Luriantics

Using code words in political attacks is how the Republicans get votes from their racist supporters and from their broad middle. In a country that is ostensibly against racism, the code word has become a way to keep racism alive and well on the right.

A few recent examples.

“Community organizer:” It connotes city, urbane, upper-class guilt, and black empowerment. Used to deride Barack Obama, it’s intended to bring up his connection to his ‘community.’ You can connect the dots on that. It also attacks the very idea of racial harmony at the core of Obama’s message by deriding the coalitions of organizers - white, black, latino, asian, Jewish, and all the rest of God’s children.

“Uppity:” Recently used by Georgian Congressman Lynn Westmoreland. He’s sticking to it and thinks it has no racist connotations. As if the image of an uppity black man getting too big for his britches isn’t a serious and dangerous cultural trope in the South.

I’m all for having a debate about how is best equipped to assume the Presidency and for that discussion to get pretty nasty at times. The debate is healthy.

And I see a role for a conservative political party in our society. But what I don’t understand - and won’t tolerate - is why the Republican party continues to offer up old, dark ideas like racism to sway voters. It’s an embarrassment to the American idea.

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If the last few days of Veep mania have convinced the American public of anything, it’s that John McCain shoots from the hip.

Now the question is: Will he be seem as a maverick or a flailing nutcase? The more Palin is vetted by the media, the more risky the strategy looks.

Also, I issue a challenge to McCain. Put Palin out there in the public. Let her do interviews. Then, we can figure out if you’re a crazy, old man who was losing an Election and pulled an Alaskan rabbit out of a hat, or if this lady actually has what it takes to appeal to independents - rather than simply throwing gasoline on the simmering 90s culture wars.

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I hope I live to see the day when the following double standards are a thing of the past.

• A Republican Presidential candidate has a Dr. Strangelove style freak-out about some small country in Eastern Europe that did something incredibly stupid, was probably egged on by one of his chief foreign policy advisors, and “widens his National Security credibility gap.”
• A Republican Presidential campaign responds to allegations of their candidate cheating during a Presidential forum by hearing the questions beforehand by saying, “The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous,” and, afterwards, the story dies.

What would have happened if a Democratic campaign had done this?

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