Days later and I’m still sort of flabbergasted over the Obama photo flap. This is supposed to be offensive… why, exactly?
I’m not talking the politics involved, but the photo itself. Perhaps folks didn’t get the memo, but Obama’s father is, in fact, African (though he’s Kenyan, while the robes in question were Somali). Nevertheless, I suppose we’d be having this same national conversation if some pol whose mother came from Scotland donned a kilt?
Well, no. Because that politician wouldn’t have the middle name Hussein. Wouldn’t be a potential Manchurian candidate. And — most importantly — would almost certainly be white. And white people are somehow less threatening in their “native” costume (T-shirt and relaxed waistband trousers).
That the photo is widely believed to have been disseminated by the Hillary Clinton campaign isn’t much of a comfort here, because if Obama wins the Democratic nomination, this is exactly the kind of thing we’re going to see — in spades — from Republicans. It’s going to be ugly; perhaps one of the ugliest outbursts of thinly-veiled American racism we’ve seen in some time.
Very little of it if any will come from the presumed GOP candidate, John McCain. On a personal level, McCain probably has more class than this; politically, it would be suicide; “I don’t see how McCain could plausibly weave the race card or the Islam card into his attacks without coming off like both a bigot and a fool,” writes Ross Douthat. Fine, as far as it goes; Americans don’t want their presidential candidates engaging in any overt race-baiting.
But the candidates’ surrogates? They can wade hip-deep through the stuff; that’ll be just fine.
“Last night, I watched Hannity say the word ‘black’ pejoratively about half a dozen times in expressing his fear and loathing of the Obama phenomenon,” wrote Sullivan earlier this week. Get it? Obama — Barack Hussein Obama — is black. You know what that means, right? Black.
And then, as if on cue, Time Magazine’s Mark Halperin furnishes us with a list of things McCain could do to try and beat Obama. Get a load of number six:
“Allow some supporters to risk being accused of using the race card when criticizing Obama.”
See? McCain doesn’t have to do it — but ”some supporters” (like Hannity) can get out there right now and remind voters that Barack Hussein Obama is black. Black!
And if that isn’t enough, on to number 11:
“Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama’s unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.”
Ah, the closet moo-slim just waiting to seize power from an unsuspecting, virginal white America. We’ll eat that up with a shovel.
Halperin is quick to add that “This is analysis, not advice.” Sure. But his crack “analysis” suggests that GOP voters, maybe voters across the spectrum, will respond like Pavlov’s dog to racist and xenophobic appeals.
We might. It’s wonderful to dream of an America where race or cultural background is so irrelevant that we hardly notice it, that America is destined to always exist only in dreams. Human nature itself prevents the dream from fully becoming reality; the fear of difference is hardwired into our psyche. The real question is, do you overcome it — or does it overcome you?
For a lot of people, Obama’s race and cultural background is a key aspect of his appeal. Should such a candidate actually get elected, it might prove to the world (and maybe to Americans themselves) that we practice what we preach, that we really mean this business about equality.
But we could take the other path, as well. Obama’s candidacy could bring out the best in us. It could also bring out the worst. It’s already starting, I think, to bring out both.
