This election season has brought with it the most blatant example of identity politics I can remember seeing. This is mostly due to the fact that the Democratic candidates, Hilary and Barack, are very busy playing the victim and race cards, respectively, whenever they get in a jam of some kind. The difficult situations they manage to get into are usually the result of their own political ineptitude, which I assume is tied to a belief that the press will give them an easy time when they make a mistake, like they did in the past. However, because the media are also divided on which candidate they support, much of it does not get ignored for very long, and if it does get ignored we have the online masses who are willing to lay on a beat-down as appropriate. The media and the liberals are starting to see that the Clintons are serial liars. Many are also realizing that Obama is pretty much an empty suit, spreading the idea of hopey-changiness wherever he goes while remaining something of a cypher on substance when he isn’t outright reversing himself on policy positions he supposedly held dear not that long ago. Some pundits have been calling fellow Democrats racists or misogynists when they don’t want to vote for their indentity candidate of choice.
The schadenfreude can be very tasty.
Right now the utility of all this beyond the entertainment value is minimal, and I am tired of the whole thing. However, it isn’t going away soon, and I see an opportunity to show the average citizen, who cares little for politics, just how ridiculous and destructive identity politics can be. Therefore, I want this behavior to continue right up to the general election, when a lot more people will be paying attention. The only way this can happen now is for McCain to nominate a black man or woman as his vice-presidential candidate.
On the surface, I hope you find the idea of playing identity politics right back at them distasteful. You should. However, there are probably enough qualified candidates that I think McCain could make a good, sound choice of running mate such that the person is appropriate for the position and, oh, by the way, happens to be black. I want the candidate to be a solid conservative, so someone like Condoleeza Rice or Colin Powell are right out. I would be thinking a Michael Steele or J.C. Watts here, and I’m sure others have their favorites. A conservative candidate should also help to bring some of the base back to McCain, which is how I would argue it to him (of course, he may not care about that).
The nominee must look as qualified on paper as anyone else, and be more qualified than Obama. This is necessary because the very first salvo would include the charge that the nominee was chosen because he or she is black (ironic but completely expected), and the response must be to show that the nominee is as good a choice as any, and certainly as good as the one the Dems have put forth. The technique should be effective even if Hillary somehow gets the nomination, since Barack will not be forgotten soon even if he gets shunted aside, and Hillary’s qualifications are mostly hinged on being the wife of a former president.
Since a black Republican by definition has left the progressive identity plantation, expect the calls of “Uncle Tom” or the more vulgar “House N..r” to soon follow. The pivot point will be that somehow the Democrat’s black guy is intrinsically better than the Republican’s black guy, and that therefore the charges of racism for not voting for Barack (they will be everywhere) will somehow be justified in sticking in some unhinged minds, even though people would be choosing between pairs of candidates which both include black men. Those deep in the identity politics dungeon can twist their internal logic to follow this kind of reasoning, but most people cannot.
While “Uncle Tom” type charges have been used before with respect to Powell and Rice, they have generally been confined to editorial cartoons and the like, which most people never see. I think this time those patently racist slurs would be much more likely to end up out in the open. I want the light to shine on this stuff, so at least some people will see more clearly that automatically placing everyone into identity groups is an ignorant thing to do. I have no idea how many people would pay attention, but I think some would.
It isn’t likely we’ll have another chance like this any time soon to show identity politics in its truest form. I would like to see McCain take it. That way perhaps something positive could come out of this election.
If you ask me if I think this will actually work to any effect, my gut says no, but I am so cynical that my gut can steer me wrong.
Colin Powell could have been our first post-racial black candidate. I remember how he was courted by both parties when his stock was at its peak, just after the Persian Gulf War.
Maybe you’d like to explain your definition of an “empty suit.” I would hate to assume you are one of the many experts of things Obama who has read his thoughtful texts and visited his web site to investigate his policy statements. Honest analysis of things Obama is a refuge for scoundrels.
He’s an asshole. Any understanding Obama further than that risks the viral type of crypto-Marxism that has infected a few here. I’m Full Metal Jacket to Empty Suits.
Yeah I am sick of that kind of crap myself. Though I think Condoleeza Rice is an ass, it is because she is a neoconservative, not because she is a lovely, brilliant, and accomplished black woman who is conservative. I would love to see someone put a sock in the mouth of the people who think they get to decide who is “black enough” to be an “authentic black person” (remember, Barack failed this test miserably as he was way too articulate, too many white people liked him, and he was not angry enough – and Andrew Young and Julian Bond dismissed him, preferring Bill and Hillary Clinton as more authentic “black people”).
I would love to see the Republican Party get back to its Booker T. Washington days. Where it was an easy option for black people and anyone else.
Problem is, there are no viable Black Republican candidates. Powell is no longer really a Republican. Steele is a great guy, and I love him, but on TV he comes across like the Fourth Stooge. Condi Rice is a compelling and charismatic figure, but she has zero campaign experience, limited competence, and secrets locked away in a closet somewhere. However, you fail to mention the only possible Candidate of Color for the GOP: Gov. Bobby Jindal. His age and experience are irrelevant now in the Age of Obama, his skin color is darker, and he’s probably the smartest guy to ever run for any office anywhere since JFK. Or maybe Jefferson. McCain was down in Baton Rouge vetting him yesterday. So we’ll see.
Can Bobby Jindal “pass?”
Well, crap, Hope Muntz, you musta been 11:54:00 am.
McCain would never do it. His target voter in his head is his mom I think.
– McCain is easy. Just tell him he can’t choose a black running mate.
Ok that raises some possibilities. Good thinking BBH!
I hope McCain doesn’t choose Jindal, because he is still too untested and too young for the gig, and besides it seems like he could have a real shot at applying needed changes to Louisiana government.
I think that Jindal will stay in Louisiana. He needs to. The place is a mess and is arguably in worse shape than the rest of the country. Coburn would be nice, and most of the Senate would blow a gasket. That’s almost worth it alone. Or a truly conservative house or senate member. Not another RINO like himself.
Jindal needs to be at the convention though I think. In prime.
This is what Bob Novak said recently. Rob Portman. He has nice teeth.
I’m not seeing that. I think he’d be a great pick. As for Jindal, he belongs right where he is, and he needs to do the job he asked the voters for, and which I think he’ll do really well. He’s got a long, promising career ahead of him and right now is a great time for him to be putting feathers in his cap. But you’ll be seeing his name again.
Do you think Obama’s promise not to run for the White House but to serve his term as Illinois’ senator is going to come up this fall?
Did you know Herbert Hoover’s vice-president was almost one-half Native American? Republicans have been there before.
Indeed.
The first black president was a Republican.
I would like to see McCain take it.
you’ll get your chance to cry ageist!
when age identity politics comes up.
around may 15 i think.
;)
The lying fraud is back.
Mark my words — Louisiana will eat Jindal alive. He’s a wonderful man, but the skeins of corruption and racism and cronyism are too tightly woven. Best thing is to get him out of there so he won’t be wasted.
Too late, turtle face.
Don’t want to upset the AARP. Those folks vote.
– Ok. I watched some video from the Wright interview, and I just don’t get it. Wright was mondo low key, its true, but whats with this “its not true”, “its unfair”.
– What part of the rapacious, racist, anti-white, anti-American rants foes he mean are “untrue”, “unfair”.
– Was there someone off camera shouting the words while he just pantomimed? What? Am I missing something here?
That shouldn’t be too hard. BarryO is manifestly unqualified to be POTUS or VPOTUS. Period.
It would be more profitable for McCain to choose a female running mate than a black running mate. The Republicans wouldn’t get black votes even with a black running mate. But there are going to be some disgruntled middle-aged women out there who are upset that Obama got nominated instead of Hillary, and McCain can make a play for them by choosing a female running mate.
My choice continues to be Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. A thorough conservative (lifetime NRA member, fought hard against pork, etc.), with a clean scandal-free record. Make a nice contrast against Hillary too.
You do know Gov. Palin just had a baby, right? A baby that will still be only seven months old at the time of the November election? A baby that tested positive for Down’s Syndrome?
I like Sarah Palin too, but for 2008 it just isn’t going to happen. Furthermore, I still think John McCain is never going to make a running-mate choice that would take attention away from him.
sinz52:
What about this scenario? At the Democrat convention, the super delegates and Hillary pull a back room deal and she becomes the nominee. Black voters feel completely disenfranchised, but there’s a black VP candidate on the Republican ticket. McCain and the candidate make a concerted effort to show African Americans that their best interests are, in fact, served by fiscal conservativism, development of small businesses, private school vouchers, etc.
Is it possible that black voters would make that switch instead of staying home?
I think when we talk about McCain running mates of color or gender, we fall into the exact same identity politics trap the Democrats have dug for themselves. Do we really think the Republicans are smarter than the Democrats and won’t end up eating themselves alive the same way the Dems are?
‘Cause based on what I’ve seen especially the last few years, I sure as hell don’t.
Bobby Jindal is the perfect second if we’re going to play the race card. Younger, smarter, and more accomplished than Obama. And he’s got the ability to string sentences together without a teleprompter.
But I think McCain is going to pick Charlie Crist, on account of him throwing Florida (and the primary) to McCain.
John McCain is never going to make a running-mate choice that would take attention away from him.
No president does that – wittingly.
Well sure — but he won’t even want a running mate that reporters will want to talk to if McCain’s not around for them to talk to instead.
#22
wow….i actually agree with something Captain Stupid put up!!
im pretty south park.
either it’s all ok to make fun of, or none of it is.
;)