Shame on Both Your Houses - By Adam Nashban, Political Consultant

If you heard people say, ”those people,” “I don’t trust black people,” “ain’t voting for a n****r,” would you think it is the 1960s or would you be amazed to think that it is 2008? Unfortunately, comments like these can be heard at inside and outside McCain-Palin rallies around the country. You may have already heard about this and think it is old news but I think it is important for us to keep this issue front and center.

There are two important questions to ask about who is to blame for this: First is a chicken or the egg question, did the supporters always feel this way about Obama or did the rhetoric of the McCain campaign open the door to this kind of language? Secondly, where is the so called mainstream media in reporting this? I will get to both of these questions, but first here are a few outlets and bloggers that have tackled this issue:

This first source of insight into their rallies is from a foreign news source:



This is from the Daily Show I put the whole show in here but start at about one minute in and watch until the first commercial:



Finally, from a blogger outside the rallies interviewing more attendees:



So how did these comments at political rallies start? We need to look at the types of racism that people partake in the overt and covert. Overt racists are comfortable acting in a racist way publicly, covert would only discuss it in the safety of their house or with other friends who feel the same way. Are most of the people we see in these videos usually overt or covert?

One would suggest that they are probably covert, probably have some menacing thoughts at times but their neighbors and friends would probably never know how they really feel. It is not until they think they have a venue in which it is safe to speak out this way will they actually become overt racists. Here is the proof, we did not start hearing these kinds of comments until the McCain campaign began publicly calling Obama a terrorist and questioning his patriotism. It was McCain’s inflammatory language that prompted his supporters to feel safe to act out this way. Give people an inch and they will take a mile.

Above you have seen three media outlets documenting this kind of behavior foreign media, Comedy Central and a blogger. Where is CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC and dare I say Fox in all of this? Yes we may have seen bits here and there about these rallies, but this is a news story that should expand further than the twenty-four hour news cycle. Obviously, in order to stay competitive and up to date during the “you tube” era of politics, mainstream media has to find stories to keep the news fresh. Who loses, Americans who have common sense and would actually like to think and digest what is being flashed across them on the screen. Maybe that is why we chose to hear our news from “alternative” news sources such as blogs like this, you tube, Comedy Central and even Wonkette.

The actions by some of McCain’s supporters brings back images of the 1960’s when there were other prominent African Americans trying to bring about change and equality and the backlash that created in their detractors. It is important that these actions are condemned early- which has not happened- to let people know that comments like these are not acceptable in politics or in the coffee shop. Instead, the fact that McCain has not condemned these comments or the mainstream media has not shown people saying these comments on nightly news; they have only become more empowered.

Shame on the McCain campaign and the mainstream media for allowing these people a platform to spread hateful racist remarks. Country first, sounds more like campaign first.