In my ongoing search for distractions from dog whistle-politics, I went to the “Harlem Rent Party” at the Museum of the City of New York.
Actually, it was a festival of film shorts (precursors to music videos) of musicians who dropped by Harlem’s legendary rent parties. Music greats like Louis Jordan, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and the “Empress of the Blues,” Bessie Smith.
While there, I checked out “Campaigning for President: New York and the American Election,” an exhibition of political memorabilia from 1789 to the present.
It was a thrill to stand at the lectern that Abraham Lincoln used when he spoke at Cooper Union in 1860. The artifacts of negative campaigning include a “Comb Nixon Out of Your Hair” comb and trinkets of voters who were “talked to death” by perennial presidential candidate and noted orator William Jennings Bryan.
Fast forward to today. Negative campaigning has gone viral. Indeed, someone has taught an old dog, John McCain, a new trick. McCain is using video to sow doubt about Barack Obama. The “Celeb” video has been viewed by over 1.5 million people.
McCain’s new web ad, “The One,” has more than 750,000 views.
A new Rasmussen poll found that 69 percent of voters saw news coverage of the Obama-Britney-Paris ad. Of those, 22 percent thought it was racially-charged while 63 percent said it was honky dory.
And yes, there is a racial divide. Fifty-eight percent of black voters said the ad was racist compared to 18 percent of white voters. Dog whistles, anyone?
The racial gap is not as wide over Obama’s comment that “he doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.” Fifty-three percent of white voters and 44 percent of black voters said it crossed the line.
With Obama and McCain in a statistical dead-heat, the New York Post gloated:
Barack Obama's whirlwind trip to the Mideast and Europe: more than $1 million.
John McCain's two days of viral video ads comparing his rival to Paris Hilton and God: $200,000.
A tie in the latest presidential tracking poll: priceless.
The polls have emboldened McCain, who told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer:
We’re not gonna allow racism to come into this campaign in any form. And so I’m gonna respond if it comes up again.
To borrow a phrase, “someone done hoodooed the hoodoo man” (hat tip: Louis Jordan).
