Barack the magic negro
Ever since Chip Saltsman, a candidate for Republican National Committee chairman, circulated a CD with a parody on it called "Barack the Magic Negro," Republicans, pundits and more Republicans have been debating whether Saltsman's move was racist, racially insensitive, dumb or just a good ole boy's idea of clean fun.
Is the song, which has a white man posing as Al Sharpton singing along to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon," racist? Is it lampooning white liberal guilt and mocking other black leaders' supposed jealousy of Obama? Honestly, who cares? Rush Limbaugh referred to or played that song a bunch of times on his show and Barack Obama still won the election. Black punditry has hardly commented on this most recent flap; they're too busy picking out inaugural outfits.
But Saltsman still deserves to be raked over the coals. Not for anything to do with Obama, per se, but for campaigning with cultural references that are decades out of date.
"Puff the Magic Dragon?" You've got to be kidding. Was he on another planet Nov. 4? Did he miss how Republicans lost 66% of the vote of people age 30 and under? Thirty-year-olds weren’t even born when Peter, Paul and Mary's hit came out in 1963. Sure Limbaugh used the parody and his crowd loved it, but the average Limbaugh listener is 51. Then there's the parody itself and the faux Sharpton. Sure the Rev. deserves the disdain and disapprobation he earned for his outrageous behavior during the Tawana Brawley hoax case, but that happened in 1987. The World Wide Web wasn't even invented then, which means young people have never heard of it. To them, Sharpton is just that black guy from New York with the funny hair.
It's a given that Republicans are done trying to appeal to black voters, but are they really ready to give up everyone else who isn't white? Because if not, here's the thing: it’s not much of a stretch for Latinos and Asians -- who also voted overwhelmingly for Obama -- to imagine how a president-elect of their ethnicity also could be the target of such lighthearted Republican fun. "Mike the Magic Jap” and “Maria the Magic Mexican” probably wouldn't go over that well either.
It just goes to show that spanking is ineffective discipline. If it worked Saltsman would have learned from the party's its electoral walloping last month. By 365 to 175 electoral votes, Americans demonstrated that they want political leaders who are in tune with the themes of the current day, not the Billboard hits of 1960s.
UPDATE: An astute reader pointed out that Obama won by a larger electoral-vote margin than our post claimed. The correct total was 365 to 173.
Los Angeles Times photo
Heck it! Let the Repugs hurt themseleves. Let them dig a hole for which it would take decades for them to get out of. Let them! Let them! Let them!
Posted by: Gerald Shields | December 29, 2008 at 05:47 PM
Just dumb.
Posted by: reader | December 29, 2008 at 05:49 PM
Does it matter that, as usual, you failed to mention the LA Times coined the phrase Magic Negro? Hypocrites? Amazing. Really amazing. In fact, utterly pathetic.
As to appealing to blacks, explain. How do blacks need to be appealed to? You mean pandered don't you? I am totally fed up with this division crap. Your either a American or you not. Get over it.
Unless your willing to tell the entire story I suggest he how is without sin cast the first stone!
Posted by: DaveT | December 29, 2008 at 06:00 PM
Just looked up the Tawana Brawley case, and if I can only imagine Sharpton's role even if supported the false allegations of another at an unjustified level, I can only imagine it being sanctioned.
Posted by: Tyler Ellis | December 29, 2008 at 06:00 PM
Welcome to the GOP... lately (since 1998) they have been nothing but a bunch of 'Jesus freaks', rednecks, and rich old farts. It's no small wonder why I left the Republican Party 10 years ago. What a bunch of pathetic losers.
Posted by: Pete Psikogios | December 29, 2008 at 06:00 PM
I believe you missed that some of the other songs on this inclusive recording already refer to other ethnic and cultural groups. Something about Spanglish, for example. So we have an equal opportunity offender.
Posted by: Writing from Alaska | December 29, 2008 at 06:00 PM
"...it’s not much of a stretch for Latinos and Asians -- who also voted overwhelmingly for Obama -- to imagine how a president-elect of their ethnicity also could be the target of such lighthearted Republican fun. "Mike the Magic Jap” and “Maria the Magic Mexican” probably wouldn't go over that well either."
Listen to the whole CD: they've already got "The Star Spanglish Banner"...
The more those "good ol' boys" shove their too Right feet down their own fat throats, the better I feel.
Bring on 2010!
Posted by: Lou | December 29, 2008 at 06:01 PM
Good read.
To Gerald - even though I am left leaning and have voted democrat more often than republican (I am not registered as either in FLA), I do not like the idea of the republicans becoming an after thought. That opens up a one-party situation that will lead to serious abuses.
Trouble is, the republicans seem to be doing everything they need to be doing to ensure that they fade towards irrelevance.
Posted by: tampa ed | December 29, 2008 at 06:05 PM
I say let the Republicans be Republicans, just in case there's anyone out there who aren't completely clear about who and what they are - a cult of bigots and religious fanatics led by a contingent of super rich people who have always found it convenient to their interests to promote this sort of thing. Hopefully that marriage of convenience will no longer be tenable. Let the Republicans be Republicans.
Posted by: Dolmance | December 29, 2008 at 06:14 PM
My name is Chip Saltsman
Vote for me for the RNC
I have a song inside my head
Where my brain used to be
Satire by James Flannery, 2008
please distribute freely
Posted by: James Flannery | December 29, 2008 at 06:14 PM
This song is a disgrace and again demonstrates that this country is a joke with regard to non-white people. My daughter is half black and I have every intention of raising her in Canada once she gets to the age of school. I have always felt that this country simply hates anyone that is not white. Being white I hear this kind of crap every day. Few people know that my wife is in fact black.
This is another point that has pissed me off since I came to this country. There is only one race, the human race. Proven when I had a child with my black wife . We are all one species with different skin colour or one species. Try getting it right; there is no race issue. There is a HATE issue. This country hates anyone that is not white.
I had hope when this country elected Mr. Obama. I actually felt that my children may get a chance in this country. we will see.
But this BS song and the way the republican party distributes it tells me that nothing is changed.
The republican party is like the NAZI party. They believe if you continue to repeat a lie enough times it will become truth. Given that my family ran from the Nazi out of Austria to Canada this kind of familiar behaviour regarding hate literature is near and dear to my heart.
Same on all those that feel we are too sensitive.
Perhaps we were too sensitive to the persecutions previously?
Posted by: David | December 29, 2008 at 06:14 PM
Republicans = Dixiecrats + Dummies
Posted by: anabel cardenas | December 29, 2008 at 06:14 PM
Imagine a DNC nominee had sent a song around called Jesus the Magical Homosexual, or Sarah the Magic B*tch. Or even Rush the Magic Fat Drug Addict. Or even John The Magic Caucasian. The Repubs would be in an UPROAR like you couldn't imagine.
This just shows how out of touch many in the party is.
Posted by: Mark Belkin | December 29, 2008 at 06:15 PM
Hey, the GOP is a racist party. Call 'em like you see 'em, and be done.
But really, it's not the party: it's the so called Americans who tolerate that stuff.
Posted by: gberke | December 29, 2008 at 06:16 PM
Racism has got to go. Here in Lake Isabella, CA, the "N" word is being thrown around all the time in reference to Obama. It makes me sick. He is bringing us hope for a better future and I pray he doesn't let us down.
Lake Isabella (as with Mono and Inyo Counties) is a very conservative, republican area. It's horrible.
Posted by: Terry Day | December 29, 2008 at 06:16 PM
Was it wrong for Saltsman to distribute the CD? Probably. Is it a racist song? Hardly not.
The author of the song simply said what so many others were afraid to say. Sharpton, Jackson and the lot are supposed to be helping the black community, but in truth, they keep managing to knock it back a step or two each time they open their big mouths. Obama is a candidate that a majority of the people could relate to, and made the voters feel safe. This fact was made painstakingly obvious this past election.
It is now time for the Haters to step off... And stay off. Permanently.
God Bless America.
Posted by: BrianK | December 29, 2008 at 06:16 PM
You write: "are they really ready to give up everyone else who isn't white?"
STOP
What is this business of implying such bigotry is acceptable to whites?
It is long past time to tolerate the structural racism that says whites are not outraged and hurt by anti-black, anti-ethnic, anti-minority statements. A discussion of bigotry as bad politics for pulling in minority votes not only misses the point but continues the problem.
Bigotry is obscene to ALL of us, and bigotry violates the decency of ALL of us. If we deal with this last insult as if it were only practical politics, we demean ourselves.
I am an old white man and my view is that of all of my friends, whatever their colors: STOP ACCEPTING SUPPOSEDLY "POLITE BIGOTRY."
Posted by: wp | December 29, 2008 at 06:23 PM
If it quacks like a duck . . .
Posted by: Don Wood | December 29, 2008 at 06:37 PM
Honestly if the republicans don't figure out that their a minority and that they are not going to be able to scare, harass, and abuse minorities into voting for them, this is going to be a hilarious next few election cycles. Do these southern raised social retards not understand that this is exactly the stuff that alienates the majorities that they need to win elections. it is the equivalent of of some cracker deciding the best way to make black friends is to start dropping the Nbomb. The RNC would get a better response and probably more votes if did a complete 360 and started claiming that the white elite liberal where trying to take over the world by keeping all the minorities on welfare.
Posted by: HAHAREPUG's | December 29, 2008 at 06:37 PM
"By 365 to 175 electoral votes, Americans demonstrated..."
Yes, now you eagerly cite the Electoral College vote. Funny how it wasn't all that relevant in 2000, when Al Gore "really" won the election because he got more of the popular vote.
The EC vote was kinda relevant in 2004, though. I recall several pundits pointing out that Bush's overwhelming popular-vote victory couldn't by any means be considered a mandate. Why, a mere 60,000 popular-vote difference in Ohio would have thrown the election to Kerry!
And while we know with certainty who stole Florida in 2000, the true unanswered question from the 2000 election is: WHO STOLE TENNESSEE?
Posted by: Owen Glendower | December 29, 2008 at 06:37 PM
The Democrats are racist - the Reverend jeremiah Wright, Obama and jesse Jackson knows it, and you know it.
Republicans need to understand that this is a political war. The libs in America crave power like vampires crave blood. They are evel and have the media in their pocket.
Republicans need to get just as mean as the Dimoctats in power, and meaner!!!
This puff thing ain't no thing at all.
Posted by: Larry | December 29, 2008 at 06:37 PM
Everytime I start to feel a little genuine hope in the thought that we are finally becoming (as a nation) what God wanted us to be-someone like Chip Saltsman comes along and chips away at my faith.
Posted by: S. Carn | December 29, 2008 at 06:38 PM
The LA Times coined the phrase Magic Negro in relation to Obama, here is the link.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center
Hypocrites for sure
Posted by: George | December 29, 2008 at 06:38 PM
When bozos like Saltsman look at an issue and immediately pick out the racial part of it I think that's racist. It makes perfect sense that this was part of Rush Limbaugh's schtick. Remember his pathetc run as a football 'analyst'? He looked at Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles and immediately saw racial favoritism. The Eagles were 'carrying' McNabb because he was black.
This 'parody' is perfect for all the losers who sit alone in their cars listening to Rush and his buddies split hairs and tell lies.
Posted by: nuc | December 29, 2008 at 06:39 PM
DaveT Righto! Thank you for pointing out that it was this very newspaper that first refered to Barack as the "Magic Negro." To be exact, it was the March 19, 2007 edition of the LA times. In this very column in fact!
Posted by: Tom P | December 29, 2008 at 06:39 PM