Obama Camp Vows To Fight Race-Based Ads

Campaign Says It Will Be Quick To React, Having Learned From "Swift Boat" Ads In 2004

(AP)  A presidential candidate who's named Hussein and wears a turban? A building that's called the White House but run by a black guy?

Those political images and ideas already have found their way onto TV airwaves and campaign buttons, possible harbingers of racially tinged messages in a general election involving the first black candidate to head a major party's ticket.

Though the election is more than four months away, the campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are shaping their strategies for dealing with such appeals.

The Obama campaign vows to fight back fiercely and fast, not repeating John Kerry's mistake of waiting to respond to the 2004 "Swift Boat" ads that Democrats saw as a smear of his military record. McCain's camp is alert for attacks on its man, too.

The McCain campaign promises to condemn any race-based political appeals. But it also insists it won't stand still for false charges of racism or for allegations merely aimed at preventing criticism of Obama on legitimate issues.

"Every word will be twisted to make it about race," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a McCain friend and adviser. When he and others confront Obama on issues such as national security and the economy, Graham said, it will have "nothing to do with him being an African-American."

Obama adviser David Axelrod said the Democrat's campaign will be on high alert for code words or innuendo meant to play on voters' racial sentiments. "We're going to be aggressive about pushing back on anything that we feel is inappropriate or misleading," he said.

It's not enough for McCain to say he cannot control independent groups airing racially charged ads on his behalf, Axelrod said, noting that the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" was independent of President Bush's campaign.

"We've seen this movie before," he said. "And we're not going to be passive in the face of those kinds of tactics."

Racially charged criticism of Obama already has surfaced in several states.

Shortly before North Carolina's May 6 primary, the state Republican Party aired a TV ad linking Democratic candidates to Obama, who was described as "too extreme" because of his ties to the retired Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

Obama eventually ended his relationship with Wright, his longtime pastor who had been criticized for sermons in which he cursed America and accused the government of conspiring against blacks. The state party ignored McCain's repeated calls to kill the ad.

In South Dakota, a TV station briefly aired an ad that was edited to show Obama saying, "we are no longer a Christian nation, we are also a Muslim nation." It omitted his saying, in the same speech, that the United States is not solely a Christian nation.

The ad, which included a photo of Obama wearing a turban as part of a traditional outfit given to him in Africa, concluded with a man saying: "It's time for people of faith to stand against Barack Hussein Obama." A group called the Coalition Against Anti-Christian Rhetoric paid for the ad, which stations quickly dropped after the Obama campaign complained.

The Texas Republican Party recently cut ties with a vendor whose political buttons at a party convention included one saying: "If Obama is president ... will we still call it The White House?" Texas GOP spokesman Hans Klingler said, "we will neither tolerate nor profit from bigotry."

Political professionals differ on how much racially tinged campaigning might emerge this summer and fall. Terry Holt, a GOP strategist who worked on President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, said Republicans know that McCain has no tolerance for such tactics. For the McCain campaign, he said, "it's not about what Obama looks like, it's about what he's going to act like."

"I think we can have an honest and tough debate without race being a major factor," Holt said.

U.S. politics has a long history of racially charged campaigns. Opponents hit Democrat Michael Dukakis with a now-infamous TV ad showing Willie Horton, a black inmate who raped a white woman while free on a weekend release program that Dukakis had supported.

Former Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., defeated a black opponent after airing an ad in which a white man's hands crumpled a letter informing him that he had lost a job he deserved to a minority.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, an authority on political communications at the University of Pennsylvania, said overt racial references are risky. But more subtle ads might stir doubts in voters' minds that could lead, in part, to racially tinged subjects, she said.

"The appeal that suggests that Senator Obama is 'out of touch with American values' invites audiences to ask what 'American' means," Jamieson said. Are voters being asked to link Obama to Wright's anti-American remarks? she said. "To question his patriotism? To fill in their fears and stereotypes? Foreigner? Muslim? For some, that appeal may elicit race-based reactions."

Republican strategist Tony Fabrizio said McCain and his supporters would be ill-advised to focus on issues such as Obama's ties to Wright without first tackling other topics.

"You should undermine Obama's credibility on things that are not debatable," Fabrizio said, such as his willingness to negotiate with adversaries and his call to wind down the Iraq war promptly. Once questions of Obama's experience and judgment are raised, he said, "the Wright issue would have more bite."

Holt, the GOP consultant, said third-party groups may play a smaller role in this election than last, but he would not be surprised if someone hit Obama with ads comparable to the Swift Boat criticism. Those ads were highly effective against Kerry in 2004, he said, because they fed into existing voter doubts about his sincerity. "It was in our message framework," Holt said, even though "we had nothing to do with it."

"I think the Democrats will try to tag McCain with whatever irresponsible advertising comes out of these groups," Holt said. "But McCain has a reputation with the American people" that will largely insulate him from such criticism, he said.

[ijagpoj]

It is typical for rivals to help the other retire debt after primary process because it makes for party unity towards general election.

At the same time, it is reported that if only 20% of Hillary''s 18 million voters sit out or vote McCain, Obama loses in November. That is only about 4 million voters.

Sources say, Al Gore may try to become the Dem nominee when Obama may be driven out by his own scandals unleased by media. Apparently Obama''s only role is to rid Hillary, then self destruct so Gore will waltz in and claim the nomination in August.

What do you think?

[deacon20081]

John McCain has special interests so far up his rear end that he drags his rear on the carpet.

[mudrose-2009]

HE''S CARTER-RETRO.

[jegibbons]

Barack Obama has been playing
a kid''s game of ''LET''S PRETEND'' for so long he''s actually believing it.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FOOLED.

When he is soundly trounced in the general election this fall he is ALREADY PLANNING to cry foul that he was RACISIZED! When the truth of it is
he was proven to be a PHONY PRETENDER,
nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!
No Hope - No Change Here.

[mudrose-2009]

Senator Obama what''''s that you''''re telling America??

TO GO DRILL OURSELVES?!?!?!


Posted by Beastof70

What he''s telling the American people is that they can go to hell in a hand basket. You are noticing that there isn''t any one of his cronnies on this site rebuking what we''re saying now are there. No. Because this guy is a slick weasel and they don''t respond when something is true.

[beastof70]

Has anyone taken note of the latest.....OsamaObama is so busy chasing the big ethanol producers dollar that he''s once again telling America to go drill themselves.

Turns out, OsamaObama has been in the pocket of big ethanol producers since day one of his arrival in the Senate.

I know I''ve been wondering what on earth would cause this inexperienced rookie to continue standing out in the open, clinging to his NO DRILLING, NO TIME, NO WHERE position as he shoots the vast majority of Americans the middle finger.

I see how he keeps his rabidly irrational minions in line by constantly reminding these morons of the fact *** Cheney use to work for an oil well servicing company.

A company that has been around for more than fifty years yet just in the past 18 months since the Democrats regained control of Congress decided to increase the cost of gas by 70%??????????

DDDDDDDDDDDDuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh???????

[beastof70]

Senator Obama what''s that you''re telling America??

TO GO DRILL OURSELVES?!?!?!

[beastof70]

Yesterday we saw where it was Chris Dodd, the Democrat Senator in charge of Banking and some other Democrat Senator in charge of Budget, where tax law is developed, caught red handed taking cash for favors from Countrywide and others involved in this Home Mortgage tax payer funded bail out.

Today we see OsamaObama caught with this hand in the cookie jar of big ethanol producers while he continues to advocate higher fuel prices.

Hey OsamaObama....Will your "Wind Fall Profits" tax include ethanol????

Santors what''s that you''re telling us Americans..."Go drill ourselves?!?!?"

And the best they have is some former Senator supposedly caught tapping his toe in a mens room stall, and *** Cheney worked for an oil well service company at some point in his life??

DDDDDDDDuuuuuuuhhhhhhh???

[mudrose-2009]

So Obama is going to drag race into every issue...just like he''''s been doing since day one!

His attack on the white people of this country is starting to get really nauseating!

Evidently he can''''t win on the issues...so he promotes this big victimized guilt trip! What a damned psychotic way to win an election!

Posted by RowdyWicca

This is what the Dimnowits do best. The pimp victimization and poverty all the time. And of course any of us would back off if someone said we are racist, but this time around, I don''t give a d/amn who calls me one. Like the War on Poverty, it''s just a name. Like the Republicans that are smearing him, it''s just him smearing them. Like he gets up and as Dobson says distorts the Bible. The Rev. Wright taught him well. This guy is nothing more than a modern day preacher with a bent for the white house. He''s George Soros''s third try. Al Bore, Swift Boat Kerry and no RamaLamaObama.

[beastof70]

If OsamaObama is the proponent of "CHANGE"

Why does he look so much like a deer caught in headlights these days when action is required to get this so called "Enron" loop hole he points at closed??

If OsamaObama wants to implement "CHANGE" and really stick it to the commodities traders, why doesn''t he get off his butt and get this greenie weenie bio-diesel "SPLASH AND DASH" loop hole changed prior to the July 4th break?? They reported this loop hole will cost America $800 million dollars by next year if it''s not closed.

Come on you hyphenated-Americans, knock off your steady drum beat of name calling and whine....Offer up some real answers.

What a difference a day makes. I offered the above yesterday. Today we see how all of my above has been answered when it was revealed how OsamaObama has long been in the pocket of big ethanol producers. It''s in his best interest to drive the price of crude oil sky high!!! And, American can simply go drill themselves!!!

[rowdywicca]

Half the articles on the internet are about race issues! What a nice distraction for being a ******* that hasn''t a clue what this country needs!

[rowdywicca]

So Obama is going to drag race into every issue...just like he''s been doing since day one!

His attack on the white people of this country is starting to get really nauseating!

Evidently he can''t win on the issues...so he promotes this big victimized guilt trip! What a damned psychotic way to win an election!

[mudrose-2009]

p650

You got that right on the mark. This clown who has 527s totalling $84 million to John McCain''s 527s totalling $24 million is accusing the republicans of using the race card and his muslim background. I think it''s hilarious! If there was anything of substance to this Empty Suit his claim if I might coin a phrase "is a distraction" from the issues. Since he is Carto-retro, there is nothing new he can bring to the table so he intends to distract us with his clownish claims. The racist calling people racist. This is just too funny.

[p650]

Obama has started using the race card. This is something that I expected because he has no experience. He wants sympathy votes because he is black. He will sure not get my vote.

[jack3213]

Obama is neither experianced or qualified. He has flip flopped more than any other, has skewed the Bible, wants to increase taxes in an unstable economy, does not know anything about foreign policy, has not been to Iraq in many years, will put this country at risk, and will not win simply because Ameica does NOT need a manipulative liberal liar.

[obama8years]

Lets see who was it that made this about race?

Obama - went to a racist church, pro-black, black value system

Obama - "Typical White People"

Obama - Wife black miltant essay at princeton

Obama - wife- americans are mean people(pretty sure she ment white americans)

Obama wife - "I will take my resources to improve the Black Community"(does this mean there is not one white community in America that needs improving)

Dont be fooled the Obama are all about the Black Value System that they learned for 20 years at the Rev Wright Trinity of Hate.

Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered.
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of %u201CMiddleclassness%u201D
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.

[obama8years]

Obama doesnt want to drill for Oil.
Obama is happy that the gas prices are High.(this is a fact)

Obama will not be happy until all america is living in soviet style Brick Block Apartments.

Is Obama a leftist Marxist?? Research foryourself and see how far the rabbit hole goes!

[patriot12436]

If Hawaii succeds from th union, will obama still be able to run for president legally ? If they succeed after he is elected will he still legally be president if all citizens of Hawaii are stripped of their citizenship ? In teresting thoughts about what could happen.

[joan1v]

Obama is an inexperienced fast talking hypocrite.
Ever notice when asked a difficult questions he and his minons always say what about McCain. They never do answer the question.

[beastof70]

Has anyone put a pencil to this?

Let''s consider....If OsamaObama can take every black vote in this nation it would still be less than 30 million votes. And, he can likely attarct 10 million un-Americans, errrrr I mean hyphenated-Americans of other lineage.

Or, let''s think about this: During the primaries both OsamaObama and the Hillaroid pulled about 36 million votes total.

So either way you want to look at it.....At best OsamaObama is starting his campaign with approx. 40 million votes in his pocket heading into the general.

Now consider:
Even though G.W. Bush is in the low 30% in national popularity polls, there has been a solid 26% of this nations voters who have, like myself, remained a rabid G.W. Bush supporter.

Assuming this bunch of nation loving real Americans remains solid and votes for McCain, this starts John off with approx. 77 million real Americans (no hyphens accepted) in his pocket heading into the general.

It would seem this 35 million plus gap OsamaObama has to try and attract seems plenty of reason for him to quit standing out there shooting all Americans the middle finger on issues like Oil, guns, Bibles, abortion, taxes, and spending.

OsamaObama, you have one rough row to hoe. Oh that''s right....You wouldn''t know anything about that, since your family lineage sports zero black American history like mine does.