Obama announces he's black; but the power of his blatant race-baiting is already weakening

On Friday, Senator Obama warned a cheering audience about the Republicans. “They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?”

continued after the links

Related stories about Obama and use of racism as a wedge issue

1. Obama announces he's black but the power of his race-baiting is declining
2. Psychoanalyst says Obama is a "soft-core racist"
3. Obama Dems using violent images from civil rights era to whip up African American registration; deceitful Dems did not tell media
4. NC African-American Caucus President says, "Black Democrats should only vote for Obama, but not white Democratic candidates"
5. Obama wants to grant preferential treatment based on race: (FAQ:The difference between Racial Preferences and Affirmative Action?)
6. African-American group criticises Obama's political record; triggers racial attacks
7. Col. Allan West congratulates Obama on taking race-relations back 30 years
8. Obama and his Church's black liberation theology
9. Obama enjoyed BLT most Sunday mornings for 20 years
10. After 20 yrs of indoctrination will Obama seek racial vengeance?
11. Obama not only marched with Farrakhan, he also helped lead it
12. Enduring questions about Obama's church's Black Value System
13. Obama's Father Pleger says Farrakhan his friend for 20+ yrs
14. American's see through Obama's words about Wright
15. Complete video of Wright's racist speech to NCAAP 4/27
16. Complete Video of Wright's Press Club show 4/28
17. Did Wright morph into Obama? Yes says leading clergyman
18. Humpty Obama wastes last chance to denounce racist Pastor
19. Obama admits seeking guidance from 3 bigots
20. Obama talks to Anti-semite racist Sharpton 2-3 times week
21. Rev Lee now time to pay back Jews for enslaving blacks
22. Obama swore allegiance to America-Damning Pastors
23. Pastor Wright claims Obama's living in a foreign land:USA
24. Father Pfeger leads campaign to free Jenna 6
25. Pastor Wright's 2003 Iraq IQ test given to all UCC members
26. Seeks moral advice from racist Father Michael Pfleger
27. What Obama's church tells voters
28. Obama accused of raising millions & putting most into White community; power struggle within BHO's special interest coalition
29. Obama lost his credibility by using the race-card too many times; BHO's race-baiting will backfire
30. "Time to add some coffee to the cream that's been running America the last 200 years," says another racist preacher for Obama

At its peak race-baiting was the most powerful of weapons in many parts of American society. Then along came Barack Obama and an army of Obamatrons and suddenly 18 million Clintonites, Republicans and non-believers in the jr senator from Illinois were branded racists if they dared question Obama.

Not sure why Team Obama thought it would work indefinitely. Already many people are on to their evil game. Once we name it for what it is...manipulative race-baiting by Team Obama...its amazing how easy it becomes to gain power over it. Guilt feelings...hell no...on the contrary...we're no longer going to be labeled. There's only one candidate playing the race card...and it sure as hell isn't McCain and it never was Clinton...Hillary or Bill.

And for the record

1) when you're candidate claims he's black he's not telling the whole story.
2) he doesn't have a funny name...his last name is one letter away from one of the most hated names in the language. His middle name is also hardly funny considering its the same name as a brutal dictator who killed, tortured and was responsible for three major wars
3) He's young ...agreed
4) He's inexperienced...actually he has no relevant experience

June 23, 2008 6:00 AM

The Obama Code
Easy and ridiculous.

By John J. Pitney Jr.

On Friday, Senator Obama warned a cheering audience about the Republicans. “They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?”

A few months ago, historian Sean Wilentz dubbed this tactic the “race-baiter card.” Smear your opponents as racists, and if there’s no evidence for the claim, accuse them of using “coded language.” There is no authoritative racial codebook, so the charge is easy to lodge. The campaign need not make such accusations directly, since sympathetic writers will do so.

Consider Senator Clinton’s “3 A.M.” television spot. The ad did not mention Obama. It merely said that if a crisis erupts while our kids are asleep, we need an experienced president to take the call. A race-neutral appeal, right? Not according to Professor Orlando Patterson. Noting that the ad’s sleeping children were white, he recalled the silent movie Birth of a Nation. This racist epic glorified the Klan, picturing black men as threatening and brutish. “The danger implicit in the phone ad — as I see it — is that the person answering the phone might be a black man, someone who could not be trusted to protect us from this threat.”

Patterson’s charge was ridiculous. The ad was a lineal descendant of a 1968 Nixon commercial, which showed a nighttime still of the White House, along with ominous music and a voiceover saying that the president’s decisions “can affect the future of your family for generations to come.” Nixon’s opponent was Hubert Humphrey, a Norwegian American.

An even more audacious accusation came after Obama spoke of “bitter” working people who “cling to guns or religion.” Critics slammed him as an elitist, and many conservatives noted that he was the latest in a long line of liberal snobs. One may think that that likening Obama to Adlai Ewing Stevenson II and John Forbes Kerry is about as un-racist as you can get. Yet journalist David K. Shipler wrote: “‘Elitist’ is another word for ‘arrogant,’ which is another word for ‘uppity,’ that old calumny applied to blacks who stood up for themselves.”

And “outlandish” is another word for “absurd,” which is another word for “preposterous.”

In the months ahead, expect similar attacks from Obama and his allies. “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” he recently said. He failed to add that the knife can be imaginary.

The attacks will have an effect, since many Republicans have grown skittish about racial issues. McCain goes to almost-risible lengths to avoid the kind of language that Obama warned against. In February, he repudiated a supporter for — take a deep breath — using Obama’s middle name in public. McCain may try to insulate himself even further by occasionally praising Obama. That approach won’t work.

Last year, Joseph Biden got reams of bad publicity when he said that Obama is “articulate.” An article in the New York Times suggested that the word had a subtext: “articulate ... for a black person.” The writer explained: “Such a subtext is inherently offensive because it suggests that the recipient of the ‘compliment’ is notably different from other black people.” Never mind that Biden had applied the same term to people from many ethnic backgrounds, and that others had often applied it to him.

So just picture how Obama supporters would react if McCain tried various compliments.

“Barack Obama is extremely intelligent.”

McCain is hinting that black people have lower IQs than white people.

“Barack Obama is very nice.”

McCain is obviously playing to the stereotype of violent black males. He’s suggesting that most black people are anything but nice.

“Barack Obama walks on water.”

McCain thinks that black people can’t swim.