That Horrid Woman Has Not Yet Crossed the Line Into Clearly Racist Shit, but
If and when she does, I reserve the right to use every harsh, judgmental and insulting term I can, in her specific discussion.
Now I know that this is politics, and that "Team Maverick," has clearly chosen the low road -- that of character assassination, instead of the issues, like the economy, which at least one staffer said they would loose on. And I know that it is unlikely that Horrid Woman is going to use any specifically racist language (but hey, ya never know.) But here we are, only slightly less than a month away from election day, and even the AP Wire service is pointing out the fact that That Horrid Woman is dancing close to the edge, with the racist shit:
"Palin's words avoid repulsing voters with overt racism. But is there another subtext for creating the false image of a black presidential nominee "palling around" with terrorists while assuring a predominantly white audience that he doesn't see their America?
In a post-Sept. 11 America, terrorists are envisioned as dark-skinned radical Muslims, not the homegrown anarchists of Ayers' day 40 years ago. With Obama a relative unknown when he began his campaign, the Internet hummed with false e-mails about ties to radical Islam of a foreign-born candidate.
Whether intended or not by the McCain campaign, portraying Obama as "not like us" is another potential appeal to racism. It suggests that the Hawaiian-born Christian is, at heart, un-American. "
Palin's words may backfire on McCain
And at this point, I remind my readership that just a few weeks ago Sen. McCain went Ballistic at the mere suggestion by Sen. Obama that some unspecified 'they' were going to tell the American people that Sen. Obama did not look like them. Seems to me what That Horrid Woman said is at least as patent a race bait as what Sen. Obama predicted.
How he looks?
How he looks at America?
Either way, the message is clear; they are trying to communicate an US versus HIM message, and they are saying that the HIM, Senator Obama, is not a regular American. That in of itself is offensive, even with out it being clearly said he is not a regular WHITE American.
I am really trying hard, here, to not despise That Horrid Woman. But she is not making it easy for me. If she just moves a little further to the (right?) line of clearly racist shit, she will not only be on the line, but her toes will be over that line. Not that I want it to happen. And I do not want it to happen because I FEAR the consequences if "Team Maverick" goes further down that road. That could unleash all the racist rage of the racist contingent of white America (I'd call that a good 33% of white America, off the top of my head) crashing through the busted damn of American Racial Parity and Decency. Yes that damn is very strong in some sections. In other sections? Not so much. So yes, the wrong messages about race, either overt or covert, could make this race truly ugly.
Disagree with me if you must, but I truly believe there is a powerful amount of pent up white racist animosity in this country. Between the few who are unashamedly racist and proud of it, and those many more who merely know it is bad to be called racist, so they try hard NOT to say what really is in their hearts, and those slightly better folk, who sincerely try to be better people about race and ethnicity issues, but still have lingering racist thoughts and feelings deep down, and still can sorta see the value in those thoughts, on their bad days. That is why I put my estimate up at 33%. And I really could be low balling it, I am just guessing based on stats I have seen for not only racist issue polling, but all sorts of racial/ethnic polling. I believe much more racist, anti ethnic group prejudice goes on below the surface, than above it. This piece fleshes out a variation on that theory.
Racism Without Racists.
But anyway . . . I do not want to see that happen. I do not want to see a 21st century repeat of what life was like here in America, back when I was born, in 1962.
Hell. We already had one member of the Racist Contingent mob shouting in favor of murder at a "Maverick" rally. And ya know they were not calling for the murder of either of the Mavericks.
Good Lord. The chickens could very well be coming home to roost, in America. And I fear they are carrying a contagion far worse than Avian Flu.
Now that doom could be averted if "Team Maverick" would swear off any thing minimally racially tinged, and quickly and harshly condemn anyone on the Right who does that between now and election day.
As if that is going to happen. Fuckit. I think I need to go and price some Kevlar Body Armor. I might need it, before the next 28 days are past.
Now I know that this is politics, and that "Team Maverick," has clearly chosen the low road -- that of character assassination, instead of the issues, like the economy, which at least one staffer said they would loose on. And I know that it is unlikely that Horrid Woman is going to use any specifically racist language (but hey, ya never know.) But here we are, only slightly less than a month away from election day, and even the AP Wire service is pointing out the fact that That Horrid Woman is dancing close to the edge, with the racist shit:
"Palin's words avoid repulsing voters with overt racism. But is there another subtext for creating the false image of a black presidential nominee "palling around" with terrorists while assuring a predominantly white audience that he doesn't see their America?
In a post-Sept. 11 America, terrorists are envisioned as dark-skinned radical Muslims, not the homegrown anarchists of Ayers' day 40 years ago. With Obama a relative unknown when he began his campaign, the Internet hummed with false e-mails about ties to radical Islam of a foreign-born candidate.
Whether intended or not by the McCain campaign, portraying Obama as "not like us" is another potential appeal to racism. It suggests that the Hawaiian-born Christian is, at heart, un-American. "
Palin's words may backfire on McCain
And at this point, I remind my readership that just a few weeks ago Sen. McCain went Ballistic at the mere suggestion by Sen. Obama that some unspecified 'they' were going to tell the American people that Sen. Obama did not look like them. Seems to me what That Horrid Woman said is at least as patent a race bait as what Sen. Obama predicted.
How he looks?
How he looks at America?
Either way, the message is clear; they are trying to communicate an US versus HIM message, and they are saying that the HIM, Senator Obama, is not a regular American. That in of itself is offensive, even with out it being clearly said he is not a regular WHITE American.
I am really trying hard, here, to not despise That Horrid Woman. But she is not making it easy for me. If she just moves a little further to the (right?) line of clearly racist shit, she will not only be on the line, but her toes will be over that line. Not that I want it to happen. And I do not want it to happen because I FEAR the consequences if "Team Maverick" goes further down that road. That could unleash all the racist rage of the racist contingent of white America (I'd call that a good 33% of white America, off the top of my head) crashing through the busted damn of American Racial Parity and Decency. Yes that damn is very strong in some sections. In other sections? Not so much. So yes, the wrong messages about race, either overt or covert, could make this race truly ugly.
Disagree with me if you must, but I truly believe there is a powerful amount of pent up white racist animosity in this country. Between the few who are unashamedly racist and proud of it, and those many more who merely know it is bad to be called racist, so they try hard NOT to say what really is in their hearts, and those slightly better folk, who sincerely try to be better people about race and ethnicity issues, but still have lingering racist thoughts and feelings deep down, and still can sorta see the value in those thoughts, on their bad days. That is why I put my estimate up at 33%. And I really could be low balling it, I am just guessing based on stats I have seen for not only racist issue polling, but all sorts of racial/ethnic polling. I believe much more racist, anti ethnic group prejudice goes on below the surface, than above it. This piece fleshes out a variation on that theory.
Racism Without Racists.
But anyway . . . I do not want to see that happen. I do not want to see a 21st century repeat of what life was like here in America, back when I was born, in 1962.
Hell. We already had one member of the Racist Contingent mob shouting in favor of murder at a "Maverick" rally. And ya know they were not calling for the murder of either of the Mavericks.
Good Lord. The chickens could very well be coming home to roost, in America. And I fear they are carrying a contagion far worse than Avian Flu.
Now that doom could be averted if "Team Maverick" would swear off any thing minimally racially tinged, and quickly and harshly condemn anyone on the Right who does that between now and election day.
As if that is going to happen. Fuckit. I think I need to go and price some Kevlar Body Armor. I might need it, before the next 28 days are past.
posted by Abstentus at 9:53 AM
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