing times in America, and especially for Republican Americans.

Virtually all of these Republican pros think Barack Obama has it won, most even before Obama won his second debate with John McCain. None of them dislike McCain, or have any bone to pick with Steve Schmidt or Rick Davis. (That's how you know I didn't talk to John Weaver, McCain's former chief strategist who said yesterday that McCain's events are encouraging "an angry mob mentality.") At least one of them has voted for Obama absentee. One or two said, wistfully, "What about the Whitey tape, maybe that would change it?"

Of course, there is no Whitey tape. The whole thing was almost certainly lifted from a financial thriller, "The Power Broker,' by Stephen Frey. Which I read when this nonsense about a purported tape of Michelle Obama ranting about "whitey" surfaced in June.

When you're waiting for "Whitey," you're in much worse shape than when you're waiting for Godot. I'll return to the "Whitey" episode in a moment. It's instructive.

All agreed that McCain's campaign executed a series of deft, rapid improvisations after Schmidt largely took over in July, putting McCain back into a game that any other Republican would have been out of all along this year.

Ironically, when Schmidt, who I profiled here on Huffington Post, managed Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide re-election as California's governor in 2006, the style of the campaign was totally different. Even when behind, as Schwarzenegger was for several months, that campaign had an inexorable quality to it, perhaps reflecting Schwarzenegger's hyper-confident personality.

This campaign has a "zany" quality to it, as one longtime Republican strategist put it. Perhaps reflecting McCain's more impulsive personality.

All agreed the economy was always going to be a huge problem for McCain, because he is tied to the deregulationist policies of this era of Republicanism at the national level. If the economy got worse, as it did, with a vengeance, he would have trouble playing in the economic stimulus game.

But all agreed, even those few who still like her, that the selection of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate may have proved a death knell to the McCain campaign even before the epic financial crisis.

"She hasn't stepped up to the big stage," was the most positive assessment. Most were more scathing, calling her totally unqualified, embarrassingly uninformed even for someone in her current office. Two cited this morning's David Brooks column in the New York Times, in which the conservative writer bemoans how the Republican preference for "culture war" -- which is essentially an ongoing political gambit in which guys who are elites pretend not to be by attacking education and expertise in favor of "authenticity" -- has managed to drive knowledge workers (even including bankers!) away from the party.

Sarah Palin, a bridge to nowhere? Certainly a bridge too far. As stunts go. Of course, she wasn't McCain's real first choice. But she was his final choice.

Most worry about an Obama presidency, but see that there would have to be big changes in the country anyway given the nature of our crises.

John McCain's new TV ad says that Barack Obama worked with a terrorist.

And yet, maybe that "Whitey" tape might save the day after all.

The Whitey tape, for those who've forgotten, is something that set my friends over on the right all atwitter this past June when a wacky anti-Obama/supposedly pro-Hillary web site -- and you know you're in fringe territory when the proprietor refers to "Barky" -- announced that a tape of Michelle Obama ranting about "whitey" was about to be released. Or maybe it was a dvd. Or maybe it was going to be held for awhile. Till, say, October.

When and where did this Michelle outburst purportedly occur? Well, it was definitely in Chicago. A few years ago. Definitely. Michelle Obama was there with Louis Farrakhan at Jeremiah Wright's church. Or, actually, she was there with Mrs. Farrakhan at Jeremiah Wright's church. Okay, she was there with Mrs. Farrakhan across town. And so on.

The tape, or dvd, or cave painting, or whatever format this thing was supposedly in, of course never surfaced.

But not before former Walter Mondale campaign manager Bob Beckel was on Fox News saying he heard something big was probably going to come out the next day. Which got the far right all atwitter about how Beckel had supposedly said the tape was coming out the next day. Which was not exactly what he said.

This McCain campaign web video details what it calls Barack Obama's close alliance with Bill Ayers. The "radical education foundation" it mentions was actually funded by the conservative Annenberg Foundation.

As it happened, nothing happened the next day, no whitey tape, no nothing.

Then it turned out that the whole scenario was suspiciously similar to the major plot point of a 2006 novel, Stephen Frey's "The Power Broker."

I've enjoyed more than a few such financial thrillers on long plane rides. Well, at least before we had laptops. The best was one of the first I know of, Paul Erdman's "The Crash of '79," which is about a global financial collapse and war in the Middle East. Uh-oh.

"The Power Broker" is nowhere near as fun. In it, the first African American candidate with a real shot at the presidency, a former tennis star-turned-US senator named Jesse Wood, secretly has a big bone to pick with white people.

Not that he lets it on in public, where he is invariably elegant, articulate, and charming. Behind the scenes, he is secretly backed and bankrolled by a cabal of former Black Panthers, one of whom pulls his strings. A close associate of Senator Obama, er. Senator Wood, is an angry black preacher.

In one of his conversations with Reverend Wright, er, Reverend Roundtree, the candidate reveals his true feelings: "You know, I had to put up with so much crap from Whitey when I was playing tennis back in the day, it was ridiculous. Tennis racquets busted while I was in the shower, no towels, the worst locker, called nigger all the time, even by the help. ... If I get elected president, I'm gonna act the way I'm supposed to act in front of the camera. Smile and dance like a good black man, do what I'm expected to do like a good boy. But behind the scenes, I'll fuck Whitey, and I'll fuck him good, I really will."

Naturally, he is secretly filmed while saying this. Because he, like Michelle Obama, is a brilliant pol.

Later in the novel comes the scenario for release of the whitey tape. Determined by a big oil man named Hewitt, no relation to far right radio show host and blogger Hugh.

Hewitt thought for a second. "I'm going to let Jesse win the nomination and let the public get used to him as the Democratic candidate. Give the country some time to get to know Jesse Wood, to start to like him. And they will because he's a very likeable guy. Then I'm going to drop the bomb, after everyone's started to like him. That way the clip will have maximum effect and people will be as angry as they can be. Whites and blacks. Whites for the obvious reason, blacks because they'll feel like he let 'em down."

Unfortunately, in the real world, there is no such tape. While it is obviously tempting for those grasping at straws to imagine that this Jeremiah Wright type stuff was actually said by one of the Obamas themselves, the Obamas' opponents can't have it both ways.

Either they have been brilliantly plotting to win the White House for a great many years -- or, even more nefariously, are a "Manchurian candidate" set-up, with sophisticated string pullers guiding every move (there's a whole column in that crazy fantasy) -- or they have not.

There's no whitey tape, and the resigned attitude of these top Republican pros seems not inappropriate.

Oh, and as for this "Manchurian candidate" stuff? Obviously it's said by people who don't know either the Frank Sinatra movie (directed by Robert F. Kennedy's great friend John Frankenheimer) or the Richard Condon novel.

Because "The Manchurian Candidate" is really a Medal of Honor war hero and former prisoner of war programmed by American's enemies during his captivity to bring them to power.

Oh, and by the way ... In the sequel to "The Power Broker," the secretly "whitey"-hating black presidential candidate ends up winning. And he's the hero's friend, too.

Comments

[gi]

Maybe its a good thing that he dealt with all these radical people. Now its time for a real president to deal with the real radicals and terroist. Osama Bin laden, Putin, Kim Jong II, Hugo Chavez

[Pamela1961]

I heard that "whitey" tape rumor too. In the version I heard Rudy Giuliani had it and they weren't going to release it until the very last minute. Of course the Rev. Wright controversy was disturbing it came out with the help of the Huffington Post in time to dispell or explain it all. Also as for Michelle's Princeton thesis that was not exactly pro white it too was released and explained. At this point I don't really know that anything will sway voters away from Obama, not even the article today in the NY Post about what Jesse Jackson has to say about Obama and Israel. But as Yogi Berra said "It ain't over till it's over". Personally I think Obama will be our new President and McCain picked the wrong V.P. or it would have been closer.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

I hadn't heard the Giuliani variant.

[CaptainStormfield]

Since a day or 2 has gone by since you wrote this column, its interesting to look at whats in the news today. Virginia GOP training volunteers to say "Obama is like Osama". Republicans working overtime to
blame the meltdown on Democrats, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. Hoping people wont notice 8 years of deficit spending, no bid contracts, crony capitalism and constant "Bush says the economy is doing great!!". Accorn did it. Will the Democrats make an effort to get in front of the charges of crashing the economy? Does it matter? I think it does long term as they will try to paint any Democratic plans or changes with that brush.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Paranoia strikes deep ...

Who wrote/sang that?

[CaptainStormfield]

Buffalo Springfield........ For What Its Worth.. :)

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

It's not been a time of glory for Republicans here ...

[magen]

If there WAS a "whitey" tape, it would have come out a looooooong time ago.

I think you've got it backwards though.

I betcha (gotta use it) a McSame supporter is gonna publically let an N-word slip out pretty soon.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

There's no whitey tape. What do I have "backwards?"

[Pamela1961]

Nothing I can see Sir, you seem to have it pretty correct. :D

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Not a core McCain supporter.

[ricitizen]

Ohio Newspaper Endorses Obama.
Toledo Ohio Blade Endorses
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081012/OPINION02/810120311

Missouri Newspaper Endorse Obama
St Louis Post-Dispatch endorses Barack Obama.
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-platform/campaign-2008/2008/10/sunday-editorial-barack-obama-for-president/

Excellent well written endorsements.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Newspaper endorsements don't mean very much.

[littlepuffycloud]

Great article...How can anybody not know McAngry and no Senator O would be the 'Manchurian Candidate'? The most excellent original movie has been on TMC weekly for the last couple of months. I remember hearing about such a tape last summer, but didn't realize it is still being batted around as real.
Michelle, ma belle..
These are words that go together well
My Michelle.

I adore Michelle Obama and wish I could take some of the attacks against her that she's handled with such grace and poise. She'll be a fantastic First Lady.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks! I have a piece coming on this "Manchurian Candidate" nonsense.

[Pamela1961]

Cool, I'll be looking forward to it! I enjoy your work. Sorry for commenting too much.

[peggyleg]

Oh, they have the tape, it'll come out the Thursday AFTER Senator Obama's 30 minute commercial airs!!

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

"They" know that there is no tape.

Hasta la bye bye.

[optech007]

I don't know if this tape exists but if it does, it won't come out until about one week before Election Day.
If it came out now there would be too much time to explain it away, there would be enough time for something else to be a bigger story, or in this age of short attention spans a lot of people would forget about it.

But if it comes out say the Thursday morning before the election it builds all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday, with Obama and her and all their supporters having to defend what she said. Sunday it's on the front page of every newspaper in the country. On Monday, all the talking heads will be talking about how does this hurt Sen. Obama, etc. and on Election Day people will go into the voting booth after days about hearing how the potential next First Lady thinks of caucasians as "Whitey".

If this tape does exist and somebody has it, they are definitely saving what they think is the best for the very end.

[Fabienne]

If this tape existed, the Clinton campaign would have used it. What tripe.

[optech007]

Maybe they didn't have it.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Let's try this again.

There is no such tape.

[Quaoar]

A last minute move like that reeks of desperation by a campaign that apparently has nothing else going for it.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Let me explain something to you. There is no such tape.

[dfortruth]

God not hold us responsible for the sins of others, God do not hold Obama responsibe for what comes out of Rev. Wright's mouth. God is able to sit Rev. Wright down and He did. A true born again Christian can sat in any church, the pastor of that church is not their god. Our responsibity is to read the Word of God, and ask the Holy Spirit to give us His revelation of what each scripture mean.

We are not call to kick the pastor out of that church, or to leave before the Lord tells us to. We pray for that pastor and we pray that God will give each person who comes to that church discernment, to know whether that pastor is speaking from his own heart, or from the heart of God.

After we hear and understand the true gospel of Christ, we confess our sins against God, and we do not go and point out the sins of others. Mercy not judgment.

As for the abortion issue God is the just Judge of al the earth, He gave us His law, and He Forgave us when we chose not to obey His law. And He gave us His Son to paid for our chose to break His law.

That means changing judges and laws will not stop people from choosing to abort the child. Are we greater than God?

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Rev. Wright needs to do some weightlifting and remove that big chip from his shoulder.

[ricitizen]

Dems going after the Lone Star State! Yahoo! Make them all blue!

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/road-to-270-texas.html

[peggyleg]

Not a snowball's chance is h-ll.

[ricitizen]

I knew you'd be the one to respond peggyl. Of course they don't have a chance....not this year anyway....but one day. :-)

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

That's one thing you're right about ... :)

[uheardme]

Come on man. lol

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Obama won't win Texas. Though he did win it against Hillary, as I reported first.

[CaptainStormfield]

Good segment on MSNBC Olberman about McCain fighting the last war instead of this one.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

McCain's fighting the war he lost in 2000.

[ricitizen]

Well the Ayers attacks are being put in mothballs. LET'S BRING ON ABORTION!

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/palin-tempers-attacks-on-obama/

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Well, Ayers didn't really get put in mothballs after all.

[gro]

Mr Bradley, Thanks for bringing up the probable source of the 'whitey' scenario. It makes sense.
I gave up on that 'pro-Hillary' website months ago. Everything the McCain campaign has done and said is no surprise to me. The surprise is the reaction of those who willingly believe the worst.
At least the media has woken up to the demagoguery.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

That looked like a crank anti-Obama web site a lot more than a real pro-Hillary site.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Much of the blogosphere is really the yaposphere. That web site is a prime example.

[peggyleg]

I read both articles, and it clearly states that neither party is doing anything illegal. Hey, I want everyone who is legally registered to vote to cast their vote.

This is not the story I was talking about. I am talking about the story on ACORN, a democratic group that not only helps the poor and the minorities, but now they have found themselves in the middle of a voter registration scandle. Their office, in Nevada, was served w/a search warrant earlier this week. Officials took computers, files, etc. They have received over 800 thousand dollars from Senator Obama's campaign to help register voters. And about 7 or 8 other offices of ACORN around the office are also under investigation by the Feds.

[clevelandchick]

Fake voter registrations only do one thing, pump up registration numbers. A person cannot vote in most states these days without providing a government issued ID at the polls or with their absentee ballots. Fake voters cannot fake vote.

There is no evidence whatsoever that bad voter registration affects the outcome of elections.

http://www.demos.org/page337.cfm#_edn1

[peggyleg]

clevelandchick, so it's ok with you that an Obama sponsored group (ACORN) is registering people that don't exist because there is no proof that it effects the outcome? What if a McCain sponsored group did the same thing? Would you still feel the same?

[peggyleg]

ACORN has nothing to do with your column unless you count the fact that it is part of the Obama campaign.

[NoDramaPlease]

Unfortunatly not true...Even the dead get to vote in Florida!!! I know of a woman who has voted for her dead husband the last 3 elections...."Well this is how he would vote if he were alive"...

If we are waiting for a honest election then we better break out the snickers bars!!!!

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm quite sure that Mickey Mouse will not be voting.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Do let me know what ACORN has to do with my column.

[tomjones44]

see optech007's post above about short attention spans...

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm sure you are are equally outraged by voter caging.

And I trust you are getting your bonus posting points for this ... :)

[ricitizen]

St Louis Post-Dispatch endorses Barack Obama. It's a well written editorial.

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-platform/campaign-2008/2008/10/sunday-editorial-barack-obama-for-president/

[researcher]

very well stated article very well


ie nailed it

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks very much.

[William Bradley - Huffpost Blogger]

That's nice.