Obama should call Clinton a thespian and be done with it

Guess what: there are racists in America and, yes, the occasional rubes (even among Obama voters). Some of them may reside in Indiana, which hasn’t voted for a national Democratic ticket since 1964. But there are many more white working-class voters, both Clinton and Obama supporters, who prefer Democratic policies after seven years of G.O.P. failure. And there is little evidence to suggest that there are enough racists of any class in America, let alone in swing states, to determine the results come fall.

Is there anything racist in what Frank Rich had to say in the New York Times this morning?  No of course not.

But the Sunday morning talk shows tried to say that Hillary Clinton was saying something unseemly when she noted that she was the candidate of hard working white people.  Those are the people who have voted for her and she making an observation about their jobs that require hard work.  The jobs that people stand on their feet doing, the jobs that require long hours, little benefits, and of course are often in unsafe, unairconditioned conditions.  Not jobs like oh, college classrooms, executive suites, offices, and the like.

But did she say something racist?  No of course not.

Television programs and candidates know who supports and watches them.  It is called demographics.  It is how CBS and ABC and NBC know that white men over 55 are more apt to watch their news programs--notice they are white guys themselves and all the commercials for investments, laxatives, and Viagra--than blacks.

But if the Clinton's say it, it is racist.

The Obama campaign knows that their demographics are that black voters were more apt to vote for him as were college educated whites.  The Clinton campaign knows that white, lower income, less educated men and women are more apt to vote for them.  In an effort to continue the fiction that the Clinton's played the race card against Obama, the Obama people offered one more parting shot to explain why Michelle Obama a woman with more in common with Hillary than the voters who support her husband has denied Hillary a place on the ticket.  Hillary is a racist.   The only thing they haven't done is call Hillary a thespian.

It isn't true.  It hasn't ever been true.  But it isn't true that the Obama campaign is about change.  He has used every trick in the very old play book.  He needed the black vote, so he made sure that the Clinton's who made perfectly innocent and intelligent remarks like, "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina, too," were seen by the press as ignorant racist remarks. 

Bill Clinton who offices in Harlem is a racist?

Hillary was talking about a demographic reality and the press played along with Obama because the script has been written for them by the Obama campaign.  The press wouldn't be so vulnerable to manipulation if they didn't already hate Hillary.  Ask Al Gore about the press repeating baseless statements like, "Al Gore says he invented the Internet."  He never said it.  But get the mainstream press to admit they made that up and they will not do it.  Half of the statements the press attributed to Namoi Wolf were not her statements.  But the press won't admit that, either.  Gore couldn't get a fair shake in the media and has written and spoken about how dumb the press is.  Their retort, "Al Gore is an egghead."

The Obama campaign has used the old trick of calling themselves new and improved when in fact they are not. They label the same box of soap flakes, "new" and sell it with a sort of religious spell binding that would make Elmer Gantry blush.  And if you criticize Gantry--er--Obama then you are a bigot.  And hate God.  There is a classic story of a sheriff that got elected because he called his opponent's wife a "thespian." They name call, they misconstrue, they fan the flames of race, they are vague as Ronald Reagan.  They make weird statements like Obama noting they have visited 57 states. How does someone say something like that? If the press says, "Obama said he has been to 57 states," reporters are called down for questioning the man of hope.

Reporters and networks are terrified of losing the small black audience that they have.

And why won't that woman get out of Obama's way?  She is just going to damage the party, herself, Obama.  As Bob Schieffer asked, "What does she get out of it?"  Well, Bob, until yesterday, she had more super delegates than Obama and there are more delegates to go.  Are you kidding or is your mind unable to get around the fact that millions of people want to vote for a woman?  "Well, Puerto Ricans don't get to vote for president," Schieffer sniffed.  And we don't have 57 states, either Bob.

So if Hillary makes a statement using demographic information, she is labeled a racist and Democratic Party operatives can't answer it coherently because they are frankly horrified that a reporter would be so stupid as to make such an outrageous statement.   Democrats don't have much taste for telling the press that they are full of it to the press' face.  They write missives about it later, like Al Gore, instead of saying, "What the hell are you talking about, George, Bob, Tim."  At least most of the Democratic Party knows the difference between Matt and Tim.  But if you point out that Obama doesn't know the difference between Lauer and Russert, then you are a racist.

When I was in high school, we regular competed against an African-American kid who gave an amazing oratory where he said that if he didn't walk away with a first place trophy, the judge was "ripping my pride."   He won more times than he didn't.  But he smiled and charmed when he threatened the judge who was usually white by saying, essentially, "you don't want to be another white person standing in my way."  It was an amazing speech with an incredibly ability to touch on emotions like guilt, shame, and horror.   And it was done with humor, art, manipulation, leadership and grace.  And it worked.  Was it reality?  Of course not.  Was it a great communication with his audience?  Yes, even better than the speech judge knew.

If  you liked the post, please tell the Houston Chronicle that you did.  dwight.silverman@chron.com

Comments

[Anntichrist S. Coulter]

Damn, woman, you make me feel stupid! There I go, over to the General's, falling in with the non-Southern white male hierarchy to denounce Hillary's statements as being dunderheaded (but obviously not actually RACIST), and here you are, calmly explaining how we are being manipulated by the men-powers-that-be into believing that Hillary is a cracker.

I shoulda come here first, for damned sure.

No, she's not the woman for whom I've always hungered to vote, not by a long shot, but I'm still voting for her. Fuck a buncha penile inadequacies.

[Anntichrist S. Coulter]

Well, mother, even though you don't answer e-mail anymore, I did send one brusque mail to the aforementioned Mr. Silverman, hailing the accomplishments of Winding Road and its mistress. I'll let you know if I hear anything back, even if I never get a response from you these days... *sigh* oh, where's a fainting couch when a girl needs one?

[Anntichrist S. Coulter]

P.P.S.: Okay, ya heifer, now I've plugged you on MOB, so you HAVE to come over and at least VISIT, dammit!

And explain to your poor senile Auntie Annti how in the fuck that a "trackback" works? I've tried to do trackbacks to you and Obsidian Wings, but am not even remotely sure that I've actually DONE anything. Qu'est-que-c'est?

And do you EVER read your own comments?!?!?!?