Could "Magic Negro" Controversy Help Saltsman?

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Republicans

(AP)

Chip Saltsman's decision to send a CD to Republican National Committee members that included the parody song "Barack The Magic Negro" has, undoubtedly, thrown a wrench into the race for the RNC chairmanship.

Saltsman, who is seeking the job, has defended himself with suggestions that the media are trying to stir up a false controversy by focusing on the flap. But that argument hasn't convinced some top Republicans, who have been critical of Saltsman for, in the words of Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, "promot[ing] divisiveness."

Saltsman ran Mike Huckabee's (surprisingly long-lasting) presidential campaign, and now Huckabee himself has weighed in on the issue with a largely supportive statement.

"Chip should have been more careful in his selection of Christmas gifts, but no one who knows him would ever suggest that he in any way would purposely disparage other people," Huckabee said. "Chip knows how sensitive such issues are. It shouldn't be the main factor in the RNC race."

Were Saltsman's to take the reins at the RNC, it would likely benefit Huckabee, who is reportedly mulling another run for president.

Meanwhile, Politico is suggesting that the flap might actually help Saltsman in his bid for the RNC's top job, since it has prompted some members to rally around the embattled former Tennessee GOP leader.

Mike Duncan, the current RNC chair who is seeking another term, was an early critic of Saltsman, a move that one committee member derided, suggesting it amounted to "pandering to the national press." By contrast, candidate and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has reportedly been contacted by at least 12 uncommitted members thanking him for supporting Saltsman instead of "throwing a good Republican under the bus."

The flap certainly put Saltsman's name on members' lips, and Republicans have traditionally been sympathetic to the argument that a biased national media are the real culprits in controversies like this.

"Chip probably could have thought it through a bit more, but he was doing everyone a favor by giving us a gift," Alabama Republican committeeman Paul Reynolds told Politico. "This is just people looking for something to make an issue of."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by mediaspy_nv January 1, 2009 6:56 PM EST: For those of you posting extreme nastiness, you should know that your ISP can be traced from your comment post to your pc and therefore your name and address.

The feds will know who you are and where you live, and probably everything else about you, thanks to Bush''s wiretapping agenda and invasion of personal privacy laws.; Reply to this comment


by actornaught January 1, 2009 4:35 PM EST: Posted by LibH8er at 01:23 PM : Jan 01, 2009

Please stay the way you are. You do an excellent job of showing how smart everybody else is.

Every time you neo-conned types use any of your variations of the word "liberal", it''s in a lie.; Reply to this comment


by libh8er January 1, 2009 4:23 PM EST: Kate1149, actornaught

You nosepicking lib candyasses got your halfrican selected by a massive push from the LAMEstream media and a downturn in the economy.

Had the media been doing their jobs, in other words, if Obama had been a republican, he would have ben out of the race in March of ''07.

So if you want to deceive yourselves that the American people rejected conservtism, go ahead. McCain was the weakest candidate we had...

Need proof? McCain was endorsed by the NYT. Does that tell you anything about the press helping select candidates?; Reply to this comment


by kate1149 January 1, 2009 4:15 PM EST: alanrobisch2? I seem ignorant? Palin did nothing but attack Obama, claiming that he wasn''t one of us, or like us, or American enough, or didn''t think like us, or wasn''t from the pro-American parts of the County!! If you don''t think there was racism or bigotry in those words than you are seriously dilusional.; Reply to this comment


by kate1149 January 1, 2009 4:09 PM EST: I noticed that Politco published the piece that says that Saltsman might be helped by the "Magic Negro" controversy and this reminded me of an article I read recently by David Plough, the mastermind of Obama''s campaign, in which he gave zero credibility to Politco''s opinion page. Plough stated that if either Politco, or Mark Halperin of Time Magazine, reported that the Obama campaign was handling something in the wrong way then they new they were going in the right direction because Politico and Halperin were wrong 90% of the time. It will be interesting to see what happens to Saltsman''s bid to become Republican Party Chairman and if Politco is out of touch again!; Reply to this comment


by alanrobisch January 1, 2009 4:00 PM EST: Obama didn''''t even have to run a campaign against Sarah Palin because people could see what she was as soon as she started using racism, and smear tactics and she self destructed.

you seem ignorant. the attacks made against obama were not racist by either palin or Mccain. Seems you live in ideologue land; Reply to this comment


by kate1149 January 1, 2009 3:57 PM EST: Republicans are racist disgusting pigs - they prove it everytime they open their mouths. How else do you explain the Republican support of people like Saltsman or Rush Limbaugh! I hope all you Republican porkers have a miserable 8 years under the Obama Administration - worse than the last eight years the rest of the Country suffered under George W. Bush. The Bush Administration was so arrogant, incompetent, immoral, ignorant, and corrupt that even your own candidate John McCain had to distance himself from it. Anyone who voted for Bush is responsible for the the global and economic messes we are in now. Nice Job! If I had voted for a President like that, I think I would keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself for a while and hope people forget what bunglers the Republicans have been. All of you morons on this web site have a lot of nerve saying anything critical obout Obama when you have supported an ignoramous like Bush for the last eight years. I hope your party does elect Saltsman, because just like McCain and Palin, using racist smear tactics will cause Saltsman''s own self distruction. Obama didn''t even have to run a campaign against Sarah Palin because people could see what she was as soon as she started using racism, and smear tactics and she self destructed.; Reply to this comment


by actornaught January 1, 2009 3:48 PM EST: Posted by LibH8er at 10:27 AM

As your rusty, smoking Vega slides farther into the weeds & out of sight, just keep the wheel at twisted right...; Reply to this comment


by lucilioness January 1, 2009 3:16 PM EST: SOME WHITE FOLKS JUST HATE TO SEE A BROTHER COME UP IN THE WORLD.; Reply to this comment


by libh8er January 1, 2009 1:27 PM EST: Yeah, I''''m sure you''''ve been laughing for the last eight years....Posted by earache4 at 04:42 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Well, we''ve been laughing at least for the past year....which is when the parody came out.

It''s taken directly from the lips of blacks and the LAMEstream press who pondered whether teh Halfrican was actually ''black enough'' to be ''down with the struggle.''

You bedwetting libs need to get a sense of humor and a life.; Reply to this comment