RNC chairman candidate defends 'Barack the Magic Negro' song

[babsbunny]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/26/rnc.obama.satire/index.html

By Rebecca Sinderbrand
CNN


(CNN) -- A candidate for the Republican National Committee chairmanship said Friday the CD he sent committee members for Christmas -- which included a song titled "Barack the Magic Negro" -- was clearly intended as a joke.
The title of the song about President-elect Barack Obama was drawn from a Los Angeles Times column.

The title of the song about President-elect Barack Obama was drawn from a Los Angeles Times column.

"I think most people recognize political satire when they see it," Tennessee Republican Chip Saltsman told CNN. "I think RNC members understand that."

The song, set to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon," was first played on conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh's radio show in 2007.

[Clio the Leo]

1. Oh here we go again..... "Tennessee Republican...."

For cryin out LOUD what is wrong with these idiots in my state!!! First there was that video about Michelle ....then there was something else.... stupid, stupid.

[Brazenly Liberal]

6. Look at it this way, Clio

I couldn't tell you your governor's name if my dog's life depended on it.

Normally, I wouldn't expect that to be a comforting thought, but my governor is Rod Blagojevich. :(

[Kalyke]

8. Well, have we Tennessee Dems mounted any effort to stop them?

No.

It's my fault. It's your fault. It's the fault of our party here in the state. We really suck!

Hell, do we have ANY statewide recognizable Democrat to run against Bob "union buster" Porker in 2010?

I can't think of a soul and that's patently pathetic!

[PBS Poll-435]

35. "Hey Harold... Call Me! *wink*

:puke: ___________
:puke:/__________/

[Mist]

2. RNC stands for Racist 'n' Crass. nt

[nightrain]

3. typical Rethug humor... at someone else's expense... Another

option is to admit what a f&^$up the Rethug Party is, but it seems to be more fun to denigrate another human being's skin color. How sophomoric.

[droidamus2]

4. Common

I have to admit I have not heard the song or read the lyrics but just a point. As I have grown up I have noticed many times that a favorite 'coverup' for bigoted language is to claim that it was 'just a joke'. As if you can say anything you want about any ethnic group, gender, sexual orientation or whatever as long as you claim that you meant it to be funny. Most the time what is said is anything but funny. In this case this RNC wannabe just doesn't get the fact that even if it is meant 'satirically' he is not a comedian and therefore it is not going to be seen as 'funny' except for those that are bigoted like him. I would even suggest the possibility that the only reason they used 'negro' in the title instead of the other 'N' word is that then their claim of being 'satirical' or 'funny' would definitely not fly.

[Brazenly Liberal]

5. self delete - wrong place

oops!

[Mist]

7. HuffPo has over 1000 comments from posters on the Chip cd, and

this one is to the point:

"How pathetic these people are.

"These are the same people who try telling you that because Obama was elected, black people have no claim that racism still exist.

"Strange that this election seems to have given some "permission" to practice their racist beliefs openly."
posted by 4evryoung



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/26/rnc-candidate-distributes_n_153585.html

[alwysdrunk]

9. I hope they elect him

Or at least continue to defend him. They are way beyond out of touch, these people are living in dream world if they think they can pass shit like this off as legitimate.

[tomreedtoon]

10. Who uses the words "negro" or "colored" any more?

Unless you're writing a fictional piece set before 1965 or so, who uses those words? I hesitate to say "racists" automatically. Somehow, the word "morans" seems more appropriate.

[Captain Hilts]

22. The UNCF and NAACP. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

26. In those cases

I recall reading some time ago that it would be a logistical and copyright/trademark/regulatory nightmare to change the organization names at this point in time. A related organization would be the Council for Negro Women, etc.

[Captain Hilts]

36. I agree that people, especially whites, don't use them these days in spoken discourse. nt

[santamargarita]

11. We need our own title, like: "Chip the greasy lard ass racist"

:mad:

[RDANGELO]

12. Diversity Insecurity!

America is a very diverse nation: We don't all look alike. We don't all talk alike. We don't all act alike. We don't all worship alike and we don't all form bonding relationships alike. A substantial part of the Republican base is very insecure about this. As a matter of fact, this is what motivates them politically more than anything else. Hence you get supposed jokes like this.

[peaches2003]

13. Magic Negro is a favorite term and also Lawn Jockey

Of course they all swear none of this is racist.

[mucifer]

14. Wow he really doesn't want African Americans to vote republican does he?

Aside from him being an evil racist, he's stupid as hell.

[NashVegas]

15. If They Used It Honestly, It Would Have Been a Legitimate Attack Against Hollywood

And against those who were marketing a vote for Obama as a way to show how liberal and very un-racist you are.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center

[Joey Liberal]

16. The GOP is the party of hatred nt

[marimour]

34. thank god they are becoming more and more irrelevant

[no_hypocrisy]

17. Here we go again.

Hang with his own rope.
Hoist on his own petard.
His words will haunt him.

He and Palin should just leave the GOP and start their own party.

[predfan]

18. Hey, the LA Times started this, Saltsman is just so stupid and inherently racist

he fails to see the harm in repeating it.

Just another typical wealthy Republican.

[Webster Green]

19. "I think most people recognize political satire when they see it,"

"I think most people recognize racism when they see it,"

FAIL! :thumbsdown:

[Botany]

20. And here he is .... a big old hunk of White Guy

[Politicub]

30. It's Peter Griffin

from Family Guy!

[xxqqqzme]

37. his face must disappear into the folds of his

robe.

[Captain Hilts]

21. That's just not acceptable. nt

[Happyhippychick]

23. Republicans are the gift that keeps on giving. Go on and defend your racist selves!

Nobody is buying it.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. The racism in the Republican Party is still palatable after all these years...

Their hatred, jealousy and vanity are all self-destructive and will ultimately lead to the death of the party. The hatred and vitriol that the RNC and many other powerful Republicans use to divide and control this country is no longer working. They need to come up with some real ideas, rather just be an opposition party that always works to divide; they need to understand that this country is no longer WHITE and MALE.

Last night I got into a friendly confrontation with white gay men who voted for John McCain, they say, because they don't like racial division. Huh? Come again? You voted for a political party that thrives off of hatred and racial division. What's more, they hate you and believe that you will burn in hell for who you love. I asked that they not speak to me again about politics.

The Republican Party needs to wake up. That old school Lee Atwater-Rovian divisive strategy may have won the party some elections, but has failed to help Republicans govern effectively. If the party cannot see this or accept it, they should expect to stay the minority party for a very long time, or become totally irrelevant.

The world is changing; they need to deal with that and come up with solutions.

[Puzzler]

25. Good! Let the RNC wallow in their own racist slime...

... and then maybe, just maybe, the rest of the country can see them for what they really are.

[avaistheone1]

27. The RNC is painting themselves into a nasty racist corner.

No wonder so many people have abandoned the Republican party. They are a bunch of toxic racists.

[PeaceNikki]

28. Interesting. I just read here on DU that Obama didn't run as an African American.

And that if he HAD, he would have lost!

:crazy:

[Mz Pip]

29. This is why they lost

and will continue to lose. People are just sick of this kind of thing.

The GOP has not learned the lesson, "When you're in a hole, stop digging." They just order bigger shovels. Middle school rude snarky humor only works when you're 12.

[Iggo]

31. We all know it was supposed to be a joke,

Chip thinks if we just get the joke, then everything's okay.

Hey Chip. I understand you were joking. I also understand my step-dad was joking whnever he told nigger jokes. It was still wrong and he was still an idiot...just.like.you.

[Thrill]

32. This is why they will continue to be nothing but a Southern Region Party

[Jack Rabbit]

33. Hey, let's tell some billionaire jokes

What does a wall street banker call welfare?

1. "My federal bailout"
2. "My bonus"
3. "My salary and perks"
4. All of the above.