Republican's "Negro" Christmas Gift

[FSTargetDrone]

Surprisingly, I hadn't seen this posted yet:

Dec 27, 2008 9:00 am US/Central

RNC Candidate Distributes Obama 'Negro' Song On CD

This article was compiled from various news reports

NEW YORK (CBS) ―Tennessee politician Chip Saltsman, currently running for chairman of the Republican National Committee, sent a controversial collection of songs to members of his party as a Christmas present, but one song in particular is garnering a bit of attention.

The 41-track CD, titled "We Hate The USA," pokes fun at President-elect Barack Obama in a song called "Barack the Magic Negro."

Saltsman defended the song as just a joke. "I think most people recognize political satire when they see it," he told The Hill.

Other songs in the collection also target prominent figures from this year's presidential campaign, including John Edwards. Tracks include "John Edwards' Poverty Tour," "Wright place, wrong pastor," "Love Client #9," "Ivory and Ebony" and "The Star Spanglish banner," according to The Hill's Web site.

The song, penned by Saltsman acquaintance Paul Shanklin, uses the music of "Puff the Magic Dragon" and is in reference to an opinion article by David Ehrenstein published in 2007 by the Los Angeles Times.

"Barack the Magic Negro" is performed by Shanklin, and is meant to sound as if black activist Al Sharpton were singing it, reports the Washington Post.

According to the Washington Post, lyrics include:

"A guy from the LA paper said it made guilty whites feel good, they'll vote for him and not for me cuz he's not from the hood... Oh, Barack the magic negro lives in DC, the LA Times they called him that because he's black but not authentically."

Rush Limbaugh originally played the song on his radio talk show in 2007.

Saltsman managed former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's campaign for president and announced his bid for RNC chairman this month, according to the Washington Times.

In the L.A. Times opinion piece, Ehrenstein writes that The Magic Negro is seen as a figure of postmodern folk culture. "He's there to assuage white "guilt" (i.e., the minimal discomfort they feel) over the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history, while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest," Ehrenstein explains in the article.

And then some other Republicans respond:

RNC Rivals Discuss Racial Song

Would-Be Chairman Who Sent CD With Parody Blames Media

By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 28, 2008; A05

Republicans who are vying to lead the national party offered a mix of reactions yesterday to the decision by one candidate for the job to mail out a music CD including the song "Barack the Magic Negro."

Chip Saltsman defended his actions, telling the Hill newspaper that the song -- and others on the CD, which was mailed to party members -- was nothing more than a lighthearted parody. But his rivals in the contest to chair the Republican National Committee said it carried an inaccurate message about what the GOP stands for.

"In my opinion, this isn't funny and it's in bad taste," said Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis. "Just as important, anything that paints the GOP as being motivated in our criticism of President-elect Obama by anything other than a difference in philosophy does a disservice to our party."

Current national chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, who is running for reelection, said he was "shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate."

"The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party. . . . [This] clearly does not move us in the right direction," he said. Duncan, Anuzis and Saltsman are all white.

But some of Saltsman's rivals responded more mildly. Former Maryland lieutenant governor Michael S. Steele, one of two black candidates for the job, said Saltsman's "attempt at humor was clearly misplaced," adding that the leadership of the party needs to "be a lot smarter about such things and more appreciative that our actions always speak louder than our words."

"Our actions and our words are oftentimes used to define who we are as Republicans," Steele said in a statement.

And former Ohio secretary of state Ken Blackwell defended Saltsman and attacked the media.

"Unfortunately, there is hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race. This is in large measure due to President-elect Obama being the first African American elected president," Blackwell, who is black, said in a statement.

"I don't think any of the concerns that have been expressed in the media about any of the other candidates for RNC chairman should disqualify them," he said. "When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal. All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."

Saltsman adopted a similar line yesterday, calling out the media for reporting on his holiday gift.

"Liberal Democrats and their allies in the media didn't utter a word about David Ehrenstein's irresponsible column in the Los Angeles Times last March. But now, of course, they're shocked and appalled by its parody on 'The Rush Limbaugh Show,' " Saltsman said in a statement, referring to the op-ed article that reportedly inspired the song lyrics.

"I firmly believe that we must welcome all Americans into our party and that the road to Republican resurgence begins with unity, not division. But I know that our party leaders should stand up against the media's double standards and refuse to pander to their desire for scandal," Saltsman added.

So this guy doesn't understand how "negro" in this context is totally inappropriate? I doubt that. And I call bullshit on the "hypersensitivity" with respect to race. I see nothing suitable about this choice of words in this context from this Saltsman (never mind Limbaugh who played the song on his radio show some time ago).

This Saltsman clown needs to be removed from RNC chair candidacy, at the least, by the RNC. They need to make a statement that this sort of speech is not to be tolerated.

[Patrick Degan]

And the GOP slides further into cartoon villany and eventual irrelevance. Looks like they're proud to have learned nothing from events of this past November.

[General Zod]

Saltsman defended the song as just a joke. "I think most people recognize political satire when they see it," he told The Hill.

Yeah, like that defense is going to be believed by anyone but closet racists. Mel Brooks Saltsman is not.

[Gigaliel]

It's amusing as the criticism of the Magical Negro concept is that it regulates blacks to secondary roles, which is the exact opposite of the Presidency.

And the GOP slides further into cartoon villany and eventual irrelevance. Looks like they're proud to have learned nothing from events of this past November.

I've seen this a few times and I think it's a bit early to call. I remember people claiming the DNC's inevitable implosion after the 2004 elections. It's not the most apt comparison, but four years is a long time.

[CaptainZoidberg]

I don't see how the Republicans could "implode". It's a two party system, and if the Republicans did somehow "implode", another conservative party would immediately form in their absence.

As for the CD, it's pretty darn tasteless (not to mention petty) to write songs making fun of your political opponents. I think they are going to regret this in 2012, when the democrats will be able to paint the Republicans as a party full of people with lots of criticisms and few ideas for improving the country.

[Patrick Degan]

And the GOP slides further into cartoon villany and eventual irrelevance. Looks like they're proud to have learned nothing from events of this past November.

I've seen this a few times and I think it's a bit early to call. I remember people claiming the DNC's inevitable implosion after the 2004 elections. It's not the most apt comparison, but four years is a long time.

I did not say the GOP was headed for implosion but irrelevance. So long as they think they can maintain a power structure and its underlying ethic, which are doomed by the facts of demography in the coming decades, they will continually find themselves in the political wilderness.

[Gil Hamilton]

As for the CD, it's pretty darn tasteless (not to mention petty) to write songs making fun of your political opponents. I think they are going to regret this in 2012, when the democrats will be able to paint the Republicans as a party full of people with lots of criticisms and few ideas for improving the country.

Actually, I'd say making songs to make fun your political opponents is just fine and dandy. In fact, I encourage it.

However, it's stuff like "Barack the Magic Negro" is the problem.

[Bilbo]

Barack the magic negro was a song created by Rush Limbaugh as a joke after several conservative and liberal writers commented using and used the term.

Still completely tasteless but not something he created or started.

[FSTargetDrone]

Barack the magic negro was a song created by Rush Limbaugh as a joke after several conservative and liberal writers commented using and used the term.

Still completely tasteless but not something he created or started.

Yes, it was pointed out in one of the articles that Limbaugh was the first to use it. The bigger issue is that the guy who aspires to be the RNC Chairman thought this was a good idea and didn't see the problem.

I, however, feel he knew exactly what he was doing and thought he could get away with some low grade racist nonsense.

[Medic]

And the GOP slides further into cartoon villany and eventual irrelevance. Looks like they're proud to have learned nothing from events of this past November.

I've seen this a few times and I think it's a bit early to call. I remember people claiming the DNC's inevitable implosion after the 2004 elections. It's not the most apt comparison, but four years is a long time.

I did not say the GOP was headed for implosion but irrelevance. So long as they think they can maintain a power structure and its underlying ethic, which are doomed by the facts of demography in the coming decades, they will continually find themselves in the political wilderness.

If you want an apt comparison then look to the Republicans post-Stock Market crash, throughout the 30's and 40's. FDR was elected 4 times as POTUS and a whole generation of Democrats was born thanks to Republicans being saddled with the Great Depression's fallout.

Now we're not quite that bad at the moment but there is that, and the demographic slide. Combined, irrelevance isn't even a bold claim.

That being said, being in-charge means whatever happens on your watch tends to get blamed on you. (or at least that would be the GOP's case to make in the next 4-8 years) Luck, in part, plays a part in politics but I think people are smart enough to see when bad luck meets bad governance (Katrina, anyone?) and distinguish between that and whatever unfortunate events happen during Obama's administration which won't be his fault.

[Gigaliel]

I did not say the GOP was headed for implosion but irrelevance. So long as they think they can maintain a power structure and its underlying ethic, which are doomed by the facts of demography in the coming decades, they will continually find themselves in the political wilderness.

Well that's why I said it wasn't the most apt comparison! I suppose a better one would be the 'permanent majority' rhetoric that was thrown around a few years ago that prove the DNC's demise. The GOP has a problem at the moment, yeah, but 4 years ago they seemed to be doing fine, vice versa for the DNC.

It just strikes me as a bit silly to say a party is doomed to irrelevance if they don't change after a lost election. It's true, but a political party has that problem every few years depending on the country's election cycle. It typically pulls through. The GOP also 'owns' several issues that might relevant in a few years: the military, religion, etc. Not really sure how one election changes this.

Edit: Or SPC could cover everything I was going to say when I didn't notice there was a new post. GO ME.