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McPalin: This is what American racism looks like
Whoa, teachable moment here! Folks who doubt the important idea that racism is essentially a systemic tool of the powerful, something that lives in and needs to be attacked at the institutional rather than the personal level, ought to give McCain/Palin's recent rhetoric a think or two.
Who does that ticket represent? The most exploitive, reactionary mega-capital interests in the country. Whose votes do they need? Average (White) working class folks in battleground states like Florida, Ohio, and Virginia. So they're diverting extremely stressed-out working folks' justifiable anger and frustration away from themselves and their backers--where of course it belongs and would do some good--to a completely contrived people "not like us." Like that (Afro-American) network sound man who got the N-word spat at him yesterday at Palin's rally in Clearwater, Florida.
The guy who shouted the N-word is responsible for being a dangerous fool, but he's not the real racist in this picture: Palin is. McCain is. They're the ones framing the debate for their supporters, they're the major party candidates in a national election drawing the lines where they want them.
They're inciting (to use Josh Marshall's word) racism, for the benefit of themselves and the much more vastly moneyed interests they represent--and, note importantly, to the knowing disadvantage of the voters whose interests they claim to carry close to their hearts.
McCain/Palin: The plain, appalling face of systemic racism in America.
Comments (14)
McCain's smarmy, "what do we really know about him" rhetoric is wholly racist. The issue isn't even whether McCain (or Palin) is racist, it's that they are blatantly pandering to latent racism in the American public.
Hey, John and Sarah, tell me again about how you're going to unite the country. About how you are both a different kind of Republican, you know, about being Mavericks. I love hearing fairy tales.
October 7, 2008 11:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Divide and conquer.
October 7, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did Palin stop her speech when her supporter yelled "kill him" and repudiate his comment?
She did not. Case closed.
I am sure Secret Service is paying close attention.
October 8, 2008 12:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
We all need to denounce and reject not only mcPalin, but these vicious, racist attacks, turning rallies into Vendettas.
Good to see the NYTimes has done so this morning.
October 8, 2008 9:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry to shill for my own project, but I am involved with an effort to track the ways in which race, racism and racial codes figure into the election cycle - see our news aggregator at www.StopDogWhistleRacism.com
October 8, 2008 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought the word used was "boy." You have a link to someone shouting the n word?
October 8, 2008 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
I guess not. Isn't calling a man "boy" bad enough? Why introduce the n word?
October 8, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's your link, posted by Greg Sargent yesterday at 4pm:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/palin_supporter_calls_african.php
I for one an skeptical about the word having been "negro" as opposed to the obvious alternative.
But whether it was "n****r" or "negro" makes no difference. The slur was intentional and unequivocally racist; you can't deny that.
October 8, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
(Damn lack of preview function...)
October 8, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Of course it makes a difference. Didn't you ever play telephone?
October 8, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Funny! I mean, unless you were serious, in which case please elaborate.
October 8, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
You got it wrong. The n-word was used by the Florida teacher that spoke in front of his 7th grade class and wrote/spoke the n-word about Obama's campaign. Yeah, he's still teaching. But remember, this isn't about race.
October 8, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
This thread is pretty funny. Where we are now is Greg Sergeant claims somebody shouted: "Sit down, you uppity Negro!" Sounds like a Canasta club.
October 8, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, no, that's not what Greg reported. The account is that the racial epithet was hurled first and then followed by "Sit down, boy!"
By the way, your Canasta club reference is lost on me...
October 8, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
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