It was a thrill to stand at the lectern that Abraham Lincoln used when he spoke at Cooper Union in 1860. The artifacts of negative campaigning include a "Comb Nixon out of Your Hair" comb and trinkets of voters who were "talked to death" by perennial presidential candidate and noted orator William Jennings Bryan.Fast forward to today. Negative campaigning has gone viral. Indeed, someone has taught an old dog, John McCain, a new trick. McCain is embracing viral videos to sow doubt about Barack Obama. The "Celeb" video has been viewed by over 1.5 million people.
McCain's new web ad, "The One," has more than 750,000 views.
A new Rasmussen poll found that 69 percent of voters saw news coverage of the Obama/Britney/Paris ad. Of those, 22 percent thought it was racially-charged while 63 percent said it was honky dory.
And yes, there is a racial divide. Fifty-eight percent of black voters said the ad was racist compared to 18 percent of white voters. Dog whistles, anyone?
The racial gap is not as wide over Obama's comment that "he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." Fifty-three percent of white voters and 44 percent of black voters said it crossed the line.
With Obama and McCain in a statistical dead-heat, the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post gloated:
Barack Obama's whirlwind trip to the Mideast and Europe: more than $1 million.The polls have emboldened McCain, who told ABC News' Diane Sawyer:
John McCain's two days of viral video ads comparing his rival to Paris Hilton and God: $200,000.
A tie in the latest presidential tracking poll: priceless.
We're not gonna allow racism to come into this campaign in any form. And so I'm gonna respond if it comes up again.To borrow a phrase from jazz and blues great Louis Jordan, "someone done hoodooed the hoodoo man."
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By: robert staples on 8/04/2008 1:18PM
Peace,
There is not much that we can do to influence the outcome in the general election other than voting,volunteer work (phone banks, greeting new supporters) and making financial donations to Sen. Obama's campaign. What is most important, however, is that we continue our political participation on the local level in order to influence the agendas that are important to the black community. Crime prevention, educational opportunities, and political accountability of our elected officials are some of the primary concerns locally in our communities. Organization and participation are the goals that Sen. Obama hopes to engender in our communities. We can make a difference only if we participate and influence the decisions that are being made in our behalf.
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By: Q on 8/04/2008 11:45PM
Evelyn Beatrice Hall:
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. (paraphrasing Voltaire)
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By: Analyst on 8/06/2008 5:29PM
Poster #1 you had best observe the handwriting on the wall. Black Americans young and old are awaking from the deep trance of the early Obama hysteria that I myself was initally caught up in. When Obama stabbed the great wise elder Dr. Wright in the back literally three days after showering him with affection in the "Philidelphia Address" I was thunderstruck and put my support for Sen. Obama on hold, that had included financial contribution. Sen. Obama succumbed to the news media hype of anti-Rev. Wright attacks. I saw both of Dr. Wright's speeches at the NAACP event and at the National Press Club event and Dr. Wright took America to school in history, sociology, music, and phonetics to name a few subjects he touched on. Seeing him in his deliveries I knew I was seeing a great man. At no time did Dr. Wright disrespect Sen. Obama or make an anti-American statement. Some refered to his suggestion that Aids may have its origen in US Bateriological weapons stockpiles as being anti-American. How is that more impacting than Congressional Hearings held after the "surprise" attack on Pearl Harbor on the charges made that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was allowed to happen to draw this nation into WWII? What about the charges that exist to this day that the US Government was behind the blowup of the USS Main in the Havana Harbor with its black crew while the white officers were convinently on shore leave that got this country into a war with Spain for imperialistic gaines? What of the books and charges by many Americans that President Kennedy was killed by the CIA? And closer to home what of those who say our government invaded Iraq on false pretenses? There have been no news media outcrys of "anti-Americanism" in these concerns, only against Rev./Dr. Wright. The news media hype against Rev. Wright could not be aimed to sway the thinking American public. Many of my white friends who were supporting Sen. Obama said they were continuing to support him no matter about the unfair news media blitz against Rev. Wright. They like me have a mind of their own. We were perfectly able to distinguish between Rev. Wright and Sen. Obama no matter how you looked at it. So, when Sen. Obama described Rev. Wright as outrageous I took personl offense. It was as if Sen. Obama feels he has to do my thinking for me. I was made to feel like an invisible man. Then when Sen. Obama removed his membership from his church of 20 years to snob the courageous white priest Father Pfleger that was to much for me to continue supporting Sen. Obama with good conscience.
His follow ups at the AIPAC calling for an undivided Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel convinced me my apprehensions of fundamental character flaws in Sen. Obama were well founded. Sen. Obama in his Father's Day sermon belittled and disrespected black fathers in a blanket condemnation of them. I will have you and the Senator know that I have raised eight (8) black children. All are today productive members of society. One is a doctor in Miami. Nobody talks down to me, least of all an upstart like the pseudo-elitist Sen. Obama. I call him a psedo-elitist because nothing is more harmful for the self image of a so-called black American than to be educated at a so called Ivy League school where one instead of education receives indoctrination to believe they are better than others who graduate form ofther schools. That is why Sen. Obama has a tendency to talk down to others. White blue collar workers have repudiated him on that basis. As blacks have begun to reject him for the same reason he is at a loss to understand why. A wise man would have overcome this impediment, but a fool will not and eventually fall on his own sword, really not knowing the reason why. While Sen. Obama may have had good intentions in the beginning to be an honorable and decent candidate for president he has become overwhelmed with his success. I would even say that he will sell his soul to the devil to president. A person without dignity can never win my support or will loose it. As far as the hope of a black person becoming president of the United States that will come before long and I mean a black president I can be proud of.
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