Ann Althouse ponders the North Carolina GOP anti-Obama commercial featuring Rev. Wright and wonders how it could be considered race-baiting.
Hmm, that is a puzzle. In the spirit of non-partisan amicability, let's help her out here:
Dear Ann:
It might have something to do with the scary black man yelling a scary black thing in a scary black way.
Love,
Thers
Unsurprisingly, Althouse employs her trademark "neener neener" logic to declare that if you look at the ad and see the obvious, hey presto, you're the racist:
... look at the ad! It's about left-wing politics and anti-Americanism....
There is a serious question here about whether Obama is too left wing. We damned well get to talk about it. If you're going to push us back and call us racists for trying to address an overwhelmingly important political problem with a black candidate for President, then what you are essentially saying is that America is not ready for a black President. And that would be racist.
No, it's about race. The reason Wright is saying "God damn America" is because of how African Americans have been treated in America, after all.
And besides, if you take race out of the reading of the ad, there isn't a "serious question here about whether Obama is too left wing" -- unless you want to define "left wing" as inherently "anti-American." Which Althouse of course wants to do, as this is central to her definition of "nonpartisanship."
Most amusing though is this:
ADDED: For anyone who thinks I'm resistant to seeing racism in a political ad, let me remind that I was the one who wrote about the letters "NIG" on the child's pajamas in the "3 a.m." ad.
Which needs no commentary.