ERIN NEFF: Code words can't obscure GOP's racial politics - Opinion

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Sep. 11, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

ERIN NEFF: Code words can't obscure GOP's racial politics

ERIN NEFF
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Four years ago, the remembrance of Sept. 11 was turned into a political issue to help George W. Bush dig in his heels on national security matters.

In 2004, the birth of Swift Boat politics emerged from the clouds of the Republican National Convention in New York, just days before 9/11 and its constant replay of Bush standing with firefighters in the rubble of the World Trade Center telling terrorists the people who knocked down these buildings will hear from us soon.

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Fear of another attack was rampantly exploited, whether through the rainbow threat levels or criticism of John Kerry's actual war service.

Today, as we once again come to the anniversary of the tragedy, time has helped distance the use of 9/11 in the politics of fear. But a new fear is emerging from the right this time, far more cynical and subtle than anything we saw in 2004.

Nobody likes to talk about race as a factor in this election, and Republicans know any outward attempts to infuse the presidential election with the issue could easily backfire. And so the party now injects race without specifically mentioning Barack Obama's color. The new racial politics are thrown to the voters in code.

Consider the latest attack on Obama's experience hidden in the Democrat's long-ago decision to end his budding career at a big law firm for a life as a community organizer. Rudy Giuliani was the most notable speaker at this month's Republican National Convention to use this tactic. "Community organizer? I don't even know what that is!" Giuliani said.

The teleprompter didn't move for more than a minute as Giuliani continued vamping about community organizing, stressing the word "community."

In this case, simply put, the community is an urban inner city. Giuliani wasn't denouncing Chicago machine politics as much as he was reminding middle America about the blacks who live in cities.

Sarah Palin continued the assault in her speech. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer," Palin said, "except that you have actual responsibilities."

Hannah Brown and some Democratic operatives delivered a letter to the John McCain campaign on Tuesday asking for an apology for remarks made by Palin and Giuliani.

"The group signing this letter represents community organizers who have braved 110-degree heat and angry dogs to approach our neighbors' doors and talk to them about their problems," the letter said. "We have worked with law enforcement and elected officials to address the needs of homeless people. We have registered new voters, fought on behalf of mentally disabled homeless people, and advocated for increased student aid for college students and brought light to the factors causing deteriorating neighborhoods."

Brown, the president emeritus of the Urban Chamber of Commerce, delivered the letter signed by such notables as Ruby Duncan, a powerful local civil rights advocate who once was arrested for marching on a state welfare office.

Brown and Duncan are too classy to call the McCain campaign tactic racist. They've been through too much and this is just silly distraction politics after all.

State Sen. Steven Horsford, who helped lead Obama's caucus efforts in Nevada, said he thinks Palin's criticism of community organizers "devalues the importance of community and the role that organizations in a community have in their government."

Horsford didn't say anything about race either, sticking with the campaign response: "Jesus was a community organizer."

This is the kind of distraction that Republicans hope can become a wedge issue. Remember, it was just a joke when John McCain answered a legitimate question about his campaign in Nevada with a laugh and the answer, "And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago."

But somehow it's deadly serious and sexist for Obama to use the "lipstick on a pig" description of McCain's economic policies. For years Republicans have referred to Democratic proposals as "lipstick on a pig."

And nobody's complaining about the rest of the Obama quote: "You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still gonna stink. We've had enough of the same old thing."

The McCain campaign, with a straight face, suggests Obama was calling Palin a pig. But McCain's no wife beater.

Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland has called Obama and his wife "uppity." And some Southern Republicans call Obama "boy" while others repeat Obama's full name (to include his middle name Hussein) as a way to erroneously imply that Obama is a Muslim.

In March, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said if Obama were elected, "Then the radical Islamists, the al-Qaida, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11 because they will declare victory in this war on terror."

Race is the new national security, even on Sept. 11.

Contact Erin Neff at eneff@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2906.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Maria-Danielle Echols wrote on September 30, 2008 12:52 AM: Oh, I would just like to say this: After reading the comments on this blog, it's going to be a pleasure moving out of this racist state. Thank you, Summerlin and company. You've proved my point. All of you are racists. Just be honest and admit it! I regret the day that I wore a US Army uniform. You people have just shown me why. Maria-Danielle Echols wrote on September 30, 2008 12:47 AM: Ms. Neff. I would like to say thank you for your 09/11 commentary. Never truer words were spoken in your column. I feel the need to contact you and hope that you will post/address my comments, as I am truly disgusted by the latest garbage that is spewing forth from the Republican party. What I am curious to know is this: Why doesn't the Republican party admit to being racists? Why do they lie about it? Why do they try to hide it? In recent weeks, McCain, Palin, McCain's mouthpieces and now, Didi Lima have shown exactly why there will ALWAYS be distrust from African-Americans towards the Republican party! Why should African-Americans believe that the Republican party CARES about us? Why should we believe that they KNOW anything about us? It is HIGHLY unlikely that Republicans have a CLUE about what goes on in the inner cities of America! But I digress. The point of this blog to you, Ms. Neff, is the remarks made by Ms. Didi Lima. Not only were they offensive, but; I think Ms. Lima better start looking into our history,(African-Americans). Maybe she'll learn something through all of the IGNORANCE that has tainted her tiny brain! We, African-Americans, have made far more contributions to the betterment of the United States of America than she knows! Before she opens that poisonous mouth of hers, she should THINK! Stupid remarks, (such as the one she made recently), will continue to breed racial hatred between Mexicans and African-Americans. It's sad that such stupidity still exists in this day and age. I only pray for her sake that she will never need an African-American to save her sorry life! vegasgirl wrote on September 14, 2008 02:53 PM: Most of the posts on this forum remind of a great line from "The American President": "How can you have patience with people who claim to love America, but clearly can't stand Americans?" I'm not voting for John McCain, but unlike most of the posters here, I'll refrain from writing any vicious attacks about him. Unfortunately, the McCain/Palin apologists on this forum lack the courtesy, class or deceny to do the same thing when it comes to Barack Obama; instead they seem to revel in their ignorance, blatant lies and knee-jerk right- wing echo chamber talking points. Or they think cheap shots at Erin Neff (who is as allowed to her opinion as Vin S. is allowed to his) somehow bolsters their argument. I really hope "ron", "Erin you're a dinosaur" and the other right-wing apologists enjoy the next four years,should McCain win. Because if their kids are shipped off to Iran in yet another needless war, if our civil liberties are finally trashed, or if economy finally goes down the toilet, they'd better not try blame "the liberals" or "the media" for it. The fault will be theirs and theirs alone, all because they are so blinded by GOP doctrine. God help this country. Pinky wrote on September 14, 2008 10:16 AM: To All, Is John Galt, the one advising Erin on Sexual Re-orientation Surgery. I just can't figure out which way he/she is going. Pinky wrote on September 14, 2008 10:08 AM: Erin, Lift up the other rock you crawled under and admit that Hussein Obama is the one that said "typical white person". Also laughed and semi supported Paris's video calling McCain "hey white haired dude". Hussein Obama also is the one putting down older citizens for being behind the times because they can't or won't use a computer. Obama's spekesman also said "the economy could not survive without computers", oh really, just shows how young and dumb that whole party is. We did fine before computers. What he shouls have said was the economy can't survive under an Obama rule. We would have about 10 people in the wagon and only one old senior citizen pulling the wagon. Most of the younger generation demands and expects the government to provide everything for them because they don't understand government. They have been told over and over "it is not your fault". Also it was Obama that said, he looks different etc, he himself. All those CLINTON folks need to remnember Clinton had a Republican house and senate, Bush was doing really good with economy and employment etc til Dems won the house and senate. The house and senate passed antional apple month, raised minimum wage that has resulted in mass layoffs and closing of several small businesses like starbucks etc. Then they went into hibernation. Now Reid wants to come back and vote on drilling, because they know what the American people really want because the Republican people LOUDLY told them. Erin your a dinosaur wrote on September 11, 2008 08:21 PM: Erin why aren't you covering the Simpson trial, and telling us why he's not guilty? And if your next column is the boycott on Oprah and how unfair that is...Just so you know, I stopped watching her months ago, she lost me with that horribly executed "give humongous amounts of money away in an irresponsible way." Which, I think, that show is Obama's Fiscal Spending Plan, should he become president. Actually it just occurred to me, Oprah maybe making-up this whole boycott thing, to blame others for her plunging ratings. You know what I mean? And that concludes the free association thinking part of the program. Sad Summerlin wrote on September 11, 2008 08:08 PM: I would be interested in our liberal friends take on the following article regarding the censorship of the movie "Path to 9/11"... http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/09/11/path_0911/ I know this is on a FOX NEWS blog, but I take the time to read MSNBC and CNN blogs, so do me the same courtesy... Do you believe the claims about Clinton squashing the movie? What are your thoughts? Joe C wrote on September 11, 2008 06:49 PM: Sad Summerlin, Sorry to tell you this but thanks to congress and the last few presidents. We have been in trouble for a long time. Both political parties work for the same people. It isn’t a tense public but a frustrated public that has had enough of corruption, special interest, lobbyist, and academic leaders that teach anti-America and blame whitey attitude. Preaching a continued victimization propaganda when things have clearly changed and Obama and Palin are proof positive. As far as civil unrest it’s already been going on with a crime wave or unrest from socialist illegally entering our country using an indigenous people lie, or we just want work. Marching in the streets waving another country’s flag. Black America that was subjugated for years is suffering now more job displacement because of illegal immigration than from years of job subjugation or institutionalized racism. The civil unrest will be from those tried of bullying political correct intolerant fools. The civil unrest is already happening in many forms. Plus Obama will lose, that I would bet on and I don’t support McCain but too many democrats are just too full of unlikable intolerant hot air. Sad Summerlin wrote on September 11, 2008 06:25 PM: I fear with the rhetoric on both sides of the spectrum these days that if Obama loses, we will see civil unrest. Neff's column is very foolish and short sighted and does nothing but fan the flames of an already tense public... MSNBC's Oberman does the same thing... Coulter is doing the same thing... We are in trouble if we do not chance our approach to electing our leaders in the next two months... ron wrote on September 11, 2008 05:36 PM: Thanks to unprofessional columns such as this, the moderates will vote for McCain & Palin. Most of the bloggers below offer more insightful analysis. Liberals imagine racism behind every corner, but they ignore it when they themselves are doing it. They have plently of code words: 'Diversity' actually means the denial of equal opportunity for whites and asians. Before "diversity" programs existed, they were know as "minority" programs. But since whites are now minorities in many cities and school systems, those organizations don't want to include white people in the 'minority' programs. Talk about racism, Obama's career has largely been about promoting his race (as a 'community organizer, civil rights law firm, Rev. Wright's church...) all up until he started running for President, then his message was supposedly, 'Let's Unite". Yeah right, a civil war is more likely to happen if this most liberal member of the Senate and friend of Bill Ayers... gets control of the White House. Oh, Stalin and Castro were community organizers too. Read All Comments