"So nobody really thinks that Bush or McCain have a real answer for the challenges we face, so what they're going to try to do is make you scared of me," he told voters in Springfield. "You know, he's not patriotic enough. He's got a funny name. You know, he doesn't look like all those other Presidents on those dollar bills, you know. He's risky. That's essentially the argument they're making."
Okay, so, let me get this straight: We can't use B. Hussein Obama's full name because it's offensive. We can't talk about why B. Hussein Obama's name might be thought funny because talking about it is playing the race card.
We can't mention the fact that he's black because that would be racist (even though it's okay for the BHO campaign to call McCain "outdated"). We can't call his preacher into question because that's playing the race card, even though when a preacher McCain isn't formally affiliated with in any way (and whos congregation he never sat in!) endorses McCain he has to immediately renounce the endorsement. We can't talk about BHO's parents or childhood, but we can call McCain's well-documented military service into question.
You know what, I'm tired of this double standard. I'll say it. I'll play the race card:
There will be no affirmative action in this presidential race. BHO is not entitled to special treatment because he happens to be black.
Friends, I call on you to help me call bullshit when the Obama campaign tries to say things like the quote above. Go to his speeches. Heckle him when he says crap like that. Tell your friends. Start a facebook group. No more affirmative action.
7 comments:
Alden,
You are writing like Obama's race is a hindrance to him. It isn't. The fact is that, sadly, there are people who won't vote for Obama solely because of his race. McCain doesn't face that obstacle.
As for Obama's middle name, it isn't that you aren't allowed to use it because it is offensive. It is a question on WHY one uses it. If you are using it because it is your habit to refer to all political candidates by their full names, then fine. No problem. But be fair about it and also refer to "John Sidney McCain the third." However, if you are using it to propagate the totally false impression that Obama is a Muslim then you are being deceptive.
I guess I don't understand why so many people out there (you included!) can't stick to making arguments on their merits. Is it you are afraid of something? Why not have an honest and reasoned blog about the reasons why McCain's ideas are better for this country than Obama's? This stuff about middle names is really trivial and subtracts from the national debate it is important for us to have.
That's not the point of my post. The point of my post was that his race really isn't a hindrance and it's ridiculous of him to pretend any of these attacks are racist. How is using his middle name any different than calling Bush "Dubya" or "Bush2"? Or "Big Willie", even? Making fun of a candidate's name, or even giving them an unfavorable nickname is common politics. It happens every cycle. Pretending doing the same for Obama is racist is just silly. I'm not going to NOT give him a nickname (or even make fun of the name he already has) just because he's not white.
It's also ridiculous for him to make the kind of attack statements he made in the speech I quoted and think no one will notice or care on the other side. In the Florida speech when he said "Oh yeah, and he's black" how was that not attacking the McCain campaign? Attacks are going to be refuted. We're not going to ignore he does them just because he's black.
When the media stops calling McCain old and boring I'll stop picking on Obama and stick to merits. But I think we both know that won't happen.
Obama's black? Really? ...looks more like a mix of white and black. Oh, what's that? He is both? Oh.
I think in order to be able to make claims about racial prejudicial hatred, you need to actually be in the minitorial group it's directed at (see Hilary Clinton vs. sexism against women).
Ha, Wes, that's a good system. No protesting attacks unless the attack is made against you or a group you fit into. I love it when people complain about how unfair something is with no comment from the campaign itself. I don't recall anyone from the Obama camp protesting those Celebrity ads, so STFU, liberals.
You asked, Alden, how using Obama's middle name is different from calling President Bush "Dubya" or "Bush2." It is different in at least two ways: There was another President Bush, and so you need to use something to distinguish them. (I'd point out that even supporters of Bush call him "Dubya" and "Bush2"). And neither of those names are designed to propagate a myth (in this case, that Senator Obama is a Muslim). And that's my point. It isn't that you aren't "allowed" to use his middle name because of racial reasons. It's that it makes you look amateurish and unconvincing because you are eluding to a falsity rather than propagating the truth.
I think what you wrote, about how you'll stop picking on Obama when the media stops calling McCain old and boring, sums it up well. You sense that "the media" is picking on McCain unfairly and so you pick on Obama unfairly. Well, OK. Pick on him if it makes you feel better. But how exactly does that make the world better? All it does is turn off people like myself who have found their way to your blog looking to escape unfairness -- no matter who the unfairness is directed against.
How about "President" and "Former President"? I think we've re-appropriated the terms, much like terms originally used as hatespeech get reclaimed by other groups.
It's called "Conservative Cutie". I'm not sure why this would be a bastion of fairness. If I wanted it to be fair I'd have titled it a little less biased. If you don't want to read my blog, don't. The media isn't picking on McCain unfairly, it's picking on him the same way it picks on any candidate. Remember boring Gore? It's not hurting my feelings and it's not hurting McCain's feelings. Obama's a big boy, he doesn't need you to defend him.
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