I was watching TV news commentary and someone expressed a bit of surprise that McCain was going to skip the Values Voter Summit.
Maybe he knew that something like this was all too likely:
Obama monkeys. Alligator hats. Obama Waffles. “Obama’s Baby Mama.” “Uppity.” “Boy.”
This country needs a punch in the face.
Preferably with brass knuckles. With spikes. Big sharp ones.
What’s an alligator hat?
It’s a reference to poor Southern blacks who are nothing but alligator food.
Alligator bait in context.
Holy crap, that’s vile. I understand that the McCain people have no control over the forum, but why would they not ask people to refrain from that crap at the convention?
But you have fought some ignorance. In Richard Zacks’ book An Underground Education, there is an illustration of a Jim Crow era stereoscopic photo a black man being “eaten” by 2 clearly taxidermified alligators. The caption reads “This sick racist joke was acceptable in the United States c. 1900.” Sick, yes, but I could never figure out what made it racist. Alligator bait, real classy.
Out of curiosity, what values is this summit supposed to promote?
White ones, evidently.
Yep, today it functions as dog-whistle politics pretty readily. I didn’t know the reference, but my husband took one look at the guy in the hat and said, “Alligator bait.” He was surprised I’d never heard the term. Apparently it was an unremarkable thing to hear in Kentucky where he grew up.
In case anyone was still on the fence about Lou Dobbs’s biases, here he is yukking it up with the sellers.
There are a fair amount of knick-knacks and advertising from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries with that theme.
Today’s seminars include Mayonaise or Miracle Whip: The Debate Rages, Neil Diamond: God among Men or God of Men, and Hockey: Greatest Sport Ever.
Them thar would be the values of Fear and Ignorance, sonny. And as we have seen, they win elections.
I am truly nauseated after linking to this shit. This country is so fucked up.
You misspelled small town values.
Here. This link will make it all better.
Wow…I never knew the history of “alligator bait.” The only time I’d ever heard it was when a Univ. of Florida football player (the Gators) said on TV after a big win something to the effect of “If you ain’t a Gator fan, you’re just Gator bait.” FWIW, the player was African-American. I just assumed it was a University of Florida thing. Ignorance fought.
Damn Squink. And here I thought I was kidding about the small town values thing. Lily Tomlin had it right. No matter how cynical I become, I can never keep up.
Do you think the Obama Waffles is racist? Why? I watched the clip and I don’t see it. Couldn’t the same thing have been done with Kerry? Except he flip-flopped instead of waffled, I guess. Seriously. what makes it racist? (Though I do agree those guys got more than one helping of ignorant.)
Hey, McCain wanted to attend, but his sheets hadn’t come back from the cleaners.
Yes, I know. Cheap shot at a person that, AFAIK, is not in the least bit racist. But his failure to immediately and totally condemn these yahoos makes him guilty by association, something he and his are quick to proclaim Obama. So no apology.
The Aunt Jobima caricature on the front and I suppose the arab headressed Obama on the back.
