RNC Mailer Hits Obama: "It Used To Be Easy To Recognize Patriotism"
The Republican National Committee is hitting households in North Carolina with a tough new mailer that contains a striking juxtaposition: It combines an image of someone with a white hand on his heart next to a flag pin, along with the following slogan: "It used to be easy to recognize patriotism."
The mailer was sent our way by a North Carolina reader (click on the images to enlarge):
To be sure, the mailer's main patriotism hit is an attack on Obama and Joe Biden over Biden's recent claim that it's "patriotic" for top-earners to pay higher taxes for the good of the country.
"Obama-Biden calls paying higher taxes `patriotic,'" the mailer says. "Sounds mixed up. But it shouldn't be surprising -- Barack Obama loves high taxes."
So the mailer isn't directly questioning Obama's patriotism. But the mailer's imagery seems like a clear allusion to the viral smears holding that Obama doesn't wear a flag pin and refused to put his hand on his heart during the pledge of allegiance. That seems particularly clear given the slogan about it being harder to recognize patriotism these days, which also seems like a subtle attack on Obama's "otherness."
What's more, this mailer comes to light on the same day that we learned of an RNC-McCain robocall in multiple states accusing Obama of putting "Hollywood above America," suggesting that a broad attack is underway on this front.
The RNC didn't respond to a request for comment.
*Weak*
October 15, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Co-sign.
October 15, 2008 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very weak.
October 15, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Poopie.
October 15, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
It used to be easy to recognize racism
October 15, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Still is!
October 15, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
But McCain hasn't worn a flag pin to either of the debates...
October 15, 2008 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bingo!
October 15, 2008 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is that a dig at McCain's age?
October 15, 2008 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
October 15, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or his convention speech.
October 15, 2008 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
why does McCain hate America?
October 15, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
...and, there is video of him palin' around with ACORN
October 15, 2008 6:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
... nor did McCain wear a flag pin in the third debate, either. (Obama did, in all three.)
October 16, 2008 1:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
What's patriotic about wearing a flag lapel-pin/trinket made in Communist China?
Other than that: Why does the media label unquestioning support of the gov't as "patriotism"? Are the too cowardly -- unpatriotic -- to call that the anti-American nonsense it is?
October 16, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
October 15, 2008 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
So the people with white hands are the patriots? What is most depressing is that the RNC might not even be aware how racist this mailer is - it's in the subconscious that "different" people are presumed to be anti-American.
October 15, 2008 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn tootin' they are!
This uppity politician from Chicago has just been confusing us all, what with all the flags in the background, the lapel pins and whatnot.
Just you remember: patriots have white hands. End of story.
October 15, 2008 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it alludes more to the "Obama doesn't hold his hand over his chest" lie, or the "Obama doesn't wear a flag pin" rumor.
Face it - 80% of the USA is White, so seeing a White hand in ads should not be surprising.
We really need to dial back on the sensitivity, and let such debatable issues slide. Focus instead on the "he's not patriotic because he doesn't wear a flag pin" stupidity.
October 15, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know about the sensitivity issue, but I seriously doubt that the white hand was included in this ad because 80% of the population is white.
True, particularly if the ad in question were an ad for, say, laundry detergent, shampoo, motor oil, etc, but in a political ad, next to a question about patriotism, going out in a state with a history of white politicians exploiting racial issues?
Recognizing the issues behind this ad isn't being sensitive, nor should we dial back such "sensitivity". It's being pragmatic.
October 15, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
only about 66-68% of the US population is white. and the percentage goes down every year.
October 15, 2008 6:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
A friend of mine is pretty intense over race politics sometimes, particularly with regards to his people - Aboriginal Australians. Fair enough, but every now and then he takes the wrong exit and heads off down the wrong road.
Example: Once he was decrying that when news reports on TV announce that police are looking for a suspect, they always note when the suspect is Aboriginal, but rarely when the suspect is white.
I had to point out that here in Australia, the Aboriginal population is somewhere around 2-5% of the total population. If you're hunting a criminal and you have one obvious, undisguisable identifier that narrows that person down to 2-5% of the population, it is downright irresponsible and reckless to NOT mention that fact. Otherwise, given the number of caucasians/whites in our society, it should otherwise pretty much be a given that if police are looking for someone and don't specify ethnicity... he's likely to be white.
HOWEVER. This doesn't mean there's not injustice in reporting methods, or which particular crimes/criminals the police or media chooses to issue warnings/requests for assistance about. There may well be a valid argument to be had, but it's important to be barking up the RIGHT tree. It just sucks that it's a lot harder to do so. Similarly, here, it may be that the choice of a white hand is INTENDED to assist with a racist message, it's not key to the message itself, just a sign of it, one of the many trappings.
If it looks like a racist, sounds like a racist, it may not necessarily be a racist.
October 15, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
The first time I visited the Vietnam Memorial, it struck me just how many minority names there were right up next to the whitebread names. As it turns out, a disproportionate number of non-whites served and died in Vietnam. Patriotism has no color or ethnicity. This is a lesson I wish the GOoPers would learn.
October 15, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are a disproportionate number of minorities in Iraq, too.
A hell of a lot of National Guard are Hispanic Americans, Samoan Americans, Native Americans (and relative to the numbers of people remaining alive from their tribes, the numbers are huge) and African Americans.
October 15, 2008 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are approximately 2000 Taos Indians - total.
About 10 to 12 people from the pueblo, men and women, are in the national guard.
October 15, 2008 6:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
And don't forget those from other nations that sign up in order to get US citizenship!
October 15, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I sat next to a young woman in our military on a 5 hour flight. She was on her way home - to Mexico - for R&R and to see her family.
I think she was one of those people.
October 15, 2008 7:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
In case some folks aren't aware of it, the US offers full citizenship to anyone who signs up. Anyone. Just like the ancient Romans used to. That's how they boost their recruitment numbers and why there are so many minorities in the military, particularly as grunts in the army.
Just one of the reasons why Republican racism makes Republicans traitors.
October 15, 2008 11:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
The person with the white VEINY senior citizen hand is the one whose patriotism is unquestionable, I guess.
And the juxtaposition of the military/soldier picture reinforces the message.
October 15, 2008 6:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Old wrinkled white hands.
October 15, 2008 7:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
NC begins early voting tomorrow! maybe this mailer misses many voters but I'm excited to cast my vote!
October 15, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Folks, as Kermit might sing, it's not easy being green. Much easier to be a fucking racist.
October 15, 2008 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't confuse racism with race baiting. One doesn't have to be racist to race bait. One just has to be desparate to win and unwilling to leave any rock unflipped in pursuit of that goal, no matter what may be crawling underneath it.
October 15, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
As we learned so well during the primaries.
October 15, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I certainly disagree. The one who is racist will go there. The one who is not will not.
We all have limits. The limits of the racist person are different than the limits of the non-racist person.
October 15, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Racism aside, though ... doesn't this just seem incredibly lame? I mean, they've been playing variations on this "He's Not Like Us" theme for months, and clearly it isn't working, outside their rabid frothing base.
Somehow one expects more from the vaunted GOP slime machine.
October 15, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, wasn't one of the guys hoisting that flag a "prairie n_gger"? They keep undercutting their message, ever so subtly.
And of course, real patriots cheat on their taxes - like the Palins!
October 15, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Obama should flip this one on its head:
"So what you mean to say is that seeking overseas tax havens for the wealth you've skimmed from American workers and investors is patriotic?"
October 15, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's reminiscent of the racist ad that Jesse Helms ran against Harvey Gantt, an African American, in North Carolina many years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIyewCdXMzk
October 15, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly my first thought.
October 15, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
White Pow...oh wait, this IS the Mc-Klan Pal-Klan RepubliKlan rally, isn't it??
October 15, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
White Pow...oh wait, this IS the Mc-Klan Pal-Klan RepubliKlan rally, isn't it??
October 15, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Given how voters seem to be tuning out mcShame, I'm gonna bet that these mailers will go straight to the trash!
October 15, 2008 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I live in NC - I think I may have already gotten one of these in the mail and popped it straight into the recycling bin without reading. Yawn! Does anyone expect to get valid info from these things?
Dear Johnny,
So politely
I beg of you -
Bite me!
October 15, 2008 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yawn.
October 15, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
All through this campaign I've been smelling the stink of Karl Rove and Steve Schmidt. This is yet another one of their "subliminal" pieces that will be defended like crazy, complaining that liberals are reading between the lines.
McCain can't win.
October 15, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
No wonder mcShame crashed so many planes. He is unable to correct a course, once he gets going. We can simply expect the plane to fly this poorly until the crash, which I predict for Nov 4.
October 15, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is an old white hand.
-observation by an old, white guy who supports Obama.
October 15, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Which reminds me, although his face has been "worked on" to make him looker younger, watch his hands. Old. Wrinkly.
Watch them tonight during the debate.
October 15, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I noticed that. It reminds me of McSame's age. I suspect it will others, too.
October 15, 2008 6:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Used to, patriotism was easy. You just had put little little flags everywhere and do the right hand motions during the pledge of allegiance.
Now that's not enough anymore. Now people are starting to expect that "patriots" would not just talk about loving America, but actually, like, do things to make America better. Now people see helping and nurturing America as patriotic, and exploiting it as unpatriotic-- even if the people exploiting it made the right hand signals!
This is too hard! The Republicans would like to leave these new rules behind and return to an earlier time, a simpler time. A time when they could just call themselves "patriotic" and that would be enough.
October 15, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes. The "Do as I say, not as I do" time.
The "Leave it to Beaver" era.
October 15, 2008 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yup, it used to be patriotic to pay taxes. But look at the Palins... You can see how patriotic they are. They don't believe in taxes. Indeed, they don't believe Alaska should be a state - but a nation.
October 15, 2008 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
That McCain was able to slide into NYC and haul in 10.6 million dollars from one event says there is a lot of wealthy folk out there that don't think paying taxes is patriotic. Of course, as one commentor on the page put it, they would have made a smarter investment putting it in the stock market.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/mccains-ny-fund-raiser-collects-record-amount/
October 15, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
What we're seeing here is the result of the anti-intellectualism of the GOP. They've spent decades driving the smart people away from the party so now they have no one to tell them how stupid this mailer is.
In the final weeks of this campaign, think if this mailer and expect:
More of the same
October 15, 2008 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wouldn't call this racism. But jingoism? You betcha!
October 15, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
The best part is that independent tax policy sources show that McCain will have a way harder time with his tax policy than Obama will. In total, McCain's tax cut with average $1,190 while Obama's will only be $160. McCain forgets that lowering taxes on the super-rich (even by small amounts) takes away ridiculous amounts of money. The Tax Policy Center has said McCain's plans will drive our country further into deficits than Obama's plans will, even including all of Obama's new spending.
Lets not forget that using the mailers own definition of "voting for higher taxes", Obama voted for them 93 times and McCain did it over 400!
October 15, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink