McCain Plays Age, Gender, Race and Sexuality Cards At Once

by: Chris Bowers

Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 12:15


The McCain campaign has just played an entire campaign's worth of identity politics in a single ad. At the beginning of this latest bit of respectful campaigning, Obama is compared to Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears:


Let's do a quick rundown of the identity politics at work in such a comparison:

  • Obama is a girly-man. The ad only compares Obama to female celebrities, which is a direct shot at Obama's "manliness."
  • Obama will sleep with your white daughters: Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears are known for their sexuality as much as anything else. That must go for Barack Obama, too. And the history of attacking African-Americans in association with white women is such a positive one.
  • Obama is too young: For a campaign that is hyper-sensitive to attacks on McCain's age, they certainly have no problem attacking Obama's age. Which is what comparing Obama to Spears and Hilton is.
  • Obama is a Hollywood liberal: This is also a run of the mill attack on Obama as a Hollywood, liberal elite, in line with decades of conservative backlash narratives.

This is really atrocious stuff, and trying to bring out all of the worst aspects of America in order to win an election. At this point, the McCain campaign is just hitting Obama with whatever it can think of, and seeing if Obama will respond. It works, too, as they get tons of free press out of it. Given that political attacks take on their own life, the best response for Obama is probably to start making attacks of his own.  
Chris Bowers :: McCain Plays Age, Gender, Race and Sexuality Cards At Once

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McCain Plays Age, Gender, Race and Sexuality Cards At Once | 35 comments
this is also really pathetic (4.00 / 2)
does this ad make McCain look like anything other than a whiny, pathetic, little brat?
No!! (0.00 / 0)
to educated voters at any rate
[ Parent ]
It's media bait. (4.00 / 3)
I think that the real target audience for the ad is not the voters who will see the ad. That will probably be a very small number of people. The target is the television pundits who will begin to start babbling incessantly about whether Obama is or is not like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

And it will work. The ethical and logical media response would be to condemn McCain for this racist ad in harsh terms, to speculate about his spectacular integrity meltdown, to note with sadness what a pathetic and despicable character he has become. But that will not happen. The babbling whores on our TV screens will be discussing endlessly the legitimacy or non-legitimacy (or best of all - why it doesn't matter because "it's out there") of a comparison between Obama and these two superficial, irresponsible, blond sex pots as if it's not the most insane idiocy ever suggested.

The corporate media is a problem that needs to be solved.

John McCain is a piece of shit.

Karl Rove belongs in jail.

miasmo.com

[ Parent ]
Except .. (4.00 / 1)
Given that political attacks take on their own life, the best response for Obama is probably to start making attacks of his own.

We know he won't.  The question is how will he respond?  Will the TradMed call out McCain for going negative so early?  Will there be a backlash in the polls against McCain?

Left Blog Attacks? (0.00 / 0)
How about the blogs attack McCain?
[ Parent ]
But I thought Obama was 'typical'! I'm so confused. Snark. (0.00 / 0)


We won the Battle. Now the Real Fight for Change Begins. Join MoveOn.org and fight for progressive change.  
Well, A Typical Celebrity... (4.00 / 1)
Who's the biggest one in the world.

Okay, so it needs a little work.  After all, it's still July....

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

[ Parent ]
The similarity (4.00 / 8)
to the ad that Corker ran against Harold Ford seems obvious. As a reminder, in the ad

a young white actress playing the stereotype of a "dumb blonde" talks about meeting Ford, a 36-year-old bachelor who is black, "at the Playboy party." At the end of the ad, she winks and says to the camera, "Harold - call me."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15...

What I find very distressing at this point is the McCain campaign's ability to dominate the discussion through the release of advertisements that will probably see air in only a few places for a short period of time.  Like the ad attacking Obama for not visiting the troops, these ads are designed to drive the narrative in free media.

This is, of course, how the Swiftboat ad worked.  Initially the media buy was small.  What made it significant was the focus the news media gave to the ad (frequently replaying it).

The Republicans are simply better at this than we are.

As I wrote here Saturday, this is the time when most elections are decided.  In many it seems to me McCain is taking his nastiest shots now because I suspect the know this.  

As a reminder, there is chart I published Friday. Elections are usually decided in the summer:


Just like Scotty said. (4.00 / 2)
This is how it works. Rove puts out the talking points and the media enthusiastically comply. The talking points are in the ad. The media will be babbling about this non-stop for weeks. Quite a little scam they (Republicans and their propaganda machine that is the corporate media) have going here.

miasmo.com
[ Parent ]
Desperation (4.00 / 1)
It might be the optimist in me, but I think this backfires really badly for McCain -- he overplays his hand with the Paris/Britney imagery. Part of the effectiveness of the Kerry's an Elitist attacks in 04 was that, for whatever reason, they stuck. Obama, even as he appears through the editing of TV news, just isn't silly enough to be reasonably compared to a starlet.

So I think that this goes bad for McCain. One shorthand measure I use to evaluate the force of a republican ad is how fast the blogosphere generates a counterpunch. If a republican attack is rhetorically effective, it usually takes us a day or two or three to unspool the semantics of the attack and articulate a refutation. On this one, the response is easy and instantaneous: John McCain is a Paranoid Racist (maybe not that direct, but you get the point); I thought John McCain was going to run a clean campaign. We know this isn't the real John McCain talking. He wouldn't stoop this low.

Going negative this early and in this way really opens McCain to attack from Obama -- but now Obama or surrogates or whoever can go after him for being sleazy.

John McCain: Flip-floppin' on straight talkin'.

If I'm represenmtative of older voters . . . . (4.00 / 1)
I thought the two blondes were just German girls.  I wouldn't recognize Paris Hilton OR Britney Spears.  Maybe younger people would think the association was kind opf cool--I don't know.  

And the large crowds abroad were kind of nice.  Anyone older than 30 remembers when that was commonplace.  No to drilling?  Obama's answered that, and besides, oil prices have dropped 30 dollars a barrel.  

Maybe it does appeal to the lizard brains of some older white people, but more likely it is just going to be confusing.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

[ Parent ]
I Think This Is True For Voters (4.00 / 2)
It really is poorly conceived, when you thnk about voters as the audience, and you've summarized why very succinctly.

But I don't think it's for votes.  It's for the media, and particularly the punditalkcrazy.  And if anyone is obsessed with Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears, it's just got to be that particular bunch of viagra-popping losers.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

[ Parent ]
McCain's own visuals (0.00 / 0)
I'm not one to underestimate the potency of the lizard brain.

But, by that same measure, it has to be noted that the segue from to the Obama imagery to the McCain imagery is just horrific. That is THE creepiest smile, and there really needed to be more of a visual buffer between the vigorous Obama visuals and the older McCain.

       You can't have your lizard brain and eat it, too. There needs to be some consistent attenuation to these concerns, and it's just not there.

[ Parent ]
It didn't backfire (4.00 / 1)
against Corker when he did it.

Look at the latest PPP poll from Michigan.  Obama leads by, in June he was leading by 9.

Where is his deterioation?  Whites.

Who is this ad aimed at? Whites.

[ Parent ]
Missing word (0.00 / 0)
In the latest PPP poll Obama leads by 3 in Michigan
[ Parent ]
Because This Ad's Been Playing Non-Stop In Michigan, Right??? (0.00 / 0)
I just knew it!

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3
[ Parent ]
Whatever.... (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
Michigan Is Fine (0.00 / 0)
There are fluctuations there, but McCain hasn't lead since late June.  Take a look at Pollster.com's national map, and relax.  Getting hysterical never won anything.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3
[ Parent ]
A dumb ad, but (4.00 / 1)
it certainly didn't remotely cross my mind that Obama is bagging white women because there is a three-second shot of Britany Spears.  That's a little over the top.
Actually, I had a very different reaction to the ad (4.00 / 4)
The ad reminded me of the case where Lesley Stahl did a very negative piece about Raegan, but used great visuals about him...

But that isn't what happened, she says. When the piece aired, Darman called from the White House. "Way to go, kiddo," he said to Stahl. "What a great piece. We loved it." Stahl replied, "Didn't you hear what I said [in the broadcast]?" Darman's answer has been frequently quoted:

STAHL: [Darman replied,] "Nobody heard what you said."

Did I hear him right? "Come again?"

"You guys in Televisionland haven't figured it out, have you? When the pictures are powerful and emotional, they override if not completely drown out the sound. I mean it, Lesley. Nobody heard you."

Look at the visuals of Obama in the ad.  He looks good, he's smiling, he's in front of a huge crowd of cheering people.

John McCain <3 lobbyists

And the blondes look like German girls (0.00 / 0)
To anyone (older) like me, who has no idea who they are.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.
[ Parent ]
That's not the point. (4.00 / 1)
They will not air this ad very much. The real audience is the media. The purpose of the ad is to get all the talking assholes on TV to start talking about "Obama and Britney," "Obama and Paris Hilton," "Obama and hot young blond slutty white girls."

miasmo.com
[ Parent ]
That, and... (4.00 / 2)
members of the crowd are clearly waving American flags.  I don't see how this plays well outside of the base.  The imagery is fairly flattering and actually pro-American.
[ Parent ]
Again, It's For The Punditalkcrazy (4.00 / 2)
If they believe that caving in to Mr. 28% on FISA is the politically "smart" thing to do, they will fall for anything.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3
[ Parent ]
Boy do I hope you're right! (4.00 / 1)
[ Parent ]
How Rules Changes Make A Difference (4.00 / 1)
Watch the ad again.  It's all Obama in fropm of fopreign crowds waving American flags.  And at the end McCain says, "I'm John McCain and I approved this message."

It almost makes it seem like he approves of Obama's trip and his candidacy.  I wonder how many ad people really see the effect of that phrase.

Plus, poll after poll shows that tax cutting has lost its potnecy as an issue, because (1) people understand what a deficit means and (2) they know who taxes cuts really go to.  

It is often said that attack ads work when people think there's a grain of truth in the message.  Obama like Paris Hilton?  Really?  It's a real stretch.  I thibnk the ad fails, except as a means of getting the talking heads talking.  Obama's talking economics in Missouri.  Be patient.  McCain isn't climbing in the polls.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

This Is All About Feeding False Media Narratives (4.00 / 1)
McCain is losing this election badly.  Pollster.com has Obama with 284 EVs, McCain with just 147, and 107 "toss-ups."

The toss-ups include Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Montana, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona.  They do not include Ohio, Iowa or New Mexico.

Fortunately for McCain, the punditalkrazy doesn't do state-by-state until election night, so he's getting by on "well, Obama hasn't delivered a knockout blow yet, so that must mean I'm doing really good."

Now it's time to change the narrative to "McCain on the attack."

The fact that the attacks are hollow acts of desperation will, of course, not be part of the media narrative.

Voters are the last thing this ad is about.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

[ Parent ]
When is Obama going to respond and attack? (4.00 / 1)
Seriously, when was the last time you heard about a new Obama ad, or a new line of attack from Obama?  I can't think of it... maybe a radio ad or something.

This is the time period when Republicans smeared Kerry as well... and it worked pretty effectively.  All this crap is doing is pushing Obama's negatives up... Democrats need to do the same to McCain and start fighting back.

He can't attack (4.00 / 1)
I think that we all have to admire Obama for sticking to his "politics of hope" thing, but we should also realize that, maybe, just maybe, because he's Black, he pretty much can't hit back.  

People, in the most trite way possible compare him to Jackie Robinson, but in this sense, there is some room to make the parallels.  No mater what he does, he is going to be accused of doing something wrong.

Last night, I was listening to Hardball, and they were talking about some innocent comment he made at a fundraiser about how he said he was going to win, and they spun it off as him being "arrogant".  Maybe I'm over reacting, but that and a lot of other things (even in the primary) have come off to me as extremely racially insensitive.

Obama has a chance because he is light skinned, non threatening, and probably the most articulate and skillful politician that has come along in a very long while.  If he get's attacked for making a statement that every politician makes, then what do you think will happen if he attacks McCain and isn't seen as non threatening anymore?


I agree with this (4.00 / 1)
The most damaging theme the GOP has is "he's not one of us."  Obama has to be careful and can't seem to be attacking McCain in any sort of out-of-bounds way.  He does attack his policies pretty vigorously, but never the man himself.

He needs surrogates to do the attacking on a personal level.  Of course it's a double standard.  But we have to recognize that he and his people understand the electorate as a whole and how different groups respond to Obama and they have made the calculation that he has to be very careful how he presents himself because of his skin color and, to a lesser extent, his age.  I think they are doing fine.  Look at him today in Missouri with Claire McCaskill, who vouches for him unequivocally.  There will be more of that.  The VP will be a reassuring pick because of this.  

We just have to recognize that it was always a gamble with Obama because of hostility to a black man, even a light-skinned one, among some people who would normally vote Dem.  But for many of us, the trade-off for energizing young people and getting more creative (less inside the box) approaches to problems is well worth it.  

I still think the ad is confusing for the public at large, but I do see the efficacy of the ad for the media Heathers, and the fact that it was done evidently by the guy who did the Corker ad against Harold Ford makes it especially sleazy.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

[ Parent ]
What surrogates? (4.00 / 3)
He's either cut the funding or given the bird to any third party who could make such responses.
[ Parent ]
I'm kinda surprised (4.00 / 1)
at how many people are writing about this and spelling it "Brittany" instead of "Britney." Not really all that important I guess, just an odd and surprisingly universal bit of inaccuracy.

John McCain opposes the GI Bill.
I agree (0.00 / 0)
I agree completely that there's a racial undertone to this ad; in fact, I think Chris is understating it. Is it really a coincidence (and I swear I'm not trying to make this seem sleazier than it already is) that the ad shows a tall, dark column in the background of the "IS HE READY TO LEAD?" shot? This is the only time I've seen that particular angle used in all of the footage from the event, presumably because the column dominates the shot to an awkward degree (i.e. - Obama is squeezed into the corner). I think the ad tries-very subtly but maybe with some success-to trigger unconscious associations in the viewer: shots of attractive white women known for promiscuity, followed by a black man, followed by camera flashes, followed by back-to-back shots of the dark column. I know it sounds crazy and a little conspiratorial, but remember: this is exactly the level GOP ads tend to operate on. (Does anyone else get that vibe?)
"Promiscuity" (0.00 / 0)
has a degree of judgment that's really not great. Although I can't say you're wrong to suggest that's how it will be taken.
[ Parent ]
The Real Issue Here (4.00 / 1)
   The issue with this ad and many other McCain ads is not what McCain and his campaign make up to be a scandal about Barack Obama. The issue of these ads and of this election is that John McCain makes stuff up!

McCain has shown throughout the primaries and entering the general election that he consistently has difficulty telling the truth. McCain lies willfully and often, and he has shown that he has no problem with that.

Sure, we can mirror the media and spend all of our time dissecting and debating what the McCain ads are saying about Barack Obama, or we can look at the obvious and see what these ads say about McCain.

McCain Plays Age, Gender, Race and Sexuality Cards At Once | 35 comments
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