Friday, November 10, 2006
"Republicans may not accuse black Democrats of anything. Ever."
The current (print) National Review has an excellent take on the infamous RNC-produced "Playboy" ad:
"The Tennessee Senate race, between former Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker (R) and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D), was enlivened, beyond the excitement of its closeness, by an anti-Ford spot from the Republican National Committee. In a montage of 'ordinary' folk, a sweet young thing says, 'I met Harold at the Playboy party!' then returns at the end to purr, 'Harold, call me.' The lady refers to the fact that Ford attended a party thrown by the venerable skin mag at the 2005 Super Bowl. The ad sought to puncture Ford’s image as a pious conservative Democrat; the angle of attack was petty, real petty. But since Ford is black and the actress is white, Ford supporters accused the RNC of race-baiting. The ad 'makes the Willie Horton ad look like child’s play,' said a Vanderbilt professor. This is crazy, and (sadly) customary. Black public figures across the spectrum, from Justice Clarence Thomas to Sen. Barack Obama, have white wives or mothers. America shrugs its collective shoulders. If, to avoid the accusation, the RNC had paired Ford with a black cutie, they would have been accused of aping blaxploitation flicks. The rule is: Republicans may not accuse black Democrats of anything. Ever."
"The Tennessee Senate race, between former Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker (R) and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D), was enlivened, beyond the excitement of its closeness, by an anti-Ford spot from the Republican National Committee. In a montage of 'ordinary' folk, a sweet young thing says, 'I met Harold at the Playboy party!' then returns at the end to purr, 'Harold, call me.' The lady refers to the fact that Ford attended a party thrown by the venerable skin mag at the 2005 Super Bowl. The ad sought to puncture Ford’s image as a pious conservative Democrat; the angle of attack was petty, real petty. But since Ford is black and the actress is white, Ford supporters accused the RNC of race-baiting. The ad 'makes the Willie Horton ad look like child’s play,' said a Vanderbilt professor. This is crazy, and (sadly) customary. Black public figures across the spectrum, from Justice Clarence Thomas to Sen. Barack Obama, have white wives or mothers. America shrugs its collective shoulders. If, to avoid the accusation, the RNC had paired Ford with a black cutie, they would have been accused of aping blaxploitation flicks. The rule is: Republicans may not accuse black Democrats of anything. Ever."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, November 10, 2006 
