the New Yorker yet? Here's a description from the Right:
"It's got Obama in his Muslim dress with a turban, and he's
there with his wife. His wife has a 'mad at the world' afro,
circa 1968, she -- she's got bandoliers and an assault weapon,
and there in their fireplace is burning the American flag. The
New Yorker finally got it right." -- G. Gordon Liddy.
Regardless of whether you think this particular satire is
offensive or funny or a failure, there's no doubt that it
focused some attention on the kind of outrageous attacks that
continue to be made against Sen. Obama's patriotism and faith. I
believe many of these attacks on Sen. Obama, and on his wife
Michelle, are proxies for race.
I remember watching Sen. Obama's major address on race on my
second day on the job as president of People For the American
Way. It felt like the start of a different kind of conversation
about race in America, one that is honest, direct and
respectful. It hasn't always turned out that way. We've seen
plenty of ugliness, from anonymous e-mailers to national
television figures, attempting to stir up and exploit the racism
that stubbornly infects our society. And I am sure we'll see
more of it between now and November.
But when I ask myself why this election is shaping up to be so
ugly, I realized that the Right must think its only chance is
character assassination. I think some of the stuff being thrown at
Obama by the Far Right is a sign of desperation. Their old wedge-issue
tactics aren't quite as reliable as they used to be. The
country, especially the younger generation, is moving beyond its
bigotries. People want to focus on solving the nation's urgent
problems. When Larry King asked about the New Yorker, Obama
downplayed its importance, saying, "But you know what, it's a
cartoon, Larry." I think his instinct not to have the
presidential campaign get mired in the muck is a good one.
For our part, we should not let this history-making campaign,
or other signs of progress, keep us from being keenly aware of
the ways that racism and other prejudice do still affect the
lives and opportunities of millions of Americans -- and the role
we can play in challenging bigotry and discrimination, and
preserving the legal and constitutional principles of equality
under the law for everyone.
Those principles are at stake this year, and that's why we're
here. That's why the future of the Supreme Court is so important
... why we're so committed to defeating the Right's efforts to
use gay rights as a divisive wedge issue in California this year
... why our African American Religious Affairs program equips
and mobilizes progressive Black clergy and other leaders to
resist these wedge campaigns and to bring their voices more
effectively into the public arena ... and why in this election,
as with every election, we'll be working hard to stop voter
suppression and make sure eligible voters are aware of, and able
to exercise, their rights.
If you have thoughts about the ways that race is being handled
or manipulated in this campaign season -- or suggestions for
what we can do about it -- e-mail me at Kathryn@pfaw.org.
All the best,
Kathryn Kolbert, President
P.S. I love it when our opponents go after us when our work
makes them uncomfortable. This week Pat Robertson griped on the
700 Club about People For the American Way distributing segments
of his program to reporters. I can't understand how he thinks
we're stifling free speech by encouraging news coverage of his
statements ... but I can sure understand why he and his guests
are embarrassed by some of the things we catch them saying.
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