Democrats from the White House on down are getting so desperate about the midterm elections that a flood of racial dog whistles have been unleashed in order to goose black turnout and give Democrats a chance in several elections.
What makes the tactic so rancid is that there is no attempt whatsoever to mask the direct appeal to fear and racial solidarity. Subtlety is not in their playbook.
Deneen Borelli, writing in the Washington Times, catalogs some of the most egregious examples:
Because her husband’s unpopularity makes his presence politically toxic for liberal candidates, first lady Michelle Obama is traveling the country stumping for Democrats. In what is a new low for a first lady, her get-out-the-vote speeches are laced with race-baiting terms.
In Pennsylvania, in an effort to urge attendees to vote, Mrs. Obama reminded the crowd that voter turnout was responsible for her husband’s election. To make sure the blacks in the audiences got the racial message, she used the phrases “us versus them,” “folks like us,” and “too many of our people.” Mrs. Obama repeated the same terms in her addresses in Minnesota and Iowa.
The Georgia Democratic Party stoked racial fears as well, by exploiting the death of Ferguson, Mo., teen Michael Brown. In a mailer targeting black voters, the party used a picture of a man kneeling in the street with his hands up, surrounded by smoke, flames and police car headlights. This was clearly designed to evoke emotions surrounding the shooting of Brown and the subsequent protests.
In another flier, the Georgia Democratic Party shamelessly used an image of innocent young black children holding signs with little handprints and the words “Don’t Shoot.” The headline: “If You Want To Prevent Another Ferguson In Their Future .”
Shockingly, a spokesman for the Georgia Democratic Party defended the mailers saying, “Our state and our democracy is [sic] stronger when more people participate. And we have seen what happens in places like Ferguson, Mo., when voices are silenced.”
Finally, Mr. Sharpton, a race-card hustler, is heading to Ferguson for the final days leading up to the election. Mr. Sharpton played a high-profile role in Ferguson following Brown’s death. During that period, it was reported he had a direct link to the White House and was, in fact, serving as an adviser to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Given the close relationship between President Obama and Mr. Sharpton, as well as the need to drum up black turnout, it’s certainly not a stretch of the imagination to conclude that the White House dispatched Mr. Sharpton to Ferguson with the primary purpose of whipping up emotions and generating national news.
Grand juries are not above politics, so it is likely that a determination about whether to indict Officer Wilson in the Michael Brown shooting won’t come until after the election. This will give Rev. Sharpton ample time to ramp up his racialist rhetoric with regard to the situation in Ferguson. Of course, the media will dote on Sharpton as they always do. You have to admit the guy is a walking soundbite machine. And the coming attempts to provoke a violent response from police will garner sympathy from blacks across America.
The problem for Republicans is that in states like Georgia and North Carolina, even a small increase in average black turnout of 1-2% in off-year elections might tip the race to the Democrats. In short, the racial strategy may very well succeed.
The Democrats’ river card is the race card and it may very well give them the winning hand.
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