Well now, here's a nifty little problem for Mr Rove (California, racism)

[DrBB]

Those DUers who are not familiar with David Neiwerth's superb blog Orcinus or with his exceedingly illuminating discussion of fascism, its most rigorous definition and its applicability (and non-applicability) to today's right wing dominance of American politics, take heed.

A right-wing-extremist-derived meme (Neiwert's speciality is identification of how r-w-extremist memes find their way into "mainstream" media, e.g. Fox) attacking Bustamente for being a tool of a "racist" organization dedicated to turning North America into "Aztlan"--a kind of latino/hispano empire--is being disseminated by such "mainstream" pundits as Mickey Kaus, Michelle Malkin and others, and it is BAD news for mr rove and his California strategery.

For what is exceedingly lovely about this is that it exposes a deep and abiding contradiction in GOP strategy between its aims for the CA recall campaign and the overall campaign to reelect the simian figurehead in 2004. Namely, the GOP is determined to woo the latino vote, but at the same time, gee, they'd really like to, y'know, carry California 'n' all, which would (according to a lot of observers) be easier if their guy Arnolt ze Terminator were elected in the engineered recall. But Issa's little project--his own summary dismissal notwithstanding--has kinda left Karl with a strategic problem. Y'see, Bustamente is a member of that key ethnic group he'd like to woo. And the latest Brilliant Idea of Faux's right wing commentators to defeat Bustamente is to pick up on (as they habitually do) a right-wing-extremist meme, namely, that the organization called MEChA, of which Bustamente is a member, is racist.

Only problem is, the fact that Bustamente is a member is hardly extraordinary--so is just about every second or third latino/a who ever went to college. As Neiwerth puts it:

Indeed, Republicans who wish to push the argument that MEChA is racist might want to talk to Mike Madrid, an advisor to the GOP on Latino affairs (and someone for whom this meme is probably the biggest nightmare since Proposition 187), who had this to say in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle:

"It's bizarre to assume this is some kind of radical group, seeking to overthrow part of the United States," said Mike Madrid, who has worked on Latino affairs for the state Republican Party. "It was part of the Brown Beret and Chicano studies movement, but it's mainly a social group and has been for years. To suggest it's involved in paramilitary training or some underhanded conspiracy is ludicrous."

I know this is probably too long and involved to do anything but drop like a stone on GD, but I thought it was worth posting anyway. There is much illumination to be gleaned in the links above (IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, READ NEIWIRTH'S "FASCISM" PIECE!!!!), and in this little parable about how hard it is for Rove to secure the latino vote while denying Bustamente the governorship.

Cheers....

edit: typo

[lcordero]

1. What they are trying to do is turn the Democratic white vote against

Bustamente.

[DrBB]

2. Obviously. But that's the problem

"They," meaning these pundits, obviously think they are playing the Rovian game correctly. But they are doing so in a way that directly contradicts another part of the Big Rove Strategery: attracting latinos to the GOP. This is likely to activate far more latinos against the GOP than it is to enlist whites against Bustamente.

[NJCher]

3. unbelievable

I love the way these people concoct these schemes, only to have it hit them up alongside the head in the end. That happens all too often when they are in charge of American policy (9/11).

I was astonished at what Neiworth discovered when he traced the origins of the meme and how quickly it proliferated.


Cher

[Old and In the Way]

4. Thanks Doc

I was on the Yahoo boards last night and this whole MeCha argument was being made. Can't say I was too up on this, but I read Eschaton's link to the same blog.

Anyway, I've cut and pasted your quote into a note for reference when I hear these idiots spewing their bullshit.

Thanks.

[beanball]

5. Wake up America

they said it cound't happen here,the crooks are taking over our beloved land and we sleep as the bastards rape and pillage the land,we listen to the head spokeman for the infidals cry out "God bless America" while his evil companions do the devils work.

[Isome]

6. Ha ha ha!

Any organization by people of color is bound to elicit cries of "racism" by GOPers. When non-white people create an organization there's bound to be some sinister plottin' & plannin' going on.

[DrBB]

7. Precisely. And what's so interesting about Orcinus...

This is a standard GOP response toward non-white organizations--they are focused on race, therefore they're 'racist'--but what's so great about Niewirth's approach is that he shows how such vicious memes get propagated and 'mainstreamed.' Most of us only see them when they start being passed around by 'respectable' pundits and news organizations, but he shows how in fact they originate among right-wing extremist groups like the Patriot movement, Christian Identity, and so on, and the right wing media unscrupulously picks them up and sanitizes them. This is fantastic and important stuff. And his lengthy exegesis of nascent/latent fascism in the US is rigorous, nuanced, and extremely useful.

[veganwitch]

8. this months' adbusters

is about fascism (and the rise of fascism--as opposed to nazi-ism) in america.