Here at Political Season, we eschew kneejerk or overdone reactions to statements by various and sundry figures in the public eye that can be interpreted as racially inflammatory or controversial. That said, we are sensitive to language, tone and context and so could not help but take note of a portion of John McCain's victory speech last night, where he said the following in a portion of his prepared remarks clearly referring to Barack Obama:I do not seek the presidency on the presumption that I am blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save my country in its hour of need. I seek the presidency with the humility of a man who cannot forget that my country saved me.
Is this the under the surface narrative that McCain will weave into his campaign? The insinuation that Obama is an arrogant megalomaniac who views himself as a savior? In the context of an election campaign against a black candidate vying for the presidency and history, subtext is important and McCain is a wily and skilled political campaigner. This is a considered and deliberate statement in his speech and it certainly raised our antennae. Is McCain, perhaps deliberately, suggesting that Obama is an uppity negro?
I did not take it that way. I was amused however how he was bending over backwards to rev up his attacks on Obama.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that it immediately caught my attention because these were not off the cuff remarks, but a speech prepared in advance. McCain was reading from a teleprompter when he did the speech and this comment is in a portion of the speech that is definitely about Obama. So someone thought about this wording in advance and if this subtext remains a consistent part of his campaign rhetoric, I will conclude its deliberate. He is a wily campaigner and I don't put it past him. Look at how he characterized Romney on timetables for withdrawal from Iraq? Even though everybody clearly agreed he was deliberately taking Romney out of context, he didn't stop doing it. I don't put it past him.
ReplyDeleteOf course Obama is an Uppity Negro...no other kind would run for President of the United States.
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