how will the republicans play the racist card against obama?

[unblock]

not a primaries question -- assuming obama vs. mccain matchup in novemeber ....

the republicans have always welcomed the bigots into their tent. but they've always needed to carefully craft their racist message because the vast majority of swing voters capable of being moved by this kind of message is actually conflicted -- they are racist but don't want to acknowledge that they're racist.

so republicans have always played the race card very carefully to tie their opponent to blacks without being too overt. bigots WANT to vote for the republicans but they need to have an excuse so they can feel like they're not being bigotted in doing so. hence the infamous willie horton ad.

so they come to a problem running against obama, because how do you play the race card without being ridiculously obvious about it?


in fact, i'll go as far as to say i think obama's race could work to his advantage among this group. it will be nearly impossible for them to vote against him and still feel like they're not being racist in doing so. many might vote for him just so they can feel like they're not racist (and then perhaps vote for racists in other elections).

thoughts?

[thatsrightimirish]

1. call me barack

wink wink

[LibDemAlways]

2. The same people who managed to successfully Swiftboat

Kerry - turning his honorable Vietnam service into a negative - will have no problem overtly going after Obama on race. Expect them to bring it up often and get in as many negative stereotypes as they can.

And they can even do it without being too overt about it. A couple of weeks ago ABC ran a story on 20/20 in which they hired three white teens to trash a car in the parking lot of a suburban park in broad daylight. Most people passing by didn't even give the kids a second look. However, while the white kids were trashing the car, local police received two calls to report that a couple of black men were sitting in a car in the same lot - that's right just sitting there. When ABC replaced the white kids with three black kids, the phones in the police station started ringing off the hook. The reporter solemnly stated that many white Americans are still fearful of black males.

That story clearly had nothing to do directly with Obama, but it had everything to do with the state of race relations in this country and the media's willingness to play to racial prejudice.

I expect, if Obama's the nominee, that race and race-baiting will play a significant role.

[hifalutin]

3. This looks like it could be one of their 'attack' plans

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February 25, 2008
Obama and the former Weathermen
Thomas Lifson
Taylor Marsh, who calls herself, "the antidote to right wing talk", assembles a lot of evidence that Barack Obama has a serious past association with former Weather Underground terrorism supporter William Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dohrn.

She writes:

Obama's Ayers and Dorhn relationship is something more than a few people have been trying to nail down for weeks. You can bet the Republicans and their 527s will do just that. I don't blame them either. This goes well beyond the Rezko connection. In the bad judgment file, any association whatsoever with a domestic terrorist who actively tried to thwart an air war during the Vietnam war, calls our Marines "terrorists," while also being unrepentant about it, shows a lack of seriousness I will never accept. John McCain's personal disgust at this connection between Obama and Ayers will bring out a righteous fury that will likely pit the War Hero against the Terrorist's Friend, which is just one angle Obama's opponents will use.


Explore the links and decide for yourself how important the connection is or was. Will the Hillary campaign raise this issue?

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/02/obama_and_the_former_weatherme.html

[leftofcool]

4. Karl Rove is on job

they won't use what you think they will.

[LibDemAlways]

9. I have this image of Rove sitting in a warehouse

someplace compiling vast quantities of potentially damaging stuff about both Obama and Hillary and hoping to God they'll run on a "unity" ticket so he can use all of it.

Dems should never underestimate the evil he's capable of.

[angrycarpenter]

5. I think someone will slip up

and say something overtly racist near an open mic. Pandimonium will ensue. There is no way that many rich white people will be able to make it to November without someone making a watermelon joke or something.

[unblock]

6. exactly. there's a huge risk of backlash if they push it too far

you'd think they'd have a field day running against a black man but in truth they have to be VERY careful

[LibDemAlways]

7. Remember George "Macaca" Allen....

He couldn't keep his racism hidden while running for a second term in the Senate. The repuke crowd loved it when he started in.

I fully expect the same thing to happen on the McCain campaign trail. Even if McCain manages to keep race out of it, you can bet the repukes on the stage with him won't be able to resist, and that could work to Obama's benefit.

Also, your "watermelon" reference reminded me of a story told to me by a friend who went to college with George Allen. One Monday before class Allen was discussing the previous day's Redskins loss with a couple of guys. Apparently a black player had missed catching the ball on a key play. "If it was a watermelon," Allen said, "he'd have caught it." That's republican racism in a nutshell - overt and unapologetic.

[tachyon]

8. they will probably claim he's an African-American...

...

[spag68]

10. They will do or say anything

No matter how despicable, just be ready to answer their crap immediately, no hesitation like Kerry. I too think they will slip up and the rethug party will drown for good. Here's hoping they don't get away with it this time.

[AlinPA]

11. Republicans don't need to be covert about it, they can do it right out in the open;

people vote in private, so who would know they are being racist? So I look for the republicans to go to a bigoted campaign immediately.

[MadAndy]

12. They won't do anything worse than the Clintons.

They know they would never be able to get away with it.

[JackRiddler]

13. Through association.

The attack will be launched against a different black person altogether, who will be associated indirectly in the public mind with Obama, even if it makes no sense. Pattern: Willie Horton, Louis Farrakhan. All that will matter in this strategy (which may not work!) is to keep highlighting a black man, any black man, as the target of social hatred.

As an ideal example, if it could be arranged: Home-run king and steroids user Barry Bonds is accused of killing a white woman. (How about Natalie Holloway? Was Bonds in Aruba?)

The media cover nothing but this for six months solid, six hours a day minimum. (Nancy Grace, Glenn Beck, all radio shows, Greta, The View, 24 hours worth of FOX, helicopter cameras on Bonds's attempted getaway in a Humvee, etc. etc.)

Obama would be juxtaposed only coincidentally with the accused. After 25 minutes of Bonds coverage on the news, they'll switch to some quick summary of the election campaign with Obama in it.

The Rovians rely on pavlovian reactions among the white folk.

[AlinPA]

14. You can take that to the bank. They will do it. Rove can play that easily.

[jwirr]

15. Quietly, word of mouth, behind his back and probably through the churches. nt