Obama must read my blog! I commented on the professionally painted van I spotted in Monroe, New York bearing the accusation, “Bigots vote Republican.” (http://a-big-bang.blogspot.com/2008/06/obama-lack-of-judgement-some-more-bad.html)
No sooner do I mention that we’re being told the reason people don’t vote for Obama is race than he shoves that right in our faces! At a Florida fund raiser, he said, “They’re [Republicans] going to try to make us afraid…He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s Black?”
Interesting rhetoric and interesting reasons. How did the commentators respond?
Jonathan Smith, Democratic strategist, said this morning on Fox News that Republicans have done the race thing before, citing the Willie Horton ads in 1988. Smith apparently relied on the fact that many voters do not remember the specifics.
Yes, Horton was Black. But he was in a Massachusetts penitentiary on a life-without-parole sentence for stabbing a 17 year old 19 times and leaving his body in a dumpster. In 1986 Horton was released on a “weekend furlough,” a Massachusetts rehabilitation program, from which he did not return. Instead, in 1987, he twice raped a Maryland woman and assaulted her fiancé. The Maryland judge who sentenced him refused to send Horton back to Massachusetts saying he was afraid Horton would be released again. Horton remains in a Maryland prison today.
In fact, 268 Massachusetts prisoners escaped instead of returning at the end of their furlough weekend.
Michael Dukakis, governor or Massachusetts, was the Democratic nominee for President. He did not initiate the furlough program but did not end it, and he vetoed a bill to stop it. The furlough program remained in effect until after Dukakis left office.
There were ads on television about Willie Horton and about the other escapees. They did highlight Dukakis’ attitude.
SO, Jonathan Smith lied. The problem with Horton was not that he was Black. It was that he was a murderer, a rapist, a robber, and a thoroughly recalcitrant criminal. Not the same thing at all.
It is not that Obama is Black that will make me vote against him. It is that he is inexperienced in all areas, cannot choose acquaintances or advisers correctly, makes inflammatory statements while he accuses others of hitting below the belt, and subscribes to a political philosophy, basic Marxism, that is totally abhorrent to me. His redistribution of wealth policy is the one thing he does make clear.
No one wants to be called a racist, and this tactic is dishonest and extremely problematic because honesty is called into question.
No sooner do I mention that we’re being told the reason people don’t vote for Obama is race than he shoves that right in our faces! At a Florida fund raiser, he said, “They’re [Republicans] going to try to make us afraid…He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s Black?”
Interesting rhetoric and interesting reasons. How did the commentators respond?
Jonathan Smith, Democratic strategist, said this morning on Fox News that Republicans have done the race thing before, citing the Willie Horton ads in 1988. Smith apparently relied on the fact that many voters do not remember the specifics.
Yes, Horton was Black. But he was in a Massachusetts penitentiary on a life-without-parole sentence for stabbing a 17 year old 19 times and leaving his body in a dumpster. In 1986 Horton was released on a “weekend furlough,” a Massachusetts rehabilitation program, from which he did not return. Instead, in 1987, he twice raped a Maryland woman and assaulted her fiancé. The Maryland judge who sentenced him refused to send Horton back to Massachusetts saying he was afraid Horton would be released again. Horton remains in a Maryland prison today.
In fact, 268 Massachusetts prisoners escaped instead of returning at the end of their furlough weekend.
Michael Dukakis, governor or Massachusetts, was the Democratic nominee for President. He did not initiate the furlough program but did not end it, and he vetoed a bill to stop it. The furlough program remained in effect until after Dukakis left office.
There were ads on television about Willie Horton and about the other escapees. They did highlight Dukakis’ attitude.
SO, Jonathan Smith lied. The problem with Horton was not that he was Black. It was that he was a murderer, a rapist, a robber, and a thoroughly recalcitrant criminal. Not the same thing at all.
It is not that Obama is Black that will make me vote against him. It is that he is inexperienced in all areas, cannot choose acquaintances or advisers correctly, makes inflammatory statements while he accuses others of hitting below the belt, and subscribes to a political philosophy, basic Marxism, that is totally abhorrent to me. His redistribution of wealth policy is the one thing he does make clear.
No one wants to be called a racist, and this tactic is dishonest and extremely problematic because honesty is called into question.
Republicans McCain
Obama elections politics opinion commentary "political+opinion" "political+commentary" "political+blogs" "Willie+Horton" Horton "Horton+ads" Dukakis "Fox+News" fundraising "1988+elections" Bush
1 comment:
Yeah, all this race stuff pisses me of. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Yep...according to the man who got lots of rights for black people, everyone (including black people) should disregard skin color.
Is that happening? I don't think so.
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