I’ve made some substantive comments about the Democratic primary campaign in this post, but it’s time to flick the switch to discussion of the general election. In this post, Possum notifies us of what will be a regular Monday feature at his blog - a watch on the betting market and polling data as the campaign develops.
One thing that’s certain - despite the overtures from John McCain for joint “town hall” style meetings - the GOP will be out to prove their kitchen sink politics is even murkier than Hillary’s marathon efforts. The Economist reports that 11% of voters surveyed think Obama is a Muslim, and we all know where those “rumours” are coming from. The GOP need some meat to throw to their “base”, in an election where their candidate is hardly the right wing’s usual fare. And the great noise machine is joining in - focusing on Michelle Obama. Expect the misogyny machine to target her heavily - while Obama can really not be portrayed as an “angry black”, there are already signs that his wife is going to be caricatured as something akin to that, and to be positioned as a lightning rod for all sorts of vile stuff. Incidentally, Hillary’s campaign went there first.
Some of this stuff is pure parody (unintentional of course). Check out - via Holly at Feministe - these ravings from Fox News about Obama and his wife’s fist bump at the end of his victory speech. It’s… wait for it… a “terrorist fist-jab”!
If the Fox crew knew anything about African-American culture, they’d know this is actually a “pad” - a common gesture. I suppose they could have run with - “Obama comes out as Black!” but “Oh noes! Look! Terrorist!” probably suffices for their purposes.
It’s good to see they’re picking up on the important stuff.
It’s doesn’t surprise me that 11% of voters think he’s a muslim. A further 8% think he’s Osama bin Laden, and another 12% think he’s Saddam Hussein.
I’m reminder of an instant classic clip from the West Virginia primaries a couple of weeks ago. They asked a local voter in a diner what she thought of Obama, and out came the reply in a drawl that lasted into next week…
“Oh, not that HOO-sein character. I’ve had enough of HOO-sein.”
Yeah, I saw that. But don’t forget these people vote and this stuff swings votes!
I would think that ridiculous beliefs such as Obama is a muslim, or Osama Bin-Laden etc. would be mostly held by uneducated rednecks who always vote Republican if they actually vote at all. I don’t think that nonsense would be an issue for swinging voters.
No, some the voters in the Democratic primaries appeared to hold them too, or at least to have been influenced by them. It’s also a question, as I said in the post, of getting the Republican “base” out to vote when McCain is hardly their candidate of choice.
And the Michelle-hatin’ is going to tap into a much bigger complex of fear and emotion than the Hussein slurs.
Watching the election, it’s so cute.
If it wasn’t so potentially dangerous/damaging, this tripe would be absurd. S’pose there’s a possibility the Clintonites might realiose Obama and Michelle are being subjected to that same far-right conspiracy Hillary warned about so many years ago and come out in support of them? One can only hope. I’m both fascinated and repulsed by American politics.
btw is Ratty’s kid over there this year helping the GOP?
Remember that Americans are generally an insular bunch, set in their ways and difficult to move. I’m not surprised by those numbers - his name sounds Islamic, and people jump to conclusions.
Expect McCain to try and promote himself as an everyman war hero, talking one-on-one about nuts-and-bolts issues, while Obama gives visionary speeches about change and other difficult to measure themes.
Obama needs to start campaigning in those all important swing states that he lost in the primaries: Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida and Michigan.
He’s doing that right now - a 17 day campaign swing through the key states.
Well to be fair, Barack’s middle name is “Hussain”.
I cannot believe the comments here,they lack something that isnt ,I feel, honest,sorry!There is a lot to be expected of any candidate that gets elected as President of that country,to source one or two voices against Hilary or Obama as the mainstream of manipulating truth is really quite pathetic.There are connections between the three major contenders,that some may characterise as the Jewish vote.Now,obviously that vote has to, as individuals decide,if that condition,being Jewish.. is the transformative necessity for the candidates to adhere to in some way.Pockets of resistance of honesty across the spectrum from McCain on the Republican Right across to who has been considered Left or Liberal,and the American people may not be able to figure it out.Heaps of Australian commentary goes on about how stupid and dumb the Americans are,and occasionally defer to the Australian condition as well.The ABS has its own slant on dumbness.I find it hard to comprehend why anyone blogging in Australia would even have the minimal insight to assess the flow of destructive intent in a meaningful way.There is the undercurrent of life as it is in the U.S.A. and what flows through the various media forms,I doubt wether these two distinct realities are ever representative and represent themselves or other well.And then there are the politicians and government apparati.Fact and innuendo like rumours themselves change their substances and megaphone qualities,but a factual account in the hands ,minds and deliverance of those who are always trying to meet the expectations of honesty should only be quoted.Finding them is surely difficult enough as is.I am not impressed by Obama and his wife,for the probable same reasons many are.I do not think he,himself would find that difficult to accept,but from this distance,a few words in support of Obama seem honestly corruptable.As Kim knows by now,I visit DavidIcke.com regularly,and a strange panorama unfolds, which isnt always the personality of candidates or those reporting on them in some way,but,the flux and use of time,and the weathercock man,which way is he really pointing!?And to what end!?It is a pricey costly rhetoric that in dollar terms doesn’t equate easily with even my Telstra bill!?
It was more interesting watching the last election where Bush had a re-count! Not much is heard from McCain. He has the experience though and is a Vietnam Veteran so knows all about war! He may not be so keen to jump into that situation.
Margo,re: “he may not be so keen to jump into that situation”, are you aware of any of the many things being reported on US blogs about McCain. I am a blog novice and don’t understand how to link, but there are heaps. For eg, a youtube enititled ‘fool on the hill’.
Hence the woman’s dipstick response. And hence too, apparently, your dipstick rejoinder. What, did you think we all thought his middle name was Barry or something?
Michelle … that’s a French name, isn’t it?
WBB: I thought you were saying the woman thought Barack was Saddam. That’s how your post read to me.
As to how widely recognised Obama’s middle name is, well I bet we don’t see it on any of his campaign material. Also I’m sure a low level republican campaign functionary will eventually take the cheap shot and make something of it. Hey, politics is all cheap shots, all the time.
Oops - that would be Mercurius’ post, not WBB’s.
Been going on all year - out there fundie churches, Fox news, talkback, etc.
Not to mention Hillary saying she wasn’t sure whether Obama was a Muslim - before she started capitalising on “pastor explosions”, that is.
On Obama and combating the Muslim “rumours”:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4100170.ece
“Terrorist fist-jab” update. E.D. Hill, the anchor for this wonderfully informative piece, has just lost the 5pm lot on FOX News.
Linked text