John McCain has been blessed with many Joe’s — Lieberman, the Plumber and Biden. In his retooled stump speech he has nearly his entire message, finally distilled to two easily understood points provided in the waning weeks of the campaign by the latter two Joe’s:
Obama wants to raise taxes and redistribute voters’ hard earned money (“spread the wealth”) to, among other people, those already paying zero income tax.
Obama isn’t up to being commander-in-chief — indeed his mere election will incite conflict and his response will be inadequate.
(Sarah Palin is also making fine use of the material from Joe The VP.)
It might be helpful for McCain to weave in a reminder of the radical view of the judiciary that Barack Obama embraces and the extent to which his absolutist view on abortion departs even from many pro-choice Democrats. But in the case of McCain it is likely best to have fewer points rather than more.
It is ironic that the best lines and most cogent descriptions of the dangers of an Obama presidency came from the lips of the two Democratic candidates. But perhaps it is not so odd after all. McCain has always been best as a counter-puncher with his back is to the wall. He’s not particularly eloquent and has proven himself to be a mediocre debater, but he knows an opening when he sees it. In this case he sees two.
It’s late and it may not be enough to pull McCain even, but by Election Day everyone will know exactly what the key arguments against Obama are. Ironically, for a campaign that often predicted ruin if they ran on a “conservative vs. liberal” message and swore that they’d lose if they talked about the economy, they have come around to precisely those topics. We’ll see if voters are still listening.
A Google search of the terms “George Bush chimp” returned 1,690,000 hits.
Holder is exactly right, we are a ‘nation of cowards’. Why should anyone apologize for using a chimp in a political cartoon? If the people that confiscate my money, the same people that tell me how to live as a free American, are so thin skinned, those people need to find their own politicly correct sanctuary instead of creating one for all of us.
If not for the recent Oklahoma City incident involving the Abort Obama sign, I’d make comments about the thought police coming to get you for promoting clear thinking and rational discussion of race.
Perhaps in the name of ending racism, all monkeys gorillas, and chimpanzees should be put to death so never again may these creatures be equated with human beings.
The will have to be a “American Idol” style playoff to determine who gets the lead filling in for the Infinite monkey theorem.
And of course, all versions and sequels of “Planet of the Apes” will have to be destroyed as well.
When cowards mock the patriot’s fate….
I think that the Hon. Holder might consider the similarities in victimhood & cowardice.
Ask not what your cowardly leaders can do for you; ask what you can do to your cowardly leaders: Vote ‘em out!
epador: Can’t criticize the Obama thought police without making an irrelevant sidebar about anti-abortionists, eh?
Fred at #1 has a beautiful point. Bush was not only called a chimp, he was frequently depicted as one in cartoons. Like Obama, he has ears that stand out a tad more than average. I’m not and never was a Bush-basher, but objectively, from a purely physiognomic perspective, he is easier to caricature as a chimpanzee than Obama is.
This reminds me of the famous joke about the teenage guy and the Rohrshach test. No matter what the configuration of the ink blots, he said they reminded him of “sex.” No matter what image, impression, or icon you hold up to race-baiters, it reminds them of “racism.”
Neo
The “Infinite Victim Theorem” will be substituted for “Infinite Monkey Theorem” when it comes to designing the 2009 Porkulus Act!
I have a suggestion for all those struggling political cartoonists. There is one non-racial character that Obama absolutely resembles: Goofy. Big ears, no brains, no racial connotations. What could be better?
I stand corrected: I meant Dopey. I guess I get the Dopey/Goofy award this morning.
“Cartoonists have spent literally over a century reducing public figures to caricatures, but now they have to worry that the slightest exaggeration or deviation from photo-like accuracy can cause them to be labeled as racists — or worse.”
Funny, they didn’t seem too worried about such “exaggerations” when applied to Condoleeza Rice.
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/07/16/clueless-washington-journalist-of-the-day-john-harwood/
Look, it got Al back before the cameras. That was all that mattered.
let’s take an ‘occam’s razor’ approach: anyone who thinks that chimpanzee was a reference to obama is a racist – pure & simple…
…why would anyone think a homicidal chimpanzee ‘remindsthemof’ barack obama…?
they’re sick, that’s why…
want proof? al sharpton thought the homicidal monkey referenced obama QED
Any chimp would have known how that cartoon would have been interpreted. It reinforced stereotypes about the right, just as your reflexive defense of it does. And it furthers the narrative that you stand against Obama because you are the party of old white racists. The fact that you have to keep flogging this story shows that no matter how deep a hole you’re in, you can’t help but keep digging.
What better gift to the left could you give than a cartoon that’s, at best, racially tonedeaf, and at worst, overtly racist. The only debate now is whether you are evil bigots or terminally clueless.
It’s all part of Obama’s incredible resemblance to Abraham Lincoln. He was caricatured as a gorilla.
So Charles, how does that evil bigot/terminally clueless dichotomy play out with regard to the Chimpy Bush mania of the last few years?
Margo, Margo. You’re a spineless old white racist conservative. (I think I’ve captured most of the fun adjectives Charles has used today.) What do you know? You’re not in charge of The Narrative. Go back in your spineless old white racist hole.
“Adams isn’t the only cartoonist who’s concerned about illustrating President Obama. Cartoonists have spent literally over a century reducing public figures to caricatures, but now they have to worry that the slightest exaggeration or deviation from photo-like accuracy can cause them to be labeled as racists — or worse.”
Obama’s physical characteristics don’t have to be caricatured to make political points: all that is necessary is an accurate representation of his pose of chin-up, narrowed eyes gazing into a future that only he can see transposed with his words and actions.
Inwood:
Can’t make a comment without completely missing the point in your sidebar, eh?
for JG Thayer:
Notice how this Daily News article states as fact that the Post cartoon intentionally depicted Obama:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/02/22/2009-02-22_rev_al_sharpton_wants_fcc_to_investigate.html
This is an outrage. Now two Daily News writers and their editors are on the Obama payroll.
Between the soon-to-be bankrupt Daily News and the soon-to-be bankrupt US government, I’m not sure whose check would bounce higher.
epador
I didn’t sidebar; I addressed you directly.
And, I got your point, perhaps more than you understood it yourself.
But, you’re still missing mine: You can only admit that the Left is wrong if you also hit in this case an anti-abortion group’s excess. And, no, I don’t see Abortion as a Right/Left issue since Pro Life & Pro Choice people on both the Right & Left.
Try to stay focused on the point of the thread.
Or do you have a need to show that even tho you’ll go along with us here, your heart is in the, um, right, place on a big issue with folks who count?
So, anyone who refers to a “monkey business” will be prosecuted?
“Look Mommy -that man has a chimp on his shoulder”
Can anyone please arrest this white supremacist camouflaged as Chuck Berry ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsK1OPt_tTI
“Salesman [aka real state agent] talking to me, trying to run me up a creek
Say, “you can buy, go one and try, you can pay me next week [i.e. the govt. will bail you out]
Too much monkey business
Too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to involve again
“”
Oh poor America, how dumb have you become!
Can we end the yearly ritual of observing “black history month.”
And can we get past the yearly ritual too of marking the deeds of Jackie Robinson?
I think it’s time.
I think it’s way past time.
I think the point is exactly as Fred has said. Bush was often portrayed as a chimp and I think the right would have apoplectic if the cartoon had been done in the Bush administration. The issue is characterizing bush or the democrats as monkeys but the violence associated with police shooting such figures. It comes dangerously close to a call for a coup.
Mind, you I am a hundred percent for free speech. I definitely don’t believe anybody should be fired. But, still when one starts combining violence with domestic politics, one might want to be more careful.
I had thought the cartoon was a play on the old comment that a million monkeys at a million typewriters, given a million years, might eventually come up with all the plays of Shakespeare. While waiting, all they could come up with was . . . the stimulus bill.
re: 19
res ipsa loquitur