Letter From America
Obama's race and religion front and centre
With Barack Obama running off eleven straight primary and caucus victories after February 7, fattening his seemingly insurmountable lead in pledged delegates, popular votes and states won, Hillary had a decision to make: To "go gentle into that good night" or "rage, rage" (with apologies to Dylan Thomas). She raged.
In their last debate on February 26, a pugnacious Clinton went for Obama's jugular. Adopting the "kitchen sink" fusillade strategy, she threw everything at Obama, hoping something would stick. When Tim Russert asked Obama to comment on the Nation of Islam's Louis Farrakhan's unsolicited endorsement of him, Obama denounced Farrakhan's previous anti-Semitic statements. Not the right word, protested ("Jewish voters: See, I am the true supporter of Israel") Clinton. "You have to reject it," demanded Ms. Semantics. Obama acceded: "I denounce and reject."
Knowing that Obama detests knife fights, Hillary aimed to knock Obama off his pedestal and engage him in mudslinging. She ripped open the slightest slip by Obama and told the world: "See, he is not the God you thought he was!" When a frustrated Obama supporter, Harvard professor Samantha Power, called Hillary a "monster" who would stoop to any level to win, Hillary cried foul and had her fired. Hillary's objective is to provoke Obama into committing a blunder and driving up his negatives.
Hillary complained that the press was soft on Obama. To assuage her angst, the press quickly changed the narrative and accused Obama of guilt by association with some supporters -- indicted realtor Tony Rezko, Farrakhan, and incendiary remarks of Obama's pastor, Rev. Wright. For three Saturdays running, "Saturday Night Live" ran pro-Clinton opening comedy skits.
Orlando Patterson, another Harvard professor, believes that the ad: "It is 3 a.m. The phone rings at the White House. Who would you like to answer the phone?" that Clinton ran in Texas had subliminal racial overtones. The ad shows white children sleeping peacefully at 3 a.m. when the mother comes to check on them because an intruder (black) may be hiding in the bushes. If a black man (Obama) picked up the phone, the children would be really scared! According to Professor Patterson, this is reminiscent of D. W. Griffith's controversial 1915 movie, "The Birth of a Nation," which revived the racist terrorist organisation Ku Klux Klan.
After Hillary successfully lowered the bar for attacking Obama, an avalanche of attack came from the bigots. Hillary had tap danced around whether Obama is a Muslim, leaving some plausibility that he is! As if on cue, on March 7 Iowa Republican congressman Steve King predicted that terrorists would celebrate if Barack Obama were elected president: "His middle name Hussein does matter. [Obama will] certainly be viewed as a savior for them. That's why you will see them supporting him, encouraging him. [If Obama is elected president] al-Qaeda would be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11 because they would declare victory in this war on terror." McCain supporter Rev. Rod Paisley chimed in: "Islam is a false religion." Thanks to such smear tactics, 13% of Americans now believe that Obama is a Muslim!
The clincher came from Geraldine Ferraro, Walter Mondale's running mate in 1984: "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." So, being a black man is an advantage in America! Obama responded with restraint and civility: "Being an African-American man named Barack Obama is not the quickest path to becoming US president."
Before resigning from Hillary's national economic committee, an unapologetic Ms. Ferraro added: "Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says, 'Let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world,' you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up. Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white." Really?
Ms. Ferraro: Is it remotely possible that Obama's qualifications -- a Columbia University graduate, Harvard Law Review's first African-American editor-in-chief, four-term Illinois state senator, author of two best-selling books (written by himself), a US senator from a predominently white state, a brilliant and inspiring orator and politician who is defeating the Democratic party establishment represented by the Clintons, and is spearheading post-racial politics in America -- have something to do with his appeal to young and old, blacks and whites, rather than the pigment of his skin?
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