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.
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.
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.
The bug eyes, characteristic of the hungry darky, salivating at the sight of that stack of waffles.
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.
“Daddy, where can I get a good deal in a Christian atmosphere?”
-Firesign Theatre, Don’t Crush That Dwarf
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.
What VT said- retarded, but not racist.
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.
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.
Are there alligators in Kentucky?
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.
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.
Wait a tick. She’s going and he’s not? Whoa. Dude.
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:
There were. Wiped out by competition from the land sharks.
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.
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.
Have I ever mentioned that you’re freakin’ brilliant? I think that’s my new favorite word.
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.