# I guess this is why McCain skipped the Values Voter Summit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 14, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597 "2008-09-14T21:01:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/41 "2008-09-15T00:34:03Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > OK, so the charge of racism is arguable, Which means that Johnny Mac would not only skate on such charges, but even more solidly attach his base, who love nothing better than a story about how the liberal media is persecuting them/him. Which, in these sorry ass times, wins. > > So, whatever is keeping him from the conference, this kerfluffle is almost certainly not it, And this thing is pure gravy for Johnny Mac, there is no downside, all his base are belong to him. Its better than finding money in the street. > > But something is keeping him away. Gotta hunch its a doozy. Well, has to be, doesn’t it? Simple. All _that_ base are belong to Palin. They couldn’t give a crap about him prior to her joining the ticket. As **Squink** stated above, she’ll do better with them than he will. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/42 "2008-09-15T00:56:43Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Well, until that happens, why don’t you chime in. Do YOU think it is racist? If so, why? Is any caricature of Obama racist? Seriously. If this was Obama’s Fried Chicken or Obama Brand Watermelon, I would consider them clearly racist. But this product is a commentary on him changing his mind. You know, “waffling”. Painful though it is, I must agree with my colleague. I don’t think there’s anything inherently “racist” about the image; it looks to me like a typical caricature one would see for a celebrity or political figure (or both). The problem, I think, is that people are highly sensitive at the moment and not ready to see \*any \* exaggerated representation of a black person. One day that may change, but it’s still too loaded with past associations now, and I seriously doubt that Republicans will be the ones to successfully “break the taboo” for everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/43 "2008-09-15T01:07:26Z")
> [@CapnPitt](#): > > 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. That would be Lawrence Wright, who was a safety for the team when they won the National Championship in 1996. He started that chant, and even now, when an opponent’s name is called out, Gator fans will call out, “gator bait.” (I speak as an alumni; 1996 was my freshman year). I didn’t realize that “gator bait” had racist connotations until recent threads on the topic here. I’m not arguing that it isn’t, but I don’t think every reference to gators is racist. What is being suggested by the group mentioned here, though, does stink of racist epithets. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/44 "2008-09-15T01:32:27Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > How is that at all like Stepin Fetchit? The bug eyes, characteristic of the hungry darky, salivating at the sight of that stack of waffles. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/45 "2008-09-15T01:53:06Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > The Muslim thing, especially after their explanation, is painfully ignorant. Their explanation of Aunt Jemima was 10 ten times worse. Paraphrase: “When I think of Aunt Jemima, I think of quality! How is she racist?” How spectacularly obtuse. That said, I don’t think the “Obama on a box of waffle” concept is racist. Played out as all fucking get out, yes. (Are we in 2004 or what? What’s with the recycling of old attack memes?) But the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the turbanized Obama. While that’s bad enough to ruin the rest, I don’t think it’s accurate to brand the whole shebang as racist. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/46 "2008-09-15T12:58:59Z")
“Daddy, where can I get a good deal in a Christian atmosphere?” -Firesign Theatre, _Don’t Crush That Dwarf_ ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/47 "2008-09-15T12:59:38Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > This country needs a punch in the face. Hope and Change indeed. This is one of the many reasons Obama is going to lose–the elitist attitude of his supporters. I agree that racists need a punch in the face, but you take it a step further and think the whole country (except for the agents of Hope and Change) are backward yokels. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/48 "2008-09-15T13:40:50Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Painful though it is, I must agree with my colleague. I don’t think there’s anything inherently “racist” about the image; it looks to me like a typical caricature one would see for a celebrity or political figure (or both). What **VT** said- retarded, but not racist. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/49 "2008-09-15T13:45:14Z")
I’ll concede that the charge of racism may be borderline on this one and I’m just inclined to view the people in question negatively. I’m still not sure, though. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/50 "2008-09-15T14:14:28Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The bug eyes, characteristic of the hungry darky, salivating at the sight of that stack of waffles. Oh, please. His eyes are not in the style you describe. And I don’t think that describes Stepin Fetchit anyway. I think it describes the caricatured characters in The Bowery Boys films and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/51 "2008-09-15T14:17:28Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > 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. Are there alligators in Kentucky? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/52 "2008-09-15T14:21:14Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Hope and Change indeed. > > This is one of the many reasons Obama is going to lose–the elitist attitude of his supporters. > > I agree that racists need a punch in the face, but you take it a step further and think the whole country (except for the agents of Hope and Change) are backward yokels. The people in question are the leadership of the Republican party. The party that has had the White House for the last 7.5 years. They had held controll of congress for quite some time, (untill recently). I’m sorry, but if you are a Republican, you either throw these people out of your party, leave the Republican party, or you are a racist. Having a ‘big tent’ policy is all fine, but that tent shouldn’t be big enough for to include racists. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/53 "2008-09-15T14:26:45Z")
Its a “twofer”, isn’t it? It offers racism to the racist, whiile maintaining plausible deniability. For the voter with an objection to obama’s complexion, it offers tacit support, it suggests that the Good Ol’ Party is still the place for good ol’ boys. And if confronted, they simply bat their big brown innocent eyes and say “Who? Me?” I’d say they were “good at this”, but “good” is a word I may want to use again, and I don’t want to have to clean it. [QUOTE=Harborwolf] Simple. All that base are belong to Palin. They couldn’t give a crap about him prior to her joining the ticket. As Squink stated above, she’ll do better with them than he will. [/QUOTE] Wait a tick. She’s going and he’s not? Whoa. Dude. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/54 "2008-09-15T14:46:23Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Okay, I have to say that I don’t think the “waffles” part is racist. They’re trying to paint him as a flip-flopper, just like Garry Trudeau portrayed Bill Clinton as a literal waffle in “Doonesbury”. I think the waffle part is completely political. > > The caricatures, however, are not. Don’t you see? It plays on both memes. It serves to remind folks of Aunt Jemima and it underscores his supposed “waffling”. Whatever, whichever. It’s still despicable and disgusting. How proud I am of my country when I see shit like that. Oh, but they’re the party of Lincoln! they cry if you so much as attempt to point out their bigotry. As if that proved any thing. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/55 "2008-09-15T14:51:09Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Are there alligators in Kentucky? There were. Wiped out by competition from the land sharks. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/56 "2008-09-15T15:18:00Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Oh, OK. Stepin Fetchit, Ph.D. Yes, that’s much better. > > I too am a bit confused by McCain’s passing an opportunity to suck some base, but I don’t think this does it. All it takes is a handful of renounce and a dash of denounce, and yer out of it. Except that he lacks the spine for that. He’s whipped, convinced that if he opens his mouth to do anything with respect to the base other than fellating them a bit more, they’ll turn on him or at least abandon him. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/57 "2008-09-15T15:32:53Z")
I can see that, but why would he be willing to risk being seen as “snubbing” the Values Voters compared to the risk of criticizing his own campaign guys? He could easily blame it on “overzealous” underlings, guys who are well-intended but, you know, a bit too fired up. Just my WAG, but seems to me the first risk far outweighs the second. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/58 "2008-09-15T15:59:44Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Ms Mooseolini Have I ever mentioned that you’re freakin’ brilliant? I think that’s my new favorite word. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597/59 "2008-09-15T16:51:11Z")
The fact that Books-a-Million is stocking these is incredible. If there’s a campaign to return your discount cards and the like I’ll join it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-guess-this-is-why-mccain-skipped-the-values-voter-summit/463597.md?page=2)