THE RACE CARD NONSENSE

The hum on the airwaves and in the paper this morning is John McCain’s claim that Obama had played the “race card from the bottom of the deck” in his comments at Glendale High School here in Springfield Wednesday morning. That claim is so blatantly ridiculous that it is hardly worth noting, but he underlying psychology is powerful enough to justify some attention.

Barack’s comment was really made in reference to the combination of fools who have characterized him as a black Muslim and the McCain campaign tactic of pointing out his inexperience. He was pointing out that the McCain position is that a vote for Obama is a risk due to his inexperience, but that, to those fools who cannot get over their racism a vote for him, it is a risk due to his race. He made a joke about how the fact that he doesn’t resemble any of the white men on American money makes his candidacy “risky”.

The audience at the event interpreted his comment appropriately. They laughed. They laughed with him and took pleasure in his ability to so adroitly point out that he is a different kind of man than any who had held the office before him. They laughed at the idea that anyone would think that it would be appropriate to vote against this man simply because of the color of his skin. They laughed with the pleasure of the thought that they might make history by helping this man to gain the office he seeks.

The audience enjoyed his comment. They enjoyed his joke, and I venture to say that not a single person in that audience perceived the comment as in any sense being derogatory toward John McCain or racist in any way. It was a joke about the racist past of this nation. It was a satirical poke at the way this country has kept people of any other race or sex than white males from ever before having a serious chance at winning the highest office in the land. It was softly delivered sarcasm, and it was appreciated by everyone in attendance.

It was not in any sense racist, and the attempts by the McCain campaign to make it seem racist are so tawdry that I expect only the kind of thoughtless, knee-jerk conservatives that seem to be so common in this neck of the woods will stand behind Mr. McCain’s analysis.

If McCain really believes what he is saying about the remark, his thinking is so shallow that it indicates that he is not half the man Obama is. If he doesn’t really believe it, but is saying it anyway, it just points out that he is a typical Repulsican – willing to sling any mud he can dream up in order to stir up enough votes from the lunatic fringe to win the election.

The comparison of the two candidates offered by this exchange surely will swing more votes toward Obama than toward McCain. The dispute raised here by McCain is just too shallow to be given much weight by any but the weightless.

If you would like to go further in your comparison of the two candidates, here is a link that will allow you to compare their positions on various military issues:
http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/iraq/articles/070108_mccain_obama_national_security/

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” – Patrick Henry


Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- M. K. Gandhi

The reason for going was to keep the crude flowing and raise a false flag abroad. – from a poem by Jack Evans titled 3500 Souls - http://www.myspace.com/paralegal_eagle

Individually we have little voice. Collectively we cannot be ignored.
But in silence we surrender our power. Yours in Peace -- BR