I was listening to a streaming feed of Columbus Ohio sports radio today (WBNS 1460TheFan). I uncovered very interesting politics amidst the Mike and Mike show, and discussion of an awful performance by the Ohio State Buckeye football team at USC over the weekend.

Let's be clear: this is a huge radio show in Ohio and nothing gathers Ohio listeners like OSU Football talk.

During the broadcast, I heard a very good Obama radio ad: a causal sounding guy talks about how both McCain and Obama will protect folks guns, but only Obama wants to protect your job and pocketbook. The voice talent uses sports metaphors, talks about tax cuts, and says when the coach stinks for 8 years, you don't hire a guy who coaches your team the exact same way.

I was all smiles until later in the sports segment the on-air personalities took some kind of "look around at the news headlines" break. They start discussing some obscure, and I mean REALLY REALLY obscure story about a guy named Josh Howard (is it a story when some random two-bit athlete clowns around on a handheld for YouTube?) who is caught on tape at Allen Iverson's celebrity flag football game disrespecting the national anthem.

Howard, apparently a Dallas Maverick basketball player, doesn’t support the national anthem because, as he says on the tape, "I'm black." The Columbus radio guys mention it and next they add that Howard goes on to say "some things" about Obama. They leave it at that. The on-air personalities laugh and genuinely try to sound miffed.

What?

I checked: The original story (on deadspin.com) claims to not be able to figure out what this fellow Howard said about Obama. I watched it; it was easy. He says, "Obama and all that shit" right after voicing he doesn't support the anthem, Meaning he's not for the election or politics either. The guy is apolitical, I guess.  

Yet the Columbus on-air folks left the mention of Obama in there with no context. Let the chips fall where they may! They mention nothing of what is actually said about Obama or the multiple uses of the word "nigger" or the guy who screams later, "I love my country!"

A total hit job. It is the kind of smear of Obama that could only be cooked up with an agenda or knee-jerk bigoted impulses. They used it in their show because, well, I don't know. Just for the hell of it?

That, folks, is what we are up against in this election. I'll call it what it is: RACISM. And all the ad buys in the world won't fix it anytime soon.