WaPo: Rev. Wright (2008) = Willie Horton (1988)

[npincus]

Dems must call MSM out on their incessant Wright coverage: Willie Horton-esque RACE-BAITING. They can no longer pretend that THEY aren't PARTICPANTS in this destructive and offensive behavior. Unless there is "news" to report, the mindless repititon and chewing over Rev. Wright's oratory is simply RACIST, RACE-BAITING foul play and interference in an election.

The MSM must be SHAMED and called out on this.

(please keep kicked)



SCARY BLACK MAN ALERT!!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/04/AR2008050401847.html?wpisrc=newsletter

There is no way to conduct such an experiment in real life, but Arizona State University social psychologist Steven Neuberg believes that Wright has damaged the biracial Obama because, in his public persona -- as much as in his views -- he activates unconscious fears and racial stereotypes that many voters have about angry black men. Black leaders who are popular with white voters invariably find ways to put such fears to rest, Neuberg said.

"Like Colin Powell but unlike Jesse Jackson, the cues that suggest there is someone out there who may want to do you harm are not there" with Obama, Neuberg said. "It is the reason Powell could have won eight years ago and that Obama can win. His bearing is non-threatening."

"What this Wright guy has done is tagged Obama as a black guy," Neuberg added. "He is more aggressive and attacking, and that engages in people's minds and that makes race salient."

If Neuberg is right, Wright might well be the 2008 version of Willie Horton, the black Massachusetts inmate whose case was used against Democratic candidate Michael S. Dukakis in 1988. Talking up the controversy, moreover, gives Obama's opponents a potent weapon: They can hook into voters' hidden fears and racial attitudes without ever saying a word about the radioactive subject of race.

[QC]

1. Willie Horton was in '88. n/t

[npincus]

2. thanks- typo corrected

:)

[cjsmom]

3. Shalom

and get a grip. Dukakis wasn't friends with Willie Horton for 20 years. It isn't race-baiting.

[meow mix]

4. "It isn't race-baiting" .. congrats, spoken like a true baiter

good way to out yourself

[nichomachus]

5. Back at ya' -- Spoken like a true master baiter

[DevonRex]

7. That might be the quickest I ever put anybody on ignore.

I think it was 36 whole posts for the race baiter? LOL.

[meow mix]

10. lol yeah, the other 35 posts were real gems im sure

:hide:
lookout for sockpuppets

[cjsmom]

17. You can call me a racist if you want.

You can call me a race-baiter if you want. I really don't care. And my vote will not go to Obama.

[cliffordu]

20. I'm sure he stays awake at night worrying about the

pastorbator pinhead vote.

[npincus]

6. it certainly is... it's all about scaring white people with an angry black man

whose asscoiation with Obama has already been discussed ad nauseum. There is NO NEWS to report, so so-called news outlets are partidcipating in disseminating propaganda that we KNOW Republicans will exploit. But why is the MSM doing Republicans' work? It's all about making the race more competitve, hoping for chaos in our party, thus turning their expanded viewership into $$$$$$$.

It's clear.

Shalom as well, BTW!

[Yael]

14. Ad Rev Wright isn't a criminal.

so whats yer point

[roseBudd]

15. Why is your profile disabled?

[zulchzulu]

8. A little Swiftboating and a lot of Hortonizing

If the mainstream media didn't have a 42-day period between Mississippi and Pennsylvania primaries, this may not have come up until the fall. ABC started the bullshit and the rest is history.

It indeed is about racism, the fear of a black President and dubious in the implication that what a former pastor says equals what a presidential candidate thinks.

Guess what. There is a silver lining to all this crass nonsense. The Wright "issue" came out seven months too early. By the time the fall election kicks in, this will be a stale, distant memory and anyone who brings it up will be greeted with yawns and calls that they are desperate.

I did a timeline of the events and find that it will make for an interesting chapter in this primary race:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/zulchzulu/194

[whistle]

9. It was George W. H. Bush who promoted the Willy Horton ads in 1988

...and in 1980 Ronnie Reagan brought up the mythical "Welfare Queen". It has always been republicans who used race and racial fears and racial stereotypes to polarize voters not the democrats.

[npincus]

12. The Weekly Standard sems to feel Clinton resembles "one of them"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5815368&mesg_id=5815368

[TragedyandHope]

11. No kidding, but it is surprising to see a major paper realize this

[uponit7771]

13. I pray Dean makes sure to get the DNC in line & on tune with race baiting & shame the MsM a little..

...in regards to Wright.

They have little shame...

[PurityOfEssence]

16. Um...the Willie Horton ads worked

Do you think this is over? Republicans will pore over every charged particle of videotape that's out there in the HUGE trove of the Reverend's Ego Library and cross-reference them with days Obama was in attendance. They'll confront him on statement after statement. They'll ask if he knew about the HIV contention, and why he didn't break right then and there. If he feigns ignorance, they'll rightly question his honesty and judgment.

Yes, the racist elements in this country can be incited by the "angry black man" approach, so giving them the raw meat they desire is a BAD thing. The arguments here are most perplexing as Obama supporters simultaneously claim that the country's rabidly racist, yet that these approaches really are a tempest in the proverbial teapot. Frankly, it seems like some (like perhaps Wright) want to lose to prove their point of victimization.

If one remembers the dynamic of past scandals, one should know that this isn't over. These things go in cycles, and the cycles feed themselves. Many people haven't seen the "God Damn America, God Damn America" speech yet, and when they finally do see it after they've heard about it and heard Obama supporters pooh-poo it as inconsequential, they're going to be doubly shocked: first by the furore of the moment itself and then by the minimization by Democrats. Couple this with Michelle's "really proud" comment and THEN the "proud" comment from earlier that day, throw in a little Raila Odinga church-burning, Nadhmi Auchi and Bill Ayers, and they'll make this guy wish he'd voted for the Iran Sense of the Senate Bill that he ducked.

This is gonna hurt; it's just a matter of how much.

[npincus]

18. the distinction is the GE campaign hasn't started yet, but the MSM is doing THEIR work

McCain has gotten millions and millions of dollars of free advertising, from the so-called Fourth Estate! What a frigging joke and outrage. Frank Rich had a great column on Sunday noting the selective attention of the media to focus on the angry black preacher and not (McCain's) angry, loony white preacher, Rev. Hagee.

[PurityOfEssence]

21. How long has McCain been affiliated with Hagee?

It's hardly parallel. Did McCain extol this man's virtues for many, many years? Did he cite him as a mentor and model? Did he do a veritable "what he said" by adopting a key phrase as the title of his very own autobiography?

Skunk though Hagee is, the personal involvement is on a whole different plane, and Obama is much more vulnerable to his pastor's ravings as a result.

[npincus]

22. McCain actively SOUGHT Hagee's (political) endorsement

because of WHO Hagee is: an influential person to the RW fundamentalist crowd. Obama has never used his association with Wright to appeal to black-extremist synmpathizers- THAT would be the true parallel.

McCain waqs pandering to Hagee AFTER he knew the guy called the Catholic Chruch the "great whore" among other insans ramblings... that this does not get a FRACTION of the play the Wright clips have (Hagee is up on YouTube, there for the taking) illustrates utter hypocrisy and sinister motivations on the part of the MSM. And yes, it is race-baiting.

[BlooInBloo]

19. It's as much the racist American public's fault as it is the media's.

[oasis]

23. Comparing Rev. Wright to a rapist/murderer gets you minus points. (eom)

[npincus]

24. perhaps English is your second language- read post again.

It is about tactics and MSM influencing this primary using the same racial signals that were used 20 years ago.

But you KNEW that.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. We're comparing racists to racists.

But I guess that went over your head.

[oasis]

26. Here's a clue for you. Americans are annoyed by maniacs who scream "God damn America".

No matter what color they are.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. Here's a clue.

Only racists give a shit about Jeremiah Wright.