An interesting sequence of events. First, the McCain Campaign, in the context of a week long ad blitz that has been demonstrably deceptive on each of its major themes, unleashes an ad that invites viewers to associate Obama with young white women who are famous for being overhyped, vapid, and sexually promiscuous. Second, it immediately becomes conventional wisdom that it would be the purest fantasy to suggest that the creators of the ad might have cynically chosen imagery that played to the repressed racist core of the GOP's wingnut base. Third, Obama, while discussing the McCain campaign's descent into the mud, remarks that, "They're going to try to say that I'm a risky guy, they're going to try to say, 'Well, you know, he's got a funny name and he doesn't look like all the presidents on the dollar bills." Fourth, the McCain Campaign announces that Obama has "played the race card." Fifth, it is immediately accepted as conventional wisdom that Obama has played the race card and that this is a very bad thing which must be admitted and repudiated.
Addendum: And now I'm watching Clarence Page on MSNBC and he's being riduculed for suggesting that the McCain ad has racial overtones. Meanwhile, it continues to be taken as obvious that 'looks like a president' has clear racial content.
Double Plus Addendum: Holy crap! Page may have won the argument.
(image via)
No comments:
Post a Comment